I won't say "hate" but dislike very much being pregnant!

[Anonymous]

OP, I felt the same way you did, although I had an easy first trimester and horrific second and third. As you alluded to, pregnancy and motherhood are "in" right now among celebrities, and they all seem to say how much they love being pregnant. They also seem to only gain weight in their bellies and to lose it all a week after the birth. Being exposed to all of this super-saccharine drivel about pregnancy can make you feel abnormal or, at the least, unglamorous.

Another annoying thing is that most people judge what is "normal" based on their own experiences, rather than recognizing that there is a wide range of experience. Comments that annoyed me when I was pregnant were those that didn't recognize my experience as unique. For example, "Don't worry, the tiredness goes away in the second trimester" (for me it actually worsened); "that intense back pain is normal--we've all been there" (actually, mine turned out to be a severe kidney problem); "I worked right up until the day my water broke during a staff meeting" (this said to me when I was on bed rest for the last month of pregnancy and briefing a co-worker who was covering for me during maternity leave) and my least favorite of all, "you think it's bad now--just wait till after the birth, when you have to deal with a screaming baby who doesn't sleep at night!" (actually, the extreme pain I was in throughout my pregnancy ended after my baby was born, and I was so much happier with her outside of me than in!).

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is don't let others tell you what your pregnancy is supposed to feel like (or motherhood). Each person is unique and has her own experience with it. Try to focus on anything you can that is positive, and seek out someone you can talk to (your partner, mom, sister, friend, etc.) who will listen and not judge or give unwanted advice. Good luck to you!

[Anonymous]

11:50 PP - I adore you. Great examples - well written response. Made me feel a lot better and I am not the OP. Thanks.