Fun and Blahs of Pregnancy
Online, I’ve read a lot of pregnancy gripes. I’m also guilty of occasionally complaining about the not-so-fun parts of pregnancy, but 99.9% of the time I love it. I can already tell that I’ll be kind of sad when I’m not pregnant anymore, but [god-willing], I’ll have a happy, healthy little baby girl instead 🙂
Here are some of the gripes I hear the most and talk about with my preggie friends:
-Missing sushi, sleeping on my stomach, wine and super intense workouts [these are my top 4].
[I drooled a little looking at that POMtini]
It’s actually kind of blah to not be able to teach many of the classes at work because of my “condition.” I’ve turned into the stretch and weight room girl. I’m glad that everyone is being so accommodating and not forcing me to push things too hard, but at the same time, it gets a little boring. Thank goodness I can still Zumba, or my sanity would on the fritz.
-Sore, different-looking boobs [things change a little. That’s all I’m saying]
-Not fitting into clothes, shoes… or wedding rings
All in all, a small price to pay.
Here are the things I absolute love:
-Kicks and rolls. I always thought it was weird to hear people say they were obsessed with baby kicks, but I fully understand now. Sometimes, I walk around with my hand glued to my belly, especially if I’ve just had something to eat.
-Hair!!! It’s finally nearing Kardashian length- my hair goal for the past 2 years.
-Free massages from Tom, without having to bribe. I can just put my feet near him, and he rubs them. I feel like someone really loves you if they’re willing to rub your feet. Or maybe it’s just extra special to me since I have gnarly dancer feet?
-Midwife appointments. I have one tomorrow, and seeing the midwives makes me so thankful that one of them will be there for the birth. There are 8 total, and you don’t know who will be on-call when game day arrives, but I’ve loved all of the ones I’ve met so far. They’re all very different, with different styles and demeanors, but give me the same type of attentiveness and warm fuzzies.
-Knowing for sure [maybe?] what the sex of the baby is. I would have been equally excited to find out that we were definitely having a boy –instead, we were surprised at the 20 week ultrasound- but I was waiting for that appointment to really get my hopes up since I’d know if the baby appeared to be healthy. That was all that mattered to me [and all that still matters]. Like I’ve said before, I’ve been cautiously optimistic this entire time, hoping for everything to be developing the way it should be, and that appointment was a huge sigh of relief for me. After all of that, though, I can kind of see why couples choose to be surprised by the sex. It really is one of the few *real* surprises in life – so maybe for our next baby, we’ll decide to be surprised.
What were your least and favorite parts of being pregnant? For my friends sans kids, does anything freak you out about pregnancy?
When I was in college, I was 100% convinced that being pregnant would be like an alien in your belly. Now, I’m head over heels for my little alien.. and it doesn’t feel nearly as creepy as I imagined.
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I didn’t have a bad pregnancy at all! It was easy peasy all the way through!! I got LUCKY! But I did miss sleeping on my stomach. It was the worst trying to sleep on my side or back, when I don’t sleep like that at all. My favorite part had to be everything!! I loved it!! I may sound crazy, but I really had a great pregnancy and now I fear my next pregnancy is going to be horrible! I hope not, but I loved being pregnant!
At least you know the moment that little girl is in your arms all those “gripes” really won’t matter anymore 🙂
That would be my exact top three!!!
Nothing freaks me out about pregnancy. I’m just freaked out about labor. I have basically zero tolerance for pain. And I am also terrified of needles. To me, an epidural sounds more scary than labor. But after watching the Business of Being Born when I’m ready to get pregnant/am pregnant I’d really like to explore the options of a natural child birth.
