3 things: they don’t tell you about pregnancy

There are a few obvious things that happen when you’re pregnant – you get bigger, your hormones make you go a bit mad, you might get morning sickness, there’s foods and drinks you’ll have to give up, you might get cravings, a constant need to pee. All of these things I know and have experienced to a degree. But there are other things that they don’t tell you. It’s like all the women who have been pregnant have made a pact to not mention some of the “symptoms” of pregnancy as it might put off those who have yet to procreate. These are three of the most surprising things that have happened to me since I have been pregnant – they won’t necessarily happen to you but they are normal (apparently, according to the pregnancy books and websites I have read):

1. I feel hungover. All. The. Bloody. Time. Or nearly all the time. I have flashes of what it might be like to have the “pregnancy glow” but for 99.9% of my pregnancy I have woken to feel like I had had more than a few G&Ts, accompanied by a good few Jägerbombs and a 3am bedtime. The reality of the situation is so far removed – a 9pm bedtime with a glass of milk. So very rock and roll.
2. My nose runs all the time. I can’t leave the house without first making sure I have a lot of tissues to see me through the day! This, as well as nosebleeds, is apparently fairly common in pregnancy. Doesn’t make it any more attractive!
3. Dry skin. This isn't just any dry skin either - this is scaly, snake-like dry skin. As someone who has never suffered too much with dry skin (a little on my legs perhaps after shaving previously), this has been a revelation. I blogged before about the products I'm using but seriously, no amount of hand cream seems to be enough right now. Or lip balm!