Things People Don't Tell You About Pregnancy

Ok, granted that these don't apply to all pregnancies, but I certainly can't be the only one and I never heard anyone talk about these things! I heard all the typical things like stretch marks, heartburn, even gas etc, but for those of you who haven't been pregnant before, you may find this helpful later on! And when I'm pregnant the next time (God willing), I'm sure I will have forgotten these things and need to read it myself, so I can google less :). My TMI barrier is way lower than most people and I figure if we talk about and normalize these things, there will be less first time moms thinking something is seriously wrong with them! Of course don't mistake any of this for medical advice and ask your doctor if you have any concerns! 

• Menstrual like cramps. I had them for MONTHS. I still occasionally get them. It freaked me out but the doctor said they were normal as long as they weren't accompanied by blood and to make sure I was drinking plenty of water (I drink tons). Apparently it's just your uterus expanding.
• Losing your mucus plug throughout pregnancy. Uh, yeah that freaked me out because you only ever hear about people losing it before labor! It regenerates so if there's, again, no blood, it's normal. But a warning would have been nice, no?
• The baby kicks and then doesn't kick again for a week in the 16w-22w (approx.) time frame. Baby can still move and hide, so it's not abnormal for you to only feel it sporadically until it gets bigger. I was convinced that the baby was... gone... so much so that we got an elective ultrasound at 18w. Worth every penny. See what I did there? Penny <3.
• Ultrasounds hurt. At first I thought it was just because I'm.... fluffy.... but even as I've gotten bigger and baby is way closer to the surface, they still push REALLY hard. Maybe it's just the lady who does mine; I don't know. I've actually come away with bruises the next day! I never expected them to be unpleasant (but totally worth it to see that sweet face). Though they'd probably hurt less if baby's head wasn't in the go zone that they need to measure each week, but I am not complaining about good positioning.
• Shortness of breath. Normal. Even when you just do something like carry your plate to the kitchen. I don't even notice it now, but when it first started I was convinced something was wrong. Just all that extra blood giving your body a work out! The bigger you get, the worse it gets. I frequently have to sit down after getting ready for work in the morning because, though walking and sitting don't bother me, standing makes me exhausted! 
• Sometimes you won't feel pregnant, even when you're very pregnant. In early pregnancy, I often didn't feel pregnant but that seemed to be expected. But when I sometimes feel not pregnant at 34 weeks, it baffles me! Sometimes my belly just doesn't get in the way or I don't feel it (not sure how to accurately describe that), and I have to go in the bathroom and look at my giantness in the mirror so I feel better. I've said it a million times, but pregnancy is such a mind trip all the way around! If someone tells you that you look small, you'll probably feel like you're starving your baby. If someone tells you that you look big, you'll want to slap them. Just tell me I look wonderful, mmmk?
• Your boobs will do all kinds of weird things. All I ever really heard about was them hurting in really early pregnancy. I'm sure this is wildly different for each woman, but I will tell you they've hurt off and on the entire time, and the hurting sensation is often different from what it was even just a week ago, or in a different location. Since my hormonal issues put me at risk for milk supply problems, it's another thing that actually makes me happy (keep hurting, girls; do your thing!), but I definitely didn't expect them to hurt past the first trimester or so.
• Speaking of, I'm trying to not get too graphic here, but your body will do all kinds of weird things in general. I invested in a collection of cloth liners from etsy and it's probably some of the best money I've spent this entire pregnancy. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
• Round ligament pain! I had never heard anyone talk about this and, when I googled it, it said it was a 2nd trimester thing. But guess what? 85% of my round ligament pain was in the first trimester. And since I'd never heard about it, I of course thought something was horribly wrong until I figured out what it was. It hurts!!!! Around mid 2nd trimester I switched chiropractors and my current one does the webster technique, which includes adjusting my round ligaments each week (so awkward when other people see it and are like WHAT IS HE TOUCHING!?). But I swear by it because it hasn't happened once since then AND baby has been in the optimal position for birth since I started working with him. WIN!

I know I'm forgetting lots of things, so leave some in the comments for soon to be mommies! Check this out if you want a similar list but with a higher entertainment value ;).