I myself am about 12 weeks pregnant and this is my very first pregnancy, so I’m unsure of what to even expect. I didn’t even know I was pregnant until about 10 days ago, TBH. I just thought that I was having a long, long cycle (not unusual for me), except for the constant nausea and need to pee like a zillion times a day.
I’m reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting, which I’ve heard is a really good book to read if you don’t know what to expect.
We’ve already had one OB visit and a sonogram. That baby is movin and groovin. The radiologist had a hard time getting a photo of the baby because it was shakin’ it’s groove thang all over the place and she kept having to move the little doohickey.:teeth:
MetalMaven
Every pregnancy is pretty different. I had my first last summer and I’m expecting my second right now (3 weeks to go) and this time around has been pretty different in a lot of important respects.
Do you want advice? Rest, eat well, keep yourself well-hydrated.
Ignore people who say rude or clueless things, make dumb remarks about the wellbeing of your baby or anything that makes you even remotely uncomfortable.
Listen to your medical professionals, your instincts and your body.
Oh, and get yourself some more books, too, because you can never be too well informed. I highly recommend anything by Dr. Sears. But borrow from the library, because some are going to annoy you completely while others captivate you; you can go buy copies of the latter and never have to look at the former again.
Most of all, enjoy yourself! Pregnancy can be a really exciting, amazing experience and I wish you all the best.
From my personal experience, the first three months are when you are the most tired, and since you are already 12 weeks, you’ve practically bypassed that completely!
There will be times when you are moody for crazy reasons, people who will get on your nerves for even sillier reasons, and things that annoy you for no reason at all. In short, nothing will change. ~grins~
Buy cocoa butter, or something for your tummy, to help you (hopefully) not get stretchmarks. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor tons of questions. Your OB is one of the most important people in your life right now. Make sure you have a good one.
Take everything one day at a time, and take good care of yourself. Don’t worry about gaining weight, honestly, this is the time to be concerned for your child’s welfare and nothing else.
Mine was nearly 8 years ago (my son will be 8 this Saturday). As I recall, it was the best of times…it was the worst of times…
Expect people to give you all sorts of unsolicited advice. Except here of course, since its solicited! But I second Tea – is there something specific you want to know? Epidural vs. No epidural? Midwife vs. Hospital? Were you sick as a dog? Happy as a lark? or just general other pregnancy stories?
As I recall, I’m not sure I wanted to hear any pregnancy stuff right after I first found out, as it took a while for me to really adjust to the fact.
I had no morning sickness, I did not get: hemorrhoids, bloated legs or feet, acne, cravings for nasty combos of food (I got ice cream sundaes–whoooot!), the tummy line (read your book), severe mood swings or pregnancy diabetes.
I was in labor for an hour, give or take five minutes, and didn’t need an epidermal (well… she came so fast! I had no time for one).
My only dark cloud was a few stretch marks (I consider it a badge of motherhood) and peeing every five minutes.
EAT right!! Number two thing to remember, IMO. Getting good prenatal care would be the number one priority! Exercise if you’re allowed to with dr’s permission. Be happy about the whole event, being upset affects baby. Don’t go overboard on maternity clothes, why would you want them afterward? And if you can get a videotape of the ultrasound, do it!! I didn’t find out I could have brought a tape until after I got there (I regret it to this day).
I loved feeling the flutters of my daughter moving. It’s absolutely amazing! Enjoy being a mom-to-be, let others pamper you when you can.
Ignore the chapter about eating in “What to Expect.” They’ll have you scared to eat anything that tastes good.
