With Kira, since she was IVF, we knew very early on that we were pregnant. After the implantation I had to have injections of the pregnancy hormone hCG, so I knew this could give me a "false" positive if I took a test, and false symptoms, so I tried not to get my hopes up too high when I started to notice changes.
My first pregnancy was "textbook" virtually all the way through. I started to feel nauseous and bloated, my breasts were swollen and tender, and I had my first true craving (for prawns, of all things!) the day before I was to have a blood test to confirm if I was in fact pregnant. The morning of the test (at 5wks), I threw up. I put it down to nerves, and a sensitive gag reflex (it's not uncommon for me to gag whilst cleaning my teeth, and this is what I was doing when I vomited). But, the blood test came back positive - I was pregnant! I got affected by the 
"usual" first-trimester symptoms, mostly fatigue and nausea, with the odd bouts of vomiting (usually once every second day, until about 17wks). I was working nightshifts then, and so I could spend all day in bed if I wanted to. Plus, the girls at work would often insist I take a long break so I could have a nap there, too!In my second trimester, I felt great - we went on a holiday to the Flinder's Ranges, and took a 3-hour hike up to a lookout when I was 20wks pregnant! Even my third trimester was mostly uneventful - I was getting bigger, and more awkward, though the heat (summer time!) didn't help...I started to get puffy feet. I had holidays at Christmas time for the first time in years, and I wasn't about to give them up! But when it was time to return to work (at almost 35wks) I found I was just too uncomfortable to be on my feet for too long, and so I didn't go back. It's just as well, really, as the night that was to be my last shift (had I returned) was the night I went into labour! In the last week or so of my pregnancy, I noticed my Braxton Hicks contractions more, and noticed the night before my labour started that they'd become more frequent and intense, but still only "practice" contractions. I also noticed in the last few weeks that the swelling in my feet had moved up my legs - my thighs don't usually touch, but suddenly they were, and I couldn't pull my jeans up! Two days before Kira's birth, I had a scary moment whilst in the city - I felt "funny", and then realised I couldn't see out the side of my right eye! I had been telling Neal I felt "off", but couldn't explain anything more, so I sat down for a while (we were in a book store), and that's when I realised my problem. Neal approached my right side, knelt beside me with his hand on my knee, and while I was looking straight ahead, I couldn't see him at all!! Thankfully this resolved as we were heading to the car, so we decided that we'd just go home rather than to the hospital. I thought if it happens again, then we'll definitely go to the hospital, otherwise I'd just mention it to my midwife at my next appointment - I went into labour the day before this appointment! In hindsight, I think this vision problem was most likely due to swelling, affecting the optic nerve - I had the same issue with my hands (mild carpel tunnel syndrome).
This second pregnancy has been so different! For starters, I had no symptoms initially! Well, except for no period, but I'd been told by my fertility Dr to expect that, as he didn't think I was ovulating. No bloating, no swollen or tender breasts, no nausea...I just felt a bit "heavy" in my pelvis, like my period was due to start any day. By the time I was 8wks, I definitely noticed my belly starting to pouch out, and by 10wks I was noticing the odd flutter of movement, and occasional 
Braxton Hicks contraction. Also, starting around 10wks, I noticed I had developed the pregnancy waddle! My hips felt loose and unstable, and I felt I had to use all my other muscles to keep myself from falling. I also started to feel nauseous ALL the time, though sometimes I felt worse than others (it came in waves), and I noticed a sudden aversion to tea - although I wanted to drink it, it didn't agree with me and would either make me feel very nauseous, or I'd throw up! I had a craving for McDonalds cheeseburgers - it HAD to be that! I tried to nip it in the bud with a "quad-stacker" from Hungry Jacks (nauseating!), but I STILL wanted a McCheeseburger afterwards! The fatigue was really hard to deal with. I don't know if it's because I also now had a toddler to look after, or because I was no longer on nightshifts and therefore not able to spend all day in bed if I wished, or just because this pregnancy was more tiring - maybe all of the above. I tried to nap when Kira napped, but it wasn't always possible, and even when I did, it wasn't enough!My pregnancy wasn't confirmed until my 12wk "Down's Screen" scan - the longest wait of my life. I found this time very tough - I often thought that my symptoms were all in my head/that I was "looking" for signs, and I worried that I might have a "false" pregnancy (a friend had recently had a molar pregnancy, and that played on my mind, too). This combination of uncertainty, fatigue, mild/vague symptoms, and hormones made for a very tough time for me emotionally - I often wondered if I needed help for depression. Anyway...having the scan was a HUGE relief! I got to see that I was indeed pregnant, and that all was as it should be, and I finally allowed myself to start to enjoy being pregnant.
I had hoped to feel better in my second trimester. The nausea left at around 13wks, though it took me a lot longer to be able to drink tea again, and the fatigue was still an issue until about 20wks. I was so glad when I started to feel "normal"! But that didn't last too long - the fatigue set in again at around 30wks. The waddling has persisted throughout the pregnancy, and because I use other major muscle groups to help keep me upright and mobile, I find I get tired very easily. At 27wks, I got 
sent home in a wheelchair halfway through a shift, as I could no longer walk/stand safely! I started modified shifts (where I could spend most of the shift sitting) at 28wks, but had to give that up at 32wks, as even running (walking!) short errands between rests was too tiring for me! In addition to feeling unstable, I also get sciatica (nerve pain shooting from my tail bone, through my buttock, and down my leg - either side, sometimes both sides at once!), and I have a "clicky" left ileo-sacral joint (just to the left of my tail bone). This clicks every time I shift position, or put my foot to the floor. My mild carpel tunnel syndrome returned at around 30wks, and I have had some nasty calf-muscle cramps. I'm eating antacids like they're lollies for the persistent heartburn/reflux. My belly is carrying differently, too - much lower than last time! If you believe the old wives' tales, that's supposed to indicate I'm having a boy, but I think I'm just stretched from last time! Oh, speaking of which, I have new stretchmarks! I didn't get any until my last couple of weeks with Kira, but I've noticed this time that not only have my old ones flared up, I have new ones! I can feel them happening, and they itch. Kira points to them and says "Aww, broken! Poor Mummy!" From around 30wks, I've noticed intermittent swelling of my feet, thighs, and labia! It's uncomfortable and "strange" when I sit down.*Photo's of me pregnant with "Blob" and "Belly Bean" at 12, 24, and 32 weeks.
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