Pregnancy and childbirth are wonderful experiences. They are truly miraculous processes, and the body’s ability to create life from cells will never fail to amaze. However, when you are in the process of creating life within your body, it might not feel so joyful, and it might not be the miracle experience you are led to believe from various sources and can leave you feeling that pregnancy is tough.
This post is a partnered post and may contain affiliate links. These thoughts and opinions are in line with my own personal beliefs.
Let’s be honest. Pregnancy is one of those times when people feel entitled to impart words of wisdom and share unwanted details, knowledge, “tips,” and “advice.” Often, from well-meaning angles, however, it can still be unsolicited advice. If you’re already not feeling great during pregnancy, this can be enough to tip you over the edge and make the experience feel worse.
Well, it may be some comfort to know that you’re not alone; plenty of women find it tough and don’t always enjoy pregnancy. There is no shame in not finding this the most amazing thing to have ever happened to you. It’s okay to feel this way, and you’re not alone in your experience.
But what can you do to help yourself when you’re having more of a miserable time than a joyous pregnancy?
Learn About Pregnancy
While the last thing you might want to do is explore the topic even more when you’re not having a great time, it can actually help. Honestly!
The more you know about the changes your body is going through, the more you understand how you might feel the way you do, or at least appreciate why you’re going through it. For example, when you’re newly pregnant, your body will experience rushes of hormones and physical changes, such as changes in body shape, acne, or other illnesses, making you feel more glum than overjoyed. But understanding typical timelines, what is happening to your body, and more will help you acclimate faster and maybe even help you get to a stage where you can enjoy being pregnant, even if it only lasts a short while.
Acceptance
Fighting how you feel and trying to convince yourself of your happiness will only make you feel even worse. You do not need to enjoy every stage of pregnancy, no matter what others might advise you. You are allowed to dislike what is happening to you, especially if you’re experiencing lots of tricky symptoms such as sickness, aches and pains and low mood. Reemember, every pregnancy and body is different; there is no one “right” way to experience pregnancy. Accept it, embrace it, and even cut yourself some slack; you’ll feel much better mentally at least, if not physically.
A good tip is to think about how you would treat a loved one feeling this way. Would you offer them compassion? Be empathetic? If so, then extend yourself the same courtesy, too.
Tell Others
Don’t bottle it up and share how you feel. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and if things are rough, then allowing others into your life experiences can make things much easier, as they can offer help. They won’t know you’re struggling unless you tell them so; let them in.
Set Boundaries
It’s really important that you set boundaries for yourself, especially if you’re having a difficult time with your pregnancy. Whether you simply hate being pregnant or you have health issues that are making things more complicated than they need to be, setting boundaries can help you protect your physical and mental health.
Ask people to refrain from any comments, questions, unwanted physical touch or anything else that makes you feel uncomfortable. If they don’t respect you and what you’re asking them to do, limit the time you spend around them if need be. Implement these boundaries with loved ones, family members and strangers alike so that you can ensure that you’re always as comfortable as you need to be during this time.
Self-care
Self-care during pregnancy is important, whether you’re enjoying it or not. You need to make sure that you’re nourishing your body with the food that it needs to help grow your new baby and support good health for yourself as well. You need to have a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet, and you also need to ensure that you are getting as much sleep as possible, good quality sleep, as hard as it might be during pregnancy, especially in the later stages. You need to be indulging in movement and exercise if possible, especially if you were active prior to becoming pregnant.
Give yourself the care and treatment that you would give loved ones who feel the same. If you need to indulge yourself and make yourself feel better, go for it. You need to do whatever you want to do, to make sure you feel better because the worse pregnancy is making you feel, for whatever reason, the less enjoyable the experience will be, and the longer your pregnancy will feel. So don’t be ashamed to tell people what you need and what you want to do, and take the time for yourself. You deserve it.
Seek Help
There is a massive difference between hating your pregnancy and feeling overwhelmed, sad, depressed, anxious, etc. There is a very fine line and a threshold between not enjoying your pregnancy and your pregnancy making your mental health worse. If you feel you might have crossed that line, remember that help is available.
Talk to your doctor or your midwife about how you’re feeling because there will be resources available. They can advise you on things to help you ensure that you are caring for yourself and support your mental health while you are pregnant.
In some cases, you may have a perinatal mood disorder, pregnancy can trigger symptoms for mental health conditions such as OCD, depression, and anxiety. Postpartum depression is also a massive risk to your mental health. It’s not always rainbows and sunshine during pregnancy, so it’s really important that you understand the difference between hating your pregnancy and having poor mental health, so you can get the treatment that you need, so you’re not unnecessarily struggling at this time. You are not alone in this journey, and there are people who can help you.
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