Things We Wished We’d Known Before Getting Pregnant

1. Your body is beyond incredible!

Source: Diabetes UKIf you're reading this and are or have been pregnant, let's just take a moment to appreciate the fact that you grew/are growing a whole human being! And, let's be real, the cost to you is really high. Please do remember that every pregnancy, every mama, every baby is different and that the following may have been true for some but they may not be for you. Of course, see a heath professional if you really are concerned about anything - look after yourself and your babe <3

2. Amazing hair!

Source: Get the GlossIt's not all doom and gloom! Although Megan has great hair even when she's not pregnant,  the good news is that many of us have amazing locks from the second trimester too. This  is mainly due to hormones (they have a lot to answer for - good and bad...) accelerating hair growth and reducing the amount that falls out. So say hello to thick, luscious hair, which often requires less washing than usual!

3. Until it all falls out...

Source: Baby CenterWe're so sorry to say however, that this change is not a permeant one. Quite often, as soon as you have your baby or stop breastfeeding, all that glorious thickness will start to disappear. With vengeance. My hair seemed to forget how much was additional extra and gave me a mane of short, postpartum wisps around my hair line for ages. Nice.

4. Discharge

Source: Getty Images/iStockphoto

You may think, oh how lovely: 9 full months with no periods! After obsessively counting every day between them, tracking every change, every sign there might be that another life in there, this sounds ideal right? Well, yes and no. Pregnancy discharge is no joke. It's like ovulating 4x over. Get those daily pads ready girls. Your heightened sense of smell will REALLY appreciate that one!

5. No sleep. Not now, not ever.

Source: nhlbi.nih.govYou'd think that these precious days would be a great time to stock pile some sleep before the gorgeous, tiny sleep-thief arrives (assuming this is your first. If you already have children sorry, this doesn't apply to you.) Sadly, pregnancy hormones are out to ruin this for you from the get-go. Pregnancy insomnia is depressingly common and, even if you do get comfy and manage to drift off, chances are you'll be up for the loo in a few hours anyway.

6. Your whole body gets involved

Source: Daily ExpressNow this one just isn't fair. We know certain parts of our bodies (the parts required in the baby growing and feeding process) are required to change, but what have our feet and teeth got to do with it? Many women find their feet grow during pregnancy and sadly never return to their dainty selves. Teeth also take a hit. I had a perfect set before my daughter was born - instantly required 3 fillings. Thanks babe.

7. Clumsy

Source: Getty Images

It takes a while to adjust to your now ever-changing shape throughout pregnancy, but even in the first trimester, I would drop everything. I'd walk into things, spill food everywhere... I assume it's a mixture of exhaustion and hormones; much like everything else on this list.

8. Curly to straight

Source: Birth, Pregnancy and BabyHair doesn't just change texture during this magical time. We've had friends with gorgeous curls have their hair grown out poker straight for 9 months, before reverting to ringlets again. We're used to dye jobs growing out, but that's just weird. Especially when you  get pregnant again and the straight bits haven't gone yet!

9. Exhaustion

Source: NetmumsRegardless of whether you're working, at home, have other children running about or can put your feet up and nap when necessary, prepare to feel utterly and completely exhausted. I've fallen asleep on the playroom floor more times than I'd care to admit. If there is anyone who can free up some time for you to rest - take it! You are not being lazy, you are literally growing a person!

10. Boobs

Source: CosmopolitanI recently went for a bra fitting and had the store assistant look at me in horror when I told her I was still breastfeeding. I just needed a rough guess (I have no clue anymore!) but she was reluctant to give me even that! Yes ladies, the girls are going to change - a lot. Enjoy the full feeling you'll probably have for 9 months, because towards the end, you will want to invest in a good set of nursing pads (washable bamboo ones are my fave), and accept that you'll probably cover a 3-cup-size range in the space of a day.

