For the Love of Hormones

Pregnancy hormones. Need I say more? They weren't horrendous the first few weeks. (Don't confirm this statement with my husband. I doubt he'll agree) I was just cranky from being exhausted 24/7... you know... from growing a human being. However, a little after 10-12 weeks they really set in.

A little before I went into the second trimester, I asked my husband to help me out with the laundry. I asked him to simply take the clothes from the dryer and put them in our bedroom. After he did, I went to fold the clothes in our room and they were spread all over our bed. Then it hit me. My lip started to quiver and the tears starting rolling. I asked, "why would you do this?" while in the midst of an ugly cry. I guess I really wanted him to leave the clothes in the laundry basket! Luckily for Heath, I calmed down after a few minutes.

Other than that, I've just been randomly crying. Crying at insurance and other, non-emotional commercials. People seem to be much more irritating to me now and I'm a lot less likely to filter my comments.

Basically, I want to share my crazy with you so you don't feel as bad about yours. It's okay to be a little nutty while you're pregnant. Your body is going through so many radical changes that it would be a little odd (to me) if you didn't have some sort of hormonal imbalance. However, take it easy on the people around you. They aren't trying to irritate you... I know it's hard to believe.

How are you coping with your hormones during your pregnancy? 
I always love comments and hearing what other women are experiencing! 

Our little girl at 17 weeks!

The First 20 Weeks

My husband and I were only married for 9 months when we found out we were expecting. Not long enough for him to discover every detail about me (I'm talking bodily functions).  Fortunately (and don't hate me for this) I had absolutely no morning sickness. I have not thrown up once because of the baby. I just couldn't keep my eyes open. The first 10-11 weeks I would wake up, eat my breakfast, grab a blanket and pillow, find my place on our couch and fall asleep for the rest of the morning/afternoon. (Thank you God for allowing me to work from home so I didn't fall asleep in an office!)

One thing I noticed fairly early on was the amount of gas coming out of me... everywhere. I had never broken wind in front of Heath (the hubs), but all of a sudden, I was a symphony of awkward noises. From the grumbling stomach, to the farts and burps, I was all sorts of sexy. (I'm not talking little burps either. I'm talking constant, Will Ferrell, "Did you hear that?" burps)

Heath got up the first few times it happened and walked as fast as possible out of the room almost in shock that those noises could come out of his wife. (He's over it now). The body noises are still happening in week 20, but not quite as much... THANK GOODNESS! 

Something else that makes me feel like a hot trophy wife are the bloody noses. Oh my gosh, I shove tissue up my nose once or twice per day now. They're not horrible nose bleeds, just annoying. However, my doctor and BabyCenter.com all say it's definitely common during pregnancy.  

Also, visiting the ladies room is much more of a chore. Apparently up to half of pregnant women experience constipation during pregnancy... I'm in that category. It can be embarrassing and awkward to talk about, but you need to do something to help yourself. AdvoCare's OmegaPlex & Probiotic Ultra Restore have worked wonders for me personally, and they're way healthier than other softeners or laxatives. I also drink 100+ ounces of water per day to "keep things moving".

Find whatever works for you, and what your doctor approves of if you experience constipation during pregnancy. 

(Always check with your doctor first!)

The last thing that I have discovered so far is that my gums are very sensitive when I brush my teeth. This only started happening in the last week or so, but when I brush my teeth, my gums bleed. It doesn't last long and doesn't hurt, it was just a big surprise. It's also not uncommon during pregnancy so don't be scared if you see it (or, if you want, call your doctor with questions). 

Y'all, I didn't write this list to scare you. You may not have any of these symptoms. I simply wanted to let pregnant women know that it's okay to have weird things happening to your body. You're creating a human being inside of you, things won't always be sunshine, rainbows and glitter! Just take care of yourself and that little miracle inside of you. 

Have you experienced any of these symptoms? If so, let me know below so I don't feel like the only one tooting and burping all over the place. :) 

This is our 1/2 way picture (obviously). She's a pretty cool kid already!
Merry Christmas Readers!

What Not to Say to Pregnant Women (Not Just Common Sense)

I have seen quite a few blogs out there of what not to say to a new mom etc. I just haven't seen one (or searched very hard) for one on what not to say to pregnant women. It seems pretty obvious, right? You would think so. I'm now 21 weeks with our first little girl and my hormones are literally out of control... sometimes. You know how it goes. Through the past few months there have been a few things I've encountered that no one should ever say to a pregnant woman. Maybe it's common sense, maybe it's just my hormones, but if your friend/sister/wife/aunt/niece's hormones are as nutso as mine, keep these things in mind. (I wrote mine in order of least annoying to the most annoying... in my case.)

Do not:

4.  Offer advice unless it's requested. I haven't received this as often as I thought I would (thank you everyone I've come in contact with). Chances are your pregnant friend is already receiving a ridiculous amount of advice from everyone who knows someone who has had a child. If the mommy & daddy-to-be want your advice on something... don't worry... they'll ask! (once again, thank you family & friends from refraining thus-far).


3. Never say "I told you so". At our gender reveal party, my husband and I were certain we were having a boy. However, pink balloons came out of the big box! Luckily, my friends hosting the party told everyone to stay away from saying "I told you so" as it might unleash a Godzilla-sized amount of hormones I like to call "Pregzilla". (Hey, at least I'm honest that I'm not sane while pregnant). Telling anyone "I told you so" about anything is generally not a good idea, but add in someone who knows they have to gain weight and grow a human over the next 9 months... that's an EXTRA bad idea.

2. Don't even consider saying "I was never that big. Even when I was ___ weeks along". You would think no person who has experienced pregnancy would say this, but it has happened to me... and I'm measuring small. That's like saying "Your kid is 6? Wow! My kid isn't that fat and she's 12!" Maybe not the exact same, but you get the point.

1. Drum roll please... my least favorite of all... "Just Wait". I've heard this one a TON. It's not that it's rude or offensive, but the phrase "just wait" makes my hormonal self feel like what I'm going through is nothing, it's not exciting and that there are better things to come. It makes it seem like you know everything (although you do not intend it to come across as such) and that where I'm at is invalid. I want to experience every little thing about my pregnancy and yes, I'm looking forward to the future with our little girl, but we're not there yet... so chill.

So what can you say to your pregnant friend/sister/aunt/niece/whomever? Anything nice that you can think of! Compliments are appreciated, saying how awesome we look, how much you love our name selections... humor us and suck up to us for 9 months :)

What have you heard while you've been on your 9 month journey?

***This article was NOT directed at anyone. So please, friends & family, do NOT think I wrote this because of you, and do not be offended. It's supposed to be humorous to pregnant women. To help them feel support and like they're not alone.***

Our awesome friend, Brandy Rupert, set up a photo booth at our gender reveal party!
Thanks to everyone who planned it and kept the gender a secret so well! Thanks to the family who drove
to the party as well. We appreciated having everyone there.