Pregnancy

From The Confessional: Being Pregnant Is Sometimes The Worst

by Karen Johnson
Caroline Purser/Getty

Pregnancy is supposed to be magical and full of bliss… at least, that’s what we’re all told, right? And sure, there are lots of unicorn moms out there who loooooove those eternal nine months. Their skin glows. They still workout. They don’t have to pull over to throw up every 12 minutes. And they poop out healthy babies after like a 3-hour labor.

But then there are the moms who hate it with a capital H. Between their bodies doing weird shit (like boobs ballooning out of control and then deflating into nothingness), their mental health taking repeated nose-dives, both of which are made worse if they don’t have a supportive partner who is on board… well, pregnancy can really suck.

And you can hashtag bless them all you want but they know. They know they’re blessed and fortunate AF to have this miracle growing inside of them. But until you’ve had to puke up every meal, give up coffee because you can’t stand the smell, and literally feel your insides being stretched to oblivion, you can shut it. (And even if you have been through all of the horribleness, you should still support other moms.)

Love pregnancy? Cool.

Hate it? We understand.

Either way, you’re a badass, Mama. Even if pregnancy is your least favorite part of the job.

My husband keeps saying the joy will come later with this pregnancy. Okay, but when?? I am already 20 weeks. I fear he will resent this child and it will ruin our whole family dynamic.

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My H has kind of been in denial about my pregnancy bc it will mean more work and parenting for him. Yep, it will! Enjoying my nap anyway! This baby needs to grow and you'll be fine, k thanks!

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I just had twins 6 months ago and found out a few weeks ago that I'm pregnant again. Husband knows and hasn't mentioned the pregnancy once and simply goes about our life like the pregnancy doesn't exist.

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I lie and tell people that I’m excited to be pregnant again but truthfully I’m completely miserable and depressed. DH told me I’m going to feel guilty for feeling this way when the baby comes. Thanks for the “help, asshole.”

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If your partner isn’t on board with this new “development” and doesn’t support you through it, it can be damn-near impossible to enjoy pregnancy.

My friend with no kids posted a SS of our FaceTime...I’m 2 months PP and was in a vulnerable state (I gained 100lbs in pregnancy). Everyone from middle & high school follow her...and they just saw me at my worst after all these years.....I’m traumatized

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I didn’t realize I wasn’t ready for another baby until was already pregnant. It strained my relationship with my toddler and I fell into a bad depression that I didn’t recognize. It’s been 8 years and I’m still not ok. I was pretty normal before.

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Having 32F boobs is embarrassing. No implants, just pregnancy. I'm going to cry when my milk comes in and they turn into 32Hs again like they did with my 1st DD. I understand why women get reduction surgery.

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I miss my boobs!!! My daughter not only made me allergic to fruit, p.s. not all pregnancy allergies go away lol, but she took my boobs!! Bright side i now own 0 bras 1 less expense in my pocket but im also part of a group..the ittie bittie tittie group!!

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Pregnancy fucks with everything. Your boobs change, permanently. Your stomach changes, permanently. Your skin changes, your hair changes, and your hips change. And, you can fight long-term mental battles if your pregnancy has been traumatic, and that can be hard to recover from too.

My second pregnancy has been a physically healthy one, but emotionally it’s been a nightmare. I’m so angry and upset all the time! Been snapping so much at h and dd and crying/yelling over nothing. I hate the person I’ve become.

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This pregnancy has been my moodiest yet. So emotional at all times, I can’t go a day without sobbing over something. I’m a wreck!

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I’ve accepted I’m an absolute mess when I’m pregnant. It really doesn’t suit me, I won’t be doing this again.

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Pregnant, moody, tired, annoyed, hungry but food just tastes gross. Feel like I can murder someone.

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Pregnancy can turn us into emotional messes. We might feel sad, excited, angry, and 100% over it all in the span of one hour. Get on board, fam, because this roller coaster lasts a long-ass time.

It took us 5 years to work up the guts to do pregnancy again after HG, high risk complications and NICU bills. I LOVE motherhood and know I will feel better post birth but MAN pregnancy is SO HARD.

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Early pregnancy is so confusing and painful to me. I am excited but man week 13/14 cannot get here fast enough. I. AM. SO. EXHAUSTED.

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Oh my God all those years of my DH telling me I couldn't handle a 2nd kid and me insisting I could... what was I thinking!!??? He was right. This pregnancy is going to kill me. God protect me and shelter me, I forgot how hard this is.

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This pregnancy already feels so much harder than my last one, and I am scared I'm going to feel awful every day for the next 2 years. If the heartburn is this intense at week 7, what will it be like at week 37???

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For lots of women, pregnancy is hard in every way. It’s physically exhausting, mentally exhausting, and takes everything from us. We know we are supposed to feel lucky and grateful and proud of what our amazing bodies are doing, but we really just want to not be pregnant for a day, see our feet, and take a damn nap.

Listen, not everyone loves pregnancy. If your feet are swollen and your face is an acne-riddled mess and your hemorrhoid journey has only just begun, and your neighbor Cassie with her tiny basketball belly and glowing skin just waved at you on her way to yoga while you waddled out to the get the mail in your husband’s sweatpants, we get it. We know you want to flip her off and go back inside and eat a pound of mozzarella sticks.

So go ahead, girl. We won’t judge.