10 Things Nobody Tells You About Being Pregnant

Once you share the ‘BIG’ news or your baby bump becomes visible, suddenly, everyone around you becomes an expert on pregnancy. They start giving you pregnancy-related advice. At times, you might go crazy with all the dos and don’ts you hear from the people around you, including your family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers.

Still, there are a few things you need to know. But no one is going to tell you, possibly because they missed the details or don’t want to discourage you. Read along, and you will learn about these.

Pregnancy lasts longer than you think.

You always hear that pregnancy lasts nine months. Instead, it lasts ten months. The average pregnancy duration is 280 days (40 weeks). From day 1 of your last menstrual period, 40 weeks translate to 10 months. It’s confusing. That’s why doctors always use the terminology of weeks rather than months to measure the accurate gestational period.

It’s OK not to eat for two.

The most popular myth you will hear is that you should eat for two (for you and your baby). Pregnancy can make you crave all the junk in the world, and you can quickly get addicted to eating more than required for a healthy pregnancy.

You will gain weight during pregnancy but becoming overweight is not suitable for you or your baby, so you should just eat for yourself and not pick the ‘extra slice’ you want. As per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately ⅓ of the women gain the recommended weight during pregnancy. The remaining ⅔ put on either too much or too little weight.

Your body goes for a toss

While pregnancy is a beautiful, emotional experience, physically, everything in your body will change. You gain weight and get fat. Your favorite clothes won’t fit anymore. The weight you gained will stay even after pregnancy, and you need to work out to let go of the extra pounds.

Your breasts and nipples will change forever in appearance and shape, and further breastfeeding can lead to skin cracking or nipple pain.

Belly or hand-magnet

Strangely, everyone will be attracted to your belly and would want to touch it. Be ready for many belly rubs from your friends, neighbors, and everyone you meet or greet.

Constipation and Hemorrhoids are a real pain in the butt.

Constipation is pretty common in pregnancy as your uterus expands, and it affects your bowel movements. 

Hemorrhoids occur, usually during pregnancy or childbirth, as you push, causing pain and discomfort. But don’t worry, these are temporary and will go away in a couple of weeks. A few lucky moms never experience hemorrhoids.

Pregnancy-associated anxiety and depression

While you might have heard about women getting moody during pregnancy, stress, anxiety, and depression are real and affect many women during pregnancy or postpartum due to constant fluctuations in hormone levels.

Stress-relieving activities, behavior-based therapy, or specialist consultations are the various treatment choices to alleviate these conditions.

Skin issues

Pregnancy can make your skin rough and scaly. Stretch marks will form on your belly and breasts, and they are going to stay forever.

Pregnant women will also develop a pigmented line from the navel to the pubic bone, known as ‘Linea nigra’ that might never go away.

Breathlessness

You will be running out of breath most of the time, especially while walking, going upstairs, and doing anything that exerts your body. Feeling exhausted and low on energy is something that will stay with you throughout the pregnancy.

Gas and bloating

Gas, bloating, and stomach upsets are common during pregnancy and completely normal. You tend to pass more gas as your pregnancy progresses as your digestion is affected due to the growing uterus. While you can’t stop them, you can eat foods that are easy on your abdomen.

Pooping during birth

What? You read it right! Pooping during birth is considered healthy, especially during vaginal deliveries. When you push, anything and everything in your bladder or rectum can come out. Doctors are already prepared for this, so don’t worry about it.