Pregnancy and it's not so great side effects.

It's been a word that has meant many happy things. It's the start to a new family and most everyone thinks they are ready for pregnancy without really thinking about the finer details about pregnancy and parenthood.

While pregnancy can be a lot of good things, your skin glows, you get to be a mother, and many more things, there are a lot of....not so good things that go along with it too. Recently, I had a friend text me saying that her boyfriend doesn't understand her being pregnant. So, I've decided to write this hub to add a little insight on being pregnant.

As a mother, I have had experience being pregnant, but remember...all pregnancies are different. Like morning sickness. Not everyone gets morning sickness. Some expecting mothers that do get morning sickness might not get it that bad. When I got morning sickness, if you even want to call it that, I threw up all day every day starting at 6am ending at 10pm usually. Nothing in the world could stop it. There were no saltines absorbent enough and no ginger ale gingery enough. Those were the times where I laid in bed cuddling a puke bowl and thought, "what in the world did I get myself into?". This lasted for four months. "Morning sickness ends after 3 months" my behind.

Alongside the morning sickness I also had the joy of experiencing hormonal changes. To the guys that think that pregnant woman can control their hormones I give you a challenge. Tell a pregnant woman that and see how far that gets you. Let me name off a fact. Our hormones rage because we have another person inside us and our body is changing. Kind of like a period but worse. Hormonal changes affect the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain. Your neurotransmitters help control how you feel. Also, 10% of pregnant women experience depression for many reasons. So men, women, people having to deal with pregnant women, cut her some slack. Blame the hormones. It's not her fault.

During the second trimester I really started craving things. I just want to make this point while I have everyone's attention, if a pregnant women wants a certain food, if she doesn't get it it IS the end of the world to her. Being pregnant with cravings that can't be fulfilled is most definitely not fun. It ended up making me very panicky and in the end very grumpy. Add that to the hormonal mood swings and depression and you have a ticking time bomb of pregnancy rage. Which is just bad for you. We can't help it. We try our best to stay happy and in my case, I didn't want to bother anyone or make anyone go out of their way. I just couldn't help it.

Getting fat. There is no easy way to go about this subject. Just a tip for the guys, don't mention it to her during the hormonal changes...some women are very touchy on that subject even when there is a reason for it! Before I was pregnant, I could easily maneuver in between objects and through rooms. During pregnancy, I knocked everything over. I couldn't fit in between chairs at restaurants. Everyone moved out of my way when I walked. I felt huge. I know there IS a reason for it, being a baby was growing inside of me, but still. Not being able to fit in places I used to sucked. However, having a portable table where ever you sat was pretty convenient.

Then came the third trimester. That was probably the best and the worst of time. I found out I was having a girl and she began to kick. I was almost done being pregnant (which ended up being such a bittersweet moment)! But the third trimester was definitely not any easier than the first or second! Just walking up a flight of stairs made me tired. I had to stop in the middle of walking up the stairs for a break. I even started making a blueprint to add in an elevator to my house. I got unexplainable heartburn which hurts. I never had heartburn before and I never want it again, thank you. Also, the frequent urination. I would go to the bathroom and walk back to my room and have to go again! I'm pretty sure I decked my bathroom out with it's own TV and laptop. I turned the bathtub into a bed since I practically lived in there.

I'm pretty sure the worst of it all was the charlie horses I got. I would stretch and you'd hear yelling and cursing coming from the bedroom in between sobs. Powerade became my drink of choice as the electrolytes helped make my charlie horses occur less. I would walk down the hall and suddenly fall against the wall and silently cry. I became afraid to walk, stretch, or even roll over. All of them made the charlie horses come.

By now, you guys who are reading this are probably wondering, "Well what the heck can I do to avoid all these downsides?!" Well, first, you have to understand, all women experience different things during their pregnancy. Some women may experience these symptoms exactly while others may not experience any of these symptoms at all. If you really want to make pregnancy as smooth and comfortable for the said lady in your life, the number one thing is to be patient and understanding. Since our hormones are raging, we sometimes can't help it when we bite your head off. While it isn't an excuse, some understanding would help an explosion from coming on.

Other than that, just being there is helpful. If your lady is throwing up, be by her side and hold back her hair (maybe tell her she's beautiful). If she has a charlie horse, massage it for her. If she wakes up at 2 in the morning craving chocolate pudding, be the knight in shining armor and go to the store and get some for her (yes, it's THAT important.) Also, read up on some pregnancy books. You can get some hints and tips on what your lady is going through and find out more ways on how to help. Stick to these tips and you will become every pregnant lady's dream!

Now Women, we need to have a talk too. I just made pregnancy somewhat easier by telling your men to behave and help out...let's talk about hormones. I know it's hard to control them. I have a hard time controlling my hormones ever. But let's try to be nice for their sake, okay? I am pretty sure we just throw guys out to sea without a life vest when it comes to pregnancy. I think it's time we cut them some slack, don't you think? It's okay to get a little hormonal. It's inevitable. There is no way to avoid it. In about 85% of pregnant women, your hormones will double every 48-72 hours just in the first trimester! Sorry to say, it doesn't stop after that either. So let's start a "let's be as kind as possible" movement! I know it's hard, but we can do it!

After the morning sickness, mood swings, fatigue, heartburn, frequent urination, and the charlie horses, that moment AFTER the labor (I'm not going to get into those gory details) when you look into your child's eyes and say "hi" for the first time really makes it all worth it. You know that that child you're holding is going to be yours forever.

Disclaimer: Sorry guys, the hormonal changes don't end there. You have at least 6 more months of that.