Pregnancy Woes

Disclaimer: some mild complaining ahead... along with maybe a little TMI.

Okay so, we all know that pregnancy is a wonderful and miraculous experience. It brings the most amazing blessing that can ever be received. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for my (now 2!) boys, nowhere I wouldn't go for them. There is no greater joy in my life than being their mommy!

I can only speak for myself but, sometimes I feel guilty for complaining about my pregnancy woes. There are so many women who long to get pregnant or to have a healthy pregnancy and my heart aches for them. They may want to slap me for saying this, and that's okay- I understand... but I'm also allowed my opinion and feelings.

I AM OVER BEING PREGNANT.

At 32 weeks with son #2, I am OVER IT. Some women absolutely love being pregnant. They would do it 100x if they could. I am not one of them. This will be our final baby (unless by some act of God) and I have truly tried to enjoy this as much as possible, knowing that I will not be doing this again. But truth be told..... can it be over already?!

A friend of mine who is also pregnant (a few weeks ahead of me) sent me a message earlier this week that read "are you as miserable as I am?" and I replied "YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" It was nice to know that I am not the only one who feels this way! And maybe we *aren't supposed to say it* but some things about pregnancy really are not fun.

This is my experience.

From the time that word "pregnant" shows up on that test... or a double line... or a little + sign appears, it all begins. It's really amazing how quickly things begin to change.
-------1st trimester--------
1. Bloating- take that pre-menstrual bloat and multiply it by 5.
2. Urination- as my body begins to produce more water and my uterus grows, the frequent urination begins.
3. Boobs- my boobs begin to swell (the part I like LOL) but with the good comes the bad and they are so sore, I can't stand to touch them. Also, my veins in them become darker and more prominent and it looks as though someone has drawn a road map across my chest.
4. Fatigue- after doing absolutely nothing, I feel as though I have ran a half marathon. I can't get enough sleep.
5. Moodiness- think I'm moody the week of my period? Imagine that lasting for approximately 10 weeks. Yeah.... my poor husband!! I feel like a monster has invaded my brain and there is nothing I can do about it.
6. Nausea: If I even THINK about going more than 2 hours without a little snack, I am sick. If I eat too much, I am sick. If I eat something that my little womb resident disagrees with, I am sick. However, I was one of the lucky ones. I only vomited a couple times a week and it stopped at the end of the first trimester. Some of my fellow preggo sisters were extremely sick the ENTIRE time. I am SO sorry for them!

The great part about the first trimester is seeing your little babe and hearing their heart beat for the first time. That part is truly awesome and makes the crappiness worth it!

-------2nd trimester-------
Okay, the second trimester (in my opinion) rocks. I regain some energy! My nausea subsides! My moodiness (for the most part *wink wink*) also subsides! My boobs are still getting bigger (score for me!) and I won't complain about that ;-) My nipples are getting large and weird but I don't mind that all that much. And, yes, I'm peeing like a racehorse but who cares?! I feel great! I enjoy indulging in my cravings. I am beginning to have a baby bump and feel sorta cute in my little preggo tops. I also start to feel baby move... which might be my favorite part of all! I also get to find out baby's gender... super exciting!!! If the second trimester lasted forever, I may have a ton of kids! But it doesn't.......

------3rd trimester----------
This is where things get hairy... literally.
1. Weight- obviously weight gain comes with pregnancy and I am totally okay with that. BUT.... all of the sudden I have a ginormous belly. I can hardly bend over to shave my legs. I am shaving other parts blindly. I can't paint my toenails. My belly gets in the way when I try to reach the clothes in the bottom of the washing machine. Nothing fits comfortably except for my husband's clothes. Which, unfortunately, are not acceptable to wear in public.
2. Urination- I am peeing every 1.5 hours through the night. I am peeing when I try to lift Max out of the tub. I am peeing when I bend over to pick up toys. I am peeing ALL THE TIME AND ALL OVER THE PLACE. Someone get me a diaper!!!!!!!!!!
3. Acid reflux- in the past week, I have developed acid reflux. If I bend over, I can feel it. When I'm laying in bed at night, I can feel it. If you've never experienced it, it feels like a burning sensation in your esophagus and every so often a little vomit starts to creep up and then you get to swallow it. It's quite unpleasant.
4. Constipation- enough said. It's also uncomfortable to sit on the toilet for long periods of time. And don't get me started on hemorrhoids.
5. Boobs- they are huge. Which I personally don't mind since "not pregnant Mallory" was not blessed with a large chest. However, the nip situation is out of control. I mean they are getting real weird. And sometimes they leak with a little colostrum. Yep, more bodily fluid leakage.
6. Swelling: felt like going to the zoo last weekend. By the end of the day, my feet were puffy and swollen and you could see the indention of my shoe. Cankles?? Oh yeah!
7. Restless nights- aside from constant urination, it's SO hard to get decent sleep because I am so uncomfortable. I am normally a belly/side sleeper which is obviously out of the question at this point. I find it incredibly odd and uncomfortable to sleep on my back. The solution is to sleep on your side with a body pillow or any pillow wedged between your belly and the bed and also between your legs. This brings great comfort... momentarily. After an hour-ish, the side that I'm laying on has gone numb and I have to switch sides. Repeat approximately 6 times throughout the night.
8. Random aches: my lower back has a constant dull ache. Could be my little guy's position, could be due to the damage on my tailbone from Max's delivery. Whatever it is, it is annoying and painful. My sweet husband gets the task of rubbing it numerous times a week. Lucky him! Also, last night I woke up to cramping in my legs and literally had to get up and start stretching at 3 a.m. Oh, and on days when I've done "too much" (which basically consists of totally normal activities like vacuuming my house) I am so sore that evening that my legs buckle randomly when I try to walk to the bathroom. Sometimes I have to crawl there. I'm not even kidding.

Take all of that and add random stretch marks and you've got yourself QUITE a party, right????

Why am I sharing this??? Not because I just want to tell people bizarre, personal, and gross things about myself but to share with my fellow preggo sisters that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Maybe you have experienced all of this, maybe a few things, maybe your pregnancy(cies) have been different. No pregnancy is the same. This one has been much harder on me than Max's. I just want you (and your significant other) to know that you aren't crazy. Or at least you are only temporarily crazy. It takes someone very special to make all of this worth it... and even make us want to do it more than once! And that's exactly what we get... the most special and precious gift in the world. So, hang in there! (I'm mostly speaking to myself when I say that)