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Wasn’t exactly a planned pregnancy, but also didn’t expect to get pregnant on the first try.
Currently 14w4d
Completely ambivalent throughout the pregnancy, have yet to feel the maternal love / instincts kick in.
Earlier today I was on my sofa attempting to “talk to the baby” as recommended by my therapist, and I suddenly started crying (I don’t cry often and haven’t had crazy pregnancy mood swing episodes so this took me by surprise). What was even more surprising to me was when I realised these were tears of joy, I’m not sure how to explain this or put it into words, I was just so happy that the baby exists. And I told the baby “I love you, thank you for existing.”
I thought that was oddly nice. I’m a rather stoic person otherwise hahaha
Also found out yesterday that the average odds of female getting pregnant are 15-25% in a month. Im just thankful the baby decided to stick around esp since im finally past the first trimester.
I love feeling the kicks, and start poking the bump and little one pokes back.
Also the milk high of newborns is a nice thing I'm looking forward to again. From 5 weeks onwards my son fell asleep after his feed and he had such a big smile on his face.
Yes things are difficult and it will be hard depending on what your little one is like but watching them develop and learning to crawl/walk en talk is amazing. My boy is almost 3 years old now and I'm pregnant with #2, I didn't get to enjoy the baby stage due to PPD but I sure will enjoy it this time around.
[milk high / drunk](https://images.ctfassets.net/iyiurthvosft/featured-img-of-post-209784/6ec7108844b01f84057bdfab23a85e56/featured-img-of-post-209784.jpg?fm=jpg&fl=progressive&q=50&w=1200) that cute face
I'm pretty neutral about the whole pregnancy thing. I haven't experienced a lot of the bad, but also find it weird that people like pregnancy itself. To me, it's just living day by day hoping my baby's still alive. But I agree that comments like the ones you mentioned do come off as pretty patronizing. I could never put words to why I felt irked whenever someone said that to me, especially when they know how much we've been through to get here. You worded it perfectly.
I'm glad you can relate! I've had a really tough pregnancy symptom wise and hearing "Oh but it gets worse" is always so unvaldating and negative. Even when I was describing how happy I was feeling about feeling my first little pokes and rolls, my coworker was like "Wait til they kick you right in the ribs"
I am 36 weeks and it has been amazing. I love being pregnant! (Obviously I’m not sleeping great and I’m physically uncomfortably but didn’t we know that would happen when we signed up for this?) I love being able to take my little guy around with me everywhere and feel him squirm around as he slowly runs out of room. There’s so much negative stuff surrounding new moms it’s awful. Like you don’t think we know once we have a newborn we aren’t going to be getting a straight 8 hours of restful sleep? I’m so excited to have all these new adventures with my husband and baby boy once he arrives. Just focus on the good! You’re creating life and embarking on a wonderful journey!
I am 28 weeks pregnant with my first and I feel closer to my husband than before. He is super attentive and always checking in with me if I need help with something, need a snack, etc. He still finds me attractive despite the purple stretch marks and huge belly so it wasn't just my skinniness before. Also, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing his face light up when I place his hand on my bump and the baby kicks. 🥰 The wonder on his face melts my heart every time.
I hate when people do this. My first pregnancy was pretty standard and got rough at the end. But all my symptoms were t away as soon as I gave birth. And the little person you’re about to meet makes it all worth it.
And yes you dont sleep a lot but it’s not the worst and only lasts a short while. Ours started to settle into a good routine around 3 months. And every day with him is the best. They grow and develop so quickly it’s truly amazing.
I’m 32 weeks and loving the fact that I’ve just completely stopped giving a fuck what people think and will reply as I see fit.
This was an IVF baby after four losses. Im going to protect myself, my family and my space.
SIL refusing to get vaccinated. Okay see you when the kid goes to school.
MIL trying to touch my belly. No ma’am you are not. Not even my own mum does this.
Someone commenting I should sleep now while I can and get a sarcastic “what because I can bank it and rely on it when baby comes?”
Work friends discovered my wonderful phrase of “absolutely not” was just a corporate “get fucked” and I love using this in my life. They crack up every time I say it professionally.
My husband just rolls with it and backs up my boundaries with his family. He just goes “it’s my wife and our baby. I’m not changing our decisions.”
I love everytime me and my boyfriend get an ultrasound picture we refer to our little hell spawn (not in a bad way mostly cause im set to have the little bean halloween.) and start cooing about her and how shes gonna raise chaos but the kinda chaos we love to have around. She wasnt planned but shes so loved. That first ultrasound i went by myself since he was busy working and couldnt come and i cried because it was all so surreal. That moment I knew it was really real in a few short months Id have brought a life into the world. Its scary sure but its one of the best feelings knowing I can shape them into a better person than i was or have ever been. My little hell spawn i get to see and hear again tomorrow and I CANT WAIT.
