What I *Didn't* Expect When I Was Expecting: Surprises from My First Pregnancy

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional! Nothing within this blog should be construed as medical advice; if you have a medical concern, you should consult with a health care provider.

Okay, listen - I am not the mom who read several books about pregnancy before we started trying to get pregnancy. I literally own a hard copy of the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and only skimmed through it. So there's a chance that some of the things I found surprising shouldn't have been, but! I'm drafting this blog with the knowledge that I can't be the only one out there that's like this.

Pregnancy can seem like a highly visible thing, and yet so much goes on behind the scenes that I had no idea about. So, below are a handful of things I didn't realize about pregnancy going into it that you don't have to read a novel to discover:

No Pepto

I am a pepto bismol loyalist! It has solved many a stomach ache in my life. So when I got pregnant and discovered I wasn't able to take it, I was quite disappointed. You might think it's a small thing, but once that indigestion sets in, you'll understand. I regularly stared in my medicine cabinet wishing for it.

Exactly How Tired You Are the First Trimester

Take whatever you're envisioning for first trimester fatigue and quadruple it. Holy moly, I have never in my life had such a hard time keeping my eyes open!! And I say that after surviving the newborn trenches.

Add to that that you likely aren't sharing the news with people yet, it can be a really difficult thing to hide! I remember once, during my second pregnancy, I was attending a meeting and got caught by a colleague dozing off... I was mortified but she, a working momma, gave me a knowing smile and kept it to herself until I was ready to share.

There Will Be Minimal Sonograms

This felt wildly off-brand based on what I gleaned of pregnancy from TV shows and movies. Contrary to mass media, many expecting parents will only get two sonograms during their pregnancies: once to verify viability (at about 8 weeks) and once for the anatomy scan (at about 20 weeks). Soak up what you can see of your baby during the anatomy scan, because you don't know if/when you'll get another!

Breastmilk (or, Colostrum) Doesn't Wait for Birth

Milk coming in is a very different experience than the arrival of colostrum, which is basically newborn milk, but I was still shocked to discover the latter prior to my first born's arrival. It was part exciting, part bizarre (as with most pregnancy-related things).

You Have to Birth the Placenta?!

This is a big one that if you've read the books, if you've watched a live birth, if you've done any level of preparation... you may think "everyone knows this." Well, I'm here to tell you that I did not know this. And that's all I'll say about it because to this day I do not know much more about it, ha!

Back Sleeping is a No-No

This one will likely only matter to my fellow back-sleepers, but boy oh boy was it a let-down to learn that you're not supposed to sleep on your back while pregnant. Not sleeping on your stomach seemed a no-brainer, but not on your back either? It was a bummer, for sure.

Pst! Pregnancy pillows are a big help with this. I tried a u-shaped pillow but found myself feeling too claustrophobic with it. Instead, I used one of these and thought it was a happy medium.

Vaginal or C-Section: You're Still Going to Be Wearing a Diaper

Alright, c-section girlys! If you're like me, you'll be disappointed to discover that the bleeding you've heard about postpartum is not limited to vaginal births. You're going to be wearing that diaper, and then that giant pad, and then (hopefully before too long!) panty liners just like the rest of 'em.

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Alright, that covers it! Did any of these surprise you, too? Hopefully you're reading this early on in your pregnancy, or even beforehand, so that you can be a little more prepared than I was. Cheers!