Being pregnant is an exciting — but exhausting — time in your life. While you’ll miss some aspects of it, you’ll also be happy to rid yourself of the negatives once the baby comes.
Here are 10 things you’ll miss about being pregnant:
1. Sharing the big news
The excitement of a new baby on the way is second to none. It’s one of the biggest pieces of news that you’ll share in your life.
2. The gender reveal
There’s nothing like seeing your baby on an ultrasound screen for the first time and finding out what gender you’ll be having. Surprises like that are once in a lifetime.
3. Feeling those kicks and moves
At first you’ll think maybe that weird feeling is gas but then you realize it’s your baby moving around in there. That first kick or fluttering is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
4. Awesome hair and nails
Many women find that pregnancy causes their hair and nails to be shiny and healthy. Your hair has so much more volume, you just might be mistaken for a cheerleader (from the neck up, of course!).
5. An excuse to nap
When you’re pregnant, napping “just because” is your right. Enjoy it while you can, as it will quickly become a thing of the past.
6. Enjoying treats
The focus on calories eases a tiny bit during pregnancy, so enjoying a small indulgence is truly guilt-free.
7. Kindness of strangers
People open doors for you or make sure you have a seat on the train just because you’re pregnant.
8. Special excitement
Planning the clothing, nursery and baby shower is a form of celebration that lasts the entire nine months. Not much else in life can compare with it.
9. Being close to your baby
It’s the only time in your life your child will literally be under your heart. For now, he or she is uniquely yours.
10. Extra pampering
Many husbands and partners will give their pregnant wives and partners a back rub. You may even need him to polish your toes as belly gets bigger. Savor that extra bit of pampering.
And here are 10 things you might not miss about being pregnant:
1. Morning (or all-day) sickness
Your face in a cold, white toilet bowl every day is a definite not-miss as is the hideous nausea.
2. Swollen everything
The day your rings don’t fit or your shoes have to be switched out for flip flops in the dead of winter is not a happy one.
3. Breathing issues
As your pregnancy progresses, your lungs get shoved out of the way so breathing is challenging, especially at the end.
4. Roller coaster hormones
You’re laughing one minute, crying the next. Pregnancy is a simmering potpourri of hormonal ups and downs.
5. Strangers rubbing your belly
That woman behind you in line at the supermarket, the bus driver, your father-in-law! — a pregnant belly seems to be a beacon for all to come and touch.
6. Your body isn’t your own
Remember when your baby decided to have a dance party in your belly at 2 a.m. every morning? When the baby’s sleep and wake cycles don’t sync with yours, it gets old fast.
7. Weird body changes
You’re leaking in places you never thought, sweating and constantly being too hot (or too cold). The rest is TMI!
8. Ewww … smells
Many women have an intense sense of smell during pregnancy. No more making dinner and running outside gagging to gulp fresh air anymore (yay!).
9. Restricted foods and beverages
All the things you enjoy, like alcohol, caffeine and sushi, are off limits. Party on now that you don’t have to drink seltzer water anymore while everyone else is on their second glass of wine.
10. Sleep issues
Falling asleep when you should be awake, then being wide awake when you should be asleep gets old quickly. By the end of pregnancy, many moms-to-be are sleeping in a chair due to discomfort. No, thank you!