My joys during early pregnancy

If you are like me, once you find out you are expecting, you head into the first few weeks of pregnancy totally blissed out with the knowledge you are going to have a baby – and knowledge of little else. It’s glorious – those first few days!! I am the first of my friends to do the whole kid thing, so no one was there to warn me of all the other “joys” the first few weeks bring too. I’d like to share my experiences so that if others face the same they won’t feel so surprised at what the pregnancy books don’t tell you!

1. Almost immediately, I experienced an explosion of growth in the bust region. It’s like Christmas!! However, this comes with a price: TENDERNESS and PAIN. As they say, no pain, no gain, right, so hold on, because this ride’s just getting started! This phenomenon began for me even before I was able to get a positive home pregnancy test – so get ready!

2. 36, 24, 36? Remember that song, “Brick House,” where they sing about a woman’s hour glass figure? Try 36, 36,36. By about week 5, aka, immediately after I found out I was preggers, my body just starts to widen out – without my permission! There’s not even a baby bump to pay it off! If you have a petite or hourglass figure, get ready to see those pretty curves fill in – there one day and gone the next. Not trying to be harsh, just real. No one told me this would happen, and it’s a tough pill to swallow because no amount of working out makes it go away. It’s just part of the baby prep your body does, so just embrace it and wait for the bump to come.

3. Acne, bacne, and chacne. Now, I’ve never been one to have lots of skin issues. But slap on my letter jacket and bring on the teenage angst because I’ve developed the most raging case of pimples since I was 13. And lucky me, they were/are not just on my face, but I was lucky enough to be graced with them on my neck, back, and chest as well. Yippee! Call it the “glow” that comes with pregnancy. :-)

4. “Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?” I think my husband wonders this hourly right about now.  The mood swings that come out of nowhere can really take you by surprise. The clinical books will tell you that it’s because of all the hormone changes going on in your body, which makes sense, but good grief – they will really get you! All of a sudden, things you used to find funny are just plain annoying. That favorite TV show? How have you never noticed how annoying the main character’s mannerisms are?! Your dear sweet husband who you were so in love with two weeks ago when you got the positive test can suddenly no longer say or do anything right. I’m 10 weeks along thus far, and my mood pendulum continues to swing wider and wider, so I don’t see this symptom ebbing and flowing. I’ve learned to just take note of my moods, and let my husband know it’s nothing personal if I turn into something  “other than myself” now and again.

Don’t get me wrong – I love being pregnant! But it’s nice to hear about what to REALLY expect so you can mentally prepare for all the changes coming. As if there are not enough other changes going on to consider throughout this whole process! What other symptoms has anyone experienced right away that took you a little by surprise?

Katie Breckenridge is a Sr. Marketing Specialist for Texas Health Resources who will be a first-time Mom in October.