Pregnancy has been different to what I expected. For starters, I'm absolutely loving it, more than I thought possible. But the things going on with my body have surprised me and I've had to Google to find out if it's 'normal'. I was expecting morning sickness which I didn't get, but what I got instead were other things:
The first thing to hit me was the incessant sneezing for the first few weeks and the bunged up nose at night time. I found out that this is 'pregnancy rhinitis'. The sneezing has started again, so I'm guessing the hormones are changing as I'm getting closer to birth.
Also, nose related, in the beginning, certain perfumes were giving me an instant headache. I'd be walking in the supermarket, then get a sharp nasal pain with headache, then smell the perfume of someone walking past, after getting the pain. For a while it was intolerable. Luckily it went away.
One swollen ankle. My left one is always more swollen than my right, it looks weird.
This one has horrified me somewhat: skin tags!! Eek! At first I thought they were tiny spots on my neck. Then I found one or two bigger ones and I've mercilessly removed them!
Left shoulder pain. I mentioned this to the midwife and she asked if I'd pulled a muscle or something, but I'm sure it's linked to the baby's position - like it's my left foot that is swollen.
Bigger nose. Nobody else seems to have noticed, but to me, it's bigger.
Stiff fingers in the morning. Apart from my fingers swelling, they seize up in the morning. It'll be worse depending on what side I've slept on.
It's all very strange!!
Got less than 3 weeks to go, although I'm convinced I'll be exactly 10 days overdue, don't know why I think that, I just do. But I'm getting very excited now, really looking forward to it!!
You seem to be one of the lucky ones, Tigerlily - you are clearly blooming (apart from the skin tags and sneezing, obviously).
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy - having been there a few times, that moment when they put the baby in your arms? Nothing like it.
Glad for you 🙂
Fx
I had a fairly symptom-free pregnancy all those years ago - with one side effect, of my shoe size increasing! (it never returned to smaller size). I haven't read about this anywhere, but know of two other women for whom this happened too.
Masha
Glad all has gone well! Enjoy the rest of your time too. And, yes, when you first hold the baby - it's very special. Hope all goes well (keep an eye on finger - or anything else - swelling and retained fluid though).
How lovely to hear about someone who's really enjoying pregnancy. We treat a lot of patients during this time and for many they don't find it easy!
Hope all goes well, enjoy every minute.
Best Wishes,
Jodie
I had the one shoulder pain and later on had back pain on one side too. Was horrible but well worth it x
You have been so lucky in your pregnancy!
I was the exact opposite... I had severe morning sickness (in my case all-day sickness).... for example one day alone at work (I start at 6am and take my breakfast at 8:40am) I threw up 12 times before breakfast :eek::020::eek:
I couldn't keep anything down. I ate ginger everyday in the hope it would help - it didn't. I couldn't bare the though of eating in general. I remember one day when my hubby came into the living room with an innocent slice of buttered toast, the smell knocked me and I had to run for the loo lol! The only food I could actually eat was junk food!!! On my 12x before-breakfast-day I turned round to my MIL (who happens to work at the same place) and asked if she'd take me to McDonalds for a Big Mac meal!!!
I found my sense of smell went through the roof - doesn't help when you work with a bunch of stinky blokes! I used to have to walk around with a hankie sprayed with perfume in case I encountered a smelly fella!
My nose got bigger - its a well known thing... "pregnancy nose". I was HUGE from 5 months onwards.
I put on 3 stone which I'm STILL trying to shift (My daughter is 2) and I only developed stretch marks in the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy.
My daughter was 5 days late. My sister had none of my problems - she had a boy.
***
C*O*N*G*R*A*T*U*L*A*T*I*O*N*S and best wishes for the next few weeks and a quick straightforward labour.
Donna. xxx
PS - I had a torrid time in pregnancy but I LOVED being pregnant and I LOVED labour too!!! If I could go through labour again then I would! (don't want another child though) x
I'm back!! But I will start another thread to tell all!
I had the one shoulder pain and later on had back pain on one side too