Pregnancy is a life changing experience. Most women think it’s all about morning sickness and then the magical glow. But what really happens in between?

We asked moms in the mom.life community about their pregnancy adventures, and here are 35 things they wished they knew before they became pregnant.

➡️Postpartum

I wish I knew about the healing after having the baby.👶🏻

Postpartum bleeding! Nobody told me! I went into it thinking "oh, my period is light so I won't bleed much after birth." Nope...it was TERRIBLE! I wasn't prepared at all and I sent my husband to get maxi pads and adult diapers the day after we came home! Plus, I FF so after 3 weeks of PP bleeding I had a week of normalcy and then I had my first period...couldn't use a tampon because I hadn't hit 6 weeks. HELL! That's all it was...bloody hell.

➡️No sleep after baby

Pregnancy is just pre work. Once the baby arrives. !! You will not sleep
.

➡️Belly band

I wish I knew about a belly band to support your growing belly! I worked through my pregnancy and had killer back pain. Walking regularly can reduce the pain, but the belly band was a life saver!

➡️Hard on relationships

I wish I knew how hard pregnancy could be on a relationship, with hormones and all. As well and the stress that expecting a baby can bring.💑

➡️Breastfeeding takes work!

What it really takes to breast feed. It's more than just a baby and a boob. There's a diet and a schedule and it doesn't just happen!!!

➡️Contractions

I wish I knew that the contractions were going to get more intense the more you dilate. I thought they just got closer together so I opted out of the epidural. dumb lol

➡️C-Sections

I wish i knew that you’ll be in a lot if pain if you get a c-section! That no matter what you be pooping & peeing on yourself without knowing! Yeast infects are worse! That you’ll be more nauseas in the beginning / the whole pregnancy. I suffered hair loss.

➡️Take care of your teeth

My gums got swollen!

➡️Pregnancy sex

Sex was better and it can be good for you!💑

➡️Hemorrhoids

TMI I wish I knew that you could get hemorrhoids around your rectum and that they hurt. I also wish I knew about leg sciatica because it is so painful.

➡️Drink plenty of water

I wish I would have known to drink a lot more water than I did. Had an unnoticed UTI and it turned into a kidney infection.. Ouch 😖

➡️Need support

How you need a good support system and how weird the cravings can be
.

➡️Boobs!

Wish I knew that my boobs would grow bigger than my belly and I would have to get bigger size bras and that they would get even bigger after I had baby. lol. I'm glad I waited till after I had him to get breastfeeding bras because they would not have fit if I got them before. lol🍼

➡️Poop during delivery

Tmi Wish I would have known that sometimes no matter what you do to try and prevent it; you can still poo during delivery😁😁

➡️Calcium

I wish I knew I needed much more calcium I lost half of a tooth and can't do anything until I deliver.

➡️Body changes post-baby

Or how my belly would feel weird as in texture after having a baby.

Wish I knew first time I got out of the bed after having my daughter, I wouldn't have any control of bowels, nor knew I had to go until I stood up. sorry TMI but wish someone warned me before hand.

➡️Hormones

I wish I knew about the hormones before I got pregnant didn't know for the longest time and thought I was having mental instability but it was really the fact that hormones are out of whack while pregnant.

I wish I had known how depressed you can get if certain things get said.

I wish I had known how hormonal birth can make you. I cried and laughed at the same time when she was born because I was so happy.😹

➡️Baby blues

I wish I knew that it is totally normal to feel sad the days following delivery. I thought I was getting postpartum depression!

➡️High-risk prenatal care

I wish I knew that hyperemisis gravaderum was a real thing and that is affects women. I also wish I knew that there are doctors out there that don't really care about you or your baby they are just in it for the money. It would have saved me tons of money and one preterm baby.

I also wish I knew that induction can take days. I wish I knew more about preeclampsia too since I ended up having it.

➡️Switching to a midwife or new doctor

I wish I had known to switch to a midwife sooner and to not worry so much. I wish I hadn't been so scared of going into labor or giving birth.

➡️Postpartum Depression

I wish people really talked more about PPD and what happens to you after birth. It was something i knew of but not about and i really wish i had known more about it.😔

➡️Pregnancy brain

I wish I knew about pregnant brain I can't remember crap now....what we talking about again lol

➡️Enjoy your pregnancy

That I should fully enjoy pregnancy bc it's the easiest part. Not to get freaked out by doctors or people warning you about everything under the sun. Not to worry about being fat. Stay present in the moment and be happy and thankful for the amazing gift👶🏻

➡️Aches and pains

I wish I would have known you can bruise, pop out of place, or even break your tailbone!

I wish I knew that the baby loved holding onto your ribs so damn much.

Hip pain from your pelvis preparing for birth.

The rib pains omggh

That pelvic girdle pain was an actual thing and it doesn't go away.

➡️Birth plan

I wish I knew that I could have had a birth plan. I wish I knew I had more choices with my pregnancy and birth. And I wish I knew how up and down your emotions would get during and after pregnancy.😫

➡️You transform!

Your body changes, of course, that's obvious...but no one bothers to tell you how your soul changes as well. As your body transforms, so does your inner most self. You live inside out because your heart will soon be outside of your body. Its the most beautiful and yet terrifying experience you'll ever go through. Embrace every moment and hold onto it.🐛🌺

➡️Peeing on yourself

I wish I knew I'd occasionally pee myself a little just from laughing or even sneezing lol

➡️Trust your body

I wish I knew to just trust my body to do its thing. I spent the majority of my pregnancy worrying and worrying about the smallest things. Of course that's normal but I wish there was some way I could have known to just chill out and enjoy pregnancy!

➡️Pregnancy cravings

I wish I knew how hard it was to roll out of bed and why I would be craving oreos and pickles in the middle of the night…🍩

➡️Gas

I wish I knew why gas would creep out my butt without my knowledge, that would've been nice to get a heads up on.

➡️Hair loss

I wish I knew that I was going to suffer from hair loss 🙁

➡️Labor and delivery complications

I wish I had known all the complications that can arise. obviously we all do research but we all think, well that can't happen to me, or that won't happen to me. complications can change your entire birth experience. as well as your expectations. I wish I knew how everything could change in the blink of an eye. how I could ever love someone so much without meeting them and have that multiply 10 fold with your first look at them.

➡️Lack of sex drive

I wished I had known some men loose their drive no matter what you do and how it was going to affect me and how I felt!

➡️VBAC

I wish I had known more about vbac and changed Dr's sooner.

➡️The dark side of pregnancy 🌚

I wish I knew about the all day all night morning sickness, constant nose bleed, pinecone poopoo (constipation), swollen hands every morning, having a cold while pregnant is miserable, extreme fatigue, and the emotional Rollercoaster.🎢

How emotional you get, how uncomfortable everything is, and of course Acid reflux!!!

I wish I knew how sucky and sickening bad days of pregnancy were.. and also i wish i knew how bad heartburn and morning sickness were.

How bad morning sickness really is and how uncomfortable sleeping can be once you get big. 

There's so many things I wish I would have known... Maybe that it's not as beautiful as people make it seem to be. Between the yeast infections, peeing yourself, not being able to get comfortable ever, feeling tired, having to pee every hour, feeling nauseated, being hotter than usual, and then when you get far enough along the dilation checks, how nothing ever goes as planned, how labor sucks.. And that first postpartum poo... Everything kind of sucks. It's all worth it, but no one ever warns you about the bad parts!!👶🏻

We want to hear about your pregnancy experiences. Share your story in the comments below!