“To me, an epidural sounds more scary than labor.” – This! I watched a video on babycenter.com about an epidural birth yesterday. Also watched the natural birth video. Out of all of that, I just keep thinking that the idea of sticking a needle in my back freaks me out. 🙁
me too. i don’t like people messing with my spine
Me too…I was so against it….but it doesn’t go in your spine it goes near the nerve endings at the bottom. When I saw the videos I was sure I wouldn’t get one! I didn’t want anyone going near my back with that needle. I ended up ‘babying out’ and getting one when they told me I had at least 4 more hours of labor…but I seriously had no idea it was going in my back! Didn’t even feel a pinch. Not saying anyone should opt for it but if you “had” to get one for whatever reason it’s seriously nothing. You will be fine though and probably have a quick labor and delivery 🙂
I heard on the radio this morning about a woman in my town who is going to live-stream her giving birth to her 3rd child naturally at home…
http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110928/OTT_internetBirth_110928/20110928/?hub=OttawaHome
Thought you might be interested, she seems all about the natural aspects of childbirth, and not treating it as a medical condition…
I’m currently 8 weeks and the absolute worst part has been the fact that I have been spotting since week 5 and yesterday it turned red. The best part is seeing the pure joy and happiness on everyone’s face when we told them.
Just to make you feel better, I spotted red from about 5 weeks until probably about 8 weeks and I have a healthy almost 5 year old! Try not to worry too much <3
Bhahha Kardashian length!!!
I was surprised with both my pregnancies…a girl<3 and a boy<3 We wouldn't do it any other way 🙂
I looooooooooooved being pregnant. I had such an amazing pregnancy. Never felt better in my life about my body, my hormones actually felt like they were “right” or something. I was never so serene in my life. My husband and family said they never saw me so laid back and always in a good mood for that long ever.
At my birthing class in the beginning they made all the husbands answer that same question…least fav and most fav part about pregnancy…we couldn’t think of a least!!! I was nauseous in the first tri but that’s about it. And being swollen, rapid weight gain and dealing with annoying comments in the very end.
Favorites…my hair, my skin, my glow….baby kicks, being so connected to my baby…[I’d be lying if I didn’t say the special treatment from everyone which gets forgotten once you’re a mother]…and just everything. Loved. It was the after that was a little tough but everything was SO worth it! I wouldn’t do anything differently.
I’m only 7 weeks right now so I’m going through the morning sickness (all day sickness), heartburn, fatigue, etc. Although I “feel” miserable I can’t wait until next week when we finally get to see the little bean and hopefully hear the heart beat. It will make it all worth it!!
Already talking about the next baby…that’s sweet 🙂
I was extremely, extremely sick for most of my pregnancy. It was horrible. I forced myself to leave the house and try to conduct a normal life as much as possible but there were certain hours of the day where I hugged the porcelain god and it went on for months. Ugh. Not fun! Definitely a blah.
But of course the fun: knowing I was growing a human and would get to meet her soon…that was the best thing ever 🙂
Congrats on your Kardash length hair!
I’m 37 weeks along today and my favorite has been baby movement and hiccups! So hilarious and cute. That’s really it though, I won’t be one of those girls that miss pregnancy.
My least favorites… not fitting into my clothes and just lately prodomal labor – very painful contractions 2-5 minutes apart that keep me up all night a few times a week but don’t lead to dilation. Baby is teasing me!
From reading up about it, it might actually mean labor is around the corner though, so I’m starting to appreciate them – I just want to get a good night’s sleep!
The best with both of mine (son, then daughter) were the kicks and rolls…so neat to feel the person growing inside. The worst (aside from the extreme morning, noon, and night sickness with my daughter) was the heartburn. Toward the end I was always amazed at the size of my belly…so big!! I totally missed being pregnant afterward, too!
“different-looking boobs.” I am frightened! Although, I will say that everything about pregnancy and birth scares me. Good thing there are no babies in my near future.*
My least favorite thing about being pregnant was having geststional diabetes. Right when I thought I could eat as much of whatever I wanted, I was put on a strict diet, boo. My favorite part of my first two pregnancies were the ultrasounds. For my third pregnancy I was having twins, nothing will ever be able to top that surprise 🙂
i can’t even imagine! that’s amazing 🙂
I loved being pregnant, despite all the difficulties getting there. When I finally got pregnant (after 4 miscarriages) I bleed the entire pregnancy. Super scary, but I bought a doppler and learned to trust that little heartbeat would keep going.
