Things I Love and Dislike about Pregnancy

We all know every pregnancy is different.  The way society reacts, or treats a pregnant woman has pretty much been the same since I was pregnant 9 years ago.  I thought it would be fun to jot down a few loves and dislikes about going through pregnancy:


Loves:

• I love the feeling knowing I’m about to be a Mommy (again).  Nothing can ever replace this feeling.

• For the most part, people are pretty nice to you when they see your growing belly.  People are not so quick to bump into you in the hallway, and will hold open doors for you to slowly waddle through.

• The sales people at baby stores are super helpful to expecting Moms.  Running to get water, a chair, anything that you need.  I know they are looking for you to actually purchase an item from their store, but I’ll take it!

• I love the feeling of my little one doing gymnastics in my belly.  Feeling the little kicks, punches, and rolls are the highlights of my day.  I am now starting to feel a little heel or elbow stretch out trying to find more room.  Here’s a hint baby – there isn’t any more room in there.

• I love that my son is beyond excited for his sister to arrive.  He tells me at least once a day “Mom, I can’t wait for Isabel to get here.”  He says this without prompting and it just warms my heart.  And for you negative Nellie’s out there, yes I know he will change his tune once she gets here and starts screaming.  Let me have my moment.

Dislikes:

• Why do people make eye contact with your belly FIRST before looking anywhere else?  I know my belly is protruding from my body, but I really don’t think at this point it commands your attention any more than I do.  My eyes are up here dahling!

• Being pregnant in the summer. I know I’ve said it before, and I will say it until I deliver…being pregnant in the summer is not the most delightful thing in the world.  I am now relegated to one outing a day.  Not because my doctor told me so either.  I do not have the energy to withstand this heat.

• Needing assistance to get up from the chair/couch.  I feel like Gumby trying to get up from falling flat on the ground.  Arms and legs go everywhere just trying to gain momentum to lift my body from a seated position.  I’m sure this qualifies as entertainment, so I should probably start charging admission.

• I am pregnant, not dead.  I can still go to dinner, watch a movie, or join in on happy hour even if I’m not going to have an adult drink.  Somehow pregnant women get excluded from social plans because I’m sure people think we are contagious.  That has to be the only logical reason I can think of.  Don’t worry, I won’t drink from your cup or sneeze on you.

• Shoes.  They don’t fit.  If they fit in the morning, they aren’t going to fit in the afternoon.  This goes for flip-flops also.  That little band that somehow secures the sole to the rest of the shoe will leave a dent in your foot that takes hours to resolve itself.  I love shoes, and have many heels that look at me longingly every morning when I slip on my flats for the 90th day in a row.  I’ll wear you again…I promise!

• Unless I specifically asked I don’t want to hear your scary stories.  In an age where everyone is trying to “one-up” everyone else, telling me your scary labor/delivery/testing stories is just that.  Scary.

• The phrase “you just wait…”  This might fall into the previous category, but I have separated it out because I think it needs its own bullet point.  Again, I appreciate hearing advice when it is relevant and prompted, but I don’t want to know how your teenager is wreaking havoc for the sole purpose of telling me that I can expect this in 14 years.  I was a teenager once.  I know what havoc is.  I know what I put my parents through.  This hasn’t changed in the past few decades.

While I could probably go on and on with the dislikes, which I know outweigh the loves, I know a few things are certain.

All the pregnant Mommies and already-have-been-pregnant Mommies are doing the best they/we can.

Some pregnant and formerly pregnant women can identify with some, if not all the things on my list.

And finally, while my dislikes outnumber my loves, I can count on one thing.  When this little angel decides to bless us with her presence, all of the dislikes will fly out the window.  I will soon forget how uncomfortable and miserable I was when she takes her first breath, lets out her first cry, and our eyes connect for the very first time. And I know it would have all been worth it.

Janet Fragle works in customer engagement for innovative technology solutions at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano and is pregnant with her second child.