Posted by: Alex
I shouldn’t complain, I’ve had a great pregnancy so far, but there are a couple things that I wasn’t expecting pregnancy to bring, things that no-one warned me about. The things no-one tells you about pregnancy until you are already pregnant.
Pregnancy rhinitis. A lucky few pregnant ladies will have such bad sinus problems that breathing through their noses becomes an impossibility without the kind of nasal spray that fries your poor sensitive nasal membranes. But the sprays do work, and thankfully are something you are allowed to take during pregnancy, unlike most other medication.
Hemorrhoids. Not that I’ve had the misfortune to experience this one myself yet, but my reliable pregnancy spam emails tell me that this is something that affects many pregnant women. But don’t worry, they should go away after birth. Like that’s a consolation.
Muscles that try to detach themselves from their attachment points. My poor tummy muscles are barely holding on as it is. I’m not sure how they will cope with an additional 2 kg’s of Junior. Apparently detachment does happen to some women. Hopefully I’ll manage to bypass that one.
Personal Space Invasion. Total strangers think that they are entitled to touch your stomach uninvited, just because it’s protruding and round. These same people who wouldn’t dare touch a non-pregnant woman’s stomach. They also wouldn’t dream of making public comments about your size and weight gain, skin condition or diet if you weren’t pregnant, but this kind of information is now considered part of the public domain.
Opinions, opinions and more opinions. Although I was warned about this one, I’m still amazed at how many people think it’s suddenly okay to pass judgment on my personal decisions of how I intend to give birth and what I intend to do about work afterwards. No-one has given me their opinion on the feeding topic yet, but I’m sure that’s coming. Frankly, I think it’s none of your business what I do with my breasts.
We’re 29.5 weeks now and the end is in sight. Albeit obscured sight, I have so much on my plate between now and October. New work, studies and ante-natal classes.
Oh, and for the record, I don’t believe you need to succumb to the pregnancy brain theory. With maybe a list or two, you can stay ahead of the game and maintain your mental cognizance. You see, I don’t think this is a real condition at all. There is nothing wrong with our brains, it’s just that pregnant women have a whole stack of extra things to think about and remember. Gynae appointments, ante-natal classes, maternity leave to sort out, keeping your wardrobe ahead of your every expanding waistline, a nursery to stock and decorate? No wonder we forget a few things. Not to mention bonding about the new life growing inside us, and once big enough for you to feel it’s movements, it’s ability to physically distract you from your work. We don’t get dumb we just have so much more on our minds than we did before. So write things down and you’ll be fine.