There are dozens and dozens of books on 'what to expect when you're expecting' that prepare mothers-to-be on the ins and outs of being pregnant, but instead of laying it out in a book, Bored Panda put together this hilarious series of comics.
Some of these illustrations highlight the more well-known struggles of being pregnant, such as the wild mood swings that make you cry at the silliest things - but are you prepared for the crazy costs of maternity clothes? Not to mention being prepared for how other people will treat you seeing your growing belly - yes they will ask to touch it. Scroll down below to check out these hilarious pregnancy comics and don't forget to upvote your favs!
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Dr. Jolene Brighten, a naturopathic doctor and author of the book Healing Your Body Naturally After Childbirth, explained that women’s hormones shift during pregnancy. The result, she said, “Sometimes we can see lower dopamine levels, which will cause you to crave everything.”
In a study by the Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 950 pregnant women were surveyed about lower back pain during pregnancy, how it impacts day-to-day life and how their healthcare provider managed the pain. According the Sleep Foundation, the study showed that 645 respondents reported back pain during their pregnancy and a majority claimed that it caused sleep disturbances.
I never had this struggle : I just used my knees to get near the floor, and my thighs to get back up... As if I had to lift something heavy and being careful not to break my back, you know ?
The maternity wear market is a $2 billion industry, cites Vox, with Destination Maternity constituting 18.7% of the industry’s revenue. Fortune estimates that pregnant women, on average, spend almost $500 per pregnancy on maternity clothes. That breaks down to between $50 and $60 spent per month of pregnancy.
Hormones are once again to blame when it comes to a heightened sense of smell - estrogen in particular. Studies have shown that heightened levels of this hormone can even affect the olfactory senses of non-pregnant women. Scientists aren’t really sure how and if estrogen creates any actual changes in the nose or the brain that would result in the increased sense of smell in pregnant women, but it is clear there is some connection.
I remember thinking about the most random disgusting stuff. Like the grease that was probably built up behind my stove. Or how people I talked to must have nasty flakes on their scalp. I tried thinking of puppies and kittens but my brain was like: nope, let's think some more about toe fungus! And then indeed BLUUURRRHHH!
YES! Even when I smell things NOW (three years later) that used to make me nauseous whilst pregnant, I will get the slightest bit of that "ick" feeling. Its almost like muscle memory...hormones are powerful things!
When I was pregnant with my twins I was much more nauseous and sensitive to just about everything than I was with my first born. It became an issue when my husband had his morning coffee, the smell was so awful to me. But didn't have much of that the first time around. It also came back when the twins grew bigger and would be moving around a lot, some days it felt like I was in a cruise ship! Pretty cool seeing their elbows and knees poking out though. Lol.
didn't drink coffee before my 1st, but did after (nothing like needing caffeine with a newborn...). knew i was pregnant with my last 2 when the smell of coffee made me nauseous. cravings are unreal (is it possible to 'crave' music? country, to be specific!). ah, good times...
Never threw up during my pregnancy. The only thing that made me nauseous with my sense of smell was the snus my ex used. If snus could kill, I would have killed him.
I couldnt stand the way my hubby's friend smelled.. i spent the entire visit in bed with my head under the blanket.. he didnt live close so it wasnt often he came over
I would get sick over crazy stuff like the new car smell and leather seats in my brand new car. Everyday, after work, I would have to open all the doors and windows and let the car air out while I heaved in the parking lot. After a month or two of that, every time my boss's boss was around, I would throw up! She ate very ethnic food and I swear I could smell the molecules of spices on her, like she was a big BBQ wing, even first thing in the morning. That first pregnancy was pretty torturous for me but totally worth it!
I remember my friend could smell onions through 3 closed doors and 2 floors up. It was like a horrible superpower because onions made her throw up immediately.
And, in some cases it follows after pregnancy. Sometimes that "switch" that turns on a craving or makes something revolting never gets switched back. My wife loved onions, now hates them. Loved dairy, now is lactose intolerant. Yet hated spices, loved hot wings while pregnant (like, the hotter the better type of hot) and now hates it again. Not to mention the effect on the personal life with your spouse...permanent changes in likes there as well.....
