Best and Worst of Pregnancy

[glowworm2k]

I've learned over the past month or two that this whole pregnancy thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. I have gotten off a lot easier than a lot of other gals, but it's still no picnic. Some days are great; some, not so much. One thing I've begun to appreciate, though, is the sisterhood involved. All of my friends are super supportive and sharing both past joys and war stories. In honour of both the joys and crumminess of pregnancy, I thought it would be fun for all of the SC'ers who are currently pregnant or have ever been pregnant to list some of the "Best" and "Worst" things about pregnancy. Everything from hearing your LO's heartbeat for the first time to the headaches and nosebleeds is fair game. Both recent and long-gone-by stories are welcome, too - this is not an experience that you easily forget

[glowworm2k]

Here's one to get started:

Best - Seeing the two lines on the pregnancy test for the first time after a year of infertility and months of doctor appointments and treatments.
Worst - Feeling like I want to just crawl under the table and sleep instead of doing anything at all. Even just sitting here typing.... is..... ZZZZZzzzzZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz

[laurabak3r]

Best: feeling your baby moving around to the sound of your voice

Worst: not being as independent as you were (I wasn't allowed to lift anything more than 10lbs)

[linnyeg]

Best - Feeling the baby move & hearing the heartbeat!

Worst - The fact that my varicose veins started at 11 weeks this time around. My legs constantly ache!

[angel_2011]

Best: 1. When you're in the ultrasound room and you get to find out if it's a boy or girl.
2. Finding innovative ways to tell hubby you're pregnant.

Worst: 1. When you're sick with the flu (vomiting, cough, cold) or get sick with anything, and you can't take any medication
2. Heartburn
3. Leg cramps (sciatic nerve pain)

[Natalka]

Best - I didn't know I was pregnant so it was an awesome and very welcome surprize after two years of trying! I was seeing a chiropractor for sciatica and the next step of treatment required me to have an x-ray first - than came that question "When was your last period?" - well, I had no clue (I was very irregular), couple months probably, it wasn't unusual for me. Well, no x-ray without a pregnancy test - and it was positive! The sciatica was from the pregnancy!

There are SO many 'bests'!!! The first flutter (I called my mom, described it, and she said Yes, that's the baby moving!) happened at work while I was teaching, and I couldn't stop grinning!
Then as the pregnancy progressed, all the movements - the kicking and punching (sometimes too hard!) - baby responding to me and my husband.
Husband was totally wonderful - very sweet, attentive, and understanding. Even when I was definitely NOT sweet, attentive and understanding!

Oh, crazy hormones and the sex - it was awesome, lol! There were times I jumped him as soon as he came in the door from work, sheesh! And he was working with guys who had pregnant wives always complaining about no sex - and my sweetie just kept quiet to himself, chuckling inside...

Worst - having the sciatica meant not being able to have pain killers or do any usual treatment. Had to have massages, and got some acupressure treatments which helped a lot.
No one told me how much more horrible contractions are when you are on the drip - that would have been nice to know, duh!
Worst of all was when son's heartbeat went dangerously low and I had to have an emergency c-section; I was never so scared in all my life, thinking about losing him. All was fine, however!

[Darth Penguin]

best...unprotected s3x..and lots of it
having a reason to avoid coffee
being able to be a b!tch
having people give up their seats on public transport
Mr Penguin doing the litter trays


worst..the junior gymnasts hanging off my ribs, tramplineing on my bladder, doing a full work-out around my insides.
peeing a lot
women sharing thier birth horror stories
wondering if I'll ever be a good enough mother.

[erin9mmm]

I don't think this is a best or worst, just makes me smile when I think about it....
When I was about 7 months along with my first I was Christmas shopping with my DH when all of a sudden I had to go. Well the mall was really busy and my DH tried to help me wade through the crowd to get the the washrooms (on the other side of the mall) then when I got there it was a false alarm. I think what makes me smile about that memory is how gallant my DH was trying to be (new to be dad I guess) and it was all for nothing.

