Pregnancy can be a double-edged sword. When you're not pregnant, you're looking for "real talk" on what it's like - the ups, the downs and everything in between. I have asked friends and family to give it to me straight - don't sugarcoat that shit, I need to know how much it sucks to be pregnant.
But then when you actually are pregnant, you realize it's not that bad. (I say that as someone who has had a normal, healthy, relatively easy pregnancy. I'm sure the women who suffer from hyperemesis and other complications might not agree with me.)
To my surprise more than anyone else's, I have enjoyed being pregnant. I might even - GASP - miss it when our baby arrives (just a little though. And probably not that much since I hope to be pregnant again someday).
I've spent a lot of time on this blog trying to keep it real about some things that really aren't awesome about pregnant - the swelling, the peeing, the fluids leaking, the soberiety. But there are some genuinely amazing things about carrying your baby that don't get enough credit.
What I love about being pregnant:
1. Maternity clothes. I started wearing maternity clothes WAY sooner than I needed to. Like, way sooner. Like, I'm embarrassed to say that I wore maternity jeans at 8 weeks. 8 weeks! Do you know what I looked like at 8 weeks pregnant? Not much different than I looked at 9 weeks.
I did not look pregnant, that's for sure, and there was definitely no need to be wearing anything other than my "normal" clothes. BUT, maternity clothes are SO comfy. Think about it - these are articles of clothing that were made to be stretchy. Don't bitch and moan when you have to make the transition. Embrace the maxis, the stretchy band on the jeans and the leggings. And embrace the bump!
2. Kindness and smiles. Most of the time, people are way nice to preggos. They offer you their seat, they let you cut in the bathroom line, they help you with something you're carrying. People congratulate me at Target or when I'm walking down the street. Or sometimes, they just look at your belly and give you a knowing smile. I find this most from other mothers. It doesn't happen all the time, but for the most part, kindness is the unspoken language of pregnancy.
3. Naps and relaxing. Even before I was pregnant, I was always tired. Ask my husband. My daily woes included "I'm tired" and "I'm hungry." As a preggo, sleeping is encouraged. Who cares if you go to bed at 8pm, wake up at 10am and then take a nap at noon? NO ONE. And if you can't sleep, just having an excuse to relax is nice. Not that I needed one before, but no one argues when you say you can't do anything because the baby needs you to relax. (I need to actually relax more. Right now I'm currently in "Holy shit there is so much to do, there's no time to put my feet up!" mode.)
4. Organization. So, I'm generally a pretty organized person. Type A, for sure. I live and die by my to-do lists. Pregnancy does affect that in a negative way, which is that now, I'm VERY forgetful. The other night I started crying because I couldn't find a gift card we received (still haven't found it). BUT, on the other hand, nesting is a very real thing. As such, we have done some house projects that have been on the list forever, and the house is always clean and I'm always finding something else to "do" around the house.
5. The belly. Huge and stretched as it is, I love my baby bump. It's instinctual to always rub it, or lay with my hands on it. I love feeling the baby kick and move in there, and sometimes, when I put my hand right where I felt a kick, he stops. I like to think it's because I'm calming him and letting him know I'm there. Not to mention, the belly makes a great shelf for anything - drinks, snacks, books, someone's head...
6. Eating. See number 3. I have always loved to eat. When you're pregnant, it's all you have. Be careful though. You really shouldn't be "
eating for two" as they say, but if you want to indulge in things you were strict about before, do it. Now is the time.
7. Feeling special. Not everyone likes being center of attention. I usually don't, either. But I have enjoyed the general feeling of being celebrated. Between the baby showers and the gifts from friends we haven't heard from in forever, to being taken care of by my husband, it's nice to feel pampered and loved!
8. Body awareness. Not only has being pregnant given me a new
appreciation for my pre-pregnancy body, I am WAY more attuned to my body than ever before. When you're pregnant, every ache, pain, tingle and itch comes with, "What was that? Why did that happen?" And if you're like me, you want find out. Some women call the doctor, some women Google. (Side note: I haven't called my doctor once in my entire pregnancy...is that weird?!) You learn so much about what exactly is happening inside your body. They don't say babies are miracles for nothing. It truly is so incredible what the woman's body can do and how it changes to accommodate the life inside you.
9. Anticipation. In general, for 9 months, you have something to look forward to and be excited about. Of course there are MANY things to look forward to along the way - milestones like first kicks, starting to show and baby showers. And of course, at the end of everything, you have a baby to meet! Nothing is more exciting than that.
10. Secrets. It's up to you what you want to keep secret, if anything, during your pregnancy. We chose to find out the sex of the baby and share that with people. But we kept it a secret for about a week until we told our families, and I loved sharing that tidbit of knowledge with only my hubby. Same thing with the name. We've had his name chosen for a while and are keeping it secret until he gets here. Why? Mainly because we don't want the opinions of others to color the name we love for our babe. Again though, it is fun to have something that is just between us two, since so many other details of my pregnancy have been put out there.
11. There's a baby inside me. My husband and I created a human. How cool is that?! Words can't describe how amazing it is to see and feel another life inside you. It can be creepy, I admit, and I know a lot of people get weirded out by it. But ultimately, as you learn exactly what's happening inside of you and each time you hear that little heart beat -- it's a feeling unlike any other.
