4. Morning sickness?
Because of my notorious sensitive stomach, I assumed I would have a bad case of morning sickness during my pregnancy. People would share horror stories of women who were glued to the toilet for 9 whole months...I figured, that would be my fate. I was told, "Don't worry, morning sickness means the baby is healthy, it's a good sign." Most women, I imagined, experienced morning sickness, and it was just one of those pregnancy woes that would eventually pass.
Into my second month of pregnancy, I was sailing smoothly along, with only small traces of nausea, and not one trip to the john. I began to get concerned. Was the baby healthy? Were my hormone levels on target? I found myself almost wishing that I would get sick, just to confirm that I was indeed still pregnant.
After doing my own research, I found a few interesting facts that eased my mind:
-It is called "morning sickness," but most women who experience nausea and vomiting do so throughout the day, or at any time.
-Studies show that nearly three quarters of all expecting mothers experience nausea and vomiting, which means a little more than twenty-five percent of expectant women don't.
-Nausea and vomiting do not always correlate with a healthier fetus. Women with normal hormone levels may experience little or no sickness at all.
-Every pregnancy is different, including your own pregnancies with multiple children. You may experience nausea and vomiting during your first pregnancy, and none with your next child.
Bottom line: if you experience light or no nausea at all, it is perfectly normal. Do not worry yourself to death thinking that something is wrong with you or your baby. Schedule regular doctor appointments, keep taking those prenatal vitamins, and trust that your body knows what to do.
5. Spotting and or cramping.
Spotting and cramping are two scary symptoms to a pregnant woman. However, they don't always need to be. Spotting is not always a definite sign that something's wrong with your pregnancy. 1 in 5 women experience some bleeding during pregnancy, and most go on to have healthy babies. If you notice light spotting, the same kind you have at the start and finish of your period, you are probably just fine. This bleeding is commonly caused by the following:
-Implantation of the embryo (see implantation bleeding on my first post).
-Intercourse or an internal pelvic exam, such as a pap smear.
-Infection of the vagina or cervix.
Cramping is something that is completely normal during your entire pregnancy. Your body is making big changes, and along with those changes, you may feel uncomfortable at times. Early in my pregnancy, I experienced light cramping in my abdominal region. They were always much lighter than period cramps, but still uncomfortable. When my stomach started to expand, around 4 months, I began to feel "round ligament pain" on the lower sides of my abdomen. This is extremely common and perfectly normal. Round ligament pain is like growing pains during pregnancy. Your muscles and ligaments stretch to support the growth of your uterus. It can feel different, the pain may be crampy, achy, sharp or stabbing. It may come on randomly, or may hit when you cough or sneeze, or even when you get up too quickly. This pain may be accompanied with back pain as well. Because your stomach is growing forward, your back is being arched inward, the result can be painful backaches.
Bottom line: spotting and cramping are symptoms almost every pregnant woman experiences. They are completely normal and should not be of concern as long as they both are occasional, and are not accompanied by one another, like during your period.
6. Don't let worry rob your joy.
In my opinion, the first trimester is the most mentally challenging of all the trimesters. Excitement abounds, but the reality of being pregnant is hard to accept at times. I found myself always second guessing if I was really pregnant, if the baby was really growing, and if I was doing everything right. I worried every day that I would lose the baby for whatever reason, and what would I do then? All of the symptoms, both good and bad would freak me out, consume me even. I told my husband that during this trimester, you experience most of the bad with little of the good. You get some of the most severe symptoms, but aren't able to see your belly grown, or feel your baby move. All of my worry robbed me of the joyful blessing that was nested in me. I voiced my concerns to my Mom one day, and she told me something that will stick with me forever. She said, "Wouldn't you rather celebrate and love this baby each day that it is alive, than worry about losing it?" Her words spoke truth into my heart. I did want to love my baby, I wanted to fill myself with love, joy, gratitude, and peace, not worry and doubt.
From then on, I took one day at a time, loving and praying over my baby. I praised God for trusting me with a child, and I took care of my body the best I could. I trusted that the baby's life was out of my control. God gently spoke to me one day, and reminded me that while this was my child, it was first and foremost his. He had a plan already set in history for him or her. I needed to give him control, and be thankful for each day that this baby grew inside of me.
7. The glow.
I'm not quite sure where people came up with the pregnancy glow, but I am here to honestly tell you not to expect one in your first trimester. Your hormones are going to be so out of control that, chances are, your face will more likely be covered with acne like when you hit puberty rather than a sunny glow. I don't want to scare those of you who are not yet pregnant, but this is the reality for a lot of expecting mommies. The good news is that there are a lot of safe facial cleansers you can use to remedy the disaster, I used Proactive and it seemed to help. Be cautious of really strong products, especially prescription ones, and always consult your doctor before you use something. Chemicals can be absorbed through your skin and reach the fetus.
The good news is that your acne will probably subside sometime in your second trimester, around the time that your hormones level off. I believe this is when, many women look and feel their best.
8. Being informed is good...but don't let information consume you.
When you are pregnant, the world is at your fingertips. Unlike our mothers and grandmothers before us, we have access to millions of books written on pregnancy, babies, and parenting, and even more information spread across the internet. This unlimited access to information is both a blessing and a curse. I admit that even before I became pregnant, and then well into my first trimester, I read up on various topics and became addicted to the knowledge. However, I also found that through all of this research and reading, I became more concerned about things that I had never paid mind to before. I believe there is a healthy balance that we must reach during our pregnancies. Being informed and knowledgeable is important, but too much information can cause harm. Choose wisely the topics you read, and always take them with a grain of salt. Just because information is written in one place does not make it law or fact. Every pregnancy is different, and every baby is different. The best advice I can give is to select one or two reputable books, and then let the rest be. Trust your body, and be in touch with your doctor/midwife/doula/friends/family about other concerns.
Two books that I would strongly recommend are:
-What to Expect When You're Expecting
-Spiritual Led Parenting
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