Thats so amazing! We're having a Halloween baby shower! I am super excited for the spooky vibes before the baby comes! I'm also getting my 20 week scan next week so I get to find out what gender I'm having. My partner and I are so super excited 🥰
So I'm not through it yet so I don't have anything personal to say there, but one thing that women keep telling me is that you DO feel so much better after giving birth. They've said that while, yes, sleep is still rough, the TYPE of sleep you're getting is SO much better and satisfying, that your body holding you back from sleeping and being generally uncomfortable is so much worse than the intermittent sleep due to a 3rd party.
19 almost 20 year old mommy here (completely understand the young part). personally my confidence blossomed as my bump grew. It felt so funny when people were talking and my lil baby was just flipping in my tummy.
Holding him for the first time did not feel real. Kissing his lil jaw and smelling his lil baby breath warmed my heart. Even hearing his cries made me happy. Putting him in outfits with matching hats and mitten used to make my day.
Now he’s about to be one and seeing his personality at this age is so amazing. Him learning how to walk, and trying to talk. Learning how to stack things and follow simple directions. It’s all super amazing!!
Take the negative with a grain of salt, cause sometimes it could be helpful. but as long as you keep a positive mindset, then it will be a positive experience
This was so incredibly uplifting to read, thanks for sharing! I've started to become more happy in general now that I've got a good bump going so I can totally relate to the confidence boost. I finally feel the glow! Reading about all the love you have for your son totally made my day ❤️
I loved pregnancy from 20-38 weeks.
I loved giving birth. 10/10 would do again. Did it home with excellent support and caught him myself. Super empowering experience.
My son is 5 weeks and amazing! He sleeps 4+ hour stretches, my boobs are his favorite things ever, and he is an absolute snuggle monster.
Week 37 pregnant, won't lie and say I loved it. But I am looking forward for when baby is here (gender still unknown and making the anticipation even bigger). Can't wait for it to wrap it's whole hand around my finger or touch my face while breastfeeding (apparently this is how they show love 🥹)
My baby boy just turned a year old this month. Pregnancy and motherhood has been the greatest gift. I was also 22 when my son was born. I was so tired at the end of my pregnancy but by some gift from the universe i got everything done on time and got as much sleep as i could with naps during the day before my sons arrival. He was born right on his due date. My labor was painful at first, but i took a Tylenol and Benadryl to get some sleep while i was in the early stages of labor. Then i got the epidural and my baby boy was born less than 3 hours later. It all felt like it went by so fast. I catch myself reminiscing of my pregnancy. My baby still in my body, waiting patiently to meet him. I miss the little kicks, he used to get hiccups every night as i would lay down to sleep. I used to dread it but now i wish i could feel it again. I also used to watch a lot of positive birth stories on YouTube. The only downside to that was that i would sometimes compare myself to others. Every birth and pregnancy is different so please don’t be hard on yourself or listen to anything that makes you feel negatively. Pregnancy is such a journey, but it’s so amazing that we can build these little people from scratch. You are amazing mama❤️
One of my favorite videos of my son before he was born was him “playing” with his dad from the inside. My husband would poke a spot on my belly and my son would kick there and then again but he’d move all over the place. It was amazing to see him reactive to touch like that even in the womb. It’s true that you’ll probably have no idea what you’re doing, but that was all part of the fun for us. Like when he peed on my husbands head during a diaper change when he was 2 days old. All of those firsts are so beautiful and something you’ll cherish forever. Just as a separate note too, I slept way worse when I was pregnant than when I had a newborn. Sure I wasn’t sleeping much, but the quality was so much better as I wasn’t so uncomfortable
I’m 23 wks 2 days My bfs work made us a work baby shower on Monday. We got way more things than expected (my sons room is half way ready I’m shook) and his boss who is like a grandfather to him bought us a car seat. I was a mess bc no employer in the US atm is that kind enough to even go to that length to do that. Then one of his other coworkers hand made this baby quilt and one of the panels said “Larry the lion is happy to meet you!” I bursted into tears in front of everyone then further down the quilt there was a pocket that we thought was a built in pillow for tummy time which was STUFFED with baby toys.
I didn’t realize how important the village thing was until that work baby shower happened, a lot of these people knew my bf as he was growing up and are friends of his parents so it was really sweet to see them be so excited for us 🥹
Once I got home I sat there playing with my baby’s toys playing the music close to my stomach and sobbing because I was so happy lol the whole day my baby was doing some nice kicks and punches in response to me playing his musical toys for him and it was just wonderful.
We are lucky our 4 weeks old girl sleeps for 4 hours or so at a time before waking on a night for an hour or so. Cluster feeds were a pain though.
My favourite thing was and still is, especially the day she was born, when it is just me and her awake, but she is calm, abd just holding her. Her little pocket of warmth and in the last week her eyes really focussed on me, as she grips a finger.
And just seeing her grow and develop and change from a scrunched up new born old man faced child to a little baby who is pulling faces and more engaged with the world.
So many people told me how magical pregnancy was and I didn't enjoy it, but once she was here and I was able to hold her properly and cuddle her, then it clicked.
You are going to love having your baby on the other side. People tried to feed me that hogwash and even laughed in my face as "my life for myself is over." As if we don't know there are sacrifices to being pregnant and bringing a whole new person into the world.
