Congratulations Mama! Assuming you’re here because you’re newly pregnant, we hope you are feeling fabulous and glowy. If you aren’t though, that’s ok! And totally normal. You’re creating a human life (you clever girl), and that is bound to have an effect on your body. Although what effect exactly, is as unpredictable as the United States of America in 2021.
In saying that, there are definitely some common themes that women experience, and also some less common ones that can take you by surprise.
To help prepare you for the nine months ahead, we asked mums what they wish they knew about pregnancy before they got pregnant.
Most mums wish they knew about all the weird crap that was about to go down with their bodies…
I didn’t expect to be in a glass case of emotion for nine months. My husband walked around on egg shells. – Jessie
I thought it would be wonderful not getting my period! But no one tells you about all the OTHER fluids that start making an appearance… – Nicky
That it’s very strange. Physically and emotionally and that it’s crazy what hormones can do. – Sarah
Gallstones are a thing and a lot of women post pregnancy have their gall bladder removed. – Elise
Just how sick you are for the first 17 weeks. – Val
That morning sickness is a cruel myth. It was 24 hours all day, every day for 20 weeks. It was hell on earth. – Stephanie
That it is so super uncomfortable when you get quite large in the final trimester. Also how common things like hemorrhoids and fluctuations in mood are. – Niki
The constipation, and the mum’s thumb. – Kim
You hear about morning sickness and cravings but you don’t realise how full on they are until you’ve eaten nothing but hot chips for four nights in a row. – Olivia
All the weird cramps and pains you get towards the end, and the fake contractions you can have (Braxton hicks) that make you think you’re going into labour. – Ida
The joint pain, including thumb pain. I didn’t expect my pelvis to ache so early on, at like 5 months. – Tess
Everyone tells you to “sleep while you can” but many mums wish they knew how hard that can be when you’re sharing your organ space with another human…
Finding the right sleeping position is a miracle! I wish I knew that you need to sleep on your side after halfway. – Peta
Invest in a good pregnancy pillow early on. – Melanie
How tired you get, but also the insomnia you get during the pregnancy. – Kylie
The sleepless nights towards the end. – Charlotte
The ‘off the chart’ level of tiredness you feel during the first trimester, when I would mention to friends about feeling so exhausted after work (I have a desk job so not tiring at all) they’d all say they too were exhausted when pregnant, but I wasn’t prepared for this at all. – Deanne
Some mums wish they had known things might not go to plan, and that it’s ok to not enjoy it…
That 1 in 4 fail and it’s ok to talk about it or to not feel ok…. and also that it’s ok to not feel the glow! – Chelsea
How lonely and isolating it can feel. – Kayley
Not to be pregnant in summer, I didn’t enjoy it at all towards the end. – Teresa
That it isn’t glamorous or fun! It’s bloody hard! – Amy
I ended up having complications and had daily appointments from 26 weeks. I lost so much time just going to/from appointments for checkups, scans, etc and it caused so much anxiety. I wish I had known it would be like that, not the glamorous pregnancy I thought it would be. – Georgia
Mums also wish they had known to prepare for after pregnancy…
It’s the easy part. – Katrina
The fourth trimester! – Kayla
The strain on your relationship with your partner and how to prepare them for parenting. – Catherine
What the aftermath is like. No one told me how swollen and sore you end up down there from pushing. I couldn’t sit for 2 weeks! – Stephanie
Do your pelvic floor exercises. I wish someone made me google prolapse while pregnant. – Hannah
The discomfort you feel is nothing compared to childbirth or nursing your child in the middle of the night whilst your vagina is still healing from birth. – Emma
To enjoy those final weeks of the first pregnancy, rest and do the things you enjoy most as you may not get another chance for some time. – Vicki
Spend more time thinking/learning about becoming a parent than the birth of the baby. – Rachael
Pregnancy and birth are short on the grand scheme of things. That you should focus more on caring for a baby as it’s way more taxing and full on in comparison. – Ashleigh
Don’t freak out just yet! Mums also wish they had known how much they’d love being pregnant…
It is so amazing and you will miss your bump. – Belinda
It would bring a new love to my body!! – Stacey
You will miss feeling baby inside you once baby is here. – Alex
To document it all and slow down and enjoy it. – Chontelle
You are beautiful with your round tummy. – Andie
That you might miss it when it’s over. I loved the feeling of being pregnant – the softness of my body, the firm roundness of my stretched belly, the rolling of our baby’s spine across its circumference. – Zoe
Stop and take time to marvel at your belly, it passes so quickly and one day you’ll miss it. Take all the photos, even if you think you look awful, they are lovely to look back at later! – Maria
You will miss feeling them inside you after birth. – Nicole
You get an increased sense of purpose. – Jacintha
I just wish people were more positive about birth. They were so negative but I had an amazing experience. – Mia
How strong and active you can be, even discovering new strengths in your body or ways of working out. – Caitlin
I wish I knew my little baby that was living in there with me all that time. It’s not until after they’re born and you meet them that you really appreciate how incredible pregnancy is. Two hearts beating in one body. – Jade
Yes you’re probably going to get a little (or a lot) uncomfortable during the nine months ahead, but ask any mum you know and she’ll tell you that she’d endure even the worst pregnancy symptoms ten times over just for that moment when she gets to hold her little love in her arms for the first time.
You’ve got this mama! Tell us in the comments if you’ve experienced any of the above, or anything else we should add to the list.
