Pregnancy Symptoms No One Wants to Talk About

As I progress through this pregnancy, several things have come up that no one warned me about. So I thought I'd share them with you, knowing about a dozen of you are also expecting. Be advised, some are gross. Most are pushing the limits of TMI.

Guys, you might just want to skip this one all together. Unless your wife/significant other is pregnant, or already been through this.

1. Constipation. Yes, it's poop talk again. Having been a vegan for 2 years, and now a vegetarian, this had never been a problem. (Actually, it had been, and that's one of the reasons for the diet change. But that's another story.) Let's just say my diet keeps me very regular. Sometimes being "regular" twice, or even three times a day. (I warned you about the TMI thing.) At about 18-20 weeks, things started to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n. So much so that I barely went once a day. That's with eating tons of veggies and fruits every day, and my protein powder has probiotics in it. Thus resulting in 100mg of Colace every day. The only "medication" I've had to take so far. And it's worth it. Things are finally moving right along again.

2. Hemorrhoids. I know, gross! But let's face it, our pregnant bodies have doubled our blood supply, making things down there, that much more sensitive. I had heard that they were common, but prayed I would not get them. No such luck. They made their way around and found refuge in my toosh. Thankfully they didn't last long. I also noticed that when I cut out dairy products, like sour cream, they went away. Thank Heavens! (I did some research and found that dairy has been linked to causing hemorrhoids. Who knew?) Be advised. If you are battling them, try cutting out dairy and see if they go away. You're welcome!

3. Peeing Yourself. Totally uncharted territory for me. Last week, when I got that nasty chest cold/possible bronchitis, I was coughing like crazy. So much so, that I peed myself. Just a little, but it was enough to stop me in my tracks, and ask "Did I just....yup....definitely did". I brought it up to the doctor, who suggested I start doing some kegel exercises to try to keep things "tight" down there. Last week, I woke up out of a dead sleep choking on phlegm, and ran to the bathroom. Sure enough, mid cough, pee dripping down my leg. Awesome. 2:30am and I can't breath and there's pee running down my leg. Our daughter better know how much she's loved. What causes this issue? Um, baby sitting on your bladder. Already tight space, being pinched when you cough. Good times.

4. Birthing Class. Last week I called the hospital to sign up for their Hypnobirthing class. The receptionist was a little hesitant, then informed me that the class that just wrapped up, was the one I should have been in. They aren't running the next round until June. Seriously? I'm 3 months from delivering, how the hell do you expect me to remember everything from the class 3 months later? I can barely remember what I did yesterday, thanks to baby brain. Needless to say, CALL EARLY! Which really means, call when you're 12 weeks, that way you have first choice. Or you'll be like me, scouring for a Hypnobirthing class before June.

I'm sure I'll come across more, but I think this is a good start. Anyone else find any odd changes during pregnancy?