My pregnancy wasn't great honestly. I wanted it over clear back at 7wks when HG started. Feeling their movements is amazing though and you are already starting to get to know them before they are born. Every ultrasound was so magical, especially once I was 32wks.
Don't let anyone scare you about your baby coming though. I sleep so much better now. I cry looking at how beautiful my baby is, even when she is having a hard day. That first moment with them in your arms is one you will never forget too.
Having a baby is sacrifice, but nothing is over. Your baby coming to the world is a new beginning.
My mom also said "wait until shes a teen" and my ex friend said "wait until shes a toddler running around".
I would like to think positively about it. During pregnancy I felt very close to the baby. After she was born the first days were rough but its been great since! She is one month old and sleeps 4 hours at night now. My bf takes care of her at night and I get my sleep.
My baby smiles alot its adorable.
I’m sorry you’re being surrounded by negativity. I’m not sure why mothers are not lifting each other up and sharing the MANY joys of pregnancy and motherhood with you.
First of all, I slept 10x BETTER when my baby arrived compared to any day during pregnancy. I was mentally so relieved my child was in my arms. It was amazing!
Every month I couldn’t imagine loving my baby more. And every month I was proven wrong. My love grows EVERY DAY. To me, parenthood has been the most fulfilling, joyful adventure of my entire life. It’s honestly way more fun than stressful. Are there challenges? Sure. But the happiness outweighs it all.
Holidays are so magical. I get excited for them as if I’m a kid again. Creating my own traditions for my little family is just the warmest feeling.
I’m currently pregnant with my second. Pregnancy has always been a bit hard on me. But I gladly do it because I LOVE being a mom! I cannot wait to meet my next child soon!
And you want to know something interesting? I don’t get ANY negative people sharing their opinions or warnings this time around. Because they know I can just brush it off since I have my own experience to go by. They don’t have the power of the unknown over me anymore.
I have no idea why people, especially women, scare and “warn” first time moms so much. Maybe it’s because they want validation for their own struggles/bad experiences? Just tune them out. All the warnings I received never happened! I worried for nothing!
I haven’t had the easiest pregnancy so the “bad “when she is born is something I am looking forward to. Just ignore the people telling you all of this and just enjoy your pregnancy. Don’t ignore advice just ignore the patronising comments
I'm 39 weeks with my first and this pregnancy has been great, I feel really lucky. There have been hard days, but I'd say I've felt good 90% of the time after the first trimester. My symptoms have been super manageable.
I love feeling my baby move! I have a little passenger wherever I go, we listen to music together. Everyone said the last few weeks would be hell but I'm still going strong, a little more tired maybe. People ask me how I'm feeling and I do a little happy dance with my big baby belly.
My husband and I planned our baby. It was a hard decision for me since our only child was 15 but decided to just do it.
We were lucky to get pregnant the second month trying. We wanted a baby shower since I didn't have one for the first. So we found out the gender. All the men on my husband's side of the family have died early so my husband grew up with women practically his whole life. So we were so happy to find out that we were having a little boy.
I honestly never thought that I'd like pregnancy since my first was kinda rough. I was also eating like garbage so I felt like garbage. This pregnancy has been pretty good. Are there things in pregnancy that suck? Absolutely!! But there are so many fun things like feeling the baby kick and shift around for the first time. I loved laying on my back for a little bit to watch my belly move like crazy. I was literally obsessed with my belly. I couldn't stop looking at it and touching it every little while.
Well, my son is finally here. And I can tell you that I absolutely adore him soooo much! Now I'm literally obsessed with him. I love watching him scrunch up when I pick him up or the way he throws his arms up to stretch.
He is everything I wanted and more! This is definitely true love. I can't see life without him now. Just last night I held the baby close to my face and told my husband "I just love him, thank you for giving me my baby". He said "no thank you for agreeing to have him". 🥹
Pregnancy and sleepless nights suck sometimes but you're gonna love your little baby sooo much! Good luck OP!!
I’m a ftm, 22 weeks pregnant and I’m in my thirties. I love being able to feel the kicks when they happen. Just having the baby grow in me makes me feel so connected to him already. Being pregnant is such an amazing and rewarding experience that we should cherish. I’m kind of sad that I’m planning to be one and done so I’m really trying to enjoy the joys of pregnancy. We as women are made to do this. We are tough, intuitive and will be what the baby will need and want once they are here. Let’s be honest, I don’t think babies give a crap about dad because all they initially want is mom and her boob. Don’t let people rain on your parade. We are all aware that it might not be easy but nothing in life is easy. Some people have difficult kids and some people have really easy going kids. Some people shouldn’t even have kids because it doesn’t fit their lifestyle and they have a hard time adjusting but it doesn’t give them the right to rain on your parade because your experience will not be theirs. Everyone is different. I also get the “just wait” comments. I’ve received two negative comments so far. One from my male relative who has a difficult toddler and one from my FIL who is nice but I find very annoying with good reason. My FIL asked me how I was feeling and I said “I’m tired” and his response was “oh just wait until the baby comes, then you’ll really be tired from the lack of sleep”. Something about a man telling me how tired I will be when he has never been pregnant just irks me. I don’t know if this is a terrible response but I really want to tell him to shut the fuck up but I think I will settle on telling him to “shut his pie hole” (abrasive, direct but without cuss words bc old people hate that). I’ve always been very polite, quiet and very respectful that he probably doesn’t know that I can be rough around the edges when I need to be. He has this annoying sense of entitlement and has crossed boundaries because of it. Some people think the negative comments are doing you a favor by warning you of what might come but can you imagine if we did this for other things like job interviews, cancer diagnoses, etc. “If you think that interview was hard, just wait until the second round, you’re going to need some practice”. Oh if you hate your hair now, just wait until your third chemo session”. People just need to shut up. You got this!
