So, you’re pregnant. Welcome to the club. We wish you could tell you the next nine months will be easy — and for some women, it is — but for most of us, being pregnant is an adventure: one that has you feeling gorgeous and glowing one moment, and hugging the toilet the next. Aside from your belly getting bigger, many other changes to your body take place in the first part of pregnancy, just as you settle into the idea that you’re actually pregnant and this is actually happening. Here are a few things to expect:
Mood swings
One moment you’re upset, the next you’re fine. ‘Am I going completely nuts?’ you ask yourself. No. Your hormones, the ones that are needed to support your growing baby, are sending your mood on a rollercoaster. It’s not you, it’s them. Always keep that thought in the back of your mind when little things start niggling at you and nothing your partner can say makes any difference (aside from making you more annoyed…).
Heightened sense of smell
That aftershave your partner wears all the time? Yep, now you’re repulsed by it. Fresh flowers? No, thank you. You’re basically going to have to re-learn the smells you like and don’t like, as though your nose has been replaced by somebody else’s throughout your pregnancy. Thankfully, after you give birth, your sense of smell goes back to normal and your partner can start wearing aftershave again. Pro tip? Scent-free skincare.
Tiredness
If anything is an excuse to nap, the ‘I’m growing a baby’ one is pretty solid. Believe us when we say that baby is going to sap at your energy reserves, so rest up whenever you have the chance.
Peeing all the time
Prepare to learn your local loo stops because being pregnant means peeing, pretty often. The truth is, even when baby is pretty small, they’re still pressing right against your bladder and this only increases as they grow bigger. Don’t let this put you off drinking water; remember to always stay hydrated.
Weight gain
Right, we know this is an obvious one. By the end of your pregnancy, you’ll be carrying a baby that weighs roughly 6lb. Just be aware that your body will put on weight that stores as fat too in prep for producing breast milk. You’re not expected to “eat for two” (as much as we wish that were true!), just a little more than your regular balanced diet.
