Dirty little secrets of pregnancy

You have heard about the morning sickness (again, what a misnomer) and the fatigue and the stretch marks, but did any one ever tell you about the gas that goes along with pregnancy? Or how about the extra salivia in your mouth or the extra cervical mucus your body will produce? What about the cramps that will make you swear your about to start your period? Do you ever hear about that?

Women don't really mention these symptoms all that often because they are embarassing. But, I decided to tell all about it after standing in Wal-Mart last night with my belly swollen and bloated from gas, trying not to fart, as I'm bending over to pick up a Barbie doll "T" might want for her birthday. Women don't like to talk about "farts," but you know, when you're pregnant, it's going to happen. No use pretending it's not and doesn't.

The extra salivia is actually a symptom called ptyalism . For me, it's one of the main reasons I had so much pregnancy sickness with "T." My mouth would fill up with it all of a sudden, and I would gag and have to throw up. No fun at all, along with the fact that I was drooling. I'm starting in with it now. I just hope it hurries up and goes away so maybe I won't experience so much pregnancy sickness.

If you are anything like me (and you're pregnant), you're probably running to the bathroom every few hours to make sure there is blood on the toilet paper. You might also be running for another reason: excessive cervical mucus during pregnancy. I swear, and this is gross, I can feel it, just like you would with a period. That's why I think I'm bleeding even if I'm not.

The cramps are usually round ligament pain or the uterus stretching. Either way, it can scare a newly pregnant momma because she'll think it's a miscarriage, when it's usually something perfectly normal. However, if you are pregnant and are experiencing terrible cramps or are bleeding along with them, call your doctor or go to the emergency room. You don't want to take any chances.

Don't worry, I didn't let it rip in Wal-Mart, although I was tempted many times. If no one had been around, I might have though. Shh, don't tell anyone.