Real Pregnancy Facts Expectant Mothers Won't Find in a Book

There are zillions of resources on conception, pregnancy symptoms, birthing and everything else "baby." But there are no handbooks on how to wrap your brain around ... well ... your brain. What happens when strangers are asking you to reveal all your personal information to them? What do you do when the all the textbooks and Web sites contradict the symptoms you're having? Why does it feel like nobody knows what you're going through?

Stop for a minute. Take a deep breath. Let's try to gain some perspective on all the chaos.

First, always remember that everyone has an opinion. From the moment you start telling people you are pregnant they will start giving you advice. Or telling you horror stories. Or asking about your doctor visits. While some of these tales can be entertaining, they can be downright invasive. One night, my husband called me from work and had me in tears about what one of his coworkers was saying. She was insisting that my husband have me tested for this that and the other thing. She couldn't understand why my doctor didn't order certain tests, and ended up making my husband angry and me feeling like a horrible mother. I suddenly felt like a ship without a rudder, drifting in a sea of people who knew everything about first time motherhood except me. After talking it over with my doctor, he made me feel much more comfortable. He's the one who invested in a medical degree, not some idiot on the street. If anything was wrong, he would tell me.

Next, don't believe everything you read. Just because that best selling pregnancy book says you'll be experiencing a certain symptom at a certain time doesn't mean it will happen for you. I was pretty psyched when I read that I would have the most satisfying sex drive of my entire life during my second trimester. What a bunch of crap! It was nearly impossible to become aroused the way I once was. My body pretty much stopped lubricating on its own and if I am lucky enough to have an orgasm it is weak and wimpy. I'm now in my third trimester and things have not improved. What a disappointment.

Finally, no matter how uncomfortable you get, rest assured that this will all come to an end. With each passing night sweat and contraction, you'll be one step closer to the end. Pretty soon you'll be able to tie your shoes on your own, trim your toenails and pick things up without grunting. As soon as you meet that precious little baby, all those little annoyances will be long forgotten.