For Jessica Rowe, life as a breakfast television host can be pretty full-on at times. She gets up way before dawn five days a week and when that on-air light starts flashing she's got to be ready to go.
But lately, life's become even more full-on — as viewers of Today will have noticed, Jess is pregnant.
Jessica: "Now as a first-time mum-to-be I've been taking a real interest in all of the crazy changes that are happening to my body. So I'm off to catch up with a few other pregnant women to talk about all the weird and the wonderful things that are happening to us to try to uncover some of the myths about pregnancy.
- Morning sickness
Watch video: what causes morning sickness?
Morning sickness seems to be a bit of a lottery as to who gets it and who doesn't, but what causes morning sickness?
Let's ask midwife, Belinda Brodrick from the College of Midwives: "It's just the different degrees of hormones. Having more than one baby can increase your nausea and vomiting, but then again, you can get someone who gets all the way through to 19 weeks, having their first ultrasound who's been perfectly well and have two babies onboard. So there are no strict standards at all as to who gets sick, why they get sick and how sick they get."
If you suffer from morning sickness, is there anything you can do about it?
Well, for Bev Shroot, ginger did the trick.
"At the time I was working very hard with my job and I was finding it hard just to slope off to have a cup of ginger tea, so I actually got a piece of root ginger and I used to keep it in my pocket and sniff it every so often."
Obstetrician Dr Andrew Child says ginger is a popular remedy, but there's no one thing that works for everyone.
"Some people find some very simple tablets like vitamin B6 or some simple herbal remedies are very good," he says.
There are also safe medications your doctor can prescribe. But the most important thing is to make sure you get plenty of fluids.
Another good tip is that the nausea can feel worse on an empty stomach. Keep some crackers and juice or milk by the bed and take some when you wake up. Otherwise, I'm afraid it's something we just have to live with.
That's morning sickness.
Memory loss
Watch video: beat memory loss during pregnancy
Jessica: "My job at Today can get pretty busy, so thankfully I've got a good memory. But I've got to admit, since I've been pregnant I've been finding myself getting a little more vague. Let's hope it's only temporary."
The good news is, Jessica's not the only one suffering brain drain. There's no scientific proof that our brains go haywire during pregnancy, but we women know it's true.
Jessica to Emma and Bev (who are also pregnant): "Now I'm trying to remember what I've got to ask you next. I have a feeling it might be memory loss."
Emma Wilson: "Two separate occasions I've left things by the side of the road when I've been loading the car.
Bev Shroot: "Quite a few times I've gone into a shop, picked up what I wanted to buy, had it wrapped, paid for it, and then just left the shop."
Dr Andrew Child has an intriguing theory to explain this memory loss.
"In terms of positive reasons for the vagueness, some people argue that it means that people will go back and get pregnant again because they don't remember how bad it was the previous time."
But it's all still a bit of a mystery. The solution is to write lists and put reminders in as many places as possible.
"Luckily, Dr Child says it's a temporary condition, so hopefully my brain will get a boost once the bub is born," says Jessica.
Food cravings
Watch video: why do you get food cravings during pregnancy?
Jessica: "Now I can really identify with this one. Before I was pregnant I was a vegetarian, believe it or not, but now my favourite meal consists of fried lamb chop, sausages and hot chips.
And Jessica's not alone, it seems many women have found their tastes changed too.
"Some people try and think that it indicates a specific need in your body, you know, say, for calcium you might have a craving for milk; if your body's deficient in protein you might have a craving for meat, and so on. I don't think it's quite as clever as that. It seems to be something that certain people find in pregnancy and it can vary from one pregnancy to the next," says Dr Child.
So, if we're not catering to our body's needs, are we just using pregnancy as an excuse to eat all the naughty things we normally don't?
Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Doctors say weight gain during pregnancy should be no more than 10 to 15 kilos.
Eat a healthy balanced diet. You may be eating for two, but, sorry girls, that doesn't mean you can eat twice as much!
Bleeding gums
Watch video: why your gums may bleed during pregnancy
Bev: "Yeah the first few times that it happened I got quite a fright actually, because you kind of brush your teeth and spit it out and there's a sink full of blood."
It seems those crazy hormones are to blame again.
"It's due to an increase in progesterone levels in pregnancy and it causes a change within the gums. Women, just even from brushing, will get some general bleeding," says Belinda Brodrick.
Obviously you can't just stop cleaning your teeth. Brush gently at least twice a day with a soft brush. Use a good mouthwash to rinse away debris. If the bleeding gums persist, or there's swelling, or pain, go see your dentist.
Swollen ankles
Watch video: suffering from swollen ankles?
Of course, this involves the all-important topic of footwear.
Jessica: "I'm a bit of a high-heel girl. It's been hard to get me out of my heels, but I am finding by the time the weekend rolls around my feet are sore."
Bev: "My best friends are my thongs at the moment. But I think because I've only got a couple of weeks to go, I think that's when the swelling kind of really starts."
Emma: "We're like camels at the moment; we're just storing fluid wherever we can."
Emma's camel comparison may not be glamorous, but it's spot on.
"The body does retain more fluid whilst you're pregnant and this is for good reasons — so that your body can cope with blood loss when the baby's born," says Dr Child.
In later pregnancy, swelling of the feet and hands can be a sign of blood pressure problems, so don't be afraid to discuss it with your doctor or midwife.
There are a few things that may bring temporary relief, like elevating your legs, massage or reflexology. But don't cut your fluid intake or use diuretic tablets.
Swollen ankles are all part of your body preparing to give birth and it will go away about a week after your baby's born.
Late babies
Watch video: late babies
Jessica: "Another one of those things you often hear people say is the first baby is always late. What do you think about that Emma?"
Emma: "Well I'm counting on it being late because it's due New Year's Eve so it'd be nice if I could push it through to January."
But if you just want it out now, there are a few tricks women have been trying for years. Everything from gin and hot baths, to sex and curries.
"And that's why sometimes spicy foods, curries those sorts of things, because they cause some bowel upset, cause concomitant contractions in the uterus. It's not a very clever way to start labour. We've got better ways of doing it now," says Dr Child.
Doctors may use vaginal gels and drugs to hurry things up if the bub is more than 10 days overdue. Any later, the placenta stops functioning properly. That may mean problems during labour because baby doesn't have the nutrition and oxygen it needs.
But whatever you do, it's baby who decides when he or she is ready to make an appearance.
Jessica: "Will my first one be an early arrival? I'm going to be finding out sooner rather than later. But one thing I do know for sure is that my life is about to change forever and I can't wait."
Watch video: what causes morning sickness?
Watch video: beat memory loss during pregnancy
Watch video: why do you get food cravings during pregnancy?
Watch video: why your gums may bleed during pregnancy
Watch video: suffering from swollen ankles?
Watch video: late babies
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