“When you learn to accept instead of expect, you’ll have fewer disappointments.” – Unknown
Most experienced Moms will happily tell you about the morning sickness and their experiences of labor and delivery, but there are some little facts they often leave out about the pregnancy experience. To ensure you’re prepared, find out what no-one tells you about pregnancy.
1. Intense Dreams
Your body will be racing with hormones during your nine months of pregnancy, which can lead to interrupted sleep. Not only that, but you may experience some rather unusual and intense dreams, which might be rather vivid.
2. Frequent Urination
When 8 weeks pregnant, expect frequent urination. Although this may be an embarrassing symptom to discuss, it’s very normal. You can read more on the subject on the Pampers website, or you could pay a visit to your doctor. Your urination frequency will change as your baby moves and repositions itself in your womb.
3. Freckles!
Your body will experience many changes when you’re expecting a child. Yet, one change you might not expect is the development of freckles, which can add to your radiant complexion. You may also notice patches of colored skin in different areas of your body, as well as darker areolae surrounding your nipples.
4. Heightened Sense of Smell
It’s almost as if pregnant women experience superpowers, such as a heightened sense of smell. You may soon be able to smell everything, such as rubbish bins, foodstuffs, and perfumes – even from a long distance away.
5. Pregnancy Rhinitis
Conversely, you may experience pregnancy rhinitis, which means you cannot smell hardly anything. This can often happen when the extra blood in your body causes swelling of the nasal tissues, which can also make breathing a little uncomfortable.
6. Unusual Appetite
Your appetite will often fluctuate during pregnancy. One minute you would be willing to sell your partner for a pizza after you have craved it all day, and the next minute the sight of a slice will make you nauseous. It’s all part of the experience.
7. Excess Saliva
It’s not only your pregnancy cravings that will make you drool, as your body may produce excess saliva – and there is no known cause why this happens. It is often a problem for women who experience both morning sickness and heartburn.
8. Fluctuating Temperatures
Women in their first trimester will often feel increasingly cold, which will make them want to curl up in a blanket whilst cranking up the heating. However, the hormonal changes will increase the skin’s blood supply, which can make you feel suddenly warmer than usual.
9. Emotional Moments
Racing hormones can only equal one thing: a mixture of emotions. On top of your sheer delight at the prospect of welcoming your baby into the world, there will be times when you will cry spontaneously, which could be over an advertisement that’s not even that happy or sad.
Of course, all the experiences mentioned above will be worth it once your little bundle of joy arrives in the world and grabs your finger. So much so that you might be more than happy to relive the whole experience again to welcome another son or daughter.