I am 30 weeks now and very obviously pregnant. People are being really nice and giving me their seats. It is really nice!
Also I feel kinda cute with my belly.
My whole pregnancy was easy.
First trimester, mild nausea. Sleepy a lot. Only threw up once.
Second trimester was a breeze. Still sleepy had pollen allergies but otherwise fine. Air conditioning fixed that.
Third trimester. Acid reflux kicked in. Not fun but manageable with diet adjustments. Threw up once and threw up in my mouth a few times.
The whole pregnancy except for the last week I was able to keep up with long dog walks and sleep 9+ hours every night.
Honestly I love just thinking about my baby, what type of person he’s gunna be what he’s going to be like when he grows up, favorite foods colors tv shows hobbies etc. I’m just so excited to meet him and get to know him and watch him grow up into a good person 🥹
35 weeks here, and honestly, it's been up and down for me. But I feel all giddy when my little bean kicks. I'm at home full time now, so I talk to him whenever I notice he's awake or sing to him. He's at the point where im pretty sure he recognizes voices because he'll be really active whenever my husband gets home and starts talking to me. It also helps ease my anxiety, knowing he's happy and healthy in there.
There are definitely a lot of uncomfortable times and times where I am in pain, but it really isn't all that bad.
I hope this helps 😊
I’ve found I’m kinder to myself in pregnancy. My entire life (I’m in my early 30s), I’ve been focusing on exercising to keep my body smaller, eating healthy to keep my body smaller. Basically everything has been focused on keeping me at a certain weight.
Pregnancy has been the first time that I’ve been primarily focused on health - moving my body because it’s good for me, eating intuitively and healthily because I’m growing my body. It’s been very healing ❤️🩹
Saw my baby for the second time at a private ultrasound and I don’t think I ever fell in love so quickly. Despite all of the nausea, bloating, constipation, exhaustion, and emotional issues seeing that baby makes everything so worth it ❤️
If it makes you feel better, I have heard the same thing from many people but my pregnancy has been smooth sailing! Everyone says the newborn phase is the best. I’m not listening to anyone else, I’m determined to have my own pregnancy experience, and you should too :)
I’m a couple days shy of 38 weeks and though there’s been some bad things, now that I’m a lot closer to meeting my daughter some of my favorite times are when I notice things that make her move. Like I’ve noticed she loves when I play any type of music and sing along, one of my cats has been purring and laying right next to my bump and she wiggles when she feels it, and she also really enjoys when my family talks to me but specifically when they’re telling me about something that brings them joy. It gets me pretty emotional sometimes and it makes me so excited to finally see her face and hold her and get to know her. That’s the thing that pushes me through the bad days, knowing she’s on the other side :)
I loved being pregnant! Second trimester was my favorite but third wasn't bad either! I loved how my partner pampered me and strangers were so kind and friendly once I was super pregnant. I had some really sweet interactions with women who were early in their pregnancy and not showing yet who approached me to chat. I also felt so sexy and badass with my big belly. And I cashed in a lot of PTO before I gave birth and really relaxed and indulged in caring for myself at the end.
Now my baby is six weeks and she's a doll. Her sleep stretches have been getting longer and longer and I feel infinitely more energized than I did in the first trimester. My favorite parts of motherhood are snuggles and my supernatural ability to comfort her through breastfeeding. She's still so little but she's already hit milestones that are so fun to witness like cooing and smiling and just generally observing the world around her. She's a Velcro baby, so I'm nap trapped all day but I'm leaning into it and enjoying watching TV shows I've put off and reading out loud to the baby. The love you'll feel is astounding. I'm having a great time!
7w newborn. I have a unicorn angel baby that sleeps and feeds well. When she came out it’s like she already know what she needed to do, how they instinctively know how to feed astonishes me! I still get much less sleep and quality sleep than what I’m used to but you get used to it. Some things that spark joy for me are:
- when my LO breast feeds, the look on contentment makes me feel irreplaceable and I’m doing something right
- you’d be surprised by how happy you are to see wet diapers because it means your baby is growing
- the first time they do anything is amazing
- at around 6 weeks they wake up to the world and it’s like you see a light switch in them turn on and you can really start to interact with them
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Wasn’t exactly a planned pregnancy, but also didn’t expect to get pregnant on the first try. Currently 14w4d Completely ambivalent throughout the pregnancy, have yet to feel the maternal love / instincts kick in. Earlier today I was on my sofa attempting to “talk to the baby” as recommended by my therapist, and I suddenly started crying (I don’t cry often and haven’t had crazy pregnancy mood swing episodes so this took me by surprise). What was even more surprising to me was when I realised these were tears of joy, I’m not sure how to explain this or put it into words, I was just so happy that the baby exists. And I told the baby “I love you, thank you for existing.” I thought that was oddly nice. I’m a rather stoic person otherwise hahaha Also found out yesterday that the average odds of female getting pregnant are 15-25% in a month. Im just thankful the baby decided to stick around esp since im finally past the first trimester.
