Pregnancy is amazing. Carrying around a little person is quite an experience. What’s even more amazing is how unique that experience is to each woman. I want to share some insight from my pregnancy that may be helpful or entertaining to others.

Now don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a post to deter anyone from creating a little miracle. I mean a few years from now we will probably be trying again… that may be the sleep deprivation talking though…either way I just wanted to share some things that surprised me about the process.

During pregnancy…

1. Feet swelling/ growing – Yes I had heard about women’s feet swelling but I must admit I totally underestimated that fact. My feet practically inflated. I had to buy a few new pairs of shoes the next size up which was a little disappointing ( I already felt like my feet were big enough pre-pregnancy!). The swelling went down after pregnancy and now at 3 months postpartum I can finally wear some old shoes again but a few of them have had to be retired

2. Heartburn – This was another symptom I underestimated. I never had heartburn before so I didn’t think much of it. But when it hit me it was consistent. Regardless of what I ate or did I had heartburn daily! I kept a bottle of tums on my night stand and another in my desk at work. The old wives tale is that heartburn means lots of hair on your little one and in my case it was true but I hear it’s not always the case.

3. Everyone wants to buy clothes – Now don’t get me wrong, I was extremely grateful for any gifts we received for our little guy. I mean anything that was gifted to us was one less thing to buy out of pocket. But EVERYONE wants to buy clothes. Can you blame them? The little outfits are so cute! With that being said, try to resist buying too many outfits on your own until your shower (easier said than done). The money may be better spent on the crib or car seat. Those big ticket items are less likely to be purchased by others.

4. You can do it all and still get a curveball – So I won’t say my prenatal self care was perfect but I did make a good effort. I started eating more veggies, I worked out at least 2x a week, took my vitamins daily, etc. I really made an effort to stay healthy for my little guy. And at 38 weeks I found out I had pre-eclampsia and had to be admitted early and induced! Talk about shocked. But everything ended up working out just fine despite me freaking out!

After

1. Sweating – the first few nights after giving birth I felt like I soaked the bed in sweat. I would wake up for nursing sessions and feel like I needed to towel my whole body off. It subsides after a few weeks thank goodness.

2. I still can’t fit my rings! – my little guy is 3 months old and I still cannot fit my wedding rings 😦 My hands definitely swelled up during pregnancy because I bought silicon rings to wear about halfway through. But it was nowhere near as bad as my feet and after having my son I just knew things would be back to normal…not! Im keeping hope alive that I wont have to get them resized and hubby bought me a nice ring to wear while we wait it out.

3. Nursing means you are ALWAYS on demand – emphasis on ALWAYS. The first few weeks of nursing is exhausting because there is no type of schedule or method to the madness. You feed on demand to build up your supply and your little one will demand whenever they please. Eventually the number of times baby eats will stabilize to about 8-12 times a day but even then that feels like a huge chunk of your schedule. Especially when the lengths of time they feed can be so varied. So what do you do? Settle in with snacks, water, pillows, the remote and a good binge worthy show. It takes patience but the bond is so worth it. And remember, it won’t always be like this. (Although clusterfeeding will throw you right back into the madness!)

**Dads- Don’t think this means you can’t be helpful in the situation. Grab snacks and water for her. Help keep the house together. Join her on the couch sometimes so she doesn’t feel so lonely. Be there to burp the baby or relieve her for bathroom duties. There’s plenty of ways to support!**

4. If you haven’t already, you’ll find your “parental instincts” – Everyone is going to have some advice/ input/commentary on what you choose to do as you raise your child. Yes, most people mean well but even with the best intentions sometimes that advice is unwanted or just unhelpful. When it comes your way you will learn to accept it with a filter. Hear what they are saying but go with your gut or at least with a well respected person’s opinion. Everyone isn’t going to know what is right for YOUR child. But as time goes on it will be easier for you to know. Keep in mind there is no such thing as the perfect parent. Your parents didn’t have all the answers when they raised you and yet you survived & thrived. Have confidence that your little one will do the same. And remember, prayer works!