Pregnancy... (the real truth)

We’ve all heard women say it ‘i loved being pregnant, I have never felt so good in my entire life’... ‘if i could be pregnant all the time then i would’. Surely there must be some conspiracy? Why if so many women felt such harmony in their pregnancy did i feel in limbo, nothing changing accept the varying maladies my pregnancy presented me with? My life on hold, impatiently awaiting the arrival of ‘baby’!

I was recently describing my newly acquired medical complaint to an acquaintance and yet again was presented with this romanticized version of pregnancy. My knuckles whitened and teeth clamped tightly shut when she concluded her fairy tale with her easy 2 hour labor.

I have exhausted most media sources for pregnancy related information to see if my experiences were ‘normal’ but very few convey the true impact of pregnancy, by that I mean the varying degrees of physical and emotional stress women are subject to in pregnancy.

Pregnancy in the media is like a new fashion trend, the rapidly increasing column inches dedicated to celebrity pregnancies. Opening such publication and being presented with a celebrity with her size 6 figure and perfect bump lying on some tropical beach ‘taking time out before the arrival of her 3rd baby’, doesn’t exactly help. Media conditioning basically stating ‘this is how you should look if you’re pregnant, nothing less than perfect will do’. Great we think as we’re sat on our sofas resting an aching back made worse by the November hurricane whirling around outside, whilst munching on our 3rd bar of chocolate. This is our reality and we must remember that we’re the normal ones, only a small percentage of UK mums can afford such luxuries. This is the media’s representation of ‘pregnancy’ and its a fallacy, these women are women not superhuman and are subject to all the ailments we are, the only difference is a large bank balance and careful media management to portray the ‘perfect’ pregnancy.

My sole reassurances within my pregnancy come from sources where a mum has opened her heart to her experiences. I want to know how these women feel, not only the physical ailments within pregnancy but the mental impact of such problems. The emotional roller coaster that is pregnancy that no glossy magazine or pregnancy guide can prepare us for. Anyone can write a list defining a pregnancy condition. Pass me a medical dictionary! However, what about telling us the true impact of such a condition, that only someone who has been through such an experience can truly convey to the reader.

Take Morning Sickness for example. Who on earth put the morning in that statement, i think it should be renamed and redefined as the following;

COMPARABLE TO THE WORST HANGOVER OF YOUR LIFE

‘Varying severity of nausea, often resulting in sickness. Sickness can be triggered by small things like your partners beer breath, or opening the fridge. Unlike a hangover this is not triggered by alcohol and won’t go away after 24 hours. Sickness can occur at any point during the day and for as many times as your body decides. Your toilet will become your best friend, and don’t worry if you find yourself crying for your mum whatever age you are!

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