RileyWhen my friend Jennifer Lister was expecting her third child, I was so happy. She's an amazing person, a fantastic mother. Jennifer and I don't live near each other anymore so we keep up on Facebook and I was so excited to virtually be there as her pregnancy progressed. Then she had a miscarriage. Everyone was naturally upset. But it was almost like Jen was the one to make us all get through it, even though it was she who was hurting and affected the most. She is a nurturer. So when she became pregnant again, we all rejoiced and prayed.

When she told us they wanted to rush her to c-section, we worried. When she told us her baby girl, beautiful Riley, had Down Syndrome, we worried for her health. But we learned quickly about the power of positivity, and we know Riley is here to do great things. Jennifer is allowing me to share her birth story, and how she sees Riley as a gift. On Down Syndrome, she says, "There's nothing down about it."

It's estimated that one in every four diagnosed pregnancies end in miscarriage. The reasons for miscarriage vary wildly, however most miscarriages do not ever have a diagnosed cause. Whatever the cause -- known or unknown -- miscarriages can be devastating. Even worse, miscarriage is a taboo subject, the type of loss that is rarely discussed.

Here is my story.

Shortly after my middle son turned one, I realized I hadn't gotten my period in ... well, I couldn't tell you the last time I'd had it. But I'd recently weaned the kid off breastfeeding, I'd been stressed about the death of a good friend, and, um, there had to be a zillion and a half reasons I couldn't recall the dates of my last period ... right?

We all know how pregnancy brings about plenty of weirdness. You're growing a whole new person inside you, how could that not be weird? Weird symptoms. Weird feelings. Weird cravings.

But the unexpected weirdness that comes along with pregnancy is probably the most irritating: the impractical advice.

It comes from every angle, the unsolicited pregnancy advice, until you're ready to hide under the bed (presuming, of course, you'd fit), until those nine long months are over. From the checkout girl at the grocery store. Your mother-in-law. Ladies in the waiting room. In elevators. You can't go anywhere without someone spouting some sort of impractical advice.

Here are my favorites.

Pregnancy. It's the most joyful time in a woman's life ... or is it?

While growing a new life inside of you is easily one of the most miraculous things a woman can experience, there are an awful lot of weird things that go along with it.

These are the kind of things I've never seen in any of my pregnancy handbooks, but through word-of-blog, I learned that I was not the only one.

So here you have it: five of the most horrifying pregnancy symptoms you'll never hear about.

Telling people you're pregnant is one of the most exciting and thrilling things you do during your entire nine months. Some have probably wanted it for years, some may have already guessed, and still others are shocked as all get out. Film that excitement and you probably have yourself a viral YouTube clip.

Well, two gay dads who were just told they are about to become grandfathers put every other grandparent excitement viral video to shame. Their excitement is loud and proud and made me cry.

See for yourself:

"I'm craving a cheeseburger."

"So let's go get one."

"But, I'm getting so fat. Look at my belly! It's HUGE!"

"It's not so bad, I promise."

"You promise?"

"I promise. You look fine!"

"I eat too many sundaes."

That was a conversation I had almost four years ago when I was pregnant with my second son. The conversation was, as you might have expected, was with my husband. The roles, as you might not expect, were reversed.

My husband was suffering from Couvade Syndrome.

In other words, he was pregnant, too.

Me and some ladies I flew cross-country to meet.Sometimes the idea of packing up kids to head off to a playdate can be more than I'm willing to deal with. Also, I often find that the idea of trying to get to know someone in person can be overwhelming, especially for people who sometimes struggle with social situations. Making mom friends can often be like dating -- Does she like me? Is she judging my parenting right now? What happens if I don't like her, but then keep running into her?

Thanks to the internet, though, we as moms have the amazing opportunity to skip the crappy dating stage, and make some awesome friends. I know some people find the internet impersonal, but honestly, it really doesn't have to be. Done right, you can tailor-make support just where you need it, with just the right people for it to be a positive thing.

I don't mean to be sappy, I don't, but my little friends who live in my computer mean the world to me.

Now that I'm past the whole gestatin' kids thing, my friends are all amping up to have their first babies. Having started younger than everyone I know, this isn't terribly surprising, but it does make for an interesting case study. My friends, of course, don't have any idea that I'm watching them gestate, taking notes and remembering those days not-so-fondly. I imagine if they did, they'd probably unfriend me.

(Probably a wise move on their end.)

Anyway.

Here's my list of things I wished someone had gently bothered mentioning before I'd gotten knocked up.