Coffee Chat: What I Wish I Knew Before Getting Pregnant

I learned a lot about myself through this pregnancy journey. I learned a lot about my own body through being pregnant. My husband and I learned a lot about insurance and finances. We have done a whole lotta learning these past 9 months and there's a lot I wish I had known before we got pregnant. I'm going to be really honest in this post and a little vulnerable with what I share. So let's pretend we're talking over coffee and that I'm not a total stranger. 

Finances:

Babies are expensive, y'all. Any seasoned mom will tell you this without batting an eyelash. I'm so thankful we had a savings stash before getting pregnant. Granted, most of it went towards our house we bought this summer, but it was still there and we had some leftover after the downpayment and initial upgrades to our home. 

What I didn't know was that we would not only have to pay for our doctors visits, but our doctors office would also require money up front for the delivery. Say what?! This is a pretty standard practice. Ask a lot of questions before paying anything though. As long as you are nice, your doctors office will be more than happy to explain and walk you through everything. 

Then, I learned that the hospital would also want money up front before delivery. Like, a lot of money. Because our insurance had just started over in September and we hadn't payed ANYTHING toward the deductible, the hospital wanted the entire deductible plus 20%. That's a whole lotta money, y'all! Again, don't be shy about asking questions. The woman I spoke with in financing with the hospital was super nice and incredibly helpful, and didn't mind explaining things to me several times. 

What we'll be doing differently next time:

Researching our insurance options, and recognizing that while it's convenient, our employer insurance may not be the best one for us anymore. 

Calling the hospital as soon as we find out we are pregnant and pre-registering earlier so we aren't hit with a big bill toward the end of pregnancy when things are already stressful. 

Emotions

My emotions didn't spiral out of control until the last month of pregnancy. I found myself crying constantly, and over silly things, like running out of chips that I wanted to eat with a hot dog. I got seriously mad at my husband one night because he put his cold feet on me in bed. And then I cried for quite a while because I felt horrible for snapping at him.

Tommy is so patient with me and I am so thankful for it. Let's be real; nobody wants to be around you when you're a grouch. But my wonderful husband has patiently stood by my side and talked me through my rollercoaster of emotions. He gently points out when a reaction I have to something isn't normal and is probably related to raging hormones.

How I'm coping now:
I make sure I am self aware of my emotions and I apologize to my husband when I've said something in anger. I try my best to be aware of when I should be rightfully upset and when I should let things roll off my back. It's difficult when I'm so sensitive to everything, but a good practice. 

Body Changes

Your body does NOT stay the same while pregnant. I knew I would experience a lot of changes, but outside of a growing belly I didn't think much about what those changes would look like. Things like weight gain, adult acne, hair, and yes, bodily fluids were all quite surprising for me. Being pregnant made me realize just how amazing my body is, but it also made me realize that I need to take care of my body for more than just myself. 

I'm going to be vulnerable right here. I have gained 40 pounds so far in this pregnancy. I know the normal weight gain is anywhere between 35-50 pounds, so I know I'm within the normal range. But let's be real that in this day and age everything is about looking your best postpartum. Well, the reality is that I gained a lot of weight and I know it's not going to just drop off as soon as this baby is evicted. I still have two weeks to go. That's two weeks of baby boy growing and that's two weeks of probably more weight gain. 

I'm a little nervous about fitting back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. I'm worried about what I will look like. BUT my body just made a HUMAN! Like, what?! That's amazing. And I'm sure that my body image won't be at the forefront of my mind when I'm holding that tiny blessing in my arms those first few weeks. 

What I'll change next time:

I'll probably try to reign in the sugar cravings, but in all honestly I'm happy with my body and proud of all the hard work it's been doing! 

For all my mommy friends and pregnant friends, what are some thing you wish you had known before getting pregnant or having kids? I'd love for you to share with me!

Until next time, xoxo