Every pregnant woman knows about the typical pregnancy symptoms (morning sickness, growing belly, etc.), hears the same old same old advice, and is told stories about the good (like baby kicks) and the bad (like being sick the entire pregnancy). But after getting through my first trimester and into my second, I quickly realized that there are a LOT of things that people just don't seem to mention or talk about - not necessarily good or bad, but just things no one told me were going to happen!

So at 18 weeks, here is a list of things I have experienced so far in my pregnancy that no one warned me about...

1. The exhaustion is so real.

Before I even got a positive pregnancy test (I even took one too early and it came back negative), I knew I was pregnant just by the changes in my body and the symptoms I was already experiencing. The main one being pure and utter exhaustion. I have never ever been a napper and actually hate the way I feel when I wake up from a long nap midday, but let me tell you... getting pregnant turned me into one! I found myself falling asleep at any given moment and every normal activity suddenly became, well, exhausting. Anything from the workouts I used to breeze through, to sweeping the floor, to walking around for extended periods of time just got so much harder.

But here's the bright side: as soon as I hit my second trimester, I got a burst of energy and suddenly felt like my normal self again! So if you're on the exhaustion struggle bus right now, hang in there because it WILL get better soon.

2. That cute bump probably won't show up as soon as you think.

So I totally thought that within a couple weeks of being pregnant my baby bump would begin to show, but womp womp... I was so wrong. Even though I could feel the changes in my body during the first trimester by the way that my clothes fit, I am just now starting to see a REAL bump at 18 weeks pregnant. I will say that every woman is totally different and some begin to show a lot earlier than others, but if this is your first pregnancy, you will most likely take a lot longer to show than someone who is pregnant for the second or third time.

3. You may suddenly hate the things you've always loved.

Especially during the first trimester when your taste buds begin to change and those cravings kick in, some of the things you used to LOVE may (unfortunately) suddenly become repulsive. For me, this was sweet potatoes, avocado egg toast (which I used to eat every single morning), and coffee wasn't even as satisfying anymore! But if we are being honest, during those few weeks of ongoing nausea, anything but bread, crackers, and cheese was a no-go.

4. Your body immediately starts to change.

Like I mentioned earlier, before I even officially found out I was pregnant, I could feel changes in my body. My pants got tighter, boobs started to get bigger (sorry, it's a fact), and even though other people may not be able to visibly notice these changes right away, you will! It's actually pretty amazing how your body knows exactly what to do to start preparing for your growing baby from the moment they are conceived.

5. Round ligament pain. Holy moly.

One day, around 12-13ish weeks along, I found myself bent over, breathless, with an intense amount of sharp pain in my abdomen that lasted for about 10 seconds. I had no idea what had just happened, so I went on a googling spree only to find out that what I was experiencing was round ligament pain, an extremely common pregnancy symptom caused by the stretching of your uterus. I had never ever heard of this, but after sharing about it on social media, I realized that almost every other pregnant women has experienced this. I honestly could not believe that I had never heard anyone talk about this before, so I'm telling all of you so that if you are newly pregnant or plan to be at some point, you can be prepared unlike I was!

6. You'll have some of the craziest, most vivid dreams.

Now that I think about it, I guess this was one I did hear about previously, but didn't pay much attention to. But from what I can tell, just about every pregnant woman experiences this to some degree. From scary dreams (borderline nightmares) to just straight up weird dreams to even dreams that reveal things about your pregnancy - it will happen. I read that this has something to do with the extra level of hormones in your body.

Fun fact: a few days before our gender ultrasound, I had two dreams two nights in a row that we were having a girl. And guess what? They were true!!

7. Nipples. That is all.

Need I say more?? Ha!

Let's just say, your nipples will get huge. Massive actually. To the point where you may look in the mirror one day, probably sometime during the second trimester, and gasp out loud. But it's all normal and natural - it's your body's way of preparing to breastfeed your newborn in the next few months. But don't say I didn't warn you. ;)

8. Those doctors appointments aren't actually very eventful.

I was so excited to start going to my prenatal appointments and get the process moving! Until I went to my first, and then my second... and then I realized that they actually aren't that exciting. Especially if you go the more natural route with minimal ultrasounds and testing, they most likely will just check your vitals, weigh you (the best part), and talk to you for a few minutes to make sure everything is smooth sailing. The coolest part is definitely getting to hear your little one's heartbeat, but other than that, don't get your hopes up.

9. Old wives tales are just that - tales.

Before we found out what we were having, I tried to determine the gender based off of all of those old wives tales such as if you are craving sweets, it's a girl, and if you are craving salty foods, it's a boy... or if your spouse is gaining weight alongside you, it's a girl, and if they aren't, it a boy. Turns out, for me, more of those actually leaned towards having a boy and surprise surprise... we're having a girl!

Moral of the story: it's fun to play around with those tests, but don't count on them being accurate by any means!

10. Pregnancy brain is a very real thing.

Now I will say this is something I have heard talked about quite a bit, but I guess I never really thought it was a real thing... until I started to experience it.

Yes, you will mix up your words all. the. time. Yes, you will walk into a room and forget what you went in there for. Yes, you will look around for your phone for 10 minutes while it was in your hand the entire time. Yes, you will easily forget about commitments you made previously (google cal has never been more vital!). It's all true. And don't think you're immune to it because you're not. 

(Rumor has it this just turns into mom brain and never actually goes away... yay.)

So there you have it! If you are newly pregnant or may become pregnant soon, hopefully this was helpful for you. I will definitely write a second and maybe even third part to this post after baby is here and talk about things regarding the third trimester, labor, delivery, and life with a newborn!