You asked so my pregnancy in a nutshell is as follows:
Weighed 330lbs when I got pregnant unexpectedly. (We both knew it was a girl from day one.) Uneventful first trimester except I stayed exhausted (stayed exhausted the whole 9 months). Week 14 I started throwing up (no nausea) and did so for 3 weeks. Ended up in the hospital with an IV for a few hours because I dehydrated, and that pretty much ended the morning sickness. By then I’d lost a few pounds. Rest of the time was uneventful. Gained only 20 pounds total while pregnant, ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. No diabetes, no high blood pressure, nothing associated with being overweight and pregnant, which shocked my doctor. Had a horrible 22 hour labor that could have been a lot better had I exercised while pregnant and taken lamaze classes. Popped out an 8 lb 10 ounce girl who is the healthiest kid ever born in the state of WV. Had a bad recovery that (mostly) could have been avoided had my OB been um, a human being. Didn’t nurse, too big of a wus to.
People are going to want to tell you the saddest, most awful pregnancy stories they have ever witnessed/heard about. Waste no time in telling these people to kiss your ass. There is no reason for you to sit through stories of tragic late-term miscarriages, deformities, etc., and there is NO reason for anyone to even tell you a story like that in detail.
There is one thing you absolutely MUST buy: a body pillow. Buy two. They’ll be comfy for you even now but as you get bigger, you’ll find them a “must.”
My post got… broken somehow. The best thing about my pregnancy was how much people care about how you’re doing. I don’t mean the insincere “oh, you look great, how are you feeling?” junk. I mean by their actions.
At first, my ex was really into the idea and would make me feel like a queen (massage, foot rubs, walking with me at night, his head on my belly, gentle lovemaking). All our friends and family asked if they could help me in any way… LET yours do whatever they can for you, especially afterward when you’re recovering.
If you feel sad, depressed, or scared at all, talk to someone who cares about you. It will help. Ask all the questions you need to, it’s your body and your health, as well as your baby’s. Think of it this way: you’re the star in a very special show!
Congrats, HMM. I loved being pregnant. The only major difficulty I had were the pregnancy hormones. Oy, the mood swings. Worse than Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, I tell ya. Poor hubby.
Second trimester happy hormones coming up for you. Enjoy!! This is where you start to see significant changes in your sonograms, and feel your baby moving around. I remember picking out baby furniture and getting the room ready 'round about then. :sigh:… I WANNA NOTHER BABY!!!
I hear ya,Maureen. I usually am not a cryer but I’ve been crying over EVERYTHING lately for no reason. Hubby left some dirty socks on the bathroom floor? Triggers a flood, with me sitting on the bathroom floor and the socks pressed to my face for some odd reason.
I have a great big ‘body’ pillow with a cute old-fashioned Coca-Cola pattern that DH just decided to buy one day cuz it was ‘on sale’ or so he said. God I love that thing!
I had morning sickness for about two weeks before I knew I was pregnant. I was nauseated every day and I threw up maybe six or seven times during that period, but once I started eating bananas (recommended by my sis who is also preggos) and taking my prenatals, it kind of went away. I’ve noticed I am more tired than usual and I tire more easily than before, leading to long afternoon naps.
I DO have a question though. If you’re doing a medicated birth (epidural), do you STILL have to take Lamaz classes or no?
I also discovered I hae a tilted uterus. Will this affect the baby, I wonder?
I have a tilted uterus. Didn’t seem to have any effects one way or the other on my pregnancies. I have 3 boys, btw, the oldest is 6, the youngest is 17 mos. I’d be happy to give my opinion or answer any questions you want to ask.
My due date is probably very close to yours, HMM. I’m due April 7 - when are you? This is also my first.
“What to Expect” was OK, but I really enjoyed “The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregancy.” I do caution you that she clearly has some weight-related self-esteem issues, so you need to be willing to look past that. But it’s funny, and it gives you the real inside story on things like what hemorrhoids actually feel like and how to use a rubber band to extend the waistband on your pants.
It’s probably a good idea to take some kind of childbirth prep class even if you’re planning on getting an epidural. It never hurts to know more about what you’re getting into!
My first pregnancy was great. A little morning sickness early on, followed by much snacking later. I made that kid out of peanut butter and bananas.
Also, every time I went for a check-up, I placed part of my order. “I want a girl.” “A little light brown girl.” “With curly hair.” “Chubby, with a pleasant disposition.”