[Jina]

best: watching DS during the ultrasound. Feeling him move and seeing my tummy in all kinds of shape lol.
worst: awful morning sickness. Once I was rushing to the toilet at work and the lights were off! I had to guess where the toilet was and threw up partly on the floor

[I$land]

best- the awesome maternity clothes you get to wear nowadays..my children are 12yrs apart and they didnt have mat clothes like they do now, as well as all the cool things babies have these days alot of clothes and shoes wholly moley theres a wholelsection for baby shoes in dept stores now. and they dont walk til there 1yrs old lol.

worst-you cant eat chilli no more lol(my fav), you cant run, barely able to fit behind the wheel at the end of pregnancy. and when i brought baby home it was a snow storm blizzard good thing my daddy was there to drive me home he is the bestest driver in the world ( truckdriver) i trust him totally..and swollen feet
but i loved every minute of my pregnancy's the both of them i have a boy and girl, i am so blessed to have them

i congratulate you on the joy of motherhood, and this is how it begins pregnancy and women joining together to help one another...

[YOU AND ME]

Best : was feeling the baby move

Worst :was morning sickness for all 9 months just the smell of cooking would set me off.I keep Mr.Christie in business as all i ate was soda crackers

[sweetproserpina]

best: talking to the little one, wondering what she would look like, act like etc. Her heartbeat on the doppler- my little steam train!
worst: feeling sick/queasy for the entire 41 weeks, not being able to cook, having to sleep practically sitting up so I could keep my dinner, and acid down, blech.

[Granger]

Best - gaining a net of 5lbs and having ppl tell me I looked great
Worst - being sick was the reason I did not put on the weight

My other best is the shower after labour and delivery...best showers of my life. Feel so good.

Great thread OP.

[ninna]

I'm one of those rare women who did not enjoy being pregnant. I hated my changing body, but I hated my changing emotions even worse. My personality changed completely both times. During the first, I cried ALL the time and was miserable and depressed.. During the second, I was incredibly outspoken to the point of nastiness.

Best-
1. Never being "alone." I loved the rumbles and the tumbles and the kicking, especially from my second who was very over active. I felt "empty" and lonely after she was born!
2. Eating whatever I darned well pleased without needing to justify any of it. lol.
3. The outspokeness I experienced with #2. I certainly ruffled a few feathers, but damn! It was SO liberating to say what I actually thought out loud. I'm normally a very quiet and mousy person who avoids conflict...but that 9 months of saying what I thought was sheer freedom!

Worst:
1. Constipation. Ugh. 'nuff said.
2. My boobs. I want them back. The set from before-- you know-- the perky and firm ones without the angry stretch marks on them.

[Minou]

I don't enjoy being pregnant, either -- it's like having 50% of your normal energy sapped away while trying to keep up with your normal life. I think I understand how people with chronic health problems feel. It's like an electrical "brownout" where the lights dim. With this last pregnancy, DS #1 was 2. I was so exhausted that wondered how I was going to keep up when the baby was born!

I think the best part is the delivery! Both of mine were quick. I felt like I had really accomplished something, as my body had correctly done what it was supposed to do. (I'm normally pretty uncoordinated, so not having something go wrong was great!)

I'm amazed that some people really enjoy being pregnant. On the other hand, it drives me nuts when some people's mother-goddess joy assumes that everyone around them is as all-consumed by the pregnancy and baby as they are! They think that the arrival of the baby will change everyone else's lives dramatically. My brother and SIL were like that. They even had the idea that my parents were responsible for buying the baby furniture, so they actually called to ask my mother how much their "limit" was, as they had their eye on furniture sets for their twins! My mother told my brother that she had already raised her kids, and that baby furniture for their children was their responsibility. "But aren't the grandparents supposed to buy the baby furniture??" he asked, confused.

Natalka -- I think that was the raciest thing I've ever seen you write! LOL!

Good luck with the pregnancy, Glowworm!