7 Things the Books Don't Tell You about Being Pregnant
by LIa Tremblay

As soon as the little “+� appeared on our home pregnancy test (OK, even before that) I started stockpiling pregnancy books. What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Your Pregnancy Week by Week, The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy … I have devoured them all.

But there are a few things the books didn’t tell me. Lots of little things don’t merit a mention in the handbooks, but they make the whole journey something I’ll miss when the baby comes.

1. It’s a lot like puberty.

The mood swings and body changes associated with pregnancy should not be news to anyone. I have slid from seething rage to clingy affection with the greatest of ease, and marveled each day at the rapid growth of my new “circus boobs.� But I soon started to realize that, as new as it all was, the whole thing seemed awfully familiar. One night at dinner, as my lip trembled and then gave way to full-on tears, I realized, “I remember this feeling … from sixth grade.�

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