10 Great Things About Pregnancy

Everything has a silver lining, and not everything about my pregnancy was awful. While I wouldn't want to be pregnant again anytime soon, here's a list of the ten greatest things about my pregnancy. Some of the points were in the sister post, 10 Terrible Things About Pregnancy. Life is funny like that, sometimes.

Number 10 - Preferred Parking

Unfortunately, I didn't get to experience this myself. I discovered the "Expectant Mother" spot at Publix after I gave birth, of course. Murphy's law strikes again. But, if I had seen it before I gave birth, I'm sure it would have been awesome!





Number 9 - Doctor's Appointments

This is one of the ones that's both good and bad. The doctor's appointments are a good thing, too. Mostly because there isn't much more exciting than seeing the baby during the sonograms and hearing it's heart beat. Knowing that you're healthy is good, too, of course.

Number 8 - Worry
Another double-lister. The worry can be good, too. If you're worried about what you're eating and exposing yourself to, the baby has the potential to be healthier. It can also drive you to do more research and find out exactly what you're getting yourself into.




Number 7 - Having a Heightened Sense of Smell

This one definitely deserved a spot on the other list, as well. I can't tell you how many times I've choked on people's rank cologne (Spray and walk away, people!) But, having the super-smellies can be a good thing, too. For instance, you can smell if meat or milk has gone bad through the package. And no one can lie to you about whether they've been drinking... That's really about it, actually.


Number 6 - The Nesting Instinct

The nesting instinct is a powerful thing. And nothing satiates it more than folding baby clothes, painting, and building your own personal diaper arsenal. Seeing all that stuff for the future baby and being prepared can be a great feeling.









Number 5 - Cravings

Another double-lister, cravings can be awesome. You can eat whatever you want and it doesn't matter, you're pregnant! Granted, they can get a little weird (I craved cheese and Spanish olives once), but satisfying a pregnancy craving is really the only thing that matters to you at that moment.






Number 4 - People Cater to You

This is a good one. If you don't feel like getting up, ask someone else, they'll totally get it for you! When you're pregnant, you get to embrace your laziness. No one gets mad at you for sleeping all day, you're creating life! Live it up while you can.







Number 3 - Having an Irrefutable Excuse

This one kind of ties in with number 4. If you don't feel like doing something or going somewhere, you're pregnant, you really don't have to! Don't want to go to work? Call in, you're pregnant! Best. Excuse. Ever.







Number 2 - Feeling the Baby Kick

Like the chest-burster from Alien, you have something alive inside of you that wants out. Dahlia was channeling a Cossack dancer in utero. I swear that girl bruised my ribs. But, when it happens, you don't really mind. It helps you feel more connected to the baby and can definitely ease your worry that something's wrong.






Number 1 - Giving Birth

Now, I can't say that there is absolutely anything pleasant about the actual process of giving birth, but the aftermath is pretty great. Holding your baby for the first time (once you're completely conscious, that is) is the greatest feeling. It's pride, accomplishment, love, happiness, and just a little bit of sadness all rolled into one. Also, you know that feeling you get after you take a really big poop? It's that, too (for, real, I popped a blood vessel in my eye). But after that, prepare yourself for at least two months of nightly hell. As a side note, never ever ever google image "giving birth." It does not show what one might think. Shame on you, Internet.

10 Terrible Things About Pregnancy

I thought I would continue on in the same vein for now with another list. Each pregnancy is different, some are great and some are awful. I wasn't one of the lucky ones that glowed with the beauty of pregnancy. I was pissy, bloated, and felt ugly most of the time. So, here's a list of the ten worst things I experienced during pregnancy.

Number 10 - Morning Sickness

My morning sickness wasn't morning sickness, it was all day sickness. From the moment my feet hit the floor, I was nauseous. In case anyone that hasn't been "blessed" by a pregnancy is wondering, that is a horrible way to start the day. I think the only thing that was worse than the constant nausea and vomiting was people giving you all sorts of "solutions." Everyone seems to have their own home remedy for morning sickness and no one is afraid to share it with you. While that doesn't seem so bad, it gets tiresome telling people that you've already tried it or some variation thereof. In the end, you just have to grin and bear it.


