When Pregnancy Sucks
Last week we talked about when parenting sucks, but sometimes, the suck comes long before Jr makes his or her appearance. Everyone hopes for the Hollywood version of pregnancy: you glow, you bloom, you radiate with the joy of anticipation. For most, pregnancy isn’t quite that simple.
Nausea:
Even though TV dramas have prepared us for the reality that is morning (all-day) sickness, it is something different entirely when it is you experiencing it! Combine that with early pregnancy exhaustion and for many, the first trimester is like being sick with the flu for months on end. Certainly not most people’s idea of a joyful time. And it’s hard to glow when you are a constant shade of green.
Skin changes:
Speaking of glow….your oil productions glands are working overtime! But instead of that dewy look of magazine advertisements, it has just made you break out like when you were 15. Scoping out acne treatments when high school is just a distant memory is not all it has cracked up to be!
Aches, Pains, and Tingles:
Fingers tingling? That’s not anticipation, its probably carpel tunnel syndrome. The aches are caused by the hormone relaxin loosening all your joints, and those pains are the round ligaments in your abdomen stretching to accommodate your growing uterus! Sounds glamorous, doesn’t it?
Bump Attack:
Once you start to show, that precious bump of yours is open season for everyone around you. They will comment, question, or even touch your baby belly. It doesn’t matter that they would be highly offended if you questioned their food baby. And it won’t cross anyone’s minds that your changing body is anything less than a source of excitement. After all, it isn’t their body growing and changing! They aren’t trying to find clothes that fit, flatter, and feel comfortable. You are!
Everything Else:
Maybe you can’t see your feet, or coffee makes you sick. You miss wine with dinner, and your favourite shoes don’t fit anymore. You are exhausted, but you can’t sleep. You are eating Tums all day long, and your bladder is suddenly the size of a pea. It seems like any time one symptom disappears, another takes it’s place. And complaining about it gets you dagger looks from friends and family. They just don’t understand why you can’t enjoy every moment.
We know that you are excited to meet your baby. And we know that for some people, pregnancy is fun and enjoyable. But it isn’t for everyone. For some people, pregnancy simply sucks. Your pregnancy doesn’t have to be scary or high risk in order to get you down.
You don’t need to love being pregnant. You officially have permission, right now, to acknowledge that, sometimes, pregnancy just sucks. Maybe, for you, your whole pregnancy sucks. And that is okay.
When you hire Toronto Family Doulas, you get listening ears that won’t judge you for not being thrilled. If your pregnancy feels like a never-ending parade of new symptoms that just won’t let up, we are here to listen.We know that not loving pregnancy does not mean you don’t love your child.