the9months

The upside of pregnancy

Reasons to be happy during your pregnancy would often include:

• A glowing complexion accompanied with faster growth of hair and nails. This is especially true for the second trimester.
• Some women get naturally more inclined to shift to healthier food options during the first trimester instead of junk food and an overdose of caffeine. So you do not really have to leave your bad habits – it’s likely they will leave you!
• You and your hubby are keeping a secret from the world during the first trimester and that can be very exciting for some. Imagining how different people would react to the news is fun as well.
• Your breasts will begin to swell up and grow bigger. Who said pregnancy could be so much fun!
• Get ready for some serious pampering! Your partner and the close confidants who know about your pregnancy will pamper you by asking your plans for yourself and the baby, how excited you are, if you are well, if there is something in particular that you crave. People tend to be more kind to you. It’s really worth it.
• Food cravings can be very exciting. Sometimes you would go around town looking for a particular thing that you want to eat and you want to eat just that. Nothing else! Most of these food items are those that you have never really craved for before.
• It is said that nothing in the world compares to the feeling of becoming a mother. Fatherhood is known to make “men” the way women like them: responsible, caring, and devoted. This is a time when you are making mental pictures of the beautiful little family you guys are going to make and the values you are going to uphold in this new family unit.
• You and your partner are making important decisions about life through this phase. Your relationship needs to be strong as you start along the road to parenthood. Help to strengthen your relationship by making time to enjoy romantic dinners together, give each other soothing and sensual messages, and have intimate chats about whatever you fancy. Remember that once the baby comes, you will not have the same luxury of time at your hands then.
• Most women experience the “nesting” instinct during some stage of their pregnancy – usually around the fifth month of pregnancy. You basically have this strong desire to prepare a nest fie the new baby hence you may want to clean the house upside down, finish old projects, rearrange the furniture…. Basically you want your little world be as organized as possible. Amazingly enough, some men feel this instinct too! It’s perfectly normal …….. in fact it’s a primal instinct so enjoy nesting away! You are doing it all with good reason.

The downside of pregnancy

If you thought that everything was going to be good – time to think again! There will be times when your pregnancy will take a toll on you. Here are a few reasons why you might not be feeling too upbeat:

• Your anxiety levels may increase as your hormones are going through a roller coaster ride. This can be a little worrisome oft times as you are irritable and taking everything to heart. There are times when you feel that everyone is guilty. If you feel like brining the house down, may God help your partner as you may not be able to control yourself in your condition.
• The reactions of your close ones can be rather interesting. Some people tend to protect you too much which can be overbearing. Others are just not too thrilled, which can make you feel less important. And there are those who are indifferent. And then there are those who are over-excited about your pregnancy – wait till you face this!
• People will ask about how your baby is doing most of the time and there might be little talk of you or your life other than the baby. Since moms-to-be are just adjusting to this new change in their life and they are trying to cope with their own fears and worries, the over emphasis on the baby may come around to hurt you sometimes. It helps to remember that it is their way of being caring towards you, no matter how insensitive it may seem.
• Sometimes your friends and family may expect you to automatically connect with your baby since the moment you heard about your pregnancy. Reality can be a little different. Some women feel a connection with the baby instantly and others take a while in developing a bond and feelings for the unborn child. These are all completely natural feelings so no need to go on a guilt trip.
• Different women feel differently about sex during the different phases of their pregnancy. Some find it to be more enjoyable, other find it to be a little awkward and most find it to be different. However, your feelings change about sex, the important thing is to communicate these changes to your partner for him to understand what you are going through.
• You may be dreaming nightmares and weird dreams during the night. The fact that you have to wake up often in the middle of the night to urinate may not be helping the nightmare situation either. Think happy thoughts before sleeping. At the end of the day, will power rules.
• You may feel tired to the bone and ready to sleep at noon or early in the night. It’s normal as there are too many changes that your body is going through and naturally it will tire you down. Relax as the feeling of being bogged down and unable to stay awake for long will tend to improve during the second trimester.
• A majority of pregnant women feel nausea and morning sickness through the early phases of their pregnancy and some suffer from these throughout these pregnancy. A lucky few, some 30% of pregnant women, do not suffer from nausea at all. Just make sure you eat well under all circumstances.
• You may not like some of the meals you absolutely used to love. Some women develop an aversion to certain kinds of meats for example. Remember that food can be enjoyed in various forms. If chicken in a curry makes you sick, try cooking pasta with strips of chicken in it. If having the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day seem difficult, use your juicer to make fresh fruit and vegetable juices.
• Your breasts may continue to be tender through your pregnancy and your genitals are engorged which can make your sex drive suffer big time. Sometimes you and your hubby may be overwhelmed by the responsibility of a whole new life on your shoulders and this may have an impact on your sex drive.
• The second trimester is when your moods, appetite, energy, sex drive – about everything is likely to improve. But sadly not at all times and not for everyone.

Tags: anxiety, cravings, morning sickness, nausea, nesting, nightmares, pregnancy, sex

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 at 5:21 AM and is filed under Advice, Story Share. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.