Pregnant? Beware The Voices of Doom

Today I am 27 weeks pregnant plus three days. I am not far off being seven months gone which means all I can say is THREE MONTHS TO GO! And that I should give myself a big pat on the back for getting here.

When we first found out about the little bundle of joy due in April we were both really excited. "Let's not get too carried away," we said to ourselves as at 5 weeks pregnant anything can happen. Then we had the first scan and there was the baby on the screen, literally nothing more than a blob waving at us. But it was still a bit early to get excited. We were desperate not to tempt fate and we only really relaxed after the second scan when we found out everything is progressing as it should. Fantastic.

But the trouble with being pregnant is that women who have experienced the delights of pregnancy themselves decide to share the more unpleasant aspects of pregnancy at every opportunity. By about 15 weeks I'd been told how I could expect my hands and feet to swell up and how, without a doubt I'd get stretch marks. How I'd put weight on so quickly that within a couple of months I'd resemble the Fat Lady at the circus. And how, by seven months I'd be so b big I'd be waddling like a penguin.

I would like to point out that at nearly seven months I do not resemble the Fat Lady and nor am I waddling. At the moment my hands and feet are the same size they were before I fell pregnant and touch wood, there isn't a single stretch mark in sight. Granted, I still have three months to go, but I do wish that those women (who were only trying to be helpful I am sure) had kept these revelations to themselves.

On the other hand whilst these women seemed to enjoy making me squirm with the idea of stretch marks and waddling, not one of them told me how surreal, how lovely it is to actually feel your baby move. And to be able to share it with your partner and enjoy his excitement when he feels the baby kick for the first time. Not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling you yourself feel when you hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time.

I won't lie to you. There are some days when I feel utterly uncomfortable with back ache, heartburn and lack of sleep, and let's not forget the morning sickness I experienced at the beginning. But what all those women forgot to tell me was that in the end, it will be worth it and if they could do it all again, they would.