Also not a fan of the hairy belly that no one told me could happen….gross! But thankfully, it went away right after she was born 🙂
My favorite thing was for the first time in my life I felt truly, naturally beautiful. I didn’t suck in my gut when I walked into a room…I stuck it out! My skin glowed, my hair shined and I rarely felt the need for makeup. And you know what, that feeling sticks with you after you’ve given birth. You realize how amazing you really are One of the many gifts of being a mother.
I’m still at the “alien” stage of life. No kids for us for a while. We have 2 dogs though, and one of them still isn’t potty trained. I feel like I’m getting a preview though with having to get up every 2 hours because the puppy is crying.
4 babies and 5 lost pregnancies in the past 10 years and to me the best part is feeling the baby move and kick as reassurance that everything is well. I will not miss the worry that all will be okay and all day sickness or fatigue for the first trimester of the pregnancy, but do miss the great skin and hair that lasted until the end. I will not miss trying to find a nursing bra that lends real support. Btw…the “different looking” boob thing is just the beginning during pregnancy…when your milk comes in, they take on a life of their own :).
Labor and delivery…easier than imagined and not bad at all. I did have epidurals for all…never saw a needle.
What was unexpected to me was what to really expect after delivery, so check in with a friend for those details of the 24-72 hours following delivery. It is good to know what to expect with either type of delivery…(vaginal or csection).
Congrats again!! Enjoy these moments.
I’m SO looking forward to dance parties in my belly – right now I’m just bloated and loving every second of it! 🙂
I have totally said the words “being pregnant is like having an alien grow inside you” so I laughed so hard when you said that!!!! But in all honestly, reading your blog has given me a whole new perspective and pregnancy now sounds less alien-like 🙂
Lots of things freak me about about child birth, namely stretch marks, finances, losing my freedom to come and go when I please, being tired, worrying about miscarriage during the first trimester, my husband being disgusted, and…. pooping during delivery. Funny thing is, I’m not really worried about raising a kid- I came from a large family and am a teacher, so that part doesn’t scary. It’s those darn 9 months!
I dont have kids yet,but the things that freak me out are: *having epilepsy {I googled it andepilepsy or atshma=high risk preggo ness,I have both 0.0} * bad body image *risk of miscarriage or somehting going wrong 0.0 :/ *labor and *having to change how I eat icluding cutting out coffee :/
I totally miss being pregnant. It was one of the most wonderful times of my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but the whole motherhood thing is a struggle. Enjoy every moment!
I just had twins 3 months ago and the best part of the pregnancy was all the extra ultrasounds we got! Because twin pregnancies are considered high risk, we had to get them every two weeks and it was so fun to watch them grow at each visit. So, so exciting!! The worst part of the pregnancy? Diastisis. Ugh. I sure hope my abdominal muscles repair themselves!!
Don’t get too attached to that hair…around 4 months post-partum you’ll brush your hair one day and your hair brush will be FULL of hair. And then you’ll realize that you really haven’t been losing any hair for the past 9-10 months….until that moment….and you’ll start finding it everywhere. I’m almost a full month into the “loss” and it’s more annoying than anything else (read: gross IMO), possibly the most annoying thing about pregnancy 🙂
LOVED pregnancy. Loved knowing I was “growing a human” 🙂 Loved feeling said growing human move. Loved finding out both times that we were having a girl. TWO girls!!! <3 Loved getting to know just how awesome our bodies are. How awesome and how much of a miracle life is.
Oh, but the boobs post-breastfeeding? Tragic. 🙁
I guess what freaks me out about pregnancy is having absolutely no control over how your body changes and what it does. I also think that’s the really exciting part about it too! 😀
The only thing that makes me not look forward to pregnancy is the actual labor + childbirth. Oh, and not cooking with booze.
