What I Wish I Knew During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is such a beautiful thing. But it can be overwhelming and strange. Looking back on my pregnancy, I wish there were things someone would have told me. Everyone does tell you it's hard but there a few unexpected things that caught me off guard. The emotional, mental, and physical changes are a lot to carry and can be rather surprising. If you're pregnant now or hoping to be, here is what I would go back and tell myself.

You're body is absolutely going to surprise you! I swelled up like a puffer fish towards the end of my 1st trimester. I think I gained 10 pounds in water weight alone due to the hormones. I felt like my body expanded to protect my little human.

The mood swings are very real. They are very intense and they hit you in a way that you don't expect it. I would get emotional over something and cry instantly. In hind sight, there were a lot of things that were not that big of a deal but I felt like the world was ending. I can laugh about it now because I am past that but back then the little things devastated me. I think I cried because I wasn't able to get fried chicken once. I had left my purse at home and I was a wreck. Once you are craving something during pregnancy, you have to have it!

In the future when I am ready again for another baby, I am going to remind myself that growing a human is hard enough. I am not going to let myself feel guilty for constantly being tired. I am not going to feel guilty if I eat a huge meal and then 10 minutes later go an eat another one. My food never felt like it went to my stomach anyway. My baby ate E V E R Y T H I N G that I put in my body. I would not have it any other way though because he came out strong, healthy, and chunky, but I was constantly devouring food.

The muscle spasms are another surprise. Once I hit the middle of my 2nd trimester, I started getting muscle cramps in my back and down my legs. Every time I slept I would wake up from muscle cramps. Maybe it was just me, but I ended up taking electrolytes everyday and magnesium supplements to help, and it did... a little bit.

I would remind myself that I absolutely should be sleeping as much as I can because the newborn days are very hard! I was so out of it that I hallucinated in in the hospital from lack of sleep. Scary stuff. SO yes, I will definitely be reminding myself to sleep more.

Finally, for anyone who really wants to know, in the 3rd trimester your organs get so squished up that you feel like you can never take a full breathe, more like half breathes. My heart was pounding more to keep blood circulation and I was constantly out of breathe. I would go for a walk and not able to keep up with others because my body was putting in my work.

Now I am not trying to scare anyone, but these are the things that no one really spoke to me about in depth. Yes other moms would say little things in passing, but the struggle is real, intense, and life changing.

If you are in the thick of it right now, just know you're not alone - and you are not doing anything wrong. Pregnancy is a wild ride and we each experience it differently. It's okay if it feels like it's too much sometimes. You are literally growing a life, and that takes A LOT of work. Be gentle with yourself, don't think that other women are handling it better than you because everyone is different. Every pregnancy is different. My mother had 5 children and she said each one was unique.

So let yourself feel it all, the highs and lows, the magic, the chaos, and the cravings. You've got this mama! 💛