Observations on Pregnancy (Part 1)

So, obviously I have been remiss in updating my blog.  Sorry about that.  I have been intending to write for several weeks now but between illness and exhaustion it just hasn't happened.  That being said...let me get on with the post.  I have been composing this post in my head for several days so I hope I can remember everything I wanted to write.

There have been several things I have noticed since I found out I was pregnant that I have found interesting.  Some of it has to do with the changes in my own body while some has to do with the changes in behavior of those around me.  Right off the bat, I noticed that as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I felt pregnant.  Prior to that, I just felt weird.  I was tired and slightly queasy all the time but it wasn't anything that couldn't have been explained away for various reason.  However, that first + sign changed everything.  Suddenly there was an explanation for why my coffee tasted weird and why I could compete with a drug sniffing dog for his job.  But then there have been several other aspects of being pregnant that I didn't expect.

Skin: I had heard that the hormones associated with pregnancy would effect your skin but boy, this one really is messing with me.  I have always had skin that was more on the oily side.  Not super oily but enough so that I need oil control makeup.  Until I got pregnant.  My face started to seem drier although not truly dry.  I guess more what you would call normal.  The products I was using before I got pregnant were suddenly too strong and I had to find something that would work better with my changing skin.  I am still searching for what I think might be the right product but I can tell you I have used about 3 different cleansers and 4 different foundations. It has actually been rather frustrating.  But I am not having serious breakouts.  For that, I am grateful and I realize it could be much worse.

Hair and Nails: Those lovely horse pills I take daily know as prenatal vitamins definitely have a visible side effect.  My hair and nails are growing like weeds.  I went in for a hair cut about a month ago and I am already at the point where my hair is uncooperative and driving me crazy.  I definitely think a trip to the salon this weekend is necessary.  I probably trim my nails every week or so in order to not claw my eyes out when I take out my contacts.  I am still waiting for the luxurious pregnant hair I am supposed to have.  I think I am missing that aspect of this experience.

Maternity clothes: Apparently I am one of those lucky people who has no where internally for the baby to go but out.  I have been wearing maternity pants since the weekend after I found out (around 7 weeks) because nothing fit comfortably around my waist anymore.  Two weeks later, I had enough of a belly that I needed longer shirts so back to the store it was.  Now, I don't mind the clothes that much.  They are actually quite comfortable but I want to beat the designers who use ugly, cheap fabrics and don't think short women get pregnant.  It is hard to find things that are cute and not plain and even harder to find pants short enough to fit without being rolled up a mile.  I know I could get them altered but when you only have a couple pairs of pants that fit, it is hard to part with them for more than a couple of days.

Illness: By illness, I mean all aspects of illness associated with pregnancy.  I am one of the lucky ones who didn't have to deal with a lot of morning sickness.  A couple of weeks towards the end of the 1st trimester were really bad but beyond that it wasn't terrible.  My bigger issue as been heartburn and the reflux that goes along with it.  Some days it doesn't matter what I eat or drink, I am going to have heartburn.  And for someone who has never had it before, it sucks!  There are certain things I still can't eat because they will make me violently ill but I have learned that proper snacking is the key to controlling a lot of the upset tummy. The other illness aspect has been that fact that getting sick seems to be amplified when pregnant.  I had a sinus infection a couple of weeks ago that literally knocked me on my butt.  I felt like I had been run over by a truck and ended up out of work for three days because of it.  Immediately after getting off antibiotics for the infection, I was on preventative tamiflu as a result of Kiddo's bout with the flu.  By the end of February, I felt like a walking pharmacy.   We all still seem to fighting the sinus crud (even Mav) which has kept us out of commission for a good month now but hopefully, that will all clear up soon.