My wife was complaining about the smell of trees when she was pregnant. The trees were birches...
Why are you putting dots there at the end? Birches have a smell.
Load More Replies...Health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., told SELF. “These pictures online can be misleading because pregnancy is so individual, and what appropriate weight gain looks like varies from woman to woman,” adding, "Trying to stay ‘thin’ can be dangerous to both the emotional and physical health of the mom and the physical health of the baby.”
This annoys me way too much. Of course, one shouldn't let herself go and be the other extreme, but come on...
One of the many hormonal side-effects is crying over the most random things. According to Lucy Puryear, M.D., psychiatrist and author of Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting, this is a staple of the first trimester in particular. "Estrogen and progesterone are skyrocketing at the beginning of your pregnancy," she explained to Parents magazine, "The changes have big effects on your mood. You can be tearful one minute and happy the next."
Live Science says that researchers measured the arch height and foot length of 49 women during their pregnancy and five months after they had given birth. On average, the women's arch height decreased, and in turn, their foot length increased between 2 and 10 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.4 inches) — during this period.
Ottawa OB/GYN Doug Black told Today's Parent that many pregnant women will experience an increased libido, especially late in the first trimester and beyond, when hormones are high. Also, he says that blood flow to the sexual organs, breasts and vulva is increased, heightening sexual pleasure.
Fatigue during pregnancy is most common during the first trimester. It tends to go away during the second trimester, but will usually return in the third trimester. According to the American Association, this fatigue is caused by hormonal changes. Your body is producing more blood to carry nutrients to your growing baby.
Ever heard of pregnancy brain? This occurs in the early stages of pregnancy and is the result of sky-high levels of progesterone or the "calming hormone." Dr. Puryear told the outlet, "When I was pregnant with Parker, I once put my older son Peter's Legos in the refrigerator, and then I tried to serve him a cup of keys to drink!" says Caroline, a mom of two who lives in Oklahoma City.
One of the uncomfortable signs of pregnancy is always having to pee. Hormonal changes increase urine production, combined with an expanding uterus that presses on the bladder. In the second trimester, the uterus continues to expand and will rise higher in the abdomen, away from the bladder so frequent urination will subside. Inconvenient pee breaks return in the third trimester when the baby drops lower in the pelvis in preparation for delivery,
A study on women’s experiences of their pregnancy and postpartum body image concluded that: "Women’s perception of their pregnancy body image is varied and depends on the strategies they use to protect against social constructions of female beauty. Women have unrealistic expectations for their postpartum body, highlighting this as an area where women need better support."
Between the hormones, growing belly and aches, and pains, it might be tempting for others to try and jump to the rescue of pregnant women. A study by Cardiff University found there was a common sentiment among many expectant and new moms – "that once they decide to have a child, their lives are no longer free and private."
If I had a dollar for every time I've heard "You shouldn't do that... you're pregnant!" It makes me want to respond rudely. "Wow, thanks! I, being the pregnant one, had done no research on what I should and shouldn't do. Thank you, random stranger, for informing me. My midwife said I'm okay to do this, but you clearly know better."
When it comes to parenting there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but that won't stop unsolicited advice. "There are so many people who want to direct you on how to be a good mom," Debbie Thompson, pediatric nurse practitioner and a neonatal specialist at Children's Medical Center, Dallas told WebMD. "Much of the advice is helpful," she says. "But a parent must remember that each child is unique."
Walking is pretty much the only thing I can do to move my body anymore, so...
A stretch mark is a type of scar that develops when our skin stretches or shrinks quickly - like during pregnancy. The abrupt change causes the collagen and elastin, which support our skin, to rupture. As the skin heals, stretch marks may appear.
More than 1 in 10 pregnant women experience anxiety at some point during pregnancy. Hormonal changes during pregnancy may affect the chemicals in your brain, which can result in anxiety. Pregnancy is a time of tremendous change so these feelings are normal.
