I heard every pregnancy is different even for the same person. My experience was pretty similar to what my mom experienced; it was mild. I expected to hate it but didn’t. We got lucky.

My worst symptoms were insatiable hunger, fatigue (from mild anemia), congestion. I used saline nasal spray and breath right strips religiously. I got lucky and I lost facial and body hair in pregnancy; hands down best feature for me but was completely unexpected.

I was terrified of L&D but my body took over like it knew what it was doing (breathing/focusing/pushing) which surprised me; the epidural helped me stay focused. My mom talked about how focused she was for L&D so again luck.

Also early labor I didn’t know it was happening because I was sleeping. When I realized what it was it felt like period cramps or a uti early on except the waves would make me stop and it was all I could focus on. Since I was asleep for part of it my L&D was super quick (6 hours ish). Have your hospital bag ready in case your first is quick like this.

My advice is take your prenatal vitamins daily, walk/stretch daily (any amount is better than nothing), and if your mom is around, talk to her about both of your experiences. Also try to enjoy the process, congrats.

This isn’t exactly what you’re asking but the weirdest experience for me was the way I accepted childbirth like a switch flipped. I was terrified of labor. Of the pain, of the unknown. I was pregnant through the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 so Covid protocols were still a thing. I took a virtual birthing class and had to leave early each time because I was crying uncontrollably. I wanted this pregnancy and everything was planned but I was still freaking out. Until one day I wasn’t. I hit a strange point of acceptance where my body and brain was like “this is happening and no matter what it’s going to be ok”. And throughout the rest of pregnancy and all through labor and delivery I wasn’t scared.

The frequent urination as first signs, and the turning on food thing. You would think I would have noticed earlier I was pregnant, because of these signs, and the fact it was my 3rd pregnancy, (that I took to full term) but no, I didn’t notice I was pregnant with my last baby till I was nearly 3 months along. I was doing an electrotechnology course, though. That was intense! Oh the mad sleepiness!! You could just pass out anywhere, at first, you’re so dead tired. And then you get to the end and you can’t sleep, because nothing is comfortable. And you gotta get inventive!

What surprised me. With my first pregnancy, the hair that grew, a heap of body hair grew! All up my stomach. So weird. With every pregnancy I got a different craving. I wish I had researched birth a little more, for my first two pregnancies. I finally did for my third and it makes the process and the choices so much easier. Or that could have just been that I did my last pregnancy alone, without the violent abusive boyfriend, that made that last birth an absolute dream, him not beinginvolvedat all. Stress DEFINITELY effects you. I had an absolute horror birth for my middle baby, but I was terrorised by my ex, and I entirely attribute it to that.

For my second pregnancy, I wish I knew that excessive pain in joints isn’t normal and had said something to my midwife, I don’t know why I didn’t!

I had a ligament tearing pain at about 4 months odd, and I was freaking out a little, but apparently that’s common. I rushed myself to the hospital, which I still should have done, but I wish they’d just told me it could be a ligament, earlier, they just told me as I was being discharged.

I still to this day, when my youngest is 14 and my oldest is 31,I remember those first few days with them, as if it were yesterday. Actually I remember them better than yesterday. So magical.

The weird positions you need to sleep in, with some pregnancies, was trippy. I had this intricate system of pillows for my third pregnancy, to prop my top half up, but for my second I needed my legs elevated or I couldn’t sleep.

Omg. Magnesium! I had such mad muscle / leg cramps etc. I wish I had known Magnesium helps with that.

The extra volumes of blood thing surprised me, every time. It makes you feel super hot all the time. Or maybe that was just me, I run hot, anyway.

My belly button popped differently each time. I was super focused on that because I wanted to keep my belly button piercing. Which I did!

Pregnancy brain. Omfg. I went weirdly crazy about different things, each time. I refused to let anyone take my photo, for my last pregnancy. I don’t know why. It makes no sense to me now. I did a few little weird things like that. I wish I had kept a diary, I would find it hilarious, now.(laugh with myself, of course)

How receptive they are to sounds outside the womb, really surprised me. My little 3yo would talk to the baby in my stomach every day, and hug it. And then when she was born, I called my 3 yo so I could read him a story before he went to sleep, and I had him on speaker phone, and this tiny scrunchy little jellybean, froze, when she heard my 3yo speak, she froze in pure wonder and turned her eyes to the phone, these things squirm a lot ehen they’re free, this one in particular, squirmed a lot. She did not move, and she held her eyes directed towards the sound of my 3yos voice, super intently listening, it was unmistakable recognition. And the look on her tiny face, like she was star struck. She already loved her sibling.

The different shapes my belly contorted itself into, with every baby. Vastly different every time. My last baby was so different i was convinced it was a boy, but nope. Of course all the aunts and such hittingme with the old wives tales, didn’t help, lol. (My middle baby ended up being a surprise boy, after being afab, tho). My last pregnancy, biggest baby, my stomach was the hugest of the 3, but if you saw me from behind, you wouldn’t know i was pregnant, all in the front.

It’s a different ride, every time. I loved reading about each step as I got to them, for every baby.

Sorry I probably waffled a little there, and wandered off course, but I really enjoyed walking back through those memories, thanks for asking that question. If you have any questions or want someone to chat about, feel free to dm me, whenever. Pregnancy can be kinda scary, but you get to see how amazingly capable and tough you are, which you only get to see, when you go and do the big things. You got this. And it’s going to be an amazing ride.

I didn’t have any food cravings, but I had a very strong food aversion that I still have a little bit of. Not surprising, but knowing heartburn was a possibility and then having it so bad I had trouble sleeping for the last few weeks until birth was awful. I also had a bone spur grow in my foot that’s causing pain and my doctor thinks pregnancy caused it.

Watching birth stories and taking a birthing class still can’t fully prepare you for giving birth the first time but I still strongly recommend it as it was really helpful to see a wide range of experiences. The next contraction can start before the first one ends. I was having 5 min long contractions and thought I was going insane because none of the classes mentioned it as a possibility. I wish I had asked my doula to come over then instead of suffering but it’s hard to make good decisions after a certain point.

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