I got everything I ordered.
I worked the day my water broke and hopped on over to the hospital where I got a fabulous epidural, slept most of the night , and was awakened for the pushing part. Eight pushes later, I got my order!
The second pregnancy. Well, I’ll tell you about that in about 6 months. He was made out of coffee and chocolate, though.
You’re about a week after me…I’m due March 31 or April 1 2004.
I’m thinking of ditching “What To Expect” because like several of you, I don’t really like it at ALL. Good thing it’s a library book and not something I actually paid for. whew
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” was a major disappointment for me. I concur that the dietary advice in it is crazy. I’m diabetic and MY dietary plan isn’t as restrictive as the one they recommend in that book. I mean, come on. I did laugh my butt off at “The Girlfriends’ Guide”, although you have to take some of her advice with a grain of salt. For basic pregnancy/parenting reference, I usually fall back on my Dr. Sears “The Baby Book” and “The Pregnancy Book”. As always, your mileage may vary.
I would recommend attending some kind of pregnancy class even if you’re planning on the epidural. For one thing, it is probable that you will be enduring at least some painful contractions before you get to the point where the epidural goes in. (Don’t panic; every woman’s labor is different but the general consensus from most people I’ve talked to is that while labor is painful, it is not unbearable. You can get through it.) Also, if your labor progresses extremely rapidly or for some reason it takes you awhile to get to the hospital (blizzard, hurricane, whatever), you may be too late to get the epidural. Also, even once the epidural goes in, it helps to know what’s going on with your labor so that you’re familiar with what to expect. I had an emergency C-section with Whatsit Jr., but I still felt pretty empowered and happy about the experience, which I chalk up to having taken Bradley classes and therefore having been able to make an informed decision about having the C, as I knew exactly what was going on with my body and my labor. I hope that makes some kind of sense.
A couple of recent threads that you may want to peruse:
Congratulations! The only remaining piece of advice I have, is to have a T-shirt made up in your third trimester reading:
“March 31/Feeling Fine/Boy” (Or “girl”; or “not finding out”.) It will save you countless hours of answering the same three questions from everyone you run into.
I loved being pregnant, loved, loved, loved it. I did have the occasional hormonal mood swings and only got sick twice (movie theater popcorn of all things!), but for the most part it was great.
I highly recommend taking some sort of birthing class, even if you are opting for an epidural. Mr. im_trouble and I took Bradley classes which teach natural childbirth (relaxation method, no drugs). Even though I opted for drugs during delivery (it was too late to have an epidural) the class taught us so much about the birthing process and all our options. They proved their worth in that Mr. im_trouble was prepared, knew what to expect and was able to alert the nurses when he saw that things weren’t going quite right (Baby trouble came out just fine after 8 hours of labor).
Also, don’t forget the exercise! The last few weeks were cumbersome for me, but I did manage to walk everyday. If nothing else, start doing your kegel exercises now! You’ll be glad you did!
No, it’s not necessary to take those classes, but they are fairly informative, in terms of knowing what will happen during labor, and how to manage the pain (somewhat). And you get signed up for all kinds of cool freebies (diapers, formula, baby food, bibs, etc.). So as far is that goes, Lamaze can be helpful. I don’t endorse everything taught in the classes, however. I am of the opinion that if you want to have an epidural, you should have one. Guilt shouldn’t be involved; it’s painful. And your tolerance will vary from other womens’. I am a coward. I don’t like pain. It hurts me. I had no compunction whatsoever telling the anaesthesiologist to put the needle in my back now, dammit. 14 hours of back labor will do that to a person.
If you’re doing a medicated birth (epidural), do you STILL have to take Lamaz classes or no?
If I were you, I would.
ANY kind of coping mechanism you can arm yourself with is good, especially towards the end. You may be one of the blessed “I didn’t feel a thing” women but prepare as though the epidural won’t take at all. That way you’ll be ready no matter what happens