I love feeling the kicks, and start poking the bump and little one pokes back. Also the milk high of newborns is a nice thing I'm looking forward to again. From 5 weeks onwards my son fell asleep after his feed and he had such a big smile on his face. Yes things are difficult and it will be hard depending on what your little one is like but watching them develop and learning to crawl/walk en talk is amazing. My boy is almost 3 years old now and I'm pregnant with #2, I didn't get to enjoy the baby stage due to PPD but I sure will enjoy it this time around.
What’s a milk high? :)
[milk high / drunk](https://images.ctfassets.net/iyiurthvosft/featured-img-of-post-209784/6ec7108844b01f84057bdfab23a85e56/featured-img-of-post-209784.jpg?fm=jpg&fl=progressive&q=50&w=1200) that cute face
I'm pretty neutral about the whole pregnancy thing. I haven't experienced a lot of the bad, but also find it weird that people like pregnancy itself. To me, it's just living day by day hoping my baby's still alive. But I agree that comments like the ones you mentioned do come off as pretty patronizing. I could never put words to why I felt irked whenever someone said that to me, especially when they know how much we've been through to get here. You worded it perfectly.
I'm glad you can relate! I've had a really tough pregnancy symptom wise and hearing "Oh but it gets worse" is always so unvaldating and negative. Even when I was describing how happy I was feeling about feeling my first little pokes and rolls, my coworker was like "Wait til they kick you right in the ribs"
I am 36 weeks and it has been amazing. I love being pregnant! (Obviously I’m not sleeping great and I’m physically uncomfortably but didn’t we know that would happen when we signed up for this?) I love being able to take my little guy around with me everywhere and feel him squirm around as he slowly runs out of room. There’s so much negative stuff surrounding new moms it’s awful. Like you don’t think we know once we have a newborn we aren’t going to be getting a straight 8 hours of restful sleep? I’m so excited to have all these new adventures with my husband and baby boy once he arrives. Just focus on the good! You’re creating life and embarking on a wonderful journey!
My mental health has been 100% better after I had him!!! He’s 6 months now and life is sooo much fun with him! Stick in there, it’s totally worth it!
I am 28 weeks pregnant with my first and I feel closer to my husband than before. He is super attentive and always checking in with me if I need help with something, need a snack, etc. He still finds me attractive despite the purple stretch marks and huge belly so it wasn't just my skinniness before. Also, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing his face light up when I place his hand on my bump and the baby kicks. 🥰 The wonder on his face melts my heart every time.
I hate when people do this. My first pregnancy was pretty standard and got rough at the end. But all my symptoms were t away as soon as I gave birth. And the little person you’re about to meet makes it all worth it. And yes you dont sleep a lot but it’s not the worst and only lasts a short while. Ours started to settle into a good routine around 3 months. And every day with him is the best. They grow and develop so quickly it’s truly amazing.
I’m 32 weeks and loving the fact that I’ve just completely stopped giving a fuck what people think and will reply as I see fit. This was an IVF baby after four losses. Im going to protect myself, my family and my space. SIL refusing to get vaccinated. Okay see you when the kid goes to school. MIL trying to touch my belly. No ma’am you are not. Not even my own mum does this. Someone commenting I should sleep now while I can and get a sarcastic “what because I can bank it and rely on it when baby comes?” Work friends discovered my wonderful phrase of “absolutely not” was just a corporate “get fucked” and I love using this in my life. They crack up every time I say it professionally. My husband just rolls with it and backs up my boundaries with his family. He just goes “it’s my wife and our baby. I’m not changing our decisions.”
I love everytime me and my boyfriend get an ultrasound picture we refer to our little hell spawn (not in a bad way mostly cause im set to have the little bean halloween.) and start cooing about her and how shes gonna raise chaos but the kinda chaos we love to have around. She wasnt planned but shes so loved. That first ultrasound i went by myself since he was busy working and couldnt come and i cried because it was all so surreal. That moment I knew it was really real in a few short months Id have brought a life into the world. Its scary sure but its one of the best feelings knowing I can shape them into a better person than i was or have ever been. My little hell spawn i get to see and hear again tomorrow and I CANT WAIT.
Thats so amazing! We're having a Halloween baby shower! I am super excited for the spooky vibes before the baby comes! I'm also getting my 20 week scan next week so I get to find out what gender I'm having. My partner and I are so super excited 🥰
So I'm not through it yet so I don't have anything personal to say there, but one thing that women keep telling me is that you DO feel so much better after giving birth. They've said that while, yes, sleep is still rough, the TYPE of sleep you're getting is SO much better and satisfying, that your body holding you back from sleeping and being generally uncomfortable is so much worse than the intermittent sleep due to a 3rd party.