A new study from UNICEF measured the “family friendliness” of countries around the globe across four different categories. These included paid leave available to mothers, paid leave reserved for fathers, childcare enrollment for kids under 3 years old, and childcare enrollment between age 3 and school age. UNICEF measured 41 high- and middle-income countries on these indicators and the U.S came in last against 40 other developed countries.
Pregnant women usually work until labor, so this would be very stupid of Jessica.
Humans are hardwired to touch as a form of communication. Psychologist Matthew Hertenstein conducted a study in 2009 in which he asked participants to communicate an emotion just using touch and found that 78% of people were able to accurately determine “anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude, sympathy, happiness, and sadness.” So while there is a magnetic urge to reach towards a pregnant belly it doesn't make it any less comforfortable or awkward.
There has been a boom in the 'what to expect' genre for expectant mothers but as Jacqueline Rose writes in Mothers: “A recent study suggests that the mothers who read the most manuals on mothering report the highest level of depressive symptoms (it is not clear whether the depression is the consequence of reading so many manuals or the reason they are reading them in the first place).”
I completely underestimated being pregnant. The fysical change, the mental change, the restrictions, the confusion, everything.
The pregnancy glow is one of the skin changes that is caused by the changes and increase of hormones during pregnancy, according to the American Pregnancy Association. These hormones cause your glands to produce more oil, which makes your face more shiny - or "glowing."
During pregnancy, your body makes the hormone relaxin, which is believed to help prepare the pubic area and the cervix for the birth. Relaxin loosens the ligaments in your body, making you less stable and more at risk for injury. It's easy to overstretch or strain yourself, especially the joints in your pelvis, lower back, and knees.
I loved these! My mom has told me all about every single thing, especially the ridiculous sex drive. She says pregnant sex is the best sex! My mom tends to overshare, lol.
This makes me so happy I chose never to have children. Your body and brain literally become a slave to pregnancy and childbirth hormones. Yikes!
It is a fascinating adventure that only begins with the pregnancy, but yes, you will never be quite the same again. To have or not to have children is a personal decision and with the overpopulation we are experiencing, it is probably wiser anyway to be more restrictive.
Load More Replies...What I was never told was all the dead skin that would accumulate on you right after birth and the hair you shed. Perhaps it's because I have ichthyosis vulgaris. But the dead skin was brown. It was easy to scrub off, but gross.
I highly recommend Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy for anyone who wants to laugh their way through good common sense pregnancy tips XD
#22: Those birthing videos LIE!!! The woman in the birthing video we watched had the mildest contractions. She simply rocked away the pain in her rocking chair and every 5 minutes or so made a very mild mmmm sound. And she pushed for all of like 2 or 3 minutes and the baby popped out. Meanwhile, my contractions started at every 60 seconds and stayed that way the entire 12 hours of labor. And I had back labor. It felt like my spine was being hit with a sledge hammer every 60 second. And I pushed for 6 hours!
I loved these! My mom has told me all about every single thing, especially the ridiculous sex drive. She says pregnant sex is the best sex! My mom tends to overshare, lol.
This makes me so happy I chose never to have children. Your body and brain literally become a slave to pregnancy and childbirth hormones. Yikes!
It is a fascinating adventure that only begins with the pregnancy, but yes, you will never be quite the same again. To have or not to have children is a personal decision and with the overpopulation we are experiencing, it is probably wiser anyway to be more restrictive.
Load More Replies...What I was never told was all the dead skin that would accumulate on you right after birth and the hair you shed. Perhaps it's because I have ichthyosis vulgaris. But the dead skin was brown. It was easy to scrub off, but gross.
I highly recommend Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy for anyone who wants to laugh their way through good common sense pregnancy tips XD
#22: Those birthing videos LIE!!! The woman in the birthing video we watched had the mildest contractions. She simply rocked away the pain in her rocking chair and every 5 minutes or so made a very mild mmmm sound. And she pushed for all of like 2 or 3 minutes and the baby popped out. Meanwhile, my contractions started at every 60 seconds and stayed that way the entire 12 hours of labor. And I had back labor. It felt like my spine was being hit with a sledge hammer every 60 second. And I pushed for 6 hours!