The Best and Worst of Pregnancy: How to Love it All
So, you’re pregnant.
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You were so excited to share the news of your pregnancy with your partner, your close friends and/or your family.
Maybe you’re reading this, and this is your first pregnancy, or maybe it’s your fifth. Maybe you’re nearing the end, ready to just meet your little one already!
I actually enjoyed pregnancy for the most part, but near the end it harder and you get more uncomfortable.
As I reflect back on my first pregnancy, I think about all the hard parts – but I also think about all the really amazing parts that totally outweighed the bad.
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THE WORST
LEG CRAMPS
I feel like I’ve talked about these so much but they are so painful!
And it gets to the point where no matter how much stretching you do, or water you drink, they just keep happening.
I almost dreaded going to sleep because I knew waking up meant leg cramps and then I’d somehow manage to get back to sleep only to be woken up by more leg cramps.
However, lots of water and stretching does help if this is you! If they are really bad, talk to your doctor about a magnesium supplement.
DISCOMFORT
Sitting is uncomfortable. Standing is uncomfortable. Bending over is uncomfortable.
Walking can sometimes be uncomfortable when you get to the waddling point. You can never get into a good sleeping position.
So. Uncomfortable.
One of these belly support bands can be really helpful, especially when you start getting bigger!
SLEEPING
For some reason when you want to sleep at night you can’t, but then you can somehow manage to nap for hours during the day?
I’ve even tried not napping to get better sleep at night but that definitely doesn’t help. Like I said before, it’s just uncomfortable.
Plus, you get to the point where you can’t sleep on your back, and even turning from side to side is just not fun.
I felt like my body was trying to prepare me for the fact that I’ll never get a good night’s sleep again, but it’s not helpful when you’re always tired from doing literally anything!
A good pregnancy pillow can really help you though! I highly recommend getting one of these.
A very helpful way to prepare for your baby and stay stress free during your pregnancy is to keep lists of everything you need to get done or get ready for baby! These checklists will help you stay super organized so you don’t need to worry about forgetting a single thing, from the nursery to the hospital and everything in between!
PEEING ALL THE TIME
When I went on my trip to Europe at six months pregnant, I was always trying to find a bathroom, and it was so inconvenient. At the end it got so much worse I had to get up to pee all the time.
Sometimes you don’t even know if you actually have to pee, baby is just putting so much pressure on your bladder it makes you feel like you do, so you have go to the bathroom anyway. Fun!
NAUSEA
This has got to be the absolute worst part.
I can’t say much about it because I only had a few days where I was a little nauseous in the first trimester, and nothing after that.
I got lucky though. That doesn’t always happen. The horror stories I’ve heard of women who have been sick their entire pregnancy really make me feel sorry for them.
Usually it only lasts during the first trimester for most women, but every pregnancy is different.
HEAT
Sometimes you feel like you’re having heat flashes, and then other times you’re just plain hot. This was so weird for me because I’m someone who’s usually always cold.
Fortunately for me, the majority of my pregnancy had been during the winter, but for those mamas who have had to go through the third trimester in the middle of the summer… I salute you.
HUNGER
Every mom is different in this department too, but I was ALWAYS hungry.
They say you’re eating for two, but the reality is you really don’t need that many more calories, unless you’re underweight, in which case talk to your doctor of course.
However. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you you’re not eating for two. You are eating for two. Eat away.
(Unless your doctor specifically gave you instructions of otherwise for health reasons of course).
BEING AN EMOTIONAL WRECK
I can’t tell you how many times I cried or got upset over the dumbest things.
They seem like such a big deal though when you’re in the middle of it.
Sometimes you want to be held, sometimes you don’t want to be touched, sometimes you cry because your husband showed you a picture of a bunch of puppies in teacups…(true story, why would he do this to me).
PEOPLE TOUCHING YOUR BELLY
I don’t understand why this is a thing.
Everyone feels the need to touch your belly. I honestly didn’t mind it for the most part when the girls at work or a family member wanted to touch my belly, but some people definitely do, and you should just not go there.
I did have a few experiences where complete strangers touched my belly. WHAT!? Why does being pregnant all of a sudden make it okay for you to touch me??
Either way, near the end you just don’t want to be touched at all and will most likely make some kind of growling noise at whoever tries.
These are just a few of the things that I really didn’t enjoy about pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different, so for some these issues aren’t really a big deal and for some this list isn’t big enough!
Now for the things that really make it all worth it.
RELATED: How to Stay Healthy and Fit While You Are Pregnant
THE BEST
CUTE MATERNITY CLOTHES
Sometimes I had wished I was bigger in the summer so I could buy cute maternity dresses, but there are some really nice maternity shirts and sweaters out there!
Also, you can do what I did and dig into your husband’s t-shirts and wear those. What’s his is mine, right??
RELATED: The Best Maternity Clothes for Every Trimester of Pregnancy
THE SECOND TRIMESTER
After about week 14 most women get a burst of energy. Like, energy you didn’t even have before you were pregnant. It’s amazing, and I really wish it lasted longer.
I used that energy to get the majority of the baby shopping done, so it worked out great.
NO JUDGMENT
When you stuff your face with an entire pizza and four cupcakes, no one judges you at all.
I wouldn’t say you should eat like that all the time, but some days you really just can’t stop yourself.
IT’S AN EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING
Crying over something dumb? Pregnancy. Eating a lot? Pregnancy. Can’t do the dishes? Pregnancy. 3 naps in one day? Pregnancy. Really weird cravings that you make your husband go out and get for you? Pregnancy.
It really is an excuse for anything. And don’t be afraid to milk it. You better believe I did. I’m growing an entire human after all.
AMAZING HAIR AND NAILS
My nails have always cracked and broken for as long as I can remember. As soon as I get them nice, they start breaking.
Not when I was pregnant. Maybe it’s the prenatal pills or the hormones, or a mix of both, but my nails had never been longer and stronger. I take full advantage of that with lots of manicures.
Your hair gets super soft, shiny and thick too. Thank you, pregnancy.
SHOPPING
Shopping for baby was so fun! All the cute clothes and shoes I used to look at but had no reason to buy – I now had a reason! No more dreaming of the little body that would fill those adorable onesies, now it’s become a reality.
Filling the nursery with all his furniture, blankets, and little toys was so much fun too.
RELATED: Newborn Baby Essentials Checklist: Everything You Actually Need
SEEING YOUR BABY
I wish I could have had more ultrasounds done, but I suppose the fact that I didn’t need them is a good thing.
Seeing him at 12 weeks, at 15 weeks and then again at 20 weeks, seeing how much he had grown and was developing into a real actual baby, was amazing.
But it didn’t compare to the moment I actually got to meet him.
GETTING CLOSER TO MEETING YOUR BABY
Every discomfort, every ache and pain, every time you have to pee, brings you closer to seeing your baby.
And that makes everything and anything worth it.
FEELING BABY MOVE
I saved the best for last.
Feeling your little baby move inside you is an indescribable feeling. There is nothing I wouldn’t go through to feel those kicks and rolls. At first you start feeling tiny bubbles or butterflies.
Then it turns into actual little kicks, and before you know it you’re feeling him/her stabbing you in the ribs, rolling from side to side, and doing somersaults.
And when you can make them move just by rubbing your belly? When they respond to your little pokes? That’s a crazy powerful feeling.
RELATED: Pregnancy Must-Haves to Enjoy Every Trimester