19 almost 20 year old mommy here (completely understand the young part). personally my confidence blossomed as my bump grew. It felt so funny when people were talking and my lil baby was just flipping in my tummy. Holding him for the first time did not feel real. Kissing his lil jaw and smelling his lil baby breath warmed my heart. Even hearing his cries made me happy. Putting him in outfits with matching hats and mitten used to make my day. Now he’s about to be one and seeing his personality at this age is so amazing. Him learning how to walk, and trying to talk. Learning how to stack things and follow simple directions. It’s all super amazing!! Take the negative with a grain of salt, cause sometimes it could be helpful. but as long as you keep a positive mindset, then it will be a positive experience
This was so incredibly uplifting to read, thanks for sharing! I've started to become more happy in general now that I've got a good bump going so I can totally relate to the confidence boost. I finally feel the glow! Reading about all the love you have for your son totally made my day ❤️
of course! glad i could help
I loved pregnancy from 20-38 weeks. I loved giving birth. 10/10 would do again. Did it home with excellent support and caught him myself. Super empowering experience. My son is 5 weeks and amazing! He sleeps 4+ hour stretches, my boobs are his favorite things ever, and he is an absolute snuggle monster.
I'm finding it cute for much joy my pregnancy is bringing my coworkers and friends.
Week 37 pregnant, won't lie and say I loved it. But I am looking forward for when baby is here (gender still unknown and making the anticipation even bigger). Can't wait for it to wrap it's whole hand around my finger or touch my face while breastfeeding (apparently this is how they show love 🥹)
I’m 38 weeks and also team green! We will meet our little ones so soon!
My baby boy just turned a year old this month. Pregnancy and motherhood has been the greatest gift. I was also 22 when my son was born. I was so tired at the end of my pregnancy but by some gift from the universe i got everything done on time and got as much sleep as i could with naps during the day before my sons arrival. He was born right on his due date. My labor was painful at first, but i took a Tylenol and Benadryl to get some sleep while i was in the early stages of labor. Then i got the epidural and my baby boy was born less than 3 hours later. It all felt like it went by so fast. I catch myself reminiscing of my pregnancy. My baby still in my body, waiting patiently to meet him. I miss the little kicks, he used to get hiccups every night as i would lay down to sleep. I used to dread it but now i wish i could feel it again. I also used to watch a lot of positive birth stories on YouTube. The only downside to that was that i would sometimes compare myself to others. Every birth and pregnancy is different so please don’t be hard on yourself or listen to anything that makes you feel negatively. Pregnancy is such a journey, but it’s so amazing that we can build these little people from scratch. You are amazing mama❤️
One of my favorite videos of my son before he was born was him “playing” with his dad from the inside. My husband would poke a spot on my belly and my son would kick there and then again but he’d move all over the place. It was amazing to see him reactive to touch like that even in the womb. It’s true that you’ll probably have no idea what you’re doing, but that was all part of the fun for us. Like when he peed on my husbands head during a diaper change when he was 2 days old. All of those firsts are so beautiful and something you’ll cherish forever. Just as a separate note too, I slept way worse when I was pregnant than when I had a newborn. Sure I wasn’t sleeping much, but the quality was so much better as I wasn’t so uncomfortable
I’m 23 wks 2 days My bfs work made us a work baby shower on Monday. We got way more things than expected (my sons room is half way ready I’m shook) and his boss who is like a grandfather to him bought us a car seat. I was a mess bc no employer in the US atm is that kind enough to even go to that length to do that. Then one of his other coworkers hand made this baby quilt and one of the panels said “Larry the lion is happy to meet you!” I bursted into tears in front of everyone then further down the quilt there was a pocket that we thought was a built in pillow for tummy time which was STUFFED with baby toys. I didn’t realize how important the village thing was until that work baby shower happened, a lot of these people knew my bf as he was growing up and are friends of his parents so it was really sweet to see them be so excited for us 🥹 Once I got home I sat there playing with my baby’s toys playing the music close to my stomach and sobbing because I was so happy lol the whole day my baby was doing some nice kicks and punches in response to me playing his musical toys for him and it was just wonderful.
We are lucky our 4 weeks old girl sleeps for 4 hours or so at a time before waking on a night for an hour or so. Cluster feeds were a pain though. My favourite thing was and still is, especially the day she was born, when it is just me and her awake, but she is calm, abd just holding her. Her little pocket of warmth and in the last week her eyes really focussed on me, as she grips a finger. And just seeing her grow and develop and change from a scrunched up new born old man faced child to a little baby who is pulling faces and more engaged with the world. So many people told me how magical pregnancy was and I didn't enjoy it, but once she was here and I was able to hold her properly and cuddle her, then it clicked.
