The Times They Are A Changin'

As I write this, I'm about 11 weeks pregnant, and unfortunately, this pregnancy is going nothing like my last. I think I had the world's easiest pregnancy last time - no morning sickness (only occasional queasiness), no backaches, no varicose veins, no major problems whatsoever. My only "problems" were constant heartburn and a burning pain at the top of my tummy, which I found out later was due to Alex's breech position (her feet would push into the top of my belly when I sat down). Overall, I truly enjoyed being pregnant. I loved the belly, I loved feeling Alex move, I loved knowing that I was growing a whole new person.

This time, however, everything is different. I had morning sickness practically from the day I peed on the pregnancy test (thankfully not bad enough to vomit, but bad enough to make the couch my best friend) until about a week ago, I've hardly had any heartburn (which is certainly okay with me), my boobs are so sore they feel like they weigh 800 pounds, and I'm tired ALL the time. Now, the fatigue and the sore boobs I had with Alex as well (as the doctor said, nobody escapes the tireds), but I'm almost positive they didn't last this long. Granted, I expected to be more tired this time around since I have a toddler to run after, but I guess I thought I'd be on the mend by now. Luckily the morning sickness seems to have faded away, so now the rest of it needs to fade away as well.

On the whole, pregnancy is a rather bizarre phenomenon, at least for me. Things happen to me and to my body during pregnancy that never happen when I'm not pregnant. For example, one of the main indicators that I was pregnant with Alex (before I tested, of course), was heartburn. Until I got pregnant, I'd never had heartburn, and after I had Alex, I never had it again until I got pregnant this time. I am also prone to nosebleeds during pregnancy, another phenomenon I've never experienced outside of pregnancy. Apparently my body just needs to bleed, and since I won't be getting a period for a while, I guess blood gushing from my nose is the next best thing. My sense of smell is also comparable to that of my dogs, which is apparently quite normal. This superhuman sense of smell was part of the reason I didn't much enjoy my recent trip to New York, where the city smells so bad people burn incense in the streets. When I was pregnant with Alex, I was rather warmish all the time (which only got worse after she was born), but with this pregnancy, I've been freezing since day one. My little Leo (baby's nickname based on his/her probable zodiac sign) has decided to steal all my body heat, and there's none left over for me. In addition to wearing about three layers, fuzzy socks plus slippers, and a blanket (I'm seriously considering investing in a Snuggie, a device I've always considered ludicrous), I've also had to turn up the thermostat, somedays as high as 70 just to keep from shivering. I'm not sure what's worse: freezing all the time or sweating all the time. I used to think that being cold was preferable, since I could always put more clothes on, but given that no matter how many layers I wear I'm still cold, I'm not so sure anymore (of course, the below-zero temperatures certainly don't help).

There are all sorts of strange things that happen to women during pregnancy that nobody tells us about. Hair becomes thicker and fuller, body hair either grows faster or slower, skin dries out or becomes uber-oily or acne comes back with a vengance, certain body parts darken while others lighten, varicose veins and stretchmarks threaten our appearance; all this at the same time that we're dealing with "normal" pregnancy symptoms.

I shouldn't complain, though. I feel very fortunate to be going through pregnancy now as opposed to, say, during the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder (or worse, even further back). I can find out I'm pregnant as early as 10 days after ovulation, I can take over-the-counter or prescription drugs for morning sickness, I can see the baby via ultrasound (and even find out its gender), and I can get an epidural (aka: a lifesaver) during labor. I don't have to worry about injecting my urine into a rabbit to find out if I'm pregnant (which I really hope it just an old wives' tale), or or chewing on raw ginger root to calm the queasies, or overdosing on laudanum during labor. I doubt pregnancy has ever been comfortable, but it's undoubtedly more comfortable now than ever before. Knowing that, I'm off to try to enjoy mine by taking a nap.