3 Things Nobody Ever Tells You About Pregnancy

When you’re newly pregnant or just thinking about conceiving, a flood of what you can expect comes to mind. You know what I’m talking about.  The nausea, the cravings, the urge to pee periodically in the middle of the night.  Standard pregnancy “symptoms” that you try to prepare yourself for.

But some things may never reach your ears, until you experience them first-hand.  Maybe because they don’t always occur to EVERY pregnant woman, or maybe they just seem to slip under the radar. And maybe knowing them wouldn’t have made things any easier, but I personally would have at least been able to “mentally prepare” and not think I was losing it.

These are the three things I’m referring to, that nobody ever told me to expect during pregnancy…

1. All-day nausea {what morning sickness, you say?}

It’s true. Nausea can strike at any moment of the day during the first trimester of pregnancy.  So “morning sickness” is a bit of a misnomer if you ask me. The majority of pregnant women DO experience nausea to some degree, and most will tell you that it can indeed stick around all day.  During my first pregnancy, I noticed this quite a lot. In fact, my “morning sickness” usually appeared in the afternoon or evening, making it somewhat unpredictable. It frustrated me that I couldn’t always tell if I was actually getting sick or just going through the typical pregnancy symptoms.

One more fun fact to add? This tell-tale sign of pregnancy can last longer than a few weeks…making its way into the second trimester for some unlucky few.  The nausea lasted about 4 months for me during my second pregnancy, so I know all too well how challenging this one is.

RELATED: 25 Ways to Treat Morning Sickness

2. Severely dry skin {pass the lotion please!}

Yes, I had read about the dry skin issues that can be exacerbated during pregnancy as your body and hormonal levels fluctuate, but I didn’t realize that this would effect almost every area of my body. I’m talking about legs, arms, hands, feet, lips and even nose! In fact, suffering from severely chapped lips and bloody noses periodically is quite common.  I know it’s a little gross, but this is the reality. That’s why being extra proactive with moisturizing lotion and humidifiers in dry air is important.  Otherwise, you may end up visiting a dermatologist if you overlook your dry skin and just think it’s due to the cold weather.

3. Joint pain {my aching back!}

Brace yourself. Besides the nausea, the joint pain is quite high on the list of pregnancy discomforts…especially during the third trimester.  As baby starts to move into position to prepare for birth, a lot of pressure can be placed on your joints, causing severe back pain for many of women.  That’s why when your doctor tells you to stretch periodically or do some light yoga, you really should heed those words of wisdom.

Don’t get me wrong pregnancy is a beautiful time in your life when you experience MANY amazing feelings and emotions as you prepare for the new life inside you. But those first few months can really be quite difficult physically if you you are caught off guard.

So know the symptoms, prepare for the worst but expect the best…and remember it won’t last forever!

What pregnancy symptom most surprised YOU?