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Being Pregnant: The Challenges & Joy Associated with Pregnancy

Being Pregnant: The Challenges & Joy Associated with Pregnancy

August 31, 2017

Last Updated on June 26, 2019 by

As I sit here and feel this little person moving and grooving inside me, I can’t help but reflect on the journey that we have been through since finding out that he was in there. As many can relate, being pregnant is a journey filled with wonder, uncertainty, emotions, joy, and so much more.

Our little man’s journey in his development has taught me something new everyday.

Being Pregnant: The Challenges and Joys Associated with Pregnancy

The Beginning of Being Pregnant

The first moment I found out that we were expecting, I felt the rush of those pregnancy symptoms in that moment: the room started spinning, I felt nauseous, shaky, excited, sweaty, and was ready to throw up all in that single moment.

It was the most exciting and unreal feeling ever.

The more I sat there looking at the results, the more my world completely changed (for the better, of course). When I found that I was pregnant, I was home by myself. I had a million ways I wanted to share the news with my husband.

However, for those few hours until he got home from work, it was just me and this little being inside me that knew of his presence. Soon, we’d be able to share the news with so many others who would be just as excited as we were!

The Journey of Being Pregnany

Throughout the journey of growing a human, it really is a beautiful experience. It is also hard.

Especially being a first time mom, I truly have had no idea what to expect with all the hormones, body changes, and just life changes in general. Of course, each pregnant woman has a different experience and not every pregnancy is the same as the next.

That being said, it really is difficult to ask others for advice when you really don’t know what to ask for in your own pregnancy. Right around our half way mark of 20 weeks pregnant, things really started picking up for me and it’s been a ride ever since!

It was almost like one day there was no baby bump and then the next day, BAM! Where did this round thing come from that is causing my pants not to button anymore?

Then there is a little bit of panic like realizing you need to go maternity clothes shopping (can you say expensive!). Then you begin questioning if you’ve been moisturizing enough to accommodate the stretching. Before you know it, life has changed even more over night.

The Challenges Associated with Being Pregnant

Along with those body changes comes pain and discomfort in several parts of your body. It can be confusing to differentiate between good pain and “you need to go to the hospital right now” pain.

The pain that I’ve most dealt with while being pregnant is the round ligament pain. Round ligament pain can be show up after sitting for too long or walking for too long. It is a sharp pain that is felt in the groin area. The ligament that is in the groin and connects to the lower abdomen is being stretched due to your growing belly. Therefore, it makes sense that this ligament is feeling pained by the sudden stretching.

Other pains associated with pregnancy can be just general discomforts due to your body growing and stretching. As you get further into your pregnancy, there is also the possibility of experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions.

The WORST thing a pregnant woman can do in these pain/discomfort situations is Googling the symptoms! And of course, that has usually been my source of late night information.

Pretty soon, I’ve convinced myself that our baby is growing abnormally with two heads or something crazy that I read from some invalid source. But, you know, you’re just curious and the Internet is right there so… it happens!

However, if you are experiencing pains while pregnant, be sure to mention them to your doctor!

The Joy Associated with Being Pregnant

With all the changes and stress that come with being pregnant, there is so much joy and anticipation! I may have that pregnant waddle going on, but when I see or feel my baby’s kicks, all the pain is suddenly gone and I focus on him. He’s worth it all!

When his daddy touches my baby bump, our baby kicks and interacts right away which melts my heart. Knowing each week that our baby is growing significantly and meeting so many developmental milestones is fascinating and exciting.

I begin to imagine what he’ll look like based on his ultrasounds and it just puts a huge smile on my face. Of course, he’ll probably end up looking like his father, which is totally not fair! But knowing that we are getting closer and closer to kissing his little face is a feeling I can’t even begin to describe.

A lot of our time is spent on getting his room ready and stocking up on essentials. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that our friends and family are just as excited as we are to meet our little boy!

This is the biggest, scariest, exciting, and most amazing journey we’ve already been on and we know this is just the beginning!

What Experience Do You Have Being Pregnant?

While this is my first pregnancy, I imagine I could learn a lot from other women who have experience being pregnant. Is there any advice you would offer to a first-time mom about pregnancy? How was your experience being pregnant? Did you experience any pains as well? Please let me know in the comments below!

Always,Samantha <3