What's it like to be pregnant?

by Luana D'Elias Thomas (Photo by Janko Ferlic from Unsplash)

Iwas looking away from it. After what felt like the longest three minutes of my entire life. When I looked back at it, the ClearBlue pregnancy test read: Pregnant, 1-2 weeks. This is how it was like for me, from that moment on.

Week 1 and 2

So even before the test, I noticed spots on my forehead. I felt super thirsty and had to pee more. Then something unusual happened, a craving for olives, which I had never liked. My suspicions that I might be pregnant began then.

1st Trimester

Weeks 3 and 4

Before I had my baby, I thought pregnancy would be the easiest part of motherhood. You don’t need to have your period for nine months, what else is there to it?

Week 5

I noticed my sense of smell had heightened: the instinct that some smells weren’t good for the baby had already kicked in. I also had some mild cramps and was physically exhausted.

Week 6 and 7

I felt drained of energy. Nausea had started, the feeling that I was going to be sick just didn’t go away. I did a lot of retching but didn’t actually vomit. I also had some serious fatigue.

Week 8 to 10

Nausea was in full swing. I was thinking “This is really really hard, how did my mother do this twice?”. I had flashbacks of my teenage years, when I had treated my mum badly, lacking any sort of appreciation. In that moment, carrying my own baby, I felt so awful, knowing she had gone through the same thing while carrying me safely inside her. I deeply apologised and she reassured me this phase would pass.

Then I became incredibly emotional. I was easily irritated, or I could be laughing and suddenly crying within seconds. My hormones were in overdrive and my body didn’t know if it was coming or going. My breasts started to feel sore too.

Week 11 and 12

The spots on my forehead cleared. I started to feel less weak but still nauseous. I saw the baby at the 12 week scan and was blown away. Fully formed and about the size of a lemon, it wriggled so much! Those movements were fixed in my mind. (No wonder it took so much out of me, the main parts of my tiny little human were done.) I finally decided to share the news. Breasts were still sore, even the bra hurt over them.

Week 13

I was told by then (12 weeks/3 months) that nausea would go away. Well, it didn’t. I was very disappointed. My gums bled a bit when brushing my teeth.

Week 14 to 17 (4 months)

Nausea finally eased away. Basically the placenta fully formed could now sustain the baby without taking too much out of me. A bump was beginning to show and as it grew, began to be itchy. With this rapid growth spurt, I felt this sharp pain in the ligaments of my uterus. I had pelvic pain, lower back pain, bum muscle pain. I felt like my internal organs were shifting. Then... some flutters. The flutters turned into bubblings. Blubblings turned into tickles. It was my baby moving!

Week 18 to 20

Once, I sneezed and pee came out. I felt so humiliated, as I was out when it happened. That’s when I realised I had not done any pelvic floor exercises. After that, I did them everyday. It helped a lot.

Photo by Charles Deluvio from Unsplash

The ligament pain was getting more intense. I began to notice skin tags around my neck. I became more forgetful, also known as “baby brain”. The baby tickles were getting stronger everyday. I loved feeling my 2nd Trimester baby move and kick. No, it doesn’t hurt. It’s by far my favourite part of pregnancy.

Week 21 to 24

I would wake up in the middle of the night because of pins and needles in my hands, sometimes dizzy too if I was lying on my back. So I had to sleep on my side. The baby tickles had turned to flicks. I could feel the baby moving loads and it became visible. Alas this can happen anytime, and you suffer from sleep deprivation. Constipation kicked in.

Ligament pain, pelvic pain, lower back pain, internal organs shifting-feel continued. A temporary period-like cramps gave me a fright, and I worried about the baby arriving too early. I knew getting to 26 weeks was important, more viable for the baby to survive. Mood swings continued.

Week 25 to 27 (7 months)

My body would stiffen up if I was in one position for too long. At that point, my bump was much heavier. I continued to exercise but my yoga classes were getting harder, I had to get used to my balance changing, and how to accommodate my growing bump.

Bouncing on a yoga ball helped with a lot of the aches previously mentioned. I finally saw a faint black line appear on my bump, called linea nigra (black line). It’s very common. Insomnia, heartburn and a bit of breathlessness started.

Week 28 to 30 weeks :

I was up by 5am, baby moving much more forcefully waking me up. Sometimes the baby pushed or moved position and my bump would change shape. Some felt uncomfortable but I loved watching my bump acrobatics. Then a rhythmic tapping inside started: the baby having hiccups.

A heavier bump, heartburn and growth aches sustained and my nails were growing faster than usual. Mood swings were back, laughing to crying in the blink of an eye. Also a nose bleed and waking up once with swollen feet occured.

Then at 30 weeks I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and I was devastated. Basically my body couldn't cope with all the hormone levels and if untreated the baby can grow disproportionally. I found out that my baby did not like me distressed. I apologised to the bump once and the baby responded with a kick. It was magical to feel the bond with this tiny human I was yet to meet. I felt like the baby had said “it’s gonna be ok mum”.

Week 31 to 34 :

My legs were tiring easily and stiffening up if I sat extensively yet I'd get backache if standing for too long . Basically, you can’t win! At one point I was closely monitored as my baby was deemed “too small”. Had another scan and loved how the baby was drinking the amniotic fluid. It was mesmerising to see the gulps. Eventually the baby went back to “normal” on its own. That was when I realised you already worry so much about your child.

Sometimes you see the baby slide inside. It makes the bump look like jelly. You notice the elbows or feet poking out too.

My belly button popped out. Nesting instincts really kicked in, the urge to get the house clean, tidy and wanting the baby’s room to be ready.

3rd Trimester

Week 35 to 37 :

This phase is physically harder. Your bump is so much heavier and you struggle just to get up in the morning. Since sleeping sideways meant the whole weight was to one side, I had to wait for it to re-adjust so I could move without losing my balance. I could no longer see my feet, moved at a slower pace and needed more breaks.

Sore hips and knee joints, and the other pains carried on. I could feel little feet and joints pushing out of my bump. The baby changing positions (to breech, the right way round rather than upside down)was extremely uncomfortable. And after all my antenatal classes and much practice, I was ready. Initially I was scared about birth, but learning how my body worked gave me confidence. I was looking forward to it. I couldn’t wait to meet my child.

At 37 weeks you are officially full term, and your baby can arrive any moment between then and 42 weeks.

This text is to illustrate what it was like for me, the good, the bad and the ugly side of it, but every pregnancy is different (even to the same person).

Pregnancy is not easy. Most of the things you go through are hidden lessons for what’s to come, for motherhood. From the insomnia preparing you for the sleepless nights, to the estimated due date teaching you about patience, to labour and birth showing you endurance and stamina. If you can cope with that, then you can cope with the chaos of the first three months of your baby’s life. The responsibility of it all is immense. So take your time, don’t rush into something so big too soon. Enjoy your freedom as much as possible, because it will be scarce once you have a baby. |

Photos by Jonathan Borba from Unsplash

Luana D'Elias Thomas is the founder of a platform www.getoffmyback.co.uk to help mums-to-be reduce anxieties and fears about birth. To work towards the positive birth experience that all women deserve. She loves all things pregnancy, labour, birth and motherhood.

For more conversations follow: instagram.com/getoffmyback.co.uk