The things no one warns you about…

Hey everyone,

As I’m sure you’re all well aware by now, I am 36 weeks pregnant and some change! Which means we are nearing the finish line and couldn’t be happier to meet our sweet baby girl!

I’ll preface this post by saying two things: 1) I absolutely have loved pregnancy and can’t wait to do it again (and maybe again)! 2) Knock on wood, I’ve been fortunate enough to have a pretty smooth pregnancy with no real issues- I know how blessed that makes us!

That being said, as we’ve journeyed down this road to parenthood, there have been a few things that no one ever warned me about. Maybe it’s because everyone thought it would be more fun to let me find out on my own. Maybe they forgot. Maybe they told me and I forgot. Regardless, I thought it may be helpful to share with all you future mamas a few things no one warned me about, in case they can help you in the future…

The Swelling:

Oh, the horror! Who knew my feet could look like bricks? I never claimed to have foot-model worthy walkers, but these little sausages are NOT. MY. FEET! In fact, it’s gotten so bad that I’ve had to buy compression socks- you know what Mr. R said when I brought them home? “Oh, my grandma had those same ones!” THANKS, HONEY!

If this happens to you, I’ll give you the same not-so-great advice the doctor and everyone else has given me: Drink lots of water, cut down on salt, elevate your feet when possible, stay off your feet when possible, and finally, bite the bullet and buy compressions socks. It may not help completely, but all of that combined can help at least a bit.

The Peeing:

I was prepared to pee a lot, and I’ve heard stories of accidents, but no one ever mentioned that the second I got the urge to pee, it would instantly feel like a bowling ball was sitting on my bladder, and I’d have to waddle in pain to the restroom. OUCH!

I will say, this is a further-along-in-pregnancy phenomenon for me, so you may not have to deal with it till the end, if at all. But when it does, just be prepared for some painful walks to the bathroom, praying silently you’ll make it in time!

The Wardrobe:

I’ve gotten a lot of cute maternity clothing. Between bags of donations from two friends and a little shopping on my own, I’ve built up a pretty nice maternity section of Amanda’s Closet. But guess what? Towards the end, some of it doesn’t fit. The shirts are now too small to cover the bottom of my stomach, and while I did go to school in Alabama, I wasn’t raised in a barn (ha ha). So, I’ve ditched a few favorites, leaving me rotating the.same.pieces. over and over and over again. Where is the fashion? Where is the creativity? Heck, I’m lucky if I even put a necklace on these days, let alone try to “dress up”. I just hope this isn’t a precursor to my mommy fashion, and that I can get it together once Little Miss is here and I can (hopefully) wear my old clothes again.

The Wait:

We were in such a mad dash to get everything ready (hospital bag? Done at 34 weeks. Baby laundry? 35.) that now I feel like I have NOTHING left to do these last 20-something days but sit and wait. It’s gotten to the point where I’m Googling what percentage of babies come early and late just to pass the time. While I would recommend getting things done ahead of time (just in case!) I’d definitely leave a few things for the last few weeks- maybe a blanket you want to knit, or a good book you want to finish; which reminds me: FINISH BABYWISE!

The Bump:

I never imagined I’d be so protective of the massive, protruding lump where my stomach used to be, but boy, am I! We recently went to a Chelsea Handler show at The Fox Theater, and I was walking around blocking my stomach and nearly pushing people off of me! I’m usually not one to worry about personal space, but back it up, people! Can’t you see I’m trying to cook a bun in this oven? I also get super paranoid while I’m driving. I wish they made “Bump on Board” stickers for my car- sometimes I feel like I need to point to my stomach and tell people to slow down around me!

The Symptoms You Don’t Get:

I had it all in my mind that I’d just know I was pregnant from the moment it happened because I’d have a killer sense of smell, but guess what? Never got that! Don’t worry if you have or don’t have symptoms that other preggos do/don’t have! No two pregnancies are the same, and neither are two batches of symptoms!

So mamas, what do you think? Did I miss anything? Of course, like I said in the disclaimer at the top, we wanted this baby more than anything else in the world, and I completely plan on doing this whole pregnancy thing at least a few more times, God willing. So hopefully this doesn’t come off as a complaint, just more a practice in shock and awe. Next time, I’ll be prepared for the things that no one warns you about!

XO,

Amanda