Right now, at 4 weeks, pregnancy is rough. I don’t mind the symptoms, but I hate the worry and anxiety of not knowing if this baby will stick with me. I enjoyed reading this post and am hopeful that someday soon I’ll be feeling baby kicks of my own!
I dislike missing out on sushi and delicions libations, too. I also hate how some people like to treat you as if you’re about to break or something. Today I rode a bike to get lunch, and some of my coworkers were like, “should you be doing that?” Um, I think I can handle a half mile bike ride on a beach cruiser, thanks!
At the same time, I do love the attention! People seem so happy and excited for us, it’s infectious. And in a weirdo, sick way, I’m kind of excited for the labor. I always love physical challenges and this just seems like the ultimate challenge. (LOL, you can tell this is my first!)
I’m deathly afraid of the actual act of giving birth!!!! I’m not pregnant and we’re no where near being ready, but when the time comes, it scares the bajeezus out of me! One of our deployed pilots actually passed along a pregnancy book to one of our girls who is expecting! Tugged at my heart 🙂 I think it’s very alien like to feel something kicking you, but at the same time very cool. I can’t wait to get pregnant but at the same time…can. My mom just emailed me saying she was taking my cousin’s two sons to see dolphin tale…”just practicing for when it’s my two grandsons!” ummm…no pressure but we just got married in July!
Wow, I think my top four things I won’t like about being pregnant are the same as yours!! Thank God I’m a weights girl through and through, but I will miss doing power yoga. Don’t even get me started on how much I will miss sushi!!
I have gnarly dancer feet too! I sweat they get worse with age… my big toe increasingly appears to be moving away from the others :S
i totally miss power yoga.
glad i’m not the only one with funny toes! my big toes and pinky toes got it the worst 😉
It is so good that the number of things you love way outweighs the things your not so pleased with! I am TOTALLY freaked about being pregnant ever. I think I would learn to love it like you, but now I can’t even imagine it!
The only thing that bothered me was the morning sickness in the beginning. I absolutely loved being pregnant! When my son was born, I was thrilledmto have him in my arms, buti truly missed the closeness I felt of having him moving in my belly. It was such a beautiful feeling. I do miss being pregnant, especially those kicks and rolls!
I watched “The Business of Being Born” two days ago and instead of convincing me that a natural birth with midwives is the way to go, it actually did the opposite for me. Don’t get me wrong, I think all those women are freaking superheroes, but I am just not. I’m now scared to death about the whole thing and can see myself having a planned C-section (if I’m blessed enough to get pregnant at some point).
I know this sounds really immature and cowardly to some, but we all know what we can handle and well… I can’t handle THAT.
I think you’re amazing for choosing the Bradley method and for the way you’re handling this entire pregnancy. I am super excited for you and Tom and cannot wait for her birthday and seeing tons of pics and reading post-baby posts!
doesn’t sound cowardly to me at all- you do what’s best for you <3
i can't wait for her birthday! finally getting to meet her is going to be so amazing
Ohhhh, wine. How I miss thee. And I’m only 14 weeks along, sigh. I think a lot of the “fun” parts of pregnancy are on the way for me now though, so that’s exciting– not much is all that fun in the first trimester, other than the excitement over the fact that you’re actually pregnant!
Ohhhh, wine. How I miss thee. And I’m only 14 weeks along, sigh. I think a lot of the “fun” parts of pregnancy are on the way for me now though, so that’s exciting– not much is all that fun in the first trimester, other than the excitement over the fact that you’re actually pregnant!
My top 4 would be speed training, wine, sushi & energy.
Do you know if sunwarrior protein is safe in preganancy?
i’ve been eating it this entire time, but check with your doc <3
thank you!
My least favorite part was how huge I got. Even with #3 when I only gained 35 lbs I was 50 inches around. My largest around with #1 and I was 60 inches around. My favorite was feeling them move around. My last pregnancy actually wasn’t so bad, towards the end I kept thinking it wouldn’t be so bad to have another, but if it were like the pregnancies for #1, #2 or I had another miscarriage I don’t think I could handle it. Instead we decided for #4 we’ll adopt in a few years when we’re ready to expand our family.
