Dress: H&M ($15! Non-maternity) || Baby Top: MudPie
As women, we see bodily changes our whole lives. We see our first major change during being puberty and then the opposite at menopause… But what about pregnancy? Obviously we grow this tiny human inside of us, but what about all of the other crazy bodily changes we experience during that time?
Leave it to Miss tell-it-like-it-really-is over here to shed some light on the subject. If you’ve been listening to our podcast, Hello Bump, then you already know way too much about my body. You probably feel like we’re close, personal friends because of all you know about me at this point, lol!
I’ve really missed my Girl Talk Tuesday series and have been wanting to pick it back up for a while. I hopped on Instagram Stories today and asked if I should bring GTT back and 90% of you were a yes… So, here we go! I thought today’s topic would be a great way to fire it up again. Whether you already have babies, are currently expecting or want to have one someday, this post will have something that you can probably relate to.
The Truth About Your Body Changes During Pregnancy:
- Skin stretches, big time. Us girls are basically Stretch Armstrong. It’s amazing what our bodies can do. Our skin stretches beyond anything you think possible and it really doesn’t get enough credit for the hard work it’s doing. Knock on wood, I haven’t seen any stretch marks yet, but I’m super diligent about using my in-shower body lotion. I’m also pretty good about applying Bio-Oil or Honest Belly Balm daily. If I get a few stretch marks, it’s (obviously) not the end of the world or anything, but I am trying to prevent it. See more of my pregnancy favorites in this video.
- Boobs drastically change. I expected my breasts to get larger and more tender, but it’s so much more than that. Listen, I’m not complaining about a larger cup size, lol! What I didn’t realize is how vein-y and heavy they would become. I have more veins in my breasts than I ever knew possible. They’re so heavy that they just lay on my stomach. The biggest problem is bras are just so uncomfortable right now. Leave a comment below if you want me to do an updated undies and bra post for pregnancy.
- Nipples change too. Your nipples get larger and darker whether you like it or not. I’ve read it’s to allow your newborn to easily find your nipple to nurse, since their vision isn’t clear after birth. I think it’s incredible how God took care of little details like your nipple color to help with nursing.
- Leg cramps. “Cramps” doesn’t seem like a big enough word to describe the pain those stupid Charlie Horses cause. I’ve had leg cramps once a week for multiple weeks in a row and they always wake me up at 5:30am. The things I’ve found that help prevent the cramps (and they’re also not as bad lately) are doing calf stretches right before bed and taking Natural Calm with Calcium. My dr. was the one to suggest magnesium and calcium at bedtime and it seems to be helping. The nights that I get the cramps, I find that I’ve usually forgotten to do one of my two bedtime rituals.
- Pimples. I’ve heard about “the glow” forever… I personally don’t feel like I have a glow at all. Instead, I have zits all over my chin. My esthetician says that my pimples are under the skin and hormonal, so not much we can do for them without opening up my skin.
- Body acne. I’ve been lucky to not have a back acne flare-up with pregnancy like I’ve read about. But the weirdest thing I’ve noticed is that I have pimples for the first time ever under my breasts. I’m sure it has everything to do with their weight, but it wasn’t something I ever expected to experience.
- Pelvic and leg pain. I constantly have inner thigh pain. I’ve been told it’s because I’m carrying all of my weight in my belly and it’s putting extra pressure on my legs, especially my thighs. My chiropractor also said my belly is causing me to take shorter strides, which is also causing the pain.
- Back aches. This is because of the extra weight plus the fact that you should sleep in only one position: on your left side. In my case, it’s not just low back pain, it’s different areas of my back at different times.
- Discharge. TMI? Of course it’s TMI. The truth is, discharge is a big part of pregnancy that no one warned me about. In my case, I have a lot more than pre-pregnancy, and based on what I’ve read, that’s the general consensus.
- Swelling. I started noticing swelling in my feet around the 24 week mark. It’s not enough swelling that anyone other than me or Matt would notice. It only happens after a long day of standing, but I think it’s my body’s way of telling me to take breaks more often. I also noticed that I only get swelling in one foot at a time and it usually happens after a leg cramp episode.
- Hair. I’ve always heard that you don’t shed your hair like normal while pregnant. This hasn’t been the case for me whatsoever. My shedding has stayed the same and I haven’t noticed a difference. Nioxin has helped keep the thinning areas around my face fuller and my breakage/flyaways tamed, but overall, the shedding is the same.
Yupp, i can relate to almost all of these lol I don’t have any leg cramps but the restless legs at night is the worst. I’ve grown up with restless leg syndrome. This pregnancy has made it unbearable at night. I started taking magnesium every night before bed and it’s working great. Now if I could just get my bladder under control and not get up 3 times to pee, I might actually get a full nights sleep lol and the boob veins. So true. This is my 3rd and with the other 2, I had a giant one in the same place both times. My husbands first thought when I got pregnant…oh man here comes the boob vein lol oh the joys of body changes.