The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

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THE TRUTH ABOUT PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

OH my goodness I love this! I wish I could write it myself! I am a true believer that there really are no "real" pregnancy symptoms and that they are just myths. Like this says EVERYONE is different and hearing that someone feels one way...then makes another person scared when they don't!

Great read! Thanks for sharing!

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

Can someone share that link I'm at work and it wont allow me to open up on my phone

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

I want to read this but it is blocked on my work computer

I will have to look at it when I get home

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

i love this too! something to look forward to

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

Posted by MRSadenosine

Can someone share that link I'm at work and it wont allow me to open up on my phone

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

Posted by olechka1911

Posted by MRSadenosine

Can someone share that link I'm at work and it wont allow me to open up on my phone

The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms
Page Updated on November 24, 2007
Some women say that pregnancy was the happiest time of their life. They loved it. They would do it a hundred times. I think these women are crazy.

I loved the idea of being pregnant, growing a human inside of my body, feeling my baby grow, kick, stretch, turn, jump when startled, and hiccup. I was creating a life, a child, a person, possibly even a future world leader or famous artist. It was miraculous and sometimes unbelievable. Pregnancy itself, however, wasn't as much fun.

The Pregnancy Books
When I discovered that I was pregnant I read all of the pregnancy books and thought that I knew exactly what to expect. After all, I'm one of those people who likes to be prepared for everything, so I researched the subject thoroughly. What I learned from my own experiences as well as from my friends was that most pregnancy books do little to convey the truth about pregnancy symptoms. Here are some things to keep in mind when reading those pregnancy books:

Most symptoms will happen whenever they feel like popping up even if the books tell you that they happen at certain stages or at certain times of the day. The cause of the symptom varies with different stages, but the symptom itself can occur at any time.
The books speak about pregnancy symptoms casually to ease your fears, but in reality the books' comments on symptoms are terribly understated, and most people I know who have had babies have horror stories to prove this.
Some women actually get worried if they don't have some of the common symptoms listed in their pregnancy book. Remember, not all symptoms happen to all women. Some women don't have any symptoms at all (and they annoy the rest of us); just be grateful if you are one of these women.
No two women experience these symptoms in exactly the same way. Some have a symptoms so mildly that it barely exists at all while others need to be hospitalized. Most pregnancy books try to go somewhere down the middle, and I try to give you some of some of the worst case scenarios here just so you won't be in for a shock.
The Book to Reality Translation for Symptoms (in no particular order)
The book says: "A missed period is the first sign of pregnancy."
Translation:
Maybe. I had two periods before I started to get my first pregnancy symptom, exhaustion. Even the third period came in as spotting after I discovered that I was pregnant. Doctors like to do things based on the first day of your last period, so I went to the OBGYN assuming that I was only ten weeks along and was pregnant with an alien-looking pre-human-form creature. I left the doctor's office finding out that I was already in my second trimester and had ultrasound pictures of the cutest tiny baby to prove it. My stomach had been hard, but I had also been constipated, so I assumed the firmness came from bloating. I discovered that the firmness I felt was actually a baby and that those tiny gas bubbles were actually my baby's movements. It was amazing to say the least.

Remedy:
I don't know how you can keep this from happening, but if you're actively trying to get pregnant, try taking a pregnancy test at least every other month.

The book says: "You may feel a bit moody."
Translation:
You may cry when you see sentimental commercials, happy or sad moments in a Saturday morning cartoon, children, parents, families, beautiful scenery, ugly scenery, beautiful people, ugly people, your reflection, your partner, clothes you can no longer wear, clothes you could never wear, a cemetery, a hospital, a dead animal on the side of the road, any food product that may have once been alive (yes that includes vegetables), and just about anything else that crosses your path. You may also become depressed by thoughts of life and death, feel guilty about everything from putting your mother through pregnancy to not being the sex goddess you would like to be for your partner, develop phobias, or feel paranoid for no reason whatsoever. You may also experience anger in a way that you've never experienced it before. Your husband who has been so sweet to you and whom you have never fought with will suddenly become the most despised thing on earth just because he didn't say "Hello" in a way that pleased you, and you may scream at him or even feel like hitting him for it.

Remedy:
Remind yourself that it's probably just hormones. Get a journal and write everything down; it will help you vent and will give you a good laugh after you have the baby. Just try to not take things out on your loved ones (or even complete strangers), and don't use it as an excuse to act bitchy.

The book says: "You may feel fatigued."
Translation:
You will be so tired that you sleep thirteen hours a night, sleep on the way to work (and we hope you're not driving), fall asleep at your desk, come home and take a nap, and then go to bed again. I actually fell asleep while standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open as I searched for an afternoon snack that wouldn't make me vomit. I woke up on the kitchen floor with the refrigerator door wide open about fifteen minutes later still feeling exhausted.

Remedy:
They say that exercise helps, but I was far too tired to exercise. Extra sleep seemed to make a difference sometimes, but for the most part you just have to wait until it passes.

