28 Weeks: Hello Third Trimester! Reflections on things I wish people told me about being pregnant.

On Sunday we hit 28 weeks and I cannot be more trilled! It's another milestone in our pregnancy and now I feel we are on the downhill race to meeting our little peanut!

I would like to take this moment to share with you somethings most people to do not tell you about being pregnant. I feel the need share this, because I got the usual weekly update from TheBump.com informing me that this week I should expect to see colostrum leaking from my breasts! I was not prepared to read that nor do I have nursing pads ready in case this does actually happen! So, in case you are newly pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or just plain curious let me share some things other people do not often tell you about being pregnant.

First off, from the time my pee test showed positive marks that I was pregnant, this also seemed to active my bladder. I have to pee all of the time, but especially at night. One night in particular I counted 5 times I had to get up and pee. This does not equal a lot of good quality sleep to be had. It wasn't until week 24 that I actually slept through the night without having to get up and pee. I woke up and turned to Jon and said, "A miracle has happened! I slept through the night without having to get up and pee!" This miracle lasted about three weeks and then I was woken up by heartburn and a baby moving around so much I worried that it was having a seizure, it turns out that it just had the hiccups!

While I am talking about bathroom things, no one told me that being pregnant would sometimes cause the worst constipation you will ever have. The problem is unlike none pregnant constipation where you may not have the urge to go and feel all bloated and uncomfortable; Pregnant constipation must be a preparation for child birth, because you have the immediate urge to go, but you are quickly met with the most uncomfortable, unmovable, and often very large poops! This recently happened while we were at my in-laws house. I had to find Jon to ask him for help locating the plunger. He found it and helped unclog the toilet for me. Later he commented on the size of what was blocking the toilet, I was proud that he took such notice and care for me!

I guess there is one more thing that happens in the bathroom while you are pregnant and that is the morning sickness. For me it was at night and in the morning, but not everyday. The first time I got sick, it was because Jon was making breakfast for me. I usually cook the sausage patties in the microwave and he elected to cook them on the stove. The kitchen smelled of grease, which filled the air in our house, need less to say, my breakfast didn't stay down to long. What people do not tell you is 'morning sickness' can happen anytime! One night we turned off the lights and went to bed. Jon started snuggle into me. I had been trying to fight off the nausea for awhile and as he came into kiss me I yelled, "I think I'm going to throw up!" I quickly got up to ran to the toilet. I came back to bed after cleaning myself up and Jon asked if I was okay and then asked sweetly, if the thought of kissing him makes me want to vomit?! "No, Babe, it's just what happens while you're pregnant apparently!"

The last thing I will talk about is the weight gain. I have struggled with my weight most of my life. I have hypothyroidism, which I diagnosed with when I was a senior in high school. From my freshman year of high school to my senior year of high school I gained over 100 pounds. Yes, I can contribute some of this to unhealthy eating and lack of exercise, but my thyroid was also not working, which meant that my metabolism was not working, my periods were never really got going, I was depressed, and more sensitive to temperature changes, etc. So, since that time in my life I have tried to watch what I eat, exercise, and stay at a healthy weight. This has fluctuated over the years, but while you are pregnant you are inevitability going to gain weight and you should reconcile the differences in how you look at your weight as soon as possible. I will say this is harder said then done. I have gone into my monthly midwife appointments cringing as I step on the scale. The last three appointments I have gained 10 pounds per month, I asked my midwifes at last months appointment if this was normal for my height. They said, I shouldn't be too worried, and that they don't know what is normal pregnancy weight gain is for me yet. Last week I went in for my monthly checkup and got on the scale, this month I gained 12 pounds, I felt defeated, because I am inching closer and closer to where I was in my senior year of high school, before I was put on thyroid medication, my heaviest weight ever. I know I am pregnant and I will lose it after I have the baby, but it is hard knowing I still have three more months of weight gain. The books I have read say I am probably going to gain pound a week from here on out, I am hoping that is all I will put on! I feel heavy, I feel slowed down, and tonight I had to ask Jon for help with putting on my socks, because it's uncomfortable to bend over and do it myself! He was happy to help and was excited I was asking for his assistance. I am grateful for him and his encouragement. The midwives had me take a glucose test last week and are going to check my thyroid levels this week. The glucose test came back with great results, so good news there, no gestational diabetes! For, now I am trying to enjoy my baby belly, bigger breasts, and the help offered to me!