15 Things I didn't know about pregnancy

Pregnancy has been a fascinating ride and I can't believe I'm already well into my third trimester! I was lying in bed one night when I realized that I have less than 6 weekends left alone with my Pooki before life takes a sharp turn. That's so soon that I can almost count it on the fingers of one hand! So before I lose any more of my memory, here's my candid, bare-all, not-for-the-squeamish, brief list of surprises I encountered in pregnancy thus far.

1. My (liberal) doctor lets me eat pretty much anything, including sushi.  
2. The kicking sometimes feels so low in my uterus that I think her leg is going to shoot out of my cervix.
3. How weird (but cool!) it is to see my belly moving with each somersault, jab, and kick.
4. "Sucking in" while trying to squeeze through a narrow space does squat.
5. Baby's hiccups are the repetitive movements that feel like a heartbeat.
   
6. The frequency of bloody gums and boogers.
7. Hair not shedding much (but I hear it'll make up for lost time post-baby).
8. Lower back cracks just from shifting my weight.
9. Tailbone pain.
10. Drooling during some nights.
11. Vivid and intense dreams of terrible happenings.
12. Internal organs feel squished up high and very uncomfortable. Where can/do they relocate to?
13. Belly button shrinkage, or at least it looks like it with the belly expanding.
14. Constipation (I've shed a few tears in the bathroom) and hemorrhoids. Bowel movements will no longer be taken for granted.
15. Sneezing and peeing are not always mutually exclusive.

Note: All pregnancies are different so, as a reminder, this list is particular to my experience. Yours and/or other hearsay may differ.


For a BONUS: What in the world is the clicking noise from inside my belly??? My Mama Bear fright immediately thought it was her little bones breaking from moving so much, but that doesn't make too much sense.


Oh, and I'm probably the only pregnant woman who doesn't particularly like pickles. Ice cream on the other hand...