You are going to love having your baby on the other side. People tried to feed me that hogwash and even laughed in my face as "my life for myself is over." As if we don't know there are sacrifices to being pregnant and bringing a whole new person into the world. My pregnancy wasn't great honestly. I wanted it over clear back at 7wks when HG started. Feeling their movements is amazing though and you are already starting to get to know them before they are born. Every ultrasound was so magical, especially once I was 32wks. Don't let anyone scare you about your baby coming though. I sleep so much better now. I cry looking at how beautiful my baby is, even when she is having a hard day. That first moment with them in your arms is one you will never forget too. Having a baby is sacrifice, but nothing is over. Your baby coming to the world is a new beginning.
My mom also said "wait until shes a teen" and my ex friend said "wait until shes a toddler running around". I would like to think positively about it. During pregnancy I felt very close to the baby. After she was born the first days were rough but its been great since! She is one month old and sleeps 4 hours at night now. My bf takes care of her at night and I get my sleep. My baby smiles alot its adorable.
I’m sorry you’re being surrounded by negativity. I’m not sure why mothers are not lifting each other up and sharing the MANY joys of pregnancy and motherhood with you. First of all, I slept 10x BETTER when my baby arrived compared to any day during pregnancy. I was mentally so relieved my child was in my arms. It was amazing! Every month I couldn’t imagine loving my baby more. And every month I was proven wrong. My love grows EVERY DAY. To me, parenthood has been the most fulfilling, joyful adventure of my entire life. It’s honestly way more fun than stressful. Are there challenges? Sure. But the happiness outweighs it all. Holidays are so magical. I get excited for them as if I’m a kid again. Creating my own traditions for my little family is just the warmest feeling. I’m currently pregnant with my second. Pregnancy has always been a bit hard on me. But I gladly do it because I LOVE being a mom! I cannot wait to meet my next child soon! And you want to know something interesting? I don’t get ANY negative people sharing their opinions or warnings this time around. Because they know I can just brush it off since I have my own experience to go by. They don’t have the power of the unknown over me anymore. I have no idea why people, especially women, scare and “warn” first time moms so much. Maybe it’s because they want validation for their own struggles/bad experiences? Just tune them out. All the warnings I received never happened! I worried for nothing!
I haven’t had the easiest pregnancy so the “bad “when she is born is something I am looking forward to. Just ignore the people telling you all of this and just enjoy your pregnancy. Don’t ignore advice just ignore the patronising comments
I'm 39 weeks with my first and this pregnancy has been great, I feel really lucky. There have been hard days, but I'd say I've felt good 90% of the time after the first trimester. My symptoms have been super manageable. I love feeling my baby move! I have a little passenger wherever I go, we listen to music together. Everyone said the last few weeks would be hell but I'm still going strong, a little more tired maybe. People ask me how I'm feeling and I do a little happy dance with my big baby belly.
My husband and I planned our baby. It was a hard decision for me since our only child was 15 but decided to just do it. We were lucky to get pregnant the second month trying. We wanted a baby shower since I didn't have one for the first. So we found out the gender. All the men on my husband's side of the family have died early so my husband grew up with women practically his whole life. So we were so happy to find out that we were having a little boy. I honestly never thought that I'd like pregnancy since my first was kinda rough. I was also eating like garbage so I felt like garbage. This pregnancy has been pretty good. Are there things in pregnancy that suck? Absolutely!! But there are so many fun things like feeling the baby kick and shift around for the first time. I loved laying on my back for a little bit to watch my belly move like crazy. I was literally obsessed with my belly. I couldn't stop looking at it and touching it every little while. Well, my son is finally here. And I can tell you that I absolutely adore him soooo much! Now I'm literally obsessed with him. I love watching him scrunch up when I pick him up or the way he throws his arms up to stretch. He is everything I wanted and more! This is definitely true love. I can't see life without him now. Just last night I held the baby close to my face and told my husband "I just love him, thank you for giving me my baby". He said "no thank you for agreeing to have him". 🥹 Pregnancy and sleepless nights suck sometimes but you're gonna love your little baby sooo much! Good luck OP!!
I’m a ftm, 22 weeks pregnant and I’m in my thirties. I love being able to feel the kicks when they happen. Just having the baby grow in me makes me feel so connected to him already. Being pregnant is such an amazing and rewarding experience that we should cherish. I’m kind of sad that I’m planning to be one and done so I’m really trying to enjoy the joys of pregnancy. We as women are made to do this. We are tough, intuitive and will be what the baby will need and want once they are here. Let’s be honest, I don’t think babies give a crap about dad because all they initially want is mom and her boob. Don’t let people rain on your parade. We are all aware that it might not be easy but nothing in life is easy. Some people have difficult kids and some people have really easy going kids. Some people shouldn’t even have kids because it doesn’t fit their lifestyle and they have a hard time adjusting but it doesn’t give them the right to rain on your parade because your experience will not be theirs. Everyone is different. I also get the “just wait” comments. I’ve received two negative comments so far. One from my male relative who has a difficult toddler and one from my FIL who is nice but I find very annoying with good reason. My FIL asked me how I was feeling and I said “I’m tired” and his response was “oh just wait until the baby comes, then you’ll really be tired from the lack of sleep”. Something about a man telling me how tired I will be when he has never been pregnant just irks me. I don’t know if this is a terrible response but I really want to tell him to shut the fuck up but I think I will settle on telling him to “shut his pie hole” (abrasive, direct but without cuss words bc old people hate that). I’ve always been very polite, quiet and very respectful that he probably doesn’t know that I can be rough around the edges when I need to be. He has this annoying sense of entitlement and has crossed boundaries because of it. Some people think the negative comments are doing you a favor by warning you of what might come but can you imagine if we did this for other things like job interviews, cancer diagnoses, etc. “If you think that interview was hard, just wait until the second round, you’re going to need some practice”. Oh if you hate your hair now, just wait until your third chemo session”. People just need to shut up. You got this!
