Things I Learned About Pregnancy

I would say I am a pretty opinionated person. 

However, I am more then willing to be corrected and open to changing my opinion.

I believe a great saying is:

It's better to have the right heart and the wrong facts
Then the wrong heart and the right facts.
Your facts can change in a minute,
But it often takes a long time (a lifetime) to change the heart.

So here are my NEW (and some old) perspectives on pregnancy, as well as just things I have learned in general: 

1. The Baby Really Will Come When He is Ready: Castor Oil, Pressure Points, Nipple Stimulation, Sex, Walking, Resting, Evening Primrose Oil, Eating Pineapple... Oh man I tried it all with this pregnancy. I have come to believe it's the baby that determines when he wants to come out. My body has been telling this kid to come out for a while, but only recently have I felt like the baby is actually getting ready himself.
2. "Signs of Labor" Aren't Always Signs of Labor: Contractions 2-3 minutes apart? ...Yeah I have had that off and on for over a month... Severe Menstral-like cramping? ... Try every waking moment of my last two-three weeks ... Baby dropped? ... At week 33 ... Pass Mucus Plug? ... Again like 5 weeks ago!! ... Nausea, loose stools, vomiting? ... Don't EVEN get me started ...
3. Personally, I believe, Waiting It Out Is Often Best: For every 'bout of diarrhea, every time I noticed the baby slowed down moving, every time I called begging for tips on how to relieve the constant cramping, every time my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart they wanted me to go in and get checked. THANKFULLY my husband would calmly and lovingly remind me to just wait it out. "Wait until the morning, babe. If it's still bad, I will take you in." "Let's just give it another hour and if you still feel this bad, I will come home and take you in." I am NOT SAYING that going to the hospital is bad (we went twice because I was scared I was getting dehydrated from all the puking and... well... pooping, and I thought I was in pre-term labor), but I have found that most times, there isn't anything anyone can do to help you besides put you on drugs that may treat the symptoms of what you're feeling.
4. Expect to Go Full-Term Or Longer: I will admit. I thought I would never, EVER go full term with a baby. I was expecting to make it to 36 weeks and, if I was lucky, to 37 weeks. Now sitting at almost 39, I really wish I wouldn't have had that "short timer's attitude". It may have helped me cope emotionally more with the difficult times in this last trimester.
5. Don't Count Contractions Until They Are Strong (You're In Full Blown Labor): Unless they are strong, you're probably just getting your hopes up only to be crushed!
6. As Hard As It Can Be (And Believe Me I Know How Hard It Can Be), Really Try to Enjoy Pregnancy: There were two single cells that combined (and man was it fun making those cells combine!!). You're belly slowly grew in size. You felt the first movements of a creature inside of you! Little flutters here and there. You got to show off that rare, sexy, womanly figure of a curvy belly and thicker thighs. You got to experience whole body shifts of your little one that you had no control over! You ate chocolate when you felt like crying. You cried at cheesy commercials and bawled hysterically at sad or romantic films. In fact, you cried, laughed, yelled, and smiled all at the same time. You anticipated and dreamt about who this little on was inside of you and holding him/her in your arms, rocking them to sleep. 

Oh pregnancy.

It's a love-hate relationship really.

There are so many unmatchable joys that come with it.

And so much toil and hardship on your poor, once little, body.