(Typed this entry a few weeks back and completely forgot to publish it. WHY. Oh well, better late than never!)

Since I am the first among my friends to get pregnant, I frequently get asked a lot of questions on how it feels like, at least on the physical level. Here are some FAQ's which I thought of sharing here, too :)

What does being pregnant feel like?

Right off the bat, I should say that every pregnancy is different. When we found out we were expecting, I worried immediately about morning sickness, nausea, food cravings and aversions, bloating, fatigue, and all the other pregnancy symptoms we hear about from our moms and titas. I was told to brace, especially during the first trimester since this is supposedly when symptoms are at its worst. 

At 30 weeks pregnant today, I'm happy to report that except for a little low blood pressure, I experienced none of the usual pregnancy symptoms we often hear from people. I had no morning sickness, no food cravings, no fatigue. Nada. I have a full-time job and am at the office Mondays thru Saturdays. My husband would often ask me if I have any cravings, and each time, I would say no. The funny thing is that he was the one having late-night cravings, particularly for dimsum. He would literally leave the house, even at past 10 in the evening to take-out some dimsum for himself! It was the funniest thing!

So, you didn't get any pregnancy symptoms, at all?

I was lucky to be spared from the above major pregnancy symptoms during my first trimester. I will say though, I have started to get the following symptoms maybe about two or so weeks ago:

• body (particularly, my belly) feels extra heavy - My tummy only started to really get big after the 26th week mark. I felt my tummy's growth after the 26th week mark was exponential in that it kept growing really quickly. (During my 25th week, I could still wear my regular pants and clothes. Come 26th week, they felt a little snug already, and by the 27th week, wearing my regular clothes felt like child abuse already. LOL. But seriously.)

• feeling extra bloated/full/out of breath after meals - My appetite has not grown significantly ever since becoming pregnant. In fact, my OB-GYNE slightly scolded me when I went for my check up during my 27th week because my tummy was so much smaller than it should have been. (Recommended weight gain during pregnancy is about 25-30lbs.) At 27 weeks (well-over the halfway mark), I had only gained about 12lbs. She has since advised me to eat more, particularly increase my protein intake. Since making the conscious effort to eat more, I noticed that I would feel so bloated and out of breath, particularly after meals. It felt like the food and my baby would be sitting on top of my lungs, making it hard for me to breathe. My husband suggested that instead of increasing my meal portions altogether, that I take smaller, more frequent meals instead. Seems like it was a good call because when I returned to my doctor the following week, she measured my tummy, gave me a nod of approval and said that my baby was already catching up in size. Good job, Dad! :)

• leg cramps - I've experienced leg cramps in the morning probably only three times so far. Lucky for me, my husband used to be a student athlete, so he knew what stretches to do each time. A tip I picked up from our childbirth classes is to resist pointing your toes in the morning while stretching right after you wake up. Apparently, this is what triggers the cramps. Glad I took a mental note of this because just a few mornings after that class, I woke up and felt the urge to rotate my foot while stretching. I could already feel my leg about to cramp up, when I remembered this tip and stopped moving my foot. Cramps successfully averted!

When do you start to feel your baby move?

I began to feel fetal movements at around the 16th to 20th week. My husband only started to feel these movements at around the 24th week. The first few times you feel your baby move will feel almost like a stirring sensation, almost as if there were a goldfish swimming inside your tummy. Whenever my friends ask me, I would tell them that it almost feels like kinakabag ako (or am feeling gassy) By the time your husband (or whoever is touching your belly) starts to feel these movements, it will feel like gentle nudging or fluttering inside. I'm currently on my 30th week, so my baby has been moving so much more lately - in the morning, throughout the day, before bedtime, and even in the middle of the night. I can also feel her limbs getting stronger since her movements are now starting to feel like kicks and punches to my ribs. I sometimes get startled from these kicks throughout the day!

As a final note, I would like to stress again that every pregnancy is different. My experiences may be completely different from yours. In the same way, your experience with your first baby may be completely different from that of your succeeding babies'. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to trust your doctor, and listen to your body as well.

Is your experience the same as mine or completely different? I'd love to hear about it! Also, if you've got any more questions, leave them in the comments section below!