Here's a symptom I'd read about in one of my pregnancy books but hadn't really paid much attention to.
That is, until today. From now on I will be paying attention and prepared at all times for the onset of this side effect.
I'm talking about nosebleeds. Apparently "Pregnancy can cause the blood vessels in your nose to expand, and your increased blood supply puts more pressure on those delicate vessels, causing them to rupture more easily. Although it's unpleasant and inconvenient, an occasional minor nosebleed is generally harmless."
So this morning I'm sitting on the train on my way to work when I sneeze. And my nose starts running a little bit. Since it's July, not cold and flu season, I don't have any tissues in my purse. I figure I'll just have to be that gross sniffling person on the train who's occasionally wiping her nose on her hand. I wipe. And I discover that my nose isn't actually running, it's bleeding.
Lovely.
I start rummaging more frantically through my bag trying to figure out what to do. No tissues, no old napkins, nothing. I consider asking the people next to me but everyone knows that on the Boston subway you don't talk to people, and they didn't look very friendly.
I continue to rummage desperately and hope that my nose will stop bleeding and that it's not all over my face already. AHA! My umbrella- that's the solution! My umbrella comes in a little fabric sleeve- I'll use the sleeve on my nose. So that's what I do. And of course, the umbrella sleeve material is water resistant so it doesn't work all that well but it's better than nothing.
At the next stop I barge through all the people standing in my way so that I can run up to ground level and find a napkin or a paper towel or something. Fortunately there was a newsstand right there and they had packages of tissues for sale. By that point my nosebleed had stopped but I'm not risking going ANYWHERE without a package of tissues from now on...
So here's a question- besides the wonderful part of having a BABY at the end of all this, are there any other POSITIVE symptoms or side effects of pregnancy? Sure, glowing skin and thicker hair must be swell for those fortunate enough to experience those lovely side effects but what about for the rest of us? Must we really suffer through insomnia, aches and pains, frequent trips to the bathroom, mood swings, sore breasts, and (I've been warned!) hemorrhoids without any fun and exciting side effects?? Not to mention the fact that everyone talks about pregnancy as a 9-month long thing when really, it's 10 months. Not nine. TEN. And all this without a martini to get us through.
There must be something good in all this, besides a baby. I suppose at the end having a child will make up for it all but I could sure use something besides a Shirley Temple and a craving for pickles to look forward to NOW!!
That is, until today. From now on I will be paying attention and prepared at all times for the onset of this side effect.
I'm talking about nosebleeds. Apparently "Pregnancy can cause the blood vessels in your nose to expand, and your increased blood supply puts more pressure on those delicate vessels, causing them to rupture more easily. Although it's unpleasant and inconvenient, an occasional minor nosebleed is generally harmless."
So this morning I'm sitting on the train on my way to work when I sneeze. And my nose starts running a little bit. Since it's July, not cold and flu season, I don't have any tissues in my purse. I figure I'll just have to be that gross sniffling person on the train who's occasionally wiping her nose on her hand. I wipe. And I discover that my nose isn't actually running, it's bleeding.
Lovely.
I start rummaging more frantically through my bag trying to figure out what to do. No tissues, no old napkins, nothing. I consider asking the people next to me but everyone knows that on the Boston subway you don't talk to people, and they didn't look very friendly.
I continue to rummage desperately and hope that my nose will stop bleeding and that it's not all over my face already. AHA! My umbrella- that's the solution! My umbrella comes in a little fabric sleeve- I'll use the sleeve on my nose. So that's what I do. And of course, the umbrella sleeve material is water resistant so it doesn't work all that well but it's better than nothing.
At the next stop I barge through all the people standing in my way so that I can run up to ground level and find a napkin or a paper towel or something. Fortunately there was a newsstand right there and they had packages of tissues for sale. By that point my nosebleed had stopped but I'm not risking going ANYWHERE without a package of tissues from now on...
So here's a question- besides the wonderful part of having a BABY at the end of all this, are there any other POSITIVE symptoms or side effects of pregnancy? Sure, glowing skin and thicker hair must be swell for those fortunate enough to experience those lovely side effects but what about for the rest of us? Must we really suffer through insomnia, aches and pains, frequent trips to the bathroom, mood swings, sore breasts, and (I've been warned!) hemorrhoids without any fun and exciting side effects?? Not to mention the fact that everyone talks about pregnancy as a 9-month long thing when really, it's 10 months. Not nine. TEN. And all this without a martini to get us through.
There must be something good in all this, besides a baby. I suppose at the end having a child will make up for it all but I could sure use something besides a Shirley Temple and a craving for pickles to look forward to NOW!!
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