Number 9 - Bloating/General Fatness

There is nothing more depressing than trying to slide on your favorite pair of jeans, only to realize you're officially forced into your first pair of mom jeans. The type with the elastic band in the belly. I waddled around feeling like a manatee. If you saw me, you could bet that my jeans weren't buttoned. None of your shirts will fit, either. Say goodbye to that concert t-shirt you got when you were 17, you'll likely never wear it again.





Number 8 - Cravings

Granted, sometimes the cravings are nice, because no one can or will deny you food. But, just my luck, I happened to crave something unattainable. My biggest craving was Fazoli's. If you're unfamiliar with Fazoli's, it's a kinda-sorta Italian fast food joint. Unfortunately, there are no longer any Fazoli's located in the Central Florida area. The closest one is in Valdosta, Georgia. If it was up to me, I would've driven to Georgia to get me some damn Fazoli's, but having car problems, I was stuck. Having an unsatisfied pregnancy craving is possibly comparable to light torture. Until you satisfy that craving, it's pretty much all you can think about.


Number 7 - Doctor's Appointments

In the first few months of my pregnancy, I was considered high risk. I was originally having twins and that places you in the high risk category. Because of that, I had to go to the doctor every two weeks instead of the normal every three. It can be very frustrating to have someone look at your vagina that often. I felt like the doctor could've at least bought me dinner first. And you're actually paying this person to make you uncomfortable.





Number 6 - People Touching You

Now, this only happened to me a few times. Apparently, I'm intimidating and not a lot of people have the guts to do this, but I've heard from other women that they're constantly getting touched. People, for some reason, think it's okay to touch your belly. If you're like me, this is horrible. Random people touching you is akin to running backwards through a cornfield naked. People, keep your hands to yourself.





Number 5 - Swelling/Numbing

Your hands and your feet swell. Your socks are all of a sudden leaving dents in your ankles. Your rings don't fit anymore. In my case, during the third trimester, my hands were constantly numb, which is very uncomfortable.




Number 4 - Worry

You're constantly worrying that what you're doing is affecting the baby. If you pick something up, you wonder if it was too heavy. You wonder if the greasy pizza you had is going to make the baby fat. Is that Advil you took going to affect the baby? This will keep you up all night.






Number 3 - No Drinking

I had just turned 21 when I got pregnant. I had just enough time to get a favorite liquor, then no more drinking. It was way worse when someone would drink around you, especially margaritas, my favorite. Talk about having fantasies of throwing a drink in someone's face!




Number 2 - Heartburn
Oh. My. God. Heartburn. I had it all day, every day. I carried one of the big bottles of Tums around with me everywhere. Once, I had it so bad that I couldn't stop groaning and crying, but I didn't have any Tums. Ben went to the 7-11 at 2AM and came home with every brand of heartburn medicine the store sold.
The old wive's tale is true, though. Dahlia had a full head of hair when she was born.




Number 1 - Giving Birth

Of course, giving birth is the worst thing about pregnancy. Other than the obvious, pain, it's the anticipation that kills you. Around my eighth month, I became determined to be done with it. I was so miserable, I would've tried just about anything to get her out. I walked and walked and walked to no avail. I jumped up and down, nothing. I tried to bribe the neighbor into letting me use their trampoline, but they refused. Finally, my mom convinced me to get a yoga ball. I bounced on that damn yoga ball for like a week, then it finally happened when I wasn't even trying. I was sitting on my mom's bed, I stood up, and my water broke (ruining one of the only pairs of jeans that fits me). After all the boring parts, once full blown labor started, I really don't remember much. I remember the awful pain. I remember screaming and cussing. I remember apologizing for being such a bitch and then screaming and cussing more. And I remember wishing I was dead. But, I wouldn't undo it for anything in the world.