1.) Your 'bubble' is much bigger!
Again, this one seems pretty obvious - but in the latter part of your pregnancy your belly will hit things a lot sooner than you expected it to! I cannot count the times I have reached for something on the counter and am surprised to find myself bumping the counter before I reach my intended target! This makes a lot of activities I used to take for granted more comical (and sometimes impossible), like reaching across the bed to reach that pillow.
2.) I now can sympathize with the Michelin Man!
Puffy, Puffy and Puffy! Holding water is not a dangerous complication at all, but it can be uncomfortable. Before I was pregnant and experienced this kind of swelling I only thought about the inconvenience of my shoes not fitting - come to find out it can be more uncomfortable than that. When the swelling moved into my hands it caused me to get a temporary case of carpel tunnel. While there isn't much that can help your hands right now, compression hose did wonders for my feet and legs! I just got the knee highs because they were cheaper and I didn't need the full length ones at the time, but if you start experiencing swelling earlier in your pregnancy I highly recommend the investment! They allowed me to stay on my feet/sitting much longer without me worrying that my feet were going to pop! Fortunately, the swelling and all of its side effects will be sent packing not long after Eb makes his appearance!
3.) Sleep, oh sleep, why have you forsaken me?
During the first trimester you often lose a lot of sleep due to the hormone changes which make you have to empty your bladder 24/7, that tends to go away during the second trimester and comes back with a vengeance during the third! That combined with trying to stay comfortable at night as you get bigger and bigger, a full night's sleep becomes as rare as a unicorn! During this time it is also best if you can sleep on your side. This helps to keep your growing baby from putting too much pressure on you organs and helps your circulation. Even with best intentions I can't count the number of times I've woken up on my back and quickly tried to reposition!
4.) Your skin can only handle so much.
Stretch marks are common during pregnancy - but for some reason I thought I would be immune to them. I was wrong! I also thought that if I got them it would be on my sides, but apparently because of how I am carrying him, mine all occurred above my belly button. What I was also surprised by was how quickly they appeared. One morning I woke up and it almost looked like I had a big bruise above my belly button, upon closer inspection I realized there was a bit of a pattern and that I had finally succumbed to stretch marks. The good news (or bad news) is they are hereditary, so if your Mom didn't have them you likely won't either! If you do get them don't worry too much, I'm told they fade rather quickly.
5.) Those wiggles, pokes and jabs become very comforting...
While it really weirds some people out how much Eben moves (and how it looks and feels), I find it so reassuring! Since I don't have a window into my belly where I can see how he's doing I have really come to depend on feeling his random movements throughout the day to know everything is okay. I remember praying that I could feel him move earlier than normal just because I wanted so desperately to know all was well. Even though the idea of someone moving inside of you, and independent of you, might sound weird at first, it has been such a sweet experience during this pregnancy!
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