Like most newly pregnant women, I downloaded the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” mobile app and use a lot of information from the many different resources. Although there’s a lot of information on possible symptoms, every pregnancy experience is different. So you can expect all you want, but it may not happen. Or it will happen and you still won’t be ready!

Here are six symptoms I was told to expect, but was not mentally or physically prepared for!

Fatigue

In my first trimester, I was DONE at all times. Getting out of bed was the hardest task in life and I couldn’t bring myself to do anything around the house. I’m sure mrJo thought I was really useless. I yawned at least once per minute and got a lot of “are you okay?” from coworkers. However, I did not have any morning sickness, so I guess there’s a trade off there.

Food Aversions & Cravings

Okay. These are two symptoms I really thought were fake. False. My dad loves to BBQ… like everyday loves to BBQ. I liked his grilling – before babyJo. When we moved back in with my parents, I had to close the myself off in the bedroom when he grilled because the smell made me feel both sick and angry. I would get so mad, sincerely. But what am I supposed to say, “Grrrr stop grilling your delicious food for dinner!”?

The cravings are real. Mouthwatering, can’t live your life without it right this second, real. Some of the cravings throughout my pregnancy: cereal, pickles, marshmallows, apple pie (OMG APPLE PIE… sorry, still pregnant), the smell of alcohol – red wine in particular, Dr. Pepper in a can, Zoe’s Kitchen, dinner rolls, and roasted vegetables.

Emotional Breakdowns

I’ve never cried so much in my life. One time, during my first trimester, I was at work and took my last sip of my water. So I got up and started walking towards the break room to refill my water bottle. I remember thinking “man I really thought that bottled water would last me awhile”. The next thing I knew, tears. Tears everywhere. I was SO sad that I ran out of water.

I also feel for mrJo. So many times I broke down in tears before bed without explanation. By my 3rd trimester, I would just tell him “I’m sad” and point to the bump. Then he’d open up his arms to prepare for the water works. I love him.

Itching

Now this, I wasn’t expecting. I had to Google it (which brought me to Baby Center). I’m writing this in my 29th week and trying my very hardest not to itch! In addition to your belly growing during pregnancy, the rest of your body may itch because of hormones (when in doubt, your symptom is because of hormones). My palms, breasts, and tummy itch the most. See the Baby Center post for suggestions if this is happening to you, but what “helped” me the most was cold water and lots of lotion/Vitamin E. Also trying to trick myself to not think about it by blogging, reading, or coloring (Adult coloring books. Mindful Therapy. Duh.)

Dizziness

This symptom is in all the apps, books, and blog posts, but I underestimated it. This varies by person and you should talk to your doctor if it affects you! I personally would know when the dizzy spell was coming because it was typically introduced first by a hot flash. If not a hot flash, I would suddenly feel very crowded, car sick, or just sensitive to the environment in general. Unfortunately, one day it hit me while driving on the highway. I was able to pull over, but I ended up on an ambulance and in the ER from that incident. Iron became very important in my diet during the second half of my pregnancy. Even still, I would get a dizzy spell every couple of days.

Pain/Discomfort

As fetuses grow, your organs are literally squished in the corner somewhere and your bones and muscles have to adjust as well. I know that’s not very scientific, but all that hurts! Your growing baby can result in shortness of breath, hip pain, back pain – the works. Talk to your doctor about your pain level and what you can do. For me, I found that sitting on an exercise ball (also referred to as a birthing ball), stretching, visiting the chiropractor, and a maternity pillow helped relieve some pain. But what was most life changing for me was athletic tape! My chiropractor wrapped me and it really took the pressure off my hips. I later bought this pregnancy band for support and it really helped as well.

As I write this, I haven’t even met babyJo, but all of the above is already so worth it. Every time it seems to be “too much” he kicks right on cue to remind me it’s all for a good cause. I’ll emphasize again: every pregnancy is different. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor or midwife about what you’re experiencing to see if there’s anything they can do to help.

What other symptoms have you experienced or heard about during pregnancy?