Pregnancy. At first it seems a little romantic, glamorous even. A new life is budding inside your body! Magazines are flooded with images of beautiful, glowing pregnant celebrities in the latest maternity fashions. Books are written that tell you what’s happening inside your body week by week. It’s all very exciting.
But there are a few things that aren’t so glamorous about this time of your life. Things that may even surprise you. Embarrass you, even! Let’s take an honest look at a few of these, shall we?
Hair, hair everywhere
It’s common for pregnant women to experience thick, lush hair growth. That can be a plus if we’re talking about the hair on your head. Not so much for body hair! I find that during pregnancy the hair on my legs grows more slowly, meaning I can skip days shaving. Which is nice. The trouble is, the hair seems to migrate to … umm, other areas of the body. Not so nice!
Libido surges… but I’m already pregnant!
Some women experience a big libido boost during their pregnancies. With my last 2 babies I was shocked by this. It seems odd that nature would give you this little surge of interest when you’re already pregnant, but it happens. Chalk it up to extra blood flow in the business areas as well as high estrogen levels and splurge on some some maternity lingerie like the Passion Spice line. Things will get challenging in this department after baby’s arrival so enjoy it while it lasts!
Stinky bits
The combination of carrying around extra weight along with enough hormones to stun a horse can cause you to sweat more. Especially if you’re pregnant in the summertime, expect to have to bathe (and change your undies!) more than once a day to deal with the funk. Avoid fragranced personal care products unless they’re all natural (some essential oils are perfectly safe during pregnancy, check a good aromatherapy book).
Sneeze pee
While I’ve been fortunate enough to avoid this lovely little phenomenon, it’s so common I had to mention it! By your third trimester, your bladder is more or less squashed flat as a pancake by the expanding uterus and weight of the baby. Fortunately this one will go away (usually) after delivery.
My, how big your ____ are!
The other day a newly pregnant friend asked me if she could buy some of my maternity clothing once I’m finished with them. I haven’t had my baby yet, but I’ve already outgrown some of the maternity clothing I wore in my second trimester. I took some of the items to my friend and as she looked through them she had a hard time believing that she could ever fit into them. It’s surprising how much your breasts and belly grow during pregnancy. In the beginning when you’re eager to start “showing”, you have no idea how much your body will change by delivery! No matter how careful you are to eat right and stay active, you’ll likely gain more weight than you anticipated. Embrace your new curves and splurge on comfortable and pretty lingerie, especially some of the new sexy nursing bras that will carry you through your early months breastfeeding your baby.
Pregnancy is a little crazy, but it’s a special time and doesn’t last forever. Enjoy it – your new baby will be worth it!
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