what nobody tells you... | gold is my neutral

When we got the first positive we took another one to be sure, and the two tests happened to be pink and blue. I'm so glad we captured this moment!

So we're expecting! Well you knew that already, but now I've finally gotten around to writing about it. The truth is, pregnancy is hard. The first trimester is beyond exhausting, and by time you get back on your feet and catch up on everything you've missed, your second trimester is almost through! That's how it's been for me, anyway. I never expected growing another life would be so draining (lol - what was I even thinking?), so I wanted to share a few of my experiences and things I've learned along the way, in case any of you are in the same (clueless) boat as me!

As much as you can just feel that you're pregnant, that pregnancy test is not going to say "positive" the day after you conceive. I know, right? What a load of crap. You actually have to wait for your body to start producing enough of the pregnancy hormone for a home test to detect it. For me, that took 11 days - and a lot of wasted pregnancy tests. I was just so excited! Can you blame me? Oh and you don't need to buy the $20 digital tests (unless you want the cute picture). The no name brand works just as well!
Unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, bloating, breast tenderness (omg), mood swings and exhaustion can begin almost immediately. This can be a bit tricky if you're aiming to wait until the 3 month mark to let the cat out of the bag. I ended up telling my coworkers at 5 weeks because I already had baby brain and I didn't want them to think I was just being a moron. #thestruggle
My cravings weren't super unusual, but they happened early on and would last for a week at a time. First it was peanut butter ice cream, followed by peach nectar, and then goldfish crackers. Oh and one time I had a craving for, and ate Swiss Chalet. I specifically craved the chalet sauce. I typically eat a vegetarian diet, so that was pretty weird (the chicken was very...thick?), but I embraced it anyways 'cause I figured that's what baby wanted.
8 weeks - I'm not showing yet and I haven't gained any weight - but I can't do up my pants. What is the meaning of this.
Without being too NSFW, I need you to know that if you have "the big o", you may send your whole back (uterus) into spasm. This is totally safe but totally terrifying if you're not expecting it. Google for more details.
Pretty much everything will make you cry, and that's okay.
Do not let anyone shame you for eating cheesy fries and sour cherry blasters in the same day. Seriously, they are not going through what you're going through.
You will sleep 12 hours at night, nap during your lunch and pass out when you get home. You will accomplish nothing on the weekend and your partner will be totally bored with you because you can't. stop. sleeping. I have realized this is just what our bodies need to do to grow a tiny person. It's really, really hard, and we need a lot of rest.
Pregnancy websites suggest that mamas need only 300-400 extra calories per day, and should not actually "eat for two". This is crap. I am constantly hungry. In my first trimester I would sometimes eat 3 plates of spaghetti and 3 slices of garlic bread for dinner. If you're hungry - eat. Your body will tell you what it needs.
Bras are no longer in my vocabulary.
I lose my breath while talking to people. Super inconvenient for someone who talks as much as I do.
Increased blood flow - causes a whole slew of weird problems. Bleeding gums (I thought I had gingivitis), dizziness (I'm falling over while doing my makeup), all the snot (I still don't understand this one, but it's in the baby book).
The peeing is constant.
Once you get bigger and your baby starts to take up more space, you can't actually eat as much as you want to. There's just no room! When this happened I was pretty annoyed (and hungry) and I've had to adjust to smaller but more frequent meals.
The 23 week "nothing fits me" melt down. This just happened. My belly has begun to grow rapidly and the boyfriend jeans that used to fall off of me are now uncomfortably tight. It's weird. I feel like a big sausage trying to stuff myself into a tiny sausage casing. Then I give up and cry and eat ice cream and watch Friends.

This has been my personal experience thus far and of course, all women are different. I hear some moms actually love being pregnant! I don't know who these people are, and I think they should probably be studied, but I digress. All this being said I am beyond excited to meet our little mini this April and I can't wait to share the rest of my journey with you!

XO Jenn