things they don’t tell you about pregnancy
I should really be writing my Christology midterm.
Instead I bring you a list of things they never tell you about pregnancy.
1) You are actually two more weeks pregnant than your “weeks pregnant.” So get this. The40 weeks of pregnancy are calculated not from the date of conception but from TWO WEEKS BEFORE. I was technically in week one of my pregnancy even before I ovulated. I’m not sure why you get two bonus weeks (you start counting from your last menstrual period) but there it is.
2) If this is your first pregnancy, chances are good you won’t actually look pregnant until after 4 months. I’m 4 months next week and don’t look even close to what I thought pregnant women looked like at 4 months. Maybe a little on the chubby side but I don’t anticipate the dreaded maternity clothes for another month.
3) There is so much more that you aren’t supposed to consume besides the stuff you know about (and which I long for every day as I long for the Messiah) like coffee and alcohol. Also on various lists I’ve come across: bacon, cold cuts, salami, ham, unpasteurized anything, seared fish, raw eggs (no cookie batter?!), Caesar salad, swordfish, green tea and lots of other teas and herbs that cause you to go into labor.
4 ) A really depressing one. While everyone is different, in the first trimester you really shouldn’t gain any weight (I gained 5 lbs between week 1 and week 13) because you don’t need to be eating any more than usual (the baby is the size of a kidney bean). In your second trimester you only need to eat 300 extra calories in order to help the baby grow. This roughly a HALF A TURKEY SANDWICH. That’s it! In your third trimester you only get to eat an extra 600 calories, one sandwich. So much for eating for two.
I feel like I was supposed to receive some pregnant woman confidentiality agreement in the mail saying I will never tell the secrets of childbearing. Seriously, am I the only one who had no idea about these things?
Above is a picture of what baby Flo-Bix generally looks like today, weighing in at roughly the size of an apple.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: pregnancy
The starting your pregnancy 2 weeks before conception thing started about 150 years ago when some German obstetrician decreed (with no evidence, btw), that since the female menstrual cycle lasted 4 weeks or 1 lunar cycle, then pregnancy lasts 40 weeks or 10 lunar cycles. But most don’t make it 40 weeks post-conception (which would be 42 weeks of pregnancy, by modern counting), so they kicked back the “start date” two weeks, so that it would fit this handy-dandy “40 weeks” concept. Also, most women wouldn’t know when they conceived (might not have understood the concept of ovulation mid-cycle, and thought it was earlier or later), but they would probably remember the last time they started their periods. Only problem is, it doesn’t really work that way, because the “term” window is from 37-42 weeks of pregnancy (35-40 weeks post-conception). I think that only about 5% of babies are actually born on their due dates. According to one study, most white first-time moms go into labor naturally at 41 weeks 1 day. I’d suggest picking a date a couple of weeks after your due date as the one to focus on, because it can get **very** frustrating watching your “due date” come and go with no baby.
Kathy
womantowomancbe.wordpress.com
My (also pregnant) sister told me that she’s nost supposed to drink raspberry herbal tea, cause it can induce labor. I give up on following the Pregnancy News Center’s daily announcement of what’s not to eat.
“It’s a wonder ANY babies managed to be born before MODERN SCIENCE arrived to help us out!”
Hihi, i know exactly how you feel and I am sending yu biiig cuddle. Well, as for your 4th point: The BABY may only be bean sized, but all “systems” around it are NOT. Your breasts wil change, the placenta and the uterus grow, you have more blood to appropriately care for the baby. So do not worry if it is a little more! For my first pregnancy I gained about 20 Kilograms (should be 45 pounds) and they were gone 3 month after giving birth… Well and with point 1), I always imagine that my body is making up the “new nest” for the baby, and thats so important.
What I did not know about pregnancy is, that in the last weeks you will not be all happy and powerful to wheeze around and be making everything nice, all I am doing right now (week 37 of 40) is kind of lay in bed and hardly get the caring for my “big one” and the household done; and I was a full-time-working-mom so far…
I wish you just the best.
Caroline
P.S: Kathys tip is REALLY good!
I also found it extremely amusing..and somewhat disturbing..that the baby’s relative size was constantly compared to food. Strangely, it is a very useful way of thinking about how big your little one is!
The food restrictions do get to be a bit much, don’t they? If you decide to breastfeed they will continue somewhat.
Melissa, I’ve been meaning to congratulate you on your news since your original announcement on your last blog. All three of us Swansons are very excited for you (even though Clara doesn’t know you, she loves hearing about new babies!) My sister Lindsey, who was a year or two behind you, is due with her first in early August (I could tell you the exact date, but why focus on an artificial due date?)
As to weird pregnancy prohibitions, though I was mostly a vegetarian prior to pregnancy I randomly started craving Italian subs, and enjoyed two of them before learning of the “no lunch meat” rule!
On a final note, in my experience, the nursing restrictions are much less strict. Now they say a little alcohol, a little caffeine is fine when nursing.
I think I kind of stayed one step ahead of the surprises by devouring pregnancy books, articles, etc. But no, before then I had no idea about some of those things. For me the surprises came postpartum! I was not expecting to be in bed for a week. And after your second baby, that first-pregnancy-4th month-belly doesn’t seem to go away
I guess maybe it would if I actually did some sit ups or something.
But hey, if you’re hungry, your body needs food so quit counting calories and just eat!
Just to clarify on Ben’s comment - a raspberry flavored tea is probably fine, the one to watch out for is red raspberry LEAF tea. That’s a strong herb that can make your uterus contract.
Caren - Thanks for the congrats. I probably am not as careful as I *should* be, especially on the no bacon thing (no bacon! I said!).
Lisa - No worries on the calorie counting! I’m just amazed by how little it takes to grow this little being.
Ben and Lisa - A book we have says its actually good to drink 2-4 cups of red ras leaf tea in the 2nd and 3rd trimester because it strengthens and tones the uterus and makes it easier for natural childbirth. He was cautious about medicinal amounts, like in capsule form. Apparently (or so he says) the tea isn’t strong enough to cause contractions.
melissa, my mom told me to try raspberry leaf tea to send me into labor. i had tried just about everything else, so i thought it couldn’t hurt. i drank three cups of it and my contractions started four hours later. (i was also 11 days overdue!)
Here’s what’s in my book and and ton of other websites:
“There is agreement among many clinicians that in the 3rd trimester frequent (2- 3 cups per day of tea or 1 - 2 cups per day of infusion) is beneficial to the uterine and pelvic muscles. Red Raspberry Leaf contains many minerals and vitamins, including vitamin C and calcium. It also contains an alkaloid called fragrine, which lends tone to the uterus.
The more radical stance is that drinking one cup of tea per day in the 1st trimester and 2 cups in the 2nd trimester and switching to the infusion in the 3rd trimester ensures a strong uterus, is good for you nutritionally and prevents miscarriage. Some say it is advised to not use it in the first trimester, particularly if you have a history of miscarriage.”
I thought of another one today that did catch me off guard - tuna limits! No more than so many ounces per week! One could go crazy trying to adhere to all the supposed regulations.
hey lady. i read this and it reminded me of an article i read. you should read it. and remember to relax. did you know in France (and lots of other places) they are “allowed” to drink a glass of alcohol a day while prego? because there is no real evidence that a little bit of alcohol actually damages babies, other than tests done with actual chronic alcoholics who drink WAY TOO MUCH. anyway, here is the link: http://www.babble.com/content/articles/features/dispatches/williamson/Six-Biggest-Pregnancy-Myths/