Following on from my lighthearted take on the Best Bits of Pregnancy, here's my rundown on the Worst Bits (so far, I hasten to add!) I'm 33 weeks pregnant so obviously there is still worse to come... i.e. giving birth but I've still managed to amass quite a few Con's on my pregnancy journey so far, so here goes!
Everybody Wants To Give You Advice
Now, sometimes its appreciated. Of course. I have very few friends who've had babies themselves so when they give me advice I take it gratefully, as I do with advice from people like my Mum or my midwife, but when you get given advice from people who haven't even had a baby, that gets a bit annoying. "You should buy this type of pram" "Didn't you know that you need to do 'x' before the baby gets here?" "You will wee and poo yourself, you know?" I think some people don't realise that every pregnancy is different, and everyone's approach to it is different too. Just because one thing works for someone, doesn't mean it'll work for someone else. Please, guys, only give me/ANY pregnant lady advice if you actually mean for it to be helpful. Not patronising and certainly not pushy.
You Have No Control Over Your Body
I've spoken previously about how it feels to be fat and pregnant, and my concerns about weight gain and my changing body shape, but this definitely isn't a worry that is devoted purely to plus size women. I wish it wasn't something I worried about but, yeah, it is. My bump was non-existent for the first 5 months and I hated that, and now that its popped I hate the shape... There's just no pleasing me. Add into the mix the occasional swollen foot, terrible nails which just don't seem to want to do anything other than snap, and stretchmarks that give off the impression that I've been attacked by Wolverine. I know that these superficial changes aren't important and that, with time, I'll be back to my usual self (and hopefully a bit better) but knowing that no matter what creams you use, how careful you are with your food intake and so on, you ultimately can't control how your body will react to pregnancy, is kinda hard to accept.
Oh, and when you need the toilet - just go. You don't want to risk any little leaks when you sneeze.
Sick, sick and more sick.
I was lucky enough to be *blessed* with about 4 months of morning sickness. Every day at the exact same time (between 8.15 and 8.45am, FYI) I'd have to run to the bathroom, retching and bring my coco pops and orange juice straight back up again. And then clean it, my hair and my face up all before setting off to work at 8.50am. Fun times. To be honest, I think that morning sickness was probably the only reason I didn't gain weight for such a long time, so at least it has one perk.
Bump Envy
I don't know about you, but when I think of a pregnant lady I think of a lovely, smooth perfectly round belly, that is obviously a baby bump whether it's in a tight vest or hiding under a maxi dress. This is what I crave. Every time I see someone who I know is pregnant they have these beautiful bumps and, whether they're huge or tiny bumps, they always look amazing. Every week I scroll through Instagram making myself green with envy over how perfect everyone else's bumps look. In the beginning, I thought my bump was too small... now I think it's too big... but also a bit flat. The grass is always greener, right? I think it's natural for any girl, in this day and age of low self-esteem and *ahem* Instagram filters, to feel self-conscious over their pregnant body, but you (and I) just need to remind yourself that - in this scenario more than ever before - it's whats inside that counts. If your baby has everything it needs to grow and flourish, then how you're carrying your weight doesn't matter at all.
Aches & Pains
You guessed it - being pregnant hurts. Not only are you carrying around an extra little person inside you, but your ligaments loosen which causes pain, your posture changes which can lead to backache and, as you get closer to your due date and the baby moves down, pelvic and hip pain become a constant source of discomfort - as I've learnt in the last few days! Do you know what I'd normally do if I was achy? Pop a couple of ibuprofen and soak in a hot bath but, nope, you can't even do that when you're pregnant because, yep, ibuprofen and hot baths are both out of the question. Having said that, it does give you a great excuse to get booked in for that back massage!
No Wine. No Pâté. No Joy.
Okay, so I'm exaggerating a lot bit. I can live without wine, and I can certainly live without pate, but life really is a little less joyful because of all these things that I'm suddenly "not allowed." I'm not a big drinker but a glass of red wine when I'm watching a film with S, or a nice cold bottle of fruity cider in a beer garden right about now would be amazing. And as for the pâté... well, I can assure you its one of the first things that I'll be eating when I get out of hospital once this little one is safely delivered.
What did you find the hardest about pregnancy?
Were there any foods or drinks you really missed?
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