So many changes are around the corner, I want to keep you updated on what's going on!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Pregnancy's Dirty Little Secrets: Part 2

Welcome to part two of the many things I wish I'd known to expect about pregnancy!  In case you missed it please see the disclaimer in Part 1 before reading ahead, because you will probably learn a little lot more than you ever wanted to know about me and I want you to be prepared!

1.) Acne may return with a vengeance...
      Most of us were fortunate to leave our serious acne behind with high school.  But when you get pregnant it can come back!  The return of acne in pregnancy is for many of the same reasons it reared it speckled-y head in the first place - hormones!  As mentioned earlier, your body is dealing with a lot of different (and powerful) hormones that help your body handle the pregnancy, but also bring some undesirable side effects.  This isn't a problem for everyone, but I have noticed an increase in skin issues with this pregnancy, so just FYI, it could happen to you too!

2.) You might find yourself suddenly more voluptuous!
      In response to those wonderful pregnancy hormones, your mammary glands start getting ready for their created job - feeding babies!  In the process they get bigger... and bigger!  This growth can also be accompanied by some twinges and pains in your breast tissue, but apparently this is just part of that tissue changing and getting ready for their new job.  While this is great for your self-image (and can be really fun for your husband), it can be frustrating for your wardrobe.  Be sure that you keep bras your size(s) on hand, but don't get too many because you may change again in the process of your pregnancy, and you will definitely change again once the new bundle is born!

3.) Leaking, leaking, here, there and everywhere!
      While many of these are awkward, this one is more so for me, just letting you know!  Along about month six I found my body getting ready in a different way to feed our new baby, it started making a little colostrum - which meant I started leaking!  This was easy enough to prevent, nursing pads don't cost very much, but it was still a surprise.  Additionally, your body starts making a discharge to keep your cervix clean - good for baby and Mom's health - not good for underpants. Again easy enough fix, just unexpected...  Finally, in the vein of leaking, you might find yourself a little sweatier than normal too!  With all that extra water you've been drinking and blood you've been making, you have more water to get rid of and more of your body to regulate temperature for, thus more perspiration!

4.) Does anyone else feel like a pincushion?
      So its not really been that bad - but depending on how many tests you plan to, or need to, run there is a point in time where you kind of feel like a pincushion! Between that first draw to check blood type, iron levels and such, to the second glucose tolerance test, to the finger prick to make sure iron is staying where it should one can start to understand what being around a porcupine might be like!

5.) 'Pregnancy Brain' is REAL!!!
       I had heard a lot of conflicting reports on this subject with some doctors saying the absent mindedness experienced during pregnancy was just due to the new experience of being pregnant and the new concerns and thoughts that brings.  I am here to say they were WRONG! I regularly find myself wondering why I'm in a particular room, forgetting keys and losing my train of thought while still talking!  Fortunately I haven't found my mail in the fridge yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if I did!  I read an article that made me feel a little better though.  According to the authors, women's brains are 4% smaller while they are pregnant!  not because they lost brain mass but because the extra blood volume in their  system puts more pressure on the brain!  So my absentmindedness is medically justified!

I hope this installment was informative for you!  Tune in soon for more unexpected pregnancy side-effects!

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