Pregnant? Here's a Heads-Up on Just a Few Things

I know you're kind of excited for your first maternity-clothing shopping spree, but you might want to hit the breaks on loading up on new threads. For many mamas, especially those first timers, that bump comes long after you've announced your pregnancy. But don't worry, it will come.

Not only will your OB probably not want to see you until you're at least eight weeks pregnant, but when you have your first appointment, most also won't even confirm that you're indeed with child. I remember asking my OB if she was going to give me a pregnancy test, and she looked at me and said, "Why? You took an at-home pregnancy test, right?"

Seriously, you can make it a very long time without buying maternity clothes — and some women just go bigger, while others find it possible to just buy a few key pieces (a few pairs of pants) and wing it with everything else.

Don't be surprised if you get a few folks who simply do not want to look at your ultrasound printout. Turns out, some people are genuinely grossed out by them.

When my OB revealed my child's due date to me, I was floored when she said, "Let's go with Jan. 16." Her words. Literally.

That's right — not everyone has an instant maternal bond with their fetus. Do not feel bad if you are one of these people. I repeat, do not beat yourself up about this. Pregnancy is different for everyone.

Get ready to get an earful about every other woman's pregnancy. Doesn't matter who or where or how: if she was pregnant, she'll feel the need to share it with you.

Small-chested women wait their whole lives for that moment when their bodies magically plump up their cup size in the name of pregnancy, but it does not work that way for everyone.

You won't be the first pregnant patient to tell your ob-gyn, "Um, so there's liquid coming out of my nipples." Don't freak out if your girls start lactating well before the baby comes — it's pretty standard.

Pregnancy dreams are no joke. When I was pregnant with my first child, I would dream that we accidentally left our newborn in a desk drawer in my husband's office overnight. It was horrible. And ridiculous. And I still remember those dreams vividly six years later. You have been warned.

Everyone knows your body and your skin get a little out of whack during pregnancy, but nothing could prepare me for the craziness that was about to go down in my mouth. From gingivitis to periodontitis — expect the unexpected when it comes to your yapper.

You've probably heard this, but from the "You're huge" remarks to the "You're tiny" comments, people feel the need to tell a pregnant person where they measure up on the scale. You can't fully understand how weird this is until you're in the thick of it, so it's best to be prepared.

I don't know about you, but I was completely unprepared for the amount of gifts I would receive. From anyone and everyone. People just love to give gifts to a pregnant woman. Go to Costco, get a giant box of thank-you cards, and enjoy it.

Not everyone is glowing. Not everyone loves the idea of growing a human inside of them. You're not alone! It's OK!

Some people will want to put your newly formed motherly instincts to the test and ask if you have any inkling of your baby's sex before it's been confirmed. And guess what, you may have absolutely no idea or feelings about it whatsoever, and that is A-OK. Most of us don't, so don't sweat it.

Try to stop stressing about your water breaking in the middle of a work meeting — many a preggo's water does not ever break on its own.

Get used to the phrase, "Are you sure it's OK if you ____?" Eat that, do that, drink that, wear that, ride that, etc. Just know it's not just you — we all got our every move questioned by innocent bystanders while pregnant.

Each and every time someone did something like giving up their seat for my pregnant self, my faith in humanity was restored.