Most women don’t "feel" pregnant the second they get a positive reading on a pregnancy test. In fact, even for women who are feeling nauseous as all get-out the first trimester, that "Oh my God, I’m really pregnant" feeling doesn’t hit until sometime in the second trimester. (Maybe because they’re concentrating so hard on trying to keep their food down.) When that feeling does hit it though, it’s kind of a trip.
From realizing you can’t sleep on your belly anymore (sob!) to discovering you can no longer see your kneecaps (yikes!), here are nine moments pregnancy gets real. There’s a surprise around every corner!
1. When your family and friends start noticing how "big" you are.
There comes a point when you really "pop" and get bigger, and the people in your life actually take notice of your growing belly. And chances are good they'll comment on it too, sometimes saying inappropriate things like, "Wow! You look like you're due any day now!" when you're only six-months pregnant.
Good times. And definitely a moment when you’ll feel super pregnant.
2. When you have a visceral reaction at the sight of a tiny onesie or a super small diaper.
Because your due date is so far off in the beginning, it’s hard to feel a little something extra at the sight of anything newborn-related early on in pregnancy. But later on, things change and your entire being will simultaneously smile and want to cry at the site of itty-bitty baby socks. Yep. It’s on.
3. When you tell people your news.
Most people don’t let the pregnancy cat out of the bag until the second trimester, so things don’t always seem “real” during those first 13 weeks. On the other hand though, once you tell your friends and family, everything suddenly feels super real.
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4. When you buy your first maternity outfit.
Many women go on wearing their usual clothes — maybe with some adjustments — during their first trimester. And if said women are feeling okay, well, they probably forget they’re pregnant on occasion!
But at some stage, things just don’t fit anymore and they have to hit the maternity store or aisle — and for a lot of mamas-to-be, that’s when it really sinks in.
5. When you can’t sleep on your tummy anymore.
For stomach-sleepers, this is a biggie and a huge adjustment. Just when you were starting to get your energy back and feel like yourself again, boom! Pregnancy hits you with another whammy and your favorite sleeping position gets the boot, at least for now.
6. When shaving your legs becomes an undertaking (legs? what legs?).
It’s the little things that you don’t often think about that wind up making the biggest impression during pregnancy sometimes. Take shaving your legs, for example.
It’s a small ritual that one day becomes bizarrely difficult and awkward, in part because you can't really fully see those legs you're trying to remove hair from anymore. In case you forgot you were pregnant, this your reminder!
7. When you get winded walking up the stairs.
You’re fit. You’re healthy. You’ve never had a problem walking up the stairs before. And suddenly you're super short of breath now when you do.
What gives? Oh yeah, the growing baby in your uterus that’s slowly but surely scrunching up your organs and compressing your lungs. One of the less glamorous “this just got real” moments.
8. When a stranger or someone you don’t know well notices you're pregnant — and comments on it.
Until it’s very, very obvious that you’re pregnant, most people don’t say anything. And who can blame them? No one wants to mistakenly congratulate a woman on her "pregnancy" only to find out she’s actually not expecting. Once the world feels they have free range to comment on your baby bump, you’ll definitely feel pregnant.
9. When baby gear starts filling up your apartment or house.
You've announced your happy news to pretty much everyone in your life and you've registered. And then the flood of gifts starts arriving (often well before you've even had the baby shower if this is your first, or the baby if this is your second or third). Suddenly your house or apartment resembles a sea of baby gear, clothes, toys and blankets.
Get used to it, Mom. It's only the beginning of one of those universal maternal truths: Babies take over your life!
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