Soooooo You’re Pregnant

Hooray! You’re having a baby. And congrats–you’re just as crazy as the rest of us. As you enter into this new universe of motherhood and pregnancy in general, your world will quite literally be flipped upside down.

Like totally upside down, thrown across the room, and hung out to dry.

But have no fear (who am I kidding, you’ll still have fear but let’s talk anyways) MGD is here to give it to you straight. Here are some answers to the top questions facing granola gals and classic southern belles.

1. Why in the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks do my nipples feel this way?

So you got in the shower and turned into the water and you thought your nipples would fall off, huh? Yup, that’s usually one of the first signs you’re pregs: nipple pain. This is just your body getting ready for the journey. This pain can be sharp, tingly, or just plain sore. Luckily, there are ways to help alleviate some of that irritation. Read more about how to combat this annoyance here.

2. Some lady at the deli told me not to raise my hands above my head and my Mom says I can’t work out any more…?!?

Now for reals, a lady saw me at the deli while I was pregnant with my first human and she proceeded to tell me not to raise my hands above my head. Uhhhhhh, huh?! So weird. And I’m pretty sure my Mama (love you Mom!) lectured me 10x a day about stopping my workout regimen. Welp New Age Mama, times they are a changin’.

It is perfectly fine to keep doing what you were doing pre-pregnancy, albeit with modifications along the way. If you did lots of yoga, keep flowin. Runner? Jog your little heart or while I am secretly jealous that you’re good at it. HITT style, boot camps, or CrossFit? Yup, that too. I did CrossFit workouts the day each of my wild ones were born. Our strong bodies can adapt to the changes of pregnancy as long as you are still being smart, communicating with your doctor, and listening to your body.

In addition to helping you feel like your old self, working out while carrying your babe has tons and tons of benefits. I really like this information from Fit Pregnancy.

3. What’s going on downstairs in my underwear?

No one actually wants to talk about discharge that stuff in your panties, but we gots to. During your pregnancy you are going to notice an increase (ewwwww!) in your….ya know. As your hormones kick it into high gear and you’ve got more blood flow to the pelvis, things are changing. This is actually a good thing. It means your body is doing the right thing and everything is working fine. And if it changes into a brownish color, that’s alright too. In fact, you’ll probably get discoloration after sex. If you start to have itchy, burning, or really weird smelling stuff, talk to your doc. And don’t be embarrassed, they’ve seen it all. So pack an extra pair of cute granny panties to change out; because if you’re like me, once those puppies are gross and…well, you get the idea. Answer over. Thank goodness.

4. I’ve got this intense under-belly pain that feels like my human is stabbing me from the inside. What’s up with that?

Round ligament pain sweetheart. As your belly grows, the ligament supporting your womb to groin is stretching and thus, straining. This pain can be sharp and jabbing. It usually occurs in the second trimester and hurts like the dickens! Think rubber band snapping. Ouch! For some natural remedies for this pesky little symptom, read Mama Natural. She’s got it goin’ on.

5. Did I suddenly revert back to my preteen skin?

Oh pregnant acne. Isn’t pregnancy just beautiful. Rubber band snapping groin pain, unsolicited advice, burning nipples, and gross underwear. And now this?!? You know how you get those stubborn break outs when you’re on your period? Think of that on steroids.

Your hormones are going coo-coo, resulting in skin changes. Now if you’re part of that weird percent that has gorgeous glowing skin when you’re pregnant, we’ll try not to be too mad at you. Otherwise, you’ll want to try and keep those breakouts at bay. Try lots and lots of water (which pretty much cures tons of stuff during pregnancy) and a consistent skincare regimen. Since you’re totally drained and exhausted from making a baby, try really hard not to skip your face washing. It only makes things worse. Those few minutes will pay off in the end. If you want natural ideas, check out Health Line.

6. Why am I so doggone tired?

I’m pretty sure fatigue from pregnancy is just a slow and painful training for those sleepless newborn nights. Your body is in complete overdrive. And although your teeny weeny babe is growing by the day, you feel like you’re fading away. Battling this fatigue is constant throughout the pregnancy (and truly motherhood in general, yippee!). Here are 5 tips that will help kick those tired days. Hang in there Mama. Pour yourself a cup of coffee–you’re allowed about 200 mg per day (about two 8oz cups).