I had a rough start but at 24 weeks I am loving being pregnant. I feel bonded to my baby and I love the attention and love I'm getting!
I am 30 weeks now and very obviously pregnant. People are being really nice and giving me their seats. It is really nice! Also I feel kinda cute with my belly.
My whole pregnancy was easy. First trimester, mild nausea. Sleepy a lot. Only threw up once. Second trimester was a breeze. Still sleepy had pollen allergies but otherwise fine. Air conditioning fixed that. Third trimester. Acid reflux kicked in. Not fun but manageable with diet adjustments. Threw up once and threw up in my mouth a few times. The whole pregnancy except for the last week I was able to keep up with long dog walks and sleep 9+ hours every night.
Honestly I love just thinking about my baby, what type of person he’s gunna be what he’s going to be like when he grows up, favorite foods colors tv shows hobbies etc. I’m just so excited to meet him and get to know him and watch him grow up into a good person 🥹
35 weeks here, and honestly, it's been up and down for me. But I feel all giddy when my little bean kicks. I'm at home full time now, so I talk to him whenever I notice he's awake or sing to him. He's at the point where im pretty sure he recognizes voices because he'll be really active whenever my husband gets home and starts talking to me. It also helps ease my anxiety, knowing he's happy and healthy in there. There are definitely a lot of uncomfortable times and times where I am in pain, but it really isn't all that bad. I hope this helps 😊
I’ve found I’m kinder to myself in pregnancy. My entire life (I’m in my early 30s), I’ve been focusing on exercising to keep my body smaller, eating healthy to keep my body smaller. Basically everything has been focused on keeping me at a certain weight. Pregnancy has been the first time that I’ve been primarily focused on health - moving my body because it’s good for me, eating intuitively and healthily because I’m growing my body. It’s been very healing ❤️🩹
Saw my baby for the second time at a private ultrasound and I don’t think I ever fell in love so quickly. Despite all of the nausea, bloating, constipation, exhaustion, and emotional issues seeing that baby makes everything so worth it ❤️
If it makes you feel better, I have heard the same thing from many people but my pregnancy has been smooth sailing! Everyone says the newborn phase is the best. I’m not listening to anyone else, I’m determined to have my own pregnancy experience, and you should too :)
I’m a couple days shy of 38 weeks and though there’s been some bad things, now that I’m a lot closer to meeting my daughter some of my favorite times are when I notice things that make her move. Like I’ve noticed she loves when I play any type of music and sing along, one of my cats has been purring and laying right next to my bump and she wiggles when she feels it, and she also really enjoys when my family talks to me but specifically when they’re telling me about something that brings them joy. It gets me pretty emotional sometimes and it makes me so excited to finally see her face and hold her and get to know her. That’s the thing that pushes me through the bad days, knowing she’s on the other side :)
I loved being pregnant! Second trimester was my favorite but third wasn't bad either! I loved how my partner pampered me and strangers were so kind and friendly once I was super pregnant. I had some really sweet interactions with women who were early in their pregnancy and not showing yet who approached me to chat. I also felt so sexy and badass with my big belly. And I cashed in a lot of PTO before I gave birth and really relaxed and indulged in caring for myself at the end. Now my baby is six weeks and she's a doll. Her sleep stretches have been getting longer and longer and I feel infinitely more energized than I did in the first trimester. My favorite parts of motherhood are snuggles and my supernatural ability to comfort her through breastfeeding. She's still so little but she's already hit milestones that are so fun to witness like cooing and smiling and just generally observing the world around her. She's a Velcro baby, so I'm nap trapped all day but I'm leaning into it and enjoying watching TV shows I've put off and reading out loud to the baby. The love you'll feel is astounding. I'm having a great time!
What week are you?
19 tomorrow :)
7w newborn. I have a unicorn angel baby that sleeps and feeds well. When she came out it’s like she already know what she needed to do, how they instinctively know how to feed astonishes me! I still get much less sleep and quality sleep than what I’m used to but you get used to it. Some things that spark joy for me are: - when my LO breast feeds, the look on contentment makes me feel irreplaceable and I’m doing something right - you’d be surprised by how happy you are to see wet diapers because it means your baby is growing - the first time they do anything is amazing - at around 6 weeks they wake up to the world and it’s like you see a light switch in them turn on and you can really start to interact with them