You waited anxiously for months on your sweet baby to arrive, you counted down the hours until your due date, and the third trimester seemed to last forever. Pregnancy can certainly be unpleasant, and for some it can be completely miserable, but I don’t think it’s all bad. Matter of fact, there are a few things that I actually miss about pregnancy. Does that make me crazy? Maybe so.
ALL OF THE FOOD, NONE OF THE GUILT
When my pregnancy appetite kicked into high gear, I did not hesitate to indulge, and you shouldn’t either! You are eating to nurture your growing baby, and that is the best dang reason I can think of to stuff your face. As long as the doctor wasn’t concerned about me putting on an unhealthy amount of weight, neither was I! At four months postpartum, eating serving sizes a child would laugh at in an attempt to lose some of the baby weight, I definitely miss those big indulgent pregnancy meals.
NO PERIOD
Nine glorious months of not worrying about pads, tampons or panty liners truly spoiled me. By the end, I almost forgot there was such a thing as periods! I’m kidding, but seriously not having a period was one of the best pregnancy perks, hands down. The bleeding comes back with a vengeance after giving birth, unfortunelty, so I enjoyed it while it lasted. An added bonus was not worrying about getting pregnant, because, well, I was already pregnant. Since I had no intention of trying to conceive immediately after having my baby, I had 9 months to ponder my birth control options and try to find the best fit for me. I am terrible at decisions so it really took some time and serious thinking to make a decision.
THE PREGNANCY EXCUSE
This little gem can and will get you out of almost anything you want to avoid. Don’t want to clean the bathroom? Well, you don’t have to, you are pregnant after all! You don’t want to run out to get dog food? Send your husband, you shouldn’t be picking up that heavy dog food anyways. I may have abused this one a little, but my husband truly didn’t want me doing anything too strenuous, so I got to relax quite a bit during pregnancy.
KICKS AND MOVEMENTS
Nothing made me feel closer to my baby than being the first one to feel her tiny little movements. Her kicks and jabs gave me reassurance she was doing well and thriving. I loved feeling my baby grow stronger and feeling her movements go from something I could barely feel, to something that could knock a remote off my belly! If your baby is anything like mine, you will be the only one to feel her move for a while. Anytime anyone, including my husband, would try to feel her moving she would immediately stop. She was, and still is, funny like that.
ATTENTION
I’m gonna take off my modest mask for this one and confess: I really did enjoy the attention that came with pregnancy (most of the time.) Everyone flocks to you to ask how you’re doing, how the baby is doing, if you’ve picked out a name, etc. I was surprised I enjoyed this increase in attention because I am normally an introvert, but regardless it was still a pleasant change. You and your growing bump will be the center of attention for quite some time, so enjoy it, because after the baby is born no one seems to care how mama is doing anymore.
SHOPPING
The baby section at Target is a marvelous wonderland filled with many items I want, need, and often times can’t afford. I could’ve browsed those isles all day long if my swollen pregnancy feet would allow it. It’s so hard to resist buying all the tiny clothes you can get your hands on because they are just too darn cute! So don’t hesitate to shop until your cart runneth over with baby items, because I understand, and I am right there with you.
ME TIME
You’ve just welcomed a tiny human into your home. This tiny human cannot meet any of its own needs. This tiny human is completely dependent on you. When you are so busy taking care of others it’s hard to remember to take time for yourself. Long leisurely showers have become a thing of the past for me, now I’m trying to hop in and hop out before my baby wakes up screaming once she realizes I have left the room. I knew what I signed up for when I became a mom, and I love it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss the days where I didn’t have to enlist a baby sitter to get any alone time.
KEEPING BABY SAFE
When I was pregnant I read a lot of articles (probably too many) on SIDS, Infant Fatalities and anything else that reeled me in with clickbait. I was (and still am) terrified of all that could go wrong with my little baby. I was confident in my body’s ability to keep my baby safe during pregnancy, and not so confident about my ability to keep up the good work after the baby is born. This world is a scary place and I feel powerless now that my baby is exposed to it.
TREAT YO’ SELF
Part of this could fall under me time but I felt it deserved it’s own point. During pregnancy your body is doing some wildly impressive stuff and you deserve to be pampered for it! Massages, a new hair cut, and facials are just a few things you could do to unwind during your seemingly decade long pregnancy. Take this time to relax and enjoy yourself! I don’t know many people brave enough to say anything about a pregnant woman getting her third pedicure of the week, so have at it!
STRETCHY PANTS
Ah, stretchy pants, I saved the best for last. I have heard some complaints about maternity pants and honestly, I can’t relate. I don’t know, maybe I just got lucky, but the first pair I tried on felt like heaven compared to my pre pregnancy jeans I had been trying to squeeze into for far too long! I even wore my maternity pants several weeks post partum, because I believe comfort is key part of recovery. If you are waiting until you get a little bigger to buy maternity clothes, wait no longer. The comfort and ease of maternity pants is unbeatable and should be cherished. Trust me.
Of course pregnancy is different for every woman; I know a few that you could not pay to go through pregnancy again! Would you do it over if you could? Is there anything you miss about pregnancy?
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