(Just as a side note, pregnancy is amazing and beautiful in so many ways... but at the same time it's hard and painful and sometimes weird. Just being realistic.)
So, to start... here are 5 of the worst parts of being pregnant.
1. Clothes.
Although buying pregnancy clothes isn't a huge downside (hellooo, new clothes! Haha!), I found that after having 2 kids at different times of the year, I now have 4 wardrobes... My regular clothes, Summer pregnancy clothes, Winter pregnancy clothes, and the awkward in between pregnancy and normal clothes (which is basically that awkward limbo your body is in while it's trying to get back to it's normal size after having a baby). Along with all the storage space that is now used up by my 9 month wardrobes, I realized after my first pregnancy that the normal shirts I thought "totally still fit" during my pregnancy were actually just slowly getting stretched out...
2. Moving is harder.
Like really though. Getting up from the couch, bending down to get your kid's shoes on, even just walking around for too long and your hips start to hurt... And people wonder why pregnant women waddle. Lol. Luckily, most of this uncomfortableness doesn't show up as much until the third trimester, but with my third pregnancy, I've noticed that it seems like it is showing up sooner. Part of that could be the fact that I have two kids to haul around the grocery store now which definitely puts more strain on a mom. Either way, by the end of the 9 months, I would be happy just staying in bed... except for the fact that being in literally any position for too long (like for 15 minutes) makes my back hurt... You just can't win.3. Bathroom Trips.
Even before I actually know for sure that I'm pregnant, I start to wonder if I am because I suddenly have to use the restroom every 2 hours. I can make it through the night without waking up every two hours, but I still end up waking up in the middle of the night once just to use the restroom. Not only that, but camping trips are much harder and not quite as fun if you have to run to the restroom in pj's as soon as you wake up...4. Labor... Obviously.
I actually had an epidural with my first two children, so the pain wasn't very bad other than the contractions that were coming before I got the epidural. But even with that, it's not like you're checking into a spa. It's work. And hard work. It's kind of a weird, looking forward to it, but not kind of thing. I'm usually looking forward to meeting my little one, but not looking forward to the actual experience of labor itself. I don't know anyone that actually looks forward to that part of delivering a baby.5. After birth recovery.
I'm not sure if this makes me lucky or not, but the deliveries of my first two kids was actually the easy part. Then, once I thought I was past what was supposed to be hard, it got worse. Having a baby is a lot of work and by the end I was so sore. I kept having to remind myself with Brooke to give it a month and everything will be fine again. Just knowing from before that eventually I'd be normal again, was enough to get me through it all a second time.
As a side note, I really wanted to add "being more emotional" to this list, but the others kind of out trumped it. Seriously though, I'll get all choked up from something as small as a cute commercial and then later in the day be incredibly upset about something super small. The worst part is that I know I'm being overly emotional, but there's not really anything to do about it but ride out the emotions and wait for them to change again. Oh, and eat ice cream. Haha!
Alright, after that list, it's time to be reminded of why women actually go through this... All the actually great things about being pregnant.
1. Clothes...
Yeah, this was on my negatives list, but it's also going on my positives for a very good reason! When I first started getting my pregnancy wardrobe together, I was surprised to find that I liked some of the new shirts more than my normal, regular ones! Aaand, needing pregnancy clothes is a good excuse to go clothes shopping. :)
2. Staying at the hospital.
Some women want to get home as soon as possible once they have their baby. For me, however, that's not the case. I wish I could stay for a week at the hospital after having a baby! They bring you anything you need. They'll take your baby for you when he cries but you're exhausted, they'll bring you your medication at the right time, and they bring you meals. Along with all that, you don't have to worry about cooking, washing dishes, or getting kids ready for bed. (To be honest, John does help out with all this at home anyway, but just not even having to think about any of them is great!) I definitely feel the most pampered in my life after having a baby. Haha!
3. You have no period.
This sounds random but not having a period was possibly the best thing about pregnancy in my opinion (other than #5 in this list). Not only that, but I didn't have a period the entire time (and a few months after) I nursed David and part of the time I was nursing Brooke. It was like an extra few bonus months (or in the case of David, over a year of bonus months! It was great!) Plus, it helps you save some cash that will all end up paying for the epidural anyway...4. You have an automatic excuse.
I don't actually use this "perk" very often, but either way it's actually kind of a negative and a positive. Basically, being pregnant is an excuse you can use to get out of a lot of things. Sounds great when it gets you out of house painting, cooking, dishes... you name it. If it takes hard work, you can sometimes use pregnancy to get out of it. The negative part? You are usually using the "pregnancy card" because you're exhausted, feel sick, your back aches... once again, you name it. In fact, as I'm writing this, my saintly in-laws are painting my upstairs living room. And although I'm not allowed to help, at the same time I know I wouldn't be much help today. I've been feeling super tired and slightly light headed when I stand for longer than 5 minutes with no support... So, this one's definitely a win, lose.
5. The baby!
Obviously the biggest reason pregnancy is great is the little baby you hold at the end. I remember feeling David move inside my stomach for the first time and how sweet that moment was. And then after David was born and seeing him for the first time, I thought that he was the cutest baby I had ever seen in my life. My heart was so full of love for this sweet little boy and it was the same way with our little Brooke. It's incredible how instantly the connection you felt with your little one before they were officially "here" is even stronger and more solidified once you see them and get to hold them.
I'm sure everyone's list would be different, but for me, these are the first 5 I thought of and (mostly) my top at this point in time. If anyone has a different list, I'd love to hear what it is! I'm kind of curious to hear other people's lists since I know pregnancy is different for everyone. And no matter what the list of negatives ends up being, getting to hold your little baby for the first time definitely trumps everything else there is! Having a little one is work, but it is so worth it in the end!
No comments:
Post a Comment