Do you know what it feels like for a girl?

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be pregnant? My husband was saying the other day that it's one of a few things he's curious to experience just to know what it feels like. So I thought I'd have a go at trying to describe what it's like.

First trimester
Imagine across between a bladder infection, irritable bowel syndrome and mild (or in some cases not so mild) flu.  You feel bloated, go off food and struggle to find the energy to get through the day.  Then you have an ultra sound scan and discover the bloated feeling was more than just gas or indigestion.  And that lumpy feeling in your stomach wasn't constipation - it's a baby!

Second trimester
You feel like a normal human being again - so much so that you often forget you're pregnant. (Of course your other half is very quick to remind you as soon as you so much as look at a piece of brie or glass of wine!)  Every now and then you feel a vein throbbing in your groin and then after a few weeks it becomes clear that it's not a vein at all - it's actually a little person kicking you in the groin to let you know that they find the jeans you are wearing very uncomfortable and really wish you'd buy some maternity clothes.  Some days you have rib pain, others it's hard to breathe but one thing that never goes away is the regular urge to pee. You soon find you know the location of every single public toilet in town.  When you look down at your belly it doesn't seem all that big to you but slowly you find your clothes getting too tight and you keep kneeing yourself in the belly every time you bend down to put your shoes on.  Things that used to be second nature (like taking your socks off or rolling over in bed) begin to require some thought and readjustment.  And it dawns on you one day that you have begun to waddle when you walk!

As for the third trimester, I don't reach that magical milestone until next weekend so I'll have to get back to you about that one.