This post is sponsored by U by Kotex®, but all opinions are my own.
Many of us are well aware of the classic pregnancy symptoms: morning sickness, weird food cravings, a growing belly and boobs, backaches, and heartburn, just to name a few. I was more than a little unprepared for so many other uncomfortable symptoms that no one told me to expect.
I am quick to admit that my pregnancy has been remarkably easy, and I’ve really loved it. I’m so grateful for the life growing inside me, which has made even the not-so-pleasant parts enjoyable and exciting.
My morning sickness phase was pretty short and I never actually threw up, my energy has been high and I’ve been able to keep up with my normal workouts (with some modifications), and I haven’t had any I-need-to-have-it-right-now crazy cravings (besides my normal non-pregnancy cravings for donuts). That said, growing a human inside my body is more awkward than I thought it would be, and with it comes a bunch of physical symptoms I didn’t see coming.
5 uncomfortable #pregnancy symptoms no one warns you about & how to deal with them. #pregnancyprobs #BringComfyBack Click To Tweet
1. Your skin will get really, really itchy. Something about pregnancy hormones dried out my skin—which was welcome on my face since I had oily skin to begin with—but on my belly, boobs, and knees it was a little uncomfortable.
Solution: Use a thick body cream with cocoa butter twice a day to relieve that itchiness. Supposedly the cocoa butter will also help prevent or reduce stretch marks, so that’s a win-win!
2. You will leak all day, every day. I thought pregnancy would be a time of great freedom from pads given the fact that you don’t have a period for nine months. As it turns out, throughout most of pregnancy you have a constant drip of thin, watery discharge, and it’s less than delightful.
Solution: Line your underwear with a thin pantyliner like U by Kotex® Lightdays. They don’t bunch up or make you feel like you’re wearing a pad—I often forget I even have one on. Comfort is key during pregnancy, and these will help you feel clean, dry, and comfortable. And right now you can score $1 off UbK panty liners!
3. Your whole body spreads out—not just your belly. I thought that as long as I kept my eating in check, I’d be able to wear my stretchy pre-pregnancy clothes for the majority of pregnancy. Wrong. By 20 weeks, even though my weight gain was right on track, nothing fit properly. My hips had spread out, my boobs were huge, and everything non-maternity was super uncomfortable.
Solution: Buy yourself the comfiest maternity clothes you can find, and don’t feel even a little bit guilty about it. You’ll be more comfortable, but you’ll also feel a lot better about your changing body if you’re wearing in clothes that were made for you.
4. Morning sickness is so much more than nausea. Like I said, my morning sickness was not that bad. It was more of a general, night-time queasiness than episodes of violent vomiting. But what I didn’t expect was how disgusting my favorite foods would become. I eat mostly protein and vegetables with some occasional treats, and bread and grains are not part of regular diet at all. But during the first trimester, chicken and veggies made me gag, as did many fruits, and all I craved was pretzels, bread, and chips.
Solution: Eat whatever you can, within reason, and give yourself some grace. My diet was not ideal during the first trimester, but it sure beat not eating or throwing up. I cooked my normal, healthy meals, but often used tortilla chips or bread as a spoon to help me get the healthy stuff down. I stopped eating when I started to feel sick and tried to supplement with green smoothies when I was up for them.
5. Your core ligaments will be achy. The first time I felt the stabbing sensation of round ligament pain, it took my breath away. Even now at 28 weeks, sneezing, turning or getting up too quickly, and even sitting down to pee (for real) causes stretching pains. During pregnancy, your belly is carrying a ton of extra weight and is stretching out like crazy, and all the ligaments that support your core and uterus take a beating.
Solution: Relax! Take a warm bath, lay down with a heating pad (do not use it directly on your skin), and request massages from your significant other. Though my lower back didn’t hurt too much at first, a lower back and sciatic nerve massage helped to relieve tension throughout my whole body. Also, don’t worry about taking the occasional Tylenol. Sometimes you just need quick relief.
6. Sleeping will become a thing of the past earlier than you think. I thought pregnancy insomnia came later in pregnancy when you’re too big to really get comfortable, but that’s a big, fat lie. At the beginning of my second trimester, I began sleeping terribly. I’ve always been a light sleeper, but now every little sound and movement wakes me up, even gentle baby kicks. I pee several times a night and struggle to fall asleep again each time.
Solution: Do whatever you can to create a peaceful environment for sleeping. Consider investing in room darkening shade, a white noise machine, or a whirring fan (to do double duty with drowning out the noise and keeping you cool, because you’ll be a sweaty mess). Shut off electronic devices and do something relaxing before you close your eyes to help you be ready to dive into deep sleep.
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