Things they don't tell you about pregnancy - First trimester-2

I thought I would directly skip to the second trimester, but with the response to the first part I decided to add a few symptoms that I skipped. The ‘oh so gross’  bodily functions that I said I wouldn't elaborate on.

The first thing I can think of is constipation. Yeah ,I know, but it happens. The increased amount of progesterone in your body and the added iron from the supplements you are taking will cause constipation. This could be mild or really bad. Eat food rich in fibers and drink lots of water to avoid the situation.

Heartburn is another symptom that is caused by the slowing down of your digestive system. This, like constipation is not as bad in the first trimester. A cold glass of milk can help reduce the problem and increase your calcium intake. That’s win-win.

Another fantastic side effect of pregnancy is frequent urination. Since your uterus is growing , your bladder gets smaller. Between all these issues, there will be days when you would want to move into the bathroom and stay there.

I was talking about everything hurting in my previous post. One of the scariest pains should be the round ligament pain. The round ligament is one of the many thick ligaments that surround your belly. As the uterus grows, the round ligament stretches like a rubber band around it. Remember what happens when a rubber band snaps on your skin? Pretty much the same thing happens when you make sudden movements. The round ligament snaps like a rubber band around your lower belly. Fun times!! Thankfully the pain lasts only for a few seconds. However check with your doctor if the pain becomes unbearable.

Quite a few of these symptoms can be reduced if not cured by taking supplements. It is a good thing to start taking folic acid and other prenatal supplements before you become pregnant. It is never too late to start. These supplements provide you with all the nutrients required especially during your first trimester when you might not be able to keep your food down.

Your pregnancy test is not the only test that is done in your first trimester. Quite a few blood tests are done to make sure both you and the baby are healthy. These include tests to check your blood group, any infections, and also the check for trisomy 21 also known as downs syndrome. An ultrasound is also done to check the number of foetuses. Measurements of the foetus body parts are taken during the ultrasound to check for downs syndrome.

Things they don't tell you about pregnancy - First trimester

Babies have always fascinated me but I never bothered with the intricacies of how they come into this world 😊. Indian movies had taught me well. You vomit once, then nine months later you scream once in the hospital and you have a beautiful baby. Or so I thought when I was naive. Turns out there is a whole lot more to pregnancy than they tell you. Some weird and some wonderful aspects. I will take this by trimester and then postpartum.

As soon as you let people know you are expecting a baby the unwanted advice floods in. Everyone and their uncle wants to share their experiences or give you tips. And yet people forget to tell you many things. So here is some info from a new mom..

The movies have got it right about how it starts. Nausea! Morning sickness, as it is often called. Don't let the name fool you though. It can happen at any time of the day. Trust me, I had to puke in the middle of a job interview. No wonder I didn't get the job :P .

 Certain body parts get big. I already knew this thanks to reruns of How I met your mother. What I didn't know was that they hurt like hell. Since you are making a little human inside you, everything is moving aside and making way for the little one. So, everything hurts.

You have to give up not just alcohol and tobacco,but coffee, colas, some kinds of fish and cheese. If you end up having Gestational diabetes like me, you have to give up sugars and carbohydrates too. Yeah! That was fun. More on that in the third trimester.

You get TIRED! The word is capitalized for a reason. I was so tired, I thought there was something wrong with me. There is a possibility that the men in your life and the women who haven't been pregnant would think you are faking it. They know squat. Ignore them , go ahead and rest. Just because it's the first trimester does not mean your body isn't working hard.

This might come as a shock to my Indian friends who are absolutely pampered, but you are allowed to exercise. Prenatal yoga and aerobics make you feel great. My midwife said I could even lift weights. I didn't think I had it in me so I never tried. However always check with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen.

Contrary to popular belief, you will not want to eat. Yeah cravings happen, but they come into the picture much later. For the first trimester all the nausea might make you swear off food. In fact, you might even lose weight. Nothing to worry about. It won't affect your baby.

Your nose works double shift. You can smell anything from anywhere. And you develop an aversion towards certain smells. Also your nose starts to swell. Wonderful! They say it goes away once the baby is born. I'm still waiting five weeks postpartum.

Another thing that the movies have got right is dizziness. This is rare but might happen due to exhaustion or low hemoglobin levels. So don't exert yourself when alone.

My favorite part, emotions. The pregnancy hormones make you unbelievably emotional. So if you feel like crying, get it out. You can laugh about the reasons that made you cry later. I remember crying because we ran out of potatoes when I really wanted to cook. I sobbed my heart out for a few minutes  then walked out to tell  the husband and we shared a good laugh.

Your bodily functions get messed up big time. The internet is full of symptoms if you look. So I won't waste space on that.

I also have to stress that not everyone has all the symptoms. Some people are lucky to have no symptoms at all while some have all of them. Also don't let people share their birth experiences with you already. You don't need that pressure this early. Learn to take things one at a time