Day 4 of Bed Rest and Things that happen to your body that nobody tells you about pregnancy

So it really hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I was thinking that I would be so extremely bored and out of my mind, but that hasn't been the case at all. Now, if this continues until it's time for me to give birth then I don't know how this is going to play out. But me and the hubby have been researching houses so that's had me preoccupied for the last couple of days. I did sneak out to look at a couple houses, but I came right back home! I've been feeling good so far, so lets hope I stay on that path. Today I'm not going ANYWHERE. Tomorrow may be a different story because my sister's wedding is tomorrow and I haven't figured out how I'm going to tackle that.

I promised to talk about the things that happen to you when you're pregnant that no one tells you until you actually experience it.

**Warning*** These descriptions may be too vivid or make you lose your lunch. Read at your own expensive, although I promise it will be educational.

1. Mucous plug: This lovely occurrence happens at the beginning of pregnancy. It acts as a "plug" to block infections from reaching the uterus and baby and also prevents aminotic fluid from leaking out. You may experience heavy vaginal discharge at this stage. It is released when it gets close to the time for you to deliver your baby. I don't even want to describe what it looks like and if you want more information I suggest you look it up lol
2. Speaking of increased vaginal discharge, I feel like I'm on my period most of the time. Wearing a panty liner can help with feeling fresh.
3. Calcium intake: The baby will suck all the calcium from your body, and if you don't do something about it, you will have very brittle bones, nails, hair, etc.... Drink milk, eat cheese (the pasteurized ones), yogurt, leafy green veggies, and other sources of calcium.
4. Food and Drinks: Other than not drinking your favorite martini, there are also items that you should not intake. You can't eat deli meats, unpasteurized foods like cheeses, and certain salad dressings like caesar (one of my favs). These items may contain bacteria that will not be healthy for the baby's development.
5. Pets: If you have a cat, do not clean the litter box, enough said.
6. Leg Cramps: Random leg cramps in the middle of the night are NOT fun. They are very painful Charlie Horses and something I could definitely do without. To help with these make sure you stay very hydrated and consume LOTS of calcium. Drink a glass of milk/water or eat some yogurt before bed. Bananas don't really help me but it might help others.
7. Braxton Hicks Contractions: This is the body's way of preparing for delivery. They are uterine contractions that can start as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy. They are painless, but annoying and depending on how strong they are can be very uncomfortable. And yes, they get stronger with time. These can sometimes be brought on by dehydration, so drink plenty of water, especially if you're no where near the time to give birth.
8. Waking Orgasms: Okay, this may be a little personal but happens to many women. Since there's so much blood rushing to that area, many women c an experience orgasms in their sleep. Trust me, I know.
9. Labor Stimulation: I learned about two things that could bring on labor, and that's....nipple stimulation and the hormones in semen. Supposedly, nipple stimulation causes the release of a hormone called Oxytocin that can bring about labor. Semen has a hormone called Prostaglandins that can soften and dilate the cervix.

Ah the joys of pregnancy. I think the only thing that I enjoy is the feeling of my little one moving around (and maybe the sleeping orgasms). Everything else kind of weirds me out and I only wish that my mother, aunts, grandmas, etc warned me of these experiences. I probably would have felt better prepared. However, these are the things I've experienced so far and I'm sure there's more to come.