Pregnancy Symptoms I Wish I knew About

So much has changed since the last time I posted.  For starters, I am expecting a baby girl and am currently in my 3rd trimester!  I will be discussing all things pregnancy related and sharing my journey with you all soon in a separate post. 

In the meantime, I wanted to touch on a subject that I believe a lot of women may be in the dark about, strange Pregnancy Symptoms.  I know we all hear about the morning sickness and the weird late night cravings, but how come nobody ever told me about Pregnancy Nose?  Yes, that's actually a thing where your nose gets bigger, wider and swells up until you look like Shrek's sister. 

So here I am, keeping it real and sharing some of the strangest Pregnancy Symptoms that I wish somebody had taken the time to warn me about.  By no means am I an expert in any capacity, just trying to share some truth with my fellow preggors. 

Warning: what you are about to read is NOT pretty.

• Skin Discoloration - That's actually my polite way of describing black nipples.  Well, not completely black, but pretty close to it.  So in addition to your areolas growing the size of teacups, you should also expect a dark discoloration to occur. 

• Excruciating Leg Cramps - These leg cramps are unlike anything that you've ever felt before.  They are absolutely unbearable and only strike in the middle of the night, when you are least expecting it.  Most times, in both calves...simultaneously!  Yes, you will try to drink more water and increase your potassium intake, but will it help? NO!  These damn leg cramps are inevitable.

• Baby Brain and Utter Indecisiveness - For someone like me who usually remembers every little thing and knows exactly what I want, when I want it; baby brain is sheer torture.  Not only are you absentmindedly forgetful, you also tend to lose your train of thought mid sentence.  You begin to second guess every single decision, whether big or small, and change your mind like it nobody's business.   

• Leakage - Yes, you read it correctly.  Probably the most MORTIFYING symptom and one I had no idea existed.  Sometime during the 2nd Trimester, when your belly is rapidly growing and you're drinking tons of water per instructed - you are going to have to sneeze and when you do...you are going to get a little surprise.  As much as it makes me cringe to even discuss this...just trust me ladies, panty liners are your best friend. 

• Dislocated Spinal Discs - Or at least that's what it feels like.  Some days it's hard for me to even walk (don't let my prancy IG photos fool you).  My Doctor explains that some women feel all of their uterus nerve pain through their lower back.  Take my advice and get yourself a birthing/yoga ball. Rotate your hips a few minutes a night on the ball to alleviate a significant amount of pressure from your back.  Stretching and heat packs also help tremendously. 

• Growing Pains - Basically, if you were a Skinny Bitch prior to conceiving, you are going to have to pay.  How will you pay you ask?  Well very simply, you will pay by feeling every inch of skin and muscle stretch and tug as your ever growing belly is expanding.  This pain is in addition to ligament pain and uterus pressure that's already a given with pregnancy. 

• Pregnancy Insomnia, Excessive Drooling and Wild Dreams - I seriously thought that pregnant women slept all day long.  On the contrary, I am only getting about 5 hours of shut eye every night.  It appears as though it's a lot harder to doze off when you have an Olympian Gymnast doing flips inside your stomach.  In addition, you are probably trying to get comfortable with your fortress of body pillows while battling frequent hot sweats.  When you finally find your sweet spot and doze off, don't be alarmed if you are awaken by a pool of sopping saliva.  If the drooling doesn't wake you, one of your wild dreams may.  One minute you're in a naughty scene from Fifty Shades, and the next, you're running away from Michael Myers.  I thought the lack of sleep thing was supposed to kick in after baby arrives....

There you have it, some of the "never talked about pregnancy symptoms" that I wish I knew about early on in my pregnancy.  I hope you found this post insightful and entertaining.  If you have any other strange pregnancy symptoms that you have experienced, please feel free to share. 

Pregnancy is an absolutely beautiful journey and I wouldn't change a single thing about mine.  Until next time loves, xoxo!