11. Mood

Source: MediumThose pesky hormones again. Don't expect too much of yourself during this time. Everything will make you cry: TV ads, children's books, anyone being even the smallest bit nice to you. Even the smallest thing can also make you see red. The world is an emotional place when you're pregnant. It's ok. This isn't you and it will settle down. Try and appreciate how you now notice tiny things you might have missed before and make sure you practise some serious self care - you 100% deserve it.

12. Random medical mishaps

Source: FlickrThis might be just me, but my family doctor was very reassuring when I found a lump under my arm during my first pregnancy. Of course you should always get these things checked out, but evidently random lymph-nodes and other medical things (which are all a bit beyond me) like to kick off and join the overall fun that is being pregnant. It vanished when I'd given birth but did freak me out for a bit!

13. Salt and Vinegar chips are nutritionally balanced - right?

Source: PinterestAll the advice is to make sure you eat right, try and do some gentle exercise if you can and rest as much as possible. Erm.. yeah. Quite a lot of us seem to be surviving the first trimester on dry, salty carbs. The sight of anything more exciting is often enough to kick morning sickness into overdrive. Don't worry too much: it will pass. Then all you'll want to do is eat (shame your stomach's usual space allowance will be seriously impeded by a baby at that point...)

14. Heart burn

Source: FDA

Thank goodness this isn't an issue for everyone, but oh my days it can be almost as bad as the sickness when it get's going. Luckily for me, it's almost impossible to take too many antacids as it's basically Bi Carb anyway (do check the label of your brand though!). Budge up baby, my stomach needs more space than that clearly!

15. Sick until way past 12 weeks

Source: BodywiseWe're sorry to tell you that there is no guarantee that your "morning" sickness (unless you dodged it, lucky thing) will ease up at 12 weeks, or that it won't plague you at any moment in the day either. Many women find it ligers on into later weeks and sometimes months. Doctors are able to help with the more extreme forms, but Ginger Tea and biscuits and constantly eating dry cereal might be helpful if you're still struggling (and we're so, so sorry if you are.)

16. Don't laugh

Source: Health UnlockedOh man do your pelvic floor muscles take a hit when you're pregnant! A friend described to me a "jet hose" of pee escaping while having a good laugh about something in her third trimester. Whatever it was probably stopped being funny pretty quickly. Regardless of your current situation, even if you're not pregnant or thinking of having kids, take this as a reminder to do your pelvic floor exercises. Do some now! We say this because we care ladies, seriously.

17. Night cramps

Source: Health DayThere are several things going on in pregnancy which can cause cramps - changes in blood pressure, low calcium, carrying the extra weight of your babe all the time... whatever the cause, it's a pretty horrible thing to awaken to leg cramps in the early hours. Apparently, taking a bath before bed can help, but mid-cramp attack, try and stretch if you can and get your toes wiggling. Still, ouch.

18. Gas

Source: TwitterYet another charming reality of the wonder of pregnancy. There's not much to be done about this one - the pressure on your digestive system can get pretty intense. Realistically, just embrace the fact that you're pregnant and that it is what it is. Anyone who is not sympathetic to your situation could do with remembering their mother once endured these issues for them too!

19. Numb hands in the middle of the night

Source: mdbonedocs.com

This one is a bit odd, but if you find yourself waking up mid-sleep with numb hands, you're not alone. All the extra fluid you seem to amass might be putting pressure on your nerves. Alternatively, carpal tunnel can come and go in pregnancy which may also be behind it. Annoying huh.

20. Orange is the new bla...food group

Source: YouTubeCravings are bizarre things. Some believe that we've evolved to crave things we're nutritionally lacking during pregnancy - but that still doesn't explain why some ladies crave sand, coal or even laundry detergent. A certain amount of self-control will be required here: pregnant or not, you must not eat laundry detergent! Slightly less dangerously, we've had friends who could only stomach orange food and drink. Pass the orange soda.

