10 Things I’ll Miss About Pregnancy (And 10 I Won’t)

Top Ten Things I’ll Miss about Pregnancy

1. Baby Kicks – Feeling my baby move, wiggle, kick, and jab, makes me smile every single time. Even if it hurts. It lets me know he’s healthy and growing.
2. The Excitement – From seeing the word “Pregnant” on that digital test, to telling friends and family, to decorating the nursery and making plans. Everything is exciting.
3. Maternity Pants – These are amazing. I wish real jeans didn’t exist and we all wore maternity jeans all the time.
4. Hearing the heartbeat – magical, every single time.
5. Eating for Two – No I have not used this pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever I want whenever I want, but it’s still nice to have some extra wiggle room if Baby really needs that cookie – note: don’t do this often if you care about weight gain. Another aspect of “eating for two” is, I am literally supplying my baby with all his nutrition.
6. Super Power – I am growing a tiny human. That is so cool!
7. Never being Alone – No matter what I am doing or where I am, I have a tag-along buddy, so I am never alone. That is comforting.
8. Interaction with Everyone – People in my life have been so excited for us. Even strangers want to share in the joy. It is very connecting and fun to share.
9. Connection with My Husband – I feel a stronger bond with Jimmy knowing we created this life together. The doctor’s appointments, nursery decorating, research on all the baby products is truly a fun adventure we’re sharing together.
10. Getting a Baby – At the end of this, I get my baby. I get to become a parent. I get to raise a child. I cannot wait!

Top Things I will Not Miss about Pregnancy

1. Swollen & Hurting Feet – Oh my goodness, it’s so hard to be active when your feet feel like they’re two sizes too big in shoes two sizes too small. Just walking to the bathroom hurts.
2. Bathroom Trips – Every 10 minutes? Great.
3. Doctors Appointments & Tests – I know prenatal medical care is so important to the health of my baby and me, but I’ve never been a fan of doctors. I also HATE needles. One thing I’ve learned is pregnancy = blood work, so this has been rough.
4. Worrying – I worry every single day about my baby. If I am doing everything correctly to keep him safe. If I am eating the right foods. If I am exercising enough. If I am worrying too much about worrying. I know the worrying won’t stop when he’s born, but I’ll at least have the pressure off my body.
5. Body Changes – Pregnancy is magical and amazing that my body can grow a baby. However, seeing the weight gain on the scale, getting stuck in clothing, looking in the mirror and not seeing your normal self, all this is hard.
6. Decisions –  So many big decisions all at one. Choosing a pediatrician. Choosing a car seat. Choosing a glider. Choosing a name. Choosing what screening tests to have. Choosing maternity leave details/timing. Choosing daycare or to stay home. So many choices in nine months. Breast feeding or formula. Cloth diapers or disposable? And then worrying if you made the right choice. Will this glider squeak and wake up the baby and therefore be responsible for me getting less sleep???
7. Exhaustion – I know, I haven’t seen anything yet. I will be thinking back on the good days when I was just pregnant tired. But, carrying around the extra weight, on the swollen feet, with the compressed lungs, is so tiring. I can’t walk up the stairs from getting water without being tired.
8. Nausea – “Morning sickness” is no joke. I would vomit multiple times a day almost every day. There are medications you can take to help with nausea. I was probably borderline get medication vs power through. I chose to power struggle through. Won’t miss this in the least.
9. Solo Care – While Jimmy is very supportive – especially now that we’re in the third trimester, he’s been great! – growing a tiny human is really just my job. It is a solo thing only I can do. I can verbalize what I’m feeling. I can show the sonogram photos. I can have someone feel a kick (theoretically, but this hasn’t been successful yet). But ultimately, it’s just me and baby on this ride. I can’t tag out for a minute and have Jimmy take over like we will once he’s born.
10. Not Knowing What the *?!#@ is Going on – Yes, I’m reading every book and blog I can get my hands on. Yes, doctors have great information. But short of googling every single thing I’m experiencing (spoiler alert: if you’re not experiencing cramping with bleeding, everything is normal. If you are having cramping with bleeding, call a medical practitioner ASAP). I’m ready to get my body back all to myself and be normal again. And don’t get me started about labor. Classes, books, videos, stories, all these things can only prepare you so much. Feeling it and experiencing it for myself is something that will surely bring great confusion.