When it comes to most things in life, it is hard to imagine what certain situations or feelings are like until a person has experienced it firsthand. In fact, it seems that there are actually very few things one could describe with 100% accuracy without first having been through it themselves.

Pregnancy is no exception to this. Sure, many people, especially women, understand the general idea of what happens, as well as the fact that there is quite a bit of pain and discomfort involved in it. However, it seems that only those who have been pregnant and had children before can actually describe the experience with much certainty.

In fact, this is why a lot of women, once they become pregnant for the first time, find that there may be a lot of things they were not expecting. For example, a mother-to-be may not know exactly how strong her cravings for certain food will be, or if she will even have any cravings at all. There is no way to predict what pregnancy will be like for all women, as they are each different. But, here are some of the things that women should make sure they are prepared for while they are expecting their new little bundle of joy.

20 Morning Sickness May Happen In The First Trimester

Aside from a missed period, a typical first sign of pregnancy is feeling more nauseated than you normally would. Upset stomachs to happen on occasion, but women who are very early in their pregnancy may find themselves feeling sick much more often.

Typically, this does not occur till around the six week mark. But, that is not always the case. It can arrive later or earlier in some scenarios.

There are some cases when the expecting mom did not experience any morning sickness at all. Furthermore, this symptom only affects approximately half of all pregnant women.

19 In The First Trimester, Mom Might Have Aversions To Some Food

It seems that a lot of men and women expect pregnant ladies to crave certain foods, even ones that they might not have liked at all beforehand. However, one of the other things that tends to happen to pregnant women is that they have aversions to particular foods, some of which may be food the woman in question loved previous to being pregnant.

These aversions could be the result of a couple of things. They may occur because of morning sickness, or they could be caused by the mother’s hormones rising.

18 The Mother Might Have A Sore Chest During The First Trimester

There are some pregnancy symptoms that take a while to show up. Additionally, some women never experience them at all. But on the other hand, there are also quite a few things that can happen very early in pregnancy.

For many women, a very early symptom of pregnancy is the fact that they may have a sore and sensitive chest. But, not everyone experiences this when they are expecting. In the first trimester, this happens because of a fluctuation of hormones. But, this is not only related to pregnancy, as women can get sore chests when their periods are on the way, as well.

17 In The First Trimester, She May Feel Cramps

Pregnancy is definitely one of the most amazing things in the world. But that does not mean it is easy. There are a lot of moments that can seem scary, especially to a woman who has never been pregnant before.

One of the parts of being pregnant that might prove to be scary for some women in cramping. However, it is very important to keep in mind that some cramping is totally normal. In fact, it can even be considered a sign that the pregnancy is moving along as it is supposed to, because light cramps are usually caused by the body changing and growing in order to be a good home for the new baby until he or she is born.

16 The Mom Will Visit The Restroom More Often In The First Trimester

One of the most completely honest facts about being pregnant is that the expecting mother will certainly be spending a lot of her time in the bathroom until her little boy or girl makes their grand entrance. But, that will not be just because she may have morning sickness, but also because many moms-to-be find that pregnancy makes them have to urinate more frequently than normal.

But, for a lot of women, there is a bit of time in the second trimester when this does not happen quite as much. That is because the uterus rises during that time, and therefore puts less pressure on the bladder.

15 In The First Trimester, She Might Suddenly Be Moody

There are many parts of pregnancy that are exciting, and interesting. But it is not always easy. There are some pretty tough symptoms to deal with.

One thing that some women might experience when they are pregnant is moodiness. Mood swings are fairly common from the start of the pregnancy until the end, but they can be pretty hard to deal with in the first trimester.

That is because of the hormones that are on the rise throughout the first few weeks of being pregnant. Fluctuating hormones can be the cause of many unpleasant changes in the body.

14 Mom Will Be Tired Throughout The First Trimester

Like numerous other things that come along with being pregnant, this symptom is usually caused by the changes in the expecting mothers’ hormones. A lot of things can tire men and women out, but any lady who has ever experienced pregnancy related fatigue can tell you there is no other feeling quite like it.

However, there are also other things that can contribute to a woman feeling exhausted in the first trimester of her pregnancy. Emotions can play a key role in the sleepiness of an expecting mom, and so can the physical changes her body is already starting the go through in the early weeks of being pregnant.

13 In The First Trimester, She Will Be More Gassy Than Usual

In most cases, an expecting mother may not begin to have a baby bump until later in the second, or even the third, trimester. But, some women may have a slightly enlarged abdomen before they get to that point.

One of the symptoms that tends to come along with being pregnant, at least for some ladies, is feeling more gassy and bloated than they usually do. The women who experience this are likely to have it throughout much of the first few months of being with child. This is another symptom that is brought on by the hormonal changes the mother goes through.

12 A Bump Might Appear In The First Trimester

Sometimes the enlarged stomach a woman has early in her pregnancy is caused by gas and bloating. But that is not always the case. There are times when women will start to develop their baby bump much earlier than some others.

Typically, expecting mothers begin to show later on. However, there are some factors that play a role in how early the woman’s stomach will start to grow.

Women who have already given birth may start to show earlier than the ones who are newcomers to pregnancy. Furthermore, those who are expecting multiple children at once will usually have a growing stomach pretty early on.

11 In The First Trimester, She Might Be Dizzy

There are some very interesting, and sometimes downright surprising, things that can happen when a woman is expecting a new little boy or girl. Furthermore, a lot of these things are pretty cool.

Additionally, there are some pregnancy symptoms that can seem very scary, but also be totally normal at the same time. Dizziness is one of these things, as it can be scary, especially when it is unexpected, but it is also not out of the norm.

