Symptoms

I haven't talked too much about the symptoms I had. Well, here's a nice little list, some of this may be TMI, because a lot of these things are apparently really common, but no one talks about them! I'm just being honest, so be prepared for that:

Big Sore Boobs--My boobs were always on the small side, about a B cup--well they're C's now, baby! And so tender that the last few times I saw my family and was involved in the non-stop hug-fest that is part of seeing my family, I was cringing and struggling not to push my sisters and parents off me with a huge: "OUCH!" This is one of the first symptoms I noticed, shortly after my period was late (week 4), and it has been a continual thing ever since. Along the same lines (possibly TMI), my nipples are darker and somehow bigger or different.

Tiredness/Exhaustion--This is another symptom that can hit you right away--for me it started a few days before my period was due and lasted until about 6.5 weeks, but occasionally resurfaces (as you could see from my previous post about it).

And to say that "you are tired" is NOT the reality of the situation. It is more like, you are wearing a metal body suit and every step is torture. There was maybe only about a week that it was really THAT bad for me, but it was really that bad. Some days I was "tired", and MOST days between 4-6.5 weeks, 2pm would roll around and I would get hit with this sudden and overwhelming need to immediately take a nap.

But during that week that it was really bad--tiredness is not a good word for it. I was tired, but it was more like PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION. I literally could NOT stand up and/or do ANYTHING for more than ten minutes without feeling like if I didn't lay down and rest, I would die.

I was pregnant and then had a chemical pregnancy (and didn't realize what was happening until in retrospect) last year when we visited Laur in Scotland and she thought I was a FREAK. There was an exhibit at the Art Museum with all these metal beds and I literally almost took a nap on them. The entire time we were looking at the Museum I was just thinking about how much I wanted to be on those beds.

Well Laur, now you have an explanation for how unfun I was on that trip! Which brings me to another symptom:

Bitchiness/Super Emotional--From a few days before my period was due until probably 5.5 weeks, I was SUCH A BITCH. Erik, remember what a bitch I was to you when we had that phone convo about your diet? It was during this time (we pulled it out in the end, though, readers). Mom, remember when you asked if I was on bed-rest and I practically went to pieces on you? And both parents, do you remember HOW upset and offended I was when you said my house was a mess--all during this time.

James would do something or ask something and I would TEAR HIM TO PIECES FOR NO REASON. Luckily, a few minutes later I would, typically, apologize.

Anyway, this symptom is like the WORST PMS EVER. Keep in mind that your hormones are COMPLETELY wacked out. Along the same lines, I was super emotional and sometimes spent an entire day crying over stupid little things, would obsess or worry about nothing, you get the picture. Luckily, like I said, these things didn't last too too long--though the over-emotionality, is, I fear, here to stay until sometime post-partum (or perhaps forever). But it's not as bad as it was, luckily.

(This may be a real TMI one, be prepared)
Increased Cervical Mucus--This was actually ALWAYS one of my first symptoms of pregnancy, and it starts/has started as soon as a few days after conception. All of a sudden, my vagina starts acting like a cervical mucus factory (ie, more wetness "down there") and I have to change my underwear 5 times a day.

Bloating--Luckily, this wasn't a huge deal for me, but from about 4.5-5.5 weeks of pregnancy, I was SOOOO bloated that I looked like I had a bigger belly than I do right now. I attempted to take a belly picture during that time and it wasn't even worth it because I was so freaking bloated. As I said, this only lasted about a week for me, which I am grateful for, because I know for others it can be a whole "first trimester" thing.

Super Smell--That's right, this symptom will make you feel like a super-hero. You will suddenly know from talking to people what they ate last, what deodorant they use, and what they just did in the bathroom, no matter how many hours later you visit it than they did. You will know if they fried something and didn't shower after, if they smoke or were next to someone smoking, if they have drank beer or alcohol since last brushing their teeth.

"Hey parents! Mom, you worked today, I can smell the coffee from across the room! Dad, you were staining wood, or making a fire, or mowing the grass. Oh yeah and you guys had salad for lunch with chicken. I am not psychic, just super-smeller."

You might think I am exaggerating but I'm not. Some strong smells may even be WAY too much to the point where you need to excuse yourself out of the room so you don't die. This symptom can be related to morning sickness, but not necessarily--you don't have to get nauseous from the smells, but you obviously COULD if you are already apt to be nauseous from that smell.

Anyway, this highly interesting symptom seems to be a constant, though some days are better than others.

"Morning Sickness"--Alright, so we all know this is a symptom, right, and you think morning sickness=nausea. Well, I actually wasn't nauseous very often. I seemed to be one of the lucky ones who did not have very bad morning sickness. From about 6.5-9 weeks, I had what I guess was morning sickness for me, but I never threw up once.

Twice I ate food and WOULD HAVE thrown up if I had continued eating the food, but I stopped and it was fine. "Bad foods" for me included: Things that were fried, things that were too sugary, and vegan cheese.

