As my blog title suggests, I am obviously a newbie/noob when it comes to being a pregnant woman and of course, a mom (jitters and cold feet are my constant companion). So here, I’ll try to compile a list of things I found out during my 4 months (or if you want to be more specific about it, 18 weeks) of being preggy. Of course, I’ll try to add more in the succeeding months.

1. Its a surprise. While we have been trying to become pregnant for the past few months, the positive test still came as a BIG surprise. I would’ve given anything to our faces when the doctor at the ER said that I tested positive in the pregnancy test. We were actually waiting for my period to start another counting cycle/scheduling when this happened. And a note to all trying to conceive couples, during our last visit to my OB, she asked whether we did anything *wink wink on certain dates, and we didn’t. So she said pa “sayang” and that we’d try again the following month. Imagine my next call telling her I tested positive. O diba. Schedule is not everything. Tsambahan din. Take note, we’ve been through 3 cycles of clomid, pregnil, etc. and both hubby and I have undergone tests. Maybe the stork really comes when you least expect it.
2. Not all pregnancies are the same. As I’ve said in my previous post, DO NOT COMPARE. Some may breeze through the 9 months, others suffer through it, while some more get a combination of both. Lesson learned: its not the same for all women nor for all pregnancies. Kanya-kanya yan. A word of advice to others who are not pregnant but are around (either at work or at home) preggy women: be considerate. Don’t assume nag-iinarte sya or that she can resume her life 100%. You don’t know what she’s feeling. My advice to preggy women: don’t feel bad when you can’t function fully. Take time to appreciate and enjoy the fact that you’re pregnant no matter if you may be feeling pain or sick (yes, that includes the countless trips to the bathroom). A life is brewing inside you and that takes energy and a lot from you. So don’t feel guilty about throwing your weight a bit and admitting to everyone including yourself that you’re not 100% normal. Because you are not and there’s nothing wrong with that.
3. Biscuits are your new best friend. Never leave home without it. If you can tolerate hunger pangs before getting pregnant, hunger pangs are a whole different thing/level when you are preggy. I don’t know if this is the same with everyone, but for me it feels as if a big fat rock will suddenly drop into my stomach from a great height (don’t ask me for specifics, basta feeling ko galing sya sa malayo) and settle there until I’ve eaten something.
4. Not everything you crave for is good for you. During my first trimester, I had this craving for all kinds of fruit juices I can get my hands on. Specifically either mango or dalandan juice. I also ate a lot of green mangoes with bagoong (I’ve been eating this a lot even before I got pregnant, so what do you expect). And then the pain started. And kept on going until I could not even get out of bed anymore. Turns out hyperacidity is a normal thing for preggies including me, and mine was exacerbated (I think) by the fruit juices and the fruits I’ve been eating – which are all of course, acidic. So when I learned this, I minimized the fruit intake and ate small and frequent meals. The hyperacidity did not leave me until Christmas – best Christmas gift ever I’m telling you. But if I ever do get pregnant again, I’ll take it slowly and surely – especially when it comes to food.
5. Enjoy it. NO matter WHAT you may be feeling.