I am learning so much!

1. The reason so many newly preggos "disappear" for a while is b/c they feel like dirt! Morning sickness my a$. It is all day teetering-on-the edge sickness. Bleh.

2. That there are those out there that really begrudge your pregnancy. This one surprises me b/c during my own TTC journey only 2 people, IRL and online, ever "bothered" me when they got a BFP. But I got over it pretty quick. Some people really don't let it go at all. I mean really, what the dealio is up with that!?

3. That I am the most lazy, ill prepared long time TTCer. I have no doctor, no idea if I will do homebirth or hospital, and no nursery list. I have read zero parenting books and I only read the week I am on in my pregnancy books. I just don't see what the big deal is, but I feel very out of place in JM where the uber prepared live!

4. That your brain really does have difficulty remembering things. Like if you already asked someone a question. Or dates and deadlines. Or if you took a shower any given day.

5. That irritability often comes with the territory! I find myself rolling my eyes at someone else's whining, while simultaneously whining about something myself

6. That eggnog REALLY needs to be sold all year round. This is killing me b/c I have an extreme eggnog craving!

7. That most people love hearing news about a new pregnancy, and are super awesome and supportive.

8. That your husband can always touch/grope/fondle you way more then you ever thought he could. The preggo boobs are like beacons.

9. That it is not a good idea to watch any kind of news. Seriously.

10. That pregnancy makes you hella sexy!! Which relates to #8


Add them if you've got them!

[Resi]

I like your list. I don't have anything to add on it but your not suppose to drink eggnog while pregnant. I can't recall why. I hope I didn't just ruin your pregnancy craving! B)

[IamMom]

Michelle - awesome list. Just wait for the months to come -pregnancy will teach you many many more things....like:

11. Wiping your a** without a lot of work and positioning is a priviledge and should not be taken for granted (HE HE HE)

12. Do not take it personally when someone comments on the fact that you are walking like a duck/penguin/stick up your a**/etc. etc. You really are and its perfectly okay! This is one of those late pregnancy joys!

This was the one I found especially aggravating. Oh and don't worry about number 3 - I didn't read much beyond the "what to expect" book and I just talked to other BTDT moms and learned what I could from them. I was not uber prepared and I have a well behaved and healthy 2 1/2 year old who loves his mommy all the same! I have learned so much from the JM mommies but sometimes I just don't have the time or energy to do it all and research it all, and I think my son will be just as healthy and happy in life.

For instance, I just learned that the bottles I used for him technically are not BPA free (although in 2006 no one knew of this BPA monster) and I started freaking out - but then I read that there is no proof that the levels of anything in those bottles will ever harm him so I'm fine with it and will probably use those bottles again. Look at what our moms did to us and we're still here - for goodness sake my mom smoked cigarettes when she was preggo with me and my sister......so just try to relax a bit and enjoy being pregnant. It's important to read up on things that are important to you and learn what you can but don't let it consume you!

[ShannonMVT]

Hehe, my hubby gropes me all the time now. I think it's partly related to pelvic rest though. But also partly the boobs.

As for #3, you know (and this may not be your case at all, not trying to project this onto you) but I have heard it commented before that sometimes those who take a long time to get preggo then can be kinda uninformed about it when they finally do. Like before they got preggo they could never let themselves read the parenting books or think about all that stuff. Anyway, I haven't even pulled "what to expect" off my shelf but I think that's because I already know all that common stuff about what not to eat, blah blah. I just read about baby's development each week like you.

[Garfieldbear]

Just today, I felt very unprepared for parenting...sure, I feel alright with pregnancy.....I have read a million pregnancy books by now....but I feel like I know very little about parenting. Today, I started stressing out over strollers....I mean, I just don't understand what I am supposed to get, there are millions of varieties and I read that the "average" woman has 3 of them.....I am only now learning a bit about breastfeeding, and have no idea what my day-to-day life will look like once a parent. It's difficult to visualize yourself being a parent, no matter how many books you read, until you become one....

[~Jess~]

I never hae to be preggo again!

[ShannonMVT]

I never hae to be preggo again! [/b]

I thought you were having 4 kids???

[Mars]

LOL Michelle! Great list!

I didn't have a doc, etc wither when I found out I was pregnant. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to explore the option of a waterbirth.

What have I learnt???

- Sleep deprivation starts way before the baby is born. It even starts before the 3rd trimester when you're huge and uncomfortable.

- Before you've even had your first child, people start asking you about having another. Like, hello, let me push out this one first and see how it goes...kapish?!?!?!?!!!

- Men (not including your husband) have a lot of advice to on how many children you have and the type of birth you should have. Yeh...how many children have you pushed out????

- I hate the phrase "one child is no child." May just be a Barbadian thing but WT#!@# is it then, an abject, alien??

- I don't get annoyed when persons touch my bump. Most people that touch it I know and surprisingly, the people here generally ask first. (Personal)

I'm sure I could find more but I have to leave now or I'll be late for training.

You become protective and over-careful about things like driving your car, crossing the road... as soon as you know there's a bean inside you!

You just burst with smiles, tears, pride and joy everytime you think of your little person inside your tumtum

I like your list. I don't have anything to add on it but your not suppose to drink eggnog while pregnant. I can't recall why. I hope I didn't just ruin your pregnancy craving! B)[/b]

Whaaa!? Can I drink it if I add soem brandy to kill any germies?

Hehe, my hubby gropes me all the time now. I think it's partly related to pelvic rest though. But also partly the boobs.

As for #3, you know (and this may not be your case at all, not trying to project this onto you) but I have heard it commented before that sometimes those who take a long time to get preggo then can be kinda uninformed about it when they finally do. Like before they got preggo they could never let themselves read the parenting books or think about all that stuff. Anyway, I haven't even pulled "what to expect" off my shelf but I think that's because I already know all that common stuff about what not to eat, blah blah. I just read about baby's development each week like you.[/b]

Glad it is not just me! That makes sense though as to why I didn't research everything to death. Why torture yourself when you aren't even sure you can have a child?

[~Jess~]

I thought you were having 4 kids???
[/b]

Not anymore! We are done done done!

[♥Ashley♥]

[ScottishBrit]

Michelle - awesome list. Just wait for the months to come -pregnancy will teach you many many more things....like:

11. Wiping your a** without a lot of work and positioning is a priviledge and should not be taken for granted (HE HE HE)

12. Do not take it personally when someone comments on the fact that you are walking like a duck/penguin/stick up your a**/etc. etc. You really are and its perfectly okay! This is one of those late pregnancy joys!

This was the one I found especially aggravating. Oh and don't worry about number 3 - I didn't read much beyond the "what to expect" book and I just talked to other BTDT moms and learned what I could from them. I was not uber prepared and I have a well behaved and healthy 2 1/2 year old who loves his mommy all the same! I have learned so much from the JM mommies but sometimes I just don't have the time or energy to do it all and research it all, and I think my son will be just as healthy and happy in life.

For instance, I just learned that the bottles I used for him technically are not BPA free (although in 2006 no one knew of this BPA monster) and I started freaking out - but then I read that there is no proof that the levels of anything in those bottles will ever harm him so I'm fine with it and will probably use those bottles again. Look at what our moms did to us and we're still here - for goodness sake my mom smoked cigarettes when she was preggo with me and my sister......so just try to relax a bit and enjoy being pregnant. It's important to read up on things that are important to you and learn what you can but don't let it consume you![/b]

OMG, I agree with number 11....i heard about it but thought it would never happen cause i wasnt that big....until about 36 weeks

[Lash]

I dont have much to add other than the fact I friggin love the fact that you even get to start this thread!!!!