The book says: "You may feel nauseated."
Translation:
You may feel the urge to vomit every time you see a food commercial, see food in reality, think about food, smell food, or get hungry. You may also feel this urge when you brush your teeth, which develops into an unusual ritual: brush teeth, throw up, brush teeth, throw up again, brush teeth again, have dry heaves, rinse with mouthwash, have dry heaves again, rinse with water, gag, and lay down on the bed until you don't feel like throwing up anymore. You may become nauseated by the smell of flowers, perfumes, deodorant, certain people, some detergents, pet food, smoke, gas stations, or anything else that may cross your nose. You may become nauseated by movements, including movement in cars, planes, or trains, walking, and sex, or even imagined movement from dizziness or watching other things move around.

Remedy:
If you know something makes you sick, avoid it. Ignore all those books with lists of what things will cause nausea because it's different for everyone. You may actually crave everything on the "to avoid" list. Saltines do help a bit. The most important thing is to never let yourself have an empty stomach because that will make it worse. Nibble throughout the day instead of eating big meals.

The book says: "You may experience heartburn."
Translation:
Even after your nausea goes away, you may continue to burp frequently and have the privilege of tasting the last ten things you ate over and over and over again all at the same time.

Remedy:
If you get it while you sleep, sleep on your right side (anatomically it does make a difference). Pay attention to foods that may make it worse and avoid them. You can always use Tums.

The book says: "You may experience food cravings."
Translation:
You may wake up at 3:00 am with the urge to have a jelly sandwich with marshmallows and pretzels. You may also have cravings for normal foods, but you will crave them with such desire that you will do anything to get them, including driving for several hours, spending hours on the Internet to find the recipe so you can make it from scratch, and making sure that you buy these favorite foods by the case when you go shopping, so you never run out. My favorites were bean and cheese burritos, Skittles, Popsicles, cheese enchiladas, watermelon, Starbursts, English muffins, lots and lots of milk, strawberry milk, grapes, cashews, almonds, and pears. Some women even crave things like dirt.

Remedy:
Just don't eat anything dangerous to you or your baby, and try to get some healthy foods in their too.

The book says: "You may have breast tenderness."
Translation:
You may never want your partner to touch your breasts again, and if he tries, you'll hit him again and again until he gets the message. They will hurt if you wear a bra. They will hurt if you go braless. They will make you want to rip them off. You can't sleep on your stomach because of them, and sometimes you will go nuts wearing a seatbelt (but you have to do that anyhow).

Remedy:
Wear a supportive yet stretchy bra (sports bras are best) and just wait it out.

The book says: "Your breasts may become larger and your areolas may darken."
Translation:
"Whose boobs are these, and how did they get on my chest?" Your bras may eventually become far too tight to wear, so you'll have to buy some new ones. Some shirts may also become too tight to wear. You may even develop back pain from the weight of your breasts. Your husband will like to touch your boobs because of their new "super fun size," but they'll probably still be sore, so you'll have to resort to hitting him again until he remembers that they hurt. Your nipples get huge! My husband looked at me while I was changing my clothes and said, "Oh my God Honey, the kid can't fit those in its mouth." While we were looking at "naturally shaped" bottle nipples we commented on how big they were. I insisted that no human nipple is that big and that those bottle nipples were in deed not natural. After my first week of breastfeeding, my nipples made those bottle nipples look tiny.

Remedy:
Live with it.

The book says: "You may experience frequent urination."
Translation:
I'm sorry, I don't have time to translate this. I have to find a bathroom right now! Just like I needed to do fifteen minutes ago and fifteen minutes before that.

Remedy:
Birth. Whatever you do, don't cut back on your intake of fluids to reduce the amount you pee. You'll just get dehydrated and put your baby at risk.

The book says: "You may leak a small amount of urine."
Translation:
You may suddenly be shocked when you sneeze and discover that you have to change your pants because you just peed in them.

Remedy:
It's time to get the sanitary pads and panty liners back out . . . and you thought you wouldn't need them for nine months.

The book says: "You may experience dry, itchy skin."
Translation:
You may beg your partner to scratch your back for hours on end while you attempt to slather yourself with a gallon of lotion several times per day.

Remedy:
Drink lots of fluids and use lotion immediately after you get out of the bath/shower (don't dry off first).

The book says: "You may develop the pregnancy mask."
Translation:
Your face may develop dark patches that make you can't cover up with your foundation as well as you had hoped, and it makes you feel incredibly self-conscious.

Remedy:
It might go away after birth, but some people have it forever. If you have it for a few years after the birth of your child, you could consider seeing a dermatologist.

The book says: "You may develop acne."
Translation:
You may break out in the similar way that you broke out during those emotionally scarring teenage breakouts just before the big dance.

Remedy:
Keep your face clean. Don't touch your face unless necessary. It will get better after your hormones get back to normal.

The book says: "You may develop the linea nigra."
Translation:
You may develop a dark line that goes from your navel to your pubic area. Nobody knows why it happens, but since your stomach is covered up most of the time anyhow, it probably won't be too much of a bother unless your partner makes an issue of it.

Remedy:
It will eventually go away after your baby is born.

The book says: "Dark areas on your skin may become darker."
Translation:
Yesterday it was a freckle. Today it looks like a huge nasty mole.

Remedy:
Some people say it goes away after birth. Others insist they stay dark forever. If it doesn't go away on you after several years, see your dermatologist. (You might want to bring it up to your doctor to take a quick look at to make sure it's not cancerous.)

The book says: "Your palms and soles of your feet may

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

Thanks for posting, this was great!!!

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

Thank you so much! !!

Re: The Truth About Pregnancy Symptoms

You're welcome