21. "Kicking" is just that

Source: operation: stand by your man"Aw do you want to feel her kicking?" Sounds so cute right? Sure it is, for a while, but when you think of the actual size of a 7lb+ baby and how strong they are (you'll know if you've ever had to change an explosive poopy dipper), then you'll realise that being kicked directly in the intestines by one is not as cute as it sounds... (Also, we're not 100% this photo is legit, but wow if it is!)

22. Hiccups

Source: Parents.comWhat is cute through, is baby hiccups. Sure they're cute when they get them once their born, but when they get them in the womb it's just hilarious! I had a colleague leave the staff room once as my rhythmically bouncing baby bump freaked him out so much; funny little things. Always good to give that miniature diaphragm a good workout!

23. You won't be able to bare being apart from them

Source: Retro 102.5Nothing quite prepares you for how you you'll long to be as close to your baby as possible once they're born. Having been as connected as two living things can possibly be for 9 months, handing them over to anyone else may feel like a tiny, momentary bereavement. We all know about baby separation anxiety, but it's just as real for mum (and often dad) too!

24. You don't always spring right back

Source: Daily MailWe flipping love Katie Perry for this post. Celebs always seem to have this amazing ability to look like they've never had a child the moment after they give brith. Please remember, online usually isn't real; photos can be changed with ease - Instagram is mostly lies! Some of my friends (the petit, athletic ones mainly) have slipped right back into their size 8s within weeks, but I didn't. The fact is though, however you look - you are the most perfect, beautiful thing in the world to your baby and deserve to be treated with every kindness, by yourself and others.

25. Breast feeding is often really, really hard

Source: Global NewsDepending on where you're reading this, you may or may not have been made to feel like breast feeding is the holy grail of baby feeding and of course, it's a wonderful thing! Nutritional benefits aside - it's free and no sterilising is required! However, work and other commitments may make it impossible for you to feed in this way - please feel 0 judgement here! Just know that if you do decide to breastfeed, the most natural thing in the world, you'd think, can be really, really hard to establish. Tongue tie, reflux, inverted nipples (only just found out about that one) and plenty besides can make it a real challenge. Don't be afraid to ask for help - you're not alone and you're certainly not failing.

26. Allergies

Source: University Health NewsWe have a depressing number of friends who have either developed food allergies or intolerances during pregnancy. We also know people who've had to cut out food groups while breast feeding as their baby was struggling to digest certain things (or both - yikes.) Not all of these changes were permanent, but man could we have done without them!

27. Labour is totally unpredictable

Source: HealthlineYour birth plan. Depending on your personality type, you may have given it a great deal or no amount of thought whatsoever; regardless, very few babies seem to be reading their mum's birth plans. Being an obsessive planner myself, I weirdly didn't write much down for either of mine and just as well, as both plans would have both gone out of the window within the first 5 mins. Ah well, medical staff are excellent people. Know what you'd ideally like, listen to them, be as informed as you can and try and communicate your wishes as clearly as you can in that moment. You got this.

28. You can get pregnant pronto after giving birth

Source: Adobe StockAnd we mean pronto. About 3 weeks after you've had your baby, regardless of whether you're breast-feeding or your periods have come back, you can get pregnant again. It's just one of those bewildering facts, you'd think your body would give you more of a break! So, don't rush things until you're ready, but make sure you're ready in every sense and be sure to get some form of contraception!

29. Tasting metal

Source: Baby CentreYour taste buds literally changing during pregnancy won't just change what you want to eat. you may also find yourself experiencing a weird, metallic taste too which is really hard to shift. While it's often hard to avoid, apparently some vitamins can make this problem worse, so try swapping out your supplement of choice and see if that helps.

30. You're about to meet someone new: yourself

Source: Instagram Becoming a parent completely changes everything. We all think we know this, but we don't really know this until it's happening. Get ready mama: you're about to meet a whole new version of yourself. She is incredibly strong, deeply loving and the whole world to her baby. It is, oh so hard at times. Find your support network, ask for help, be kind to yourself and enjoy getting to know this remarkable, tiny human you've made!