My good foods, on the other hand, were SO good and I lived on them: Soy yogurt--I was eating like a cup of this a day. Fruit: grapes, strawberries, grapefruit, plums, nectarines, you name it. Fruit=yummy. Salad, and a few times I cut up a tomato and ate it with salad dressing. This is HIGHLY irregular--I don't even like tomatoes (well, not plain and alone like that). Oh yeah, and Mexican Food. We had bean tacos and tostadas VERY OFTEN during this time.

When I did feel sick, my feelings ranged from flu-like (slight nausea, feverish and weak feeling--weird, right, I didn't know morning sickness could cause all that), to--and this was the most common feeling for me: That pre-nausea feeling where your mouth waters a lot and your stomach feels sort of off--and you think in one more minute you will start to feel REALLY nauseous and/or throw up, but you never do. This was the worst for me if I ate any of the bad foods.

Which brings me to another symptom:

Watery mouth--For some reason, pregnancy apparently turns your spit factory on overdrive. Who knows how much this correlated with the morning sickness. If my mouth hadn't been watering overtime, would I have had that pre-nausea feeling? I don't know!

Metal Mouth/Sour Mouth--Luckily, this symptom only hit me for about one day, but it was the day from hell. I had this taste in my mouth that can only be described as VERY FOUL. I brushed my teeth a million times, I scraped my tongue, I tried eating different foods, nothing worked. Thank GOD I woke up the next morning to find it gone/much improved.

Peeing--You think people are exaggerating about excessive peeing during pregnancy, but they aren't. At least, I heard about it but didn't quite realize how big of a deal it was.

Basically, since the day before I got a positive pregnancy test (alright, at least since my period was due to come), I have RELIGIOUSLY woken up in the middle of the night to pee. The amount of nights I haven't done this could easily be counted on one hand. Before becoming pregnant, I pretty much NEVER woke up in the middle of the night to pee.

During the day, I guess it is hard for me to tell if I am peeing a lot since I am just home and can pee to my hearts content, but to give an indication: I will pee twice in a 1.5-2 hour movie--even a movie in the theater. When James, Tim, and I drove to NYC to see Laccone's show, it was a three hour drive and I we needed to stop twice on the way so I could pee--and let me tell you, I had been holding it and straining for a WHILE each time.

Excessive Thirst/Hunger--This might be related to the peeing. I am *almost* constantly thirsty. And when I am thirsty, it isn't a little thirst--it is a "I must drink water now or I will die" kind of thirst. Some people have excessive hunger as well, (and during some chemical pregnancies I have had that--where I wake up in the morning STARVING), but it hasn't been that bad this time--though there have been at least three occasions where James and I are laying in bed at 10 or 11 at night and I suddenly MUST HAVE--a bowl of cereal, a tostada, a piece of fruit, etc. But I haven't been too too hungry this time around.

Constipation--Yet another TMI symptom that all pregnant women seem to get. I was actually VERY lucky with this as, if you recall, I ate almost nothing but fruit and soy yogurt for almost two weeks, so I wasn't too constipated then, but things have definitely slowed down. I actually wouldn't say I have often been really "constipated", but as someone who used to "go" after every meal, I will say there are now some days where I don't go at all. And if I have a high protein meal like some veggie hot dogs--well forget it.

Cramping--This is a scary/weird symptom, but cramping is a common thing (apparently). Firstly, it is really common around the time that your period is due--so much so that it feels like your period is going to show up at any second. The explanation here is that your little egg is burrowing into your uterine lining (implantation), and this can cause some cramping. Then, later on, like at 10 and 11 weeks, like I'm at right now, you can get more cramping again. Sometimes they are painful and shooting (but then very brief) and sometimes it is constant sort of "uterine feelings" that aren't very painful but make you realize that something is going on in there. This is known as "round ligament pain", and basically is that your uterus is growing, your body is expanding and so it can be a little crampy. It happens around now because that is when the uterus is big enough to grow out from behind the public bone.

Personally, I know all this stuff like the back of my hand but it is still a little weird/scary to have these crampy feelings.

Bleeding/Spotting--Unfortunately, this is a very common (and worrisome) symptom. It is somewhat normal to have spotting around the time of, or slightly before, when your period is due--again related to implantation. But people also get spotting sometimes when their next period is due (8 weeks/12 weeks), or just randomly. I had spotting from about 6 weeks to 7 weeks--including when I was visiting Jessie in Philly and it was scary. Almost every day I would have a little red or pink or brown on the toilet paper (usually only once during the whole day, but still). Personally, I believe that I actually was pregnant with twins but one wasn't viable. This is EXTREMELY common to the point that they theorize that up to half of us may have "started life" as a twin.

Anyway, my spotting was what put me into bedrest from then until about a week or two ago. Luckily it has NOT returned since then. ::Knock on wood::

And I think that is about it!! Those have been my symptoms so far. So, for anyone who has pregnancy to look forward to, you can look forward to all that crap. LOL.