There are a few different reasons expecting mothers might feel a bit dizzy. Severe morning sickness can lead to the mom being dehydrated, which can be one reason for her to feel a bit of dizziness. Another possible reason for it is low blood pressure.

10 In The Second Trimester, Pregnant Women May Have Some Heartburn

There are many pregnancy symptoms that tend to disappear for a bit after the end of the first trimester. Additionally, some of those things may not come back at all once they are gone.

However, there are a lot of new things that mom might get to experience during the second trimester. One of these is the fact that she may begin experience some heartburn, or it may get a little bit worse if she already had it.

Firstly, pregnant women have high levels of a hormone called progesterone. During this point in time, progesterone is likely to make it harder for the body to prevent stomach acids from moving up. Secondly, the uterus will also move higher up in the body, and therefore it will put pressure on the stomach, which can also cause heartburn.

9 She Might Get Her Energy Back In The Second Trimester

Every pregnancy is unique and different for each woman, as well as for the child she is expecting. However, there are many women who have said that the second trimester was the easiest time they had throughout the whole time they were anticipating the birth of their new addition to the family.

The second trimester is often considered to be the best time to get a lot of things done to prepare for the new baby. This is a good time to begin working on the nursery, and shopping for the items that will be needed during and after the pregnancy.

8 In The Second Trimester, Her Ankles And Feet May Swell

There are many things that happen during pregnancy that can seem unpleasant. One of the symptoms a woman may experience at some point in her second trimester is swelling.

Swelling that is related to being pregnant can occur in more than one place. Some expecting mothers have been known to experience swollen feet and swollen ankles.

There are a couple of reasons why this might happen. One of the reasons that swelling may happen is that the growth of the uterus can put pressure on veins that are located in the pelvic area, as well as the inferior vena cava, which can result in blood flow being slowed down. Another thing that can cause swelling is excess fluid in the body.

7 Mom Will Likely Have Congestion In The Second Trimester

There are plenty of things that happen during pregnancy, and many of them are talked about a lot. However, there are some things expecting mothers may go through that can also be quite unexpected. One of the less talked about symptoms one may have when she is pregnant is congestion.

When a woman develops a chronic stuffy nose while she is pregnant, it is referred to as rhinitis of pregnancy. Furthermore, this is not a very common thing, as less than half of expecting mothers will experience it.

While this is usually nothing to worry about, there are some things to look out for. If the congestion is accompanied by chills, fatigue, coughing, fever, pain, sore throat, diarrhea, or vomiting, it is best to speak with a doctor.

6 In The Second Trimester, She May Forget Things

As amazing and beautiful as pregnancy is, there are certainly some parts of it that can be very difficult, or at the very least, a slight concern. One of the things that can be an inconvenience to moms-to-be is that, during the second trimester, they may have some difficulty remembering things.

Furthermore, they might also have a hard time concentrating. But neither of these things are something expecting parents should be too worried about.

Forgetfulness tends to go away after the child is born. Something that will definitely help the mother get through this phase is to write things down, and mark important dates on her calendar.

5 Mom Nests In The Third Trimester

There are a lot of very interesting parts of being pregnant. One of the things many expecting women go through during the later parts of pregnancy, right before they give birth, is something that is referred to as nesting.

This is when pregnant women begin to clean and organize things in their home so that it is a safe place for the new baby. It can happen in the later part of the second trimester as well, but it also happens in third trimester. This can be due to a number of things,

Nesting is possibly caused by pregnancy hormones, but there may be other things at the root of it as well. It is said to be a sign that the woman is not far from labor. Additionally, some ladies nest when they are feeling a bit anxious, which is quite normal when you’re about to have a child.

4 In The Third Trimester, She Might Waddle

Unborn little boys and girls are not the only ones who go through a lot of physical changes before they are born. The expecting mothers change a lot during pregnancy as well, and sometimes that can have an effect on the way they walk.

In the third trimester, the baby will change his or her position in the uterus. This is so that it is easier for both the mother and the child when he or she is born.

In the later end of the pregnancy, the child should drop slightly, and their head should be facing down. This can change the way the mother walks, and make her waddle.

3 The Mother Is Likely To Have Worse Back Pain In The Third Trimester

A lot of women have a decent bit of back pain while they are expecting their new baby. But, for some, the third trimester really tends to kick the back pain up a notch.

This type of pain does not just happen in one spot on the back. It can occur in the lower back, the upper area, and the neck.

There are a few things that can cause this to happen. One is that, during the third trimester, typically a lot of mother’s weight has shifted forward, which can cause some discomfort. Furthermore, any weight she has gained during the pregnancy may make this a bit worse.

2 In The Third Trimester, She Will Have More Appointments With Her Healthcare Provider

In the first few months of pregnancy, it can seem as though prenatal appointments are spread pretty far out. This is particularly true when the expecting mothers are anxious to get an update on how their baby is doing inside of the womb.

But the third trimester is a different story. During this part of the pregnancy, which lasts from the 28^th week until birth, pregnant women will notice an increase in visits with their healthcare provider.

There are a lot of things that happen during these appointments. The healthcare provider may ask how the woman is doing, how often the baby is moving, and he or she may also perform a physical exam, as well as check the child’s heartbeat.

1 Mom May Have A Harder Time Catching Her Breath In The Third Trimester

Something that pregnant women may be surprised to experience in their third trimester is shortness of breath. That can be a scary thing to go through, especially when it is a surprise, but there is very little need to be concerned.

It is normal for a woman this far into her pregnancy to have a bit of a harder time catching her breath than she normally would. At this late this late stage, the mother’s lungs are a bit compressed, and therefore she is not taking in as much air as usual.

References: Live Science, American Pregnancy, Health Line, Live Strong, Modern Mom, What To Expect, Pregnancy Baby Care, WebMD, The Bump, Stork Net, Love to Know, Baby Center,