I’m definitely not looking forward to not sleeping on my stomach. That’s the only position where I can fall asleep pretty much. I’m not a big drinker so I won’t miss alcohol too much, but I will miss sushi!
SO far pregnancy has been pretty good to me. 24 weeks and counting.
What I miss?: Running races (for speed-not just ‘for fun’), BEER, and having more energy.
What I love?: Definitely the amazing long and full hair I have got going (haven’t cut it since I got pregnant), my new C cups =) and the fact that I have still been able to have an active pregnancy and feel good about myself. And, OF COURSE, knowing that there is a little girl in there that will be arriving in a few short months!!!
For the record, most of the “different looking stuff” went back to normal for me after both pregnancies. 🙂
i like to hear that 🙂
Yes, I fear episiotomies. Babies are a few years off for me, but I feel a real sense of anxiety over whether getting on ‘just in case’ is better or whether the 90% episiotomy rate in US hospitals is more of our over-medicating, over-doctoring of a natural process. Seriously. This is what keeps me up at night.
that freaks me out, too. thank goodness that the midwives i see don’t believe in that- they rub you with oil and coach you through pushing slowly so you can minimize tears
I read something recently (maybe in “What to Expect”) that episiotomies aren’t widely practices anymore. I wonder if that’s true.
i’ve read mixed information about that- the good news is that it isn’t standard practice with the midwives i’m seeing. the thought of it makes me cringe
so far my least favorite part was the all day sickness that lasted until lovely week 17 & joined me on a trip to Miami and NYC, fun stuff I tell ya. Oh, and that my husband has been gone the entire time, but only 3 weeks until he is home!!! My favorite part is for sure all the movement and the fact that now I know when it will happen, as soon as I start chugging water or eating anything she goes crazy. I know I will miss that special part once she arrives, but you are right- healthy,happy baby is worth the trade 🙂
I’m 4 weeks and my husband will be gone from about 12 weeks up until 35 weeks! I’m trying to convince myself that him being there for the first heartbeat and then the delivery is what matters. He doesn’t need to see me fat and cranky – right??
I am with ya on the “Top 3” but would add MISSING YOGA. I have tried numerous prenatal classes and always leave feeling ‘jipped’, just gonna do some on my own until i can get back to Bikram:) But, other than that, i am blessed to be having a wonderful pregnancy, heck i feel like i get more compliments on my hair, skin and just ‘glow’ now more than ever – it is awesome!!!!!
I bet you are going to cruise through since so far it has been easy peasy for ya. I def think it is due to you being so healthy girl:)
My favorite parts about pregnancy are feeling her move and hearing her heartbeat at the doctor. I’m also excited about my 36 week ultrasound in less than 3 weeks, I love seeing her on the screen, she has come a long way from the ultrasounds we had from weeks 5-12. Least favorite part would have to be the awful nausea between weeks 5-16, I was so sick that I managed to drop 8 pounds during that time, not fun. I also miss being able to exercise intensely. I got back on the workout wagon once I was feeling better at week 17, but I currently have to push myself to do something because I’m becoming more tired as the days pass at this point. Sometimes it does feel like an alien is in my belly and it is hard for me to fathom that there is another human being inside of me, haha.
“…someone really loves you if they are willing to rub your feet”. Truth.
I am 25 weeks pregnant right now and the best parts are feeling KICKS and seeing her move around during ultrasounds 🙂
What freaks me out about pregnancy? The whole BABY thing (LOL!).
I agree on the foot rubs! I’m not pregnant, but my soon to be hubby (in 8 days) will automatically rub them when I prop them in his lap. Its amazing!
Just wait til she’s born and she’s doing the stretches on the outside and you can say “Oh, so that’s what you were doing in there”.
I missed sushi, turkey sandwiches, wine and coffee while I was pregnant. But I’d give them up anytime to have my wonderful daughter:)