Pregnancy affects different women in different ways. Being pregnant can be a wonderful experience. Many women feel very feminine during pregnancy, especially during the second trimester. After morning sickness is over and before you become really huge, you may enjoy an exceptional sense of well being.
Pregnancy may make your skin glow, your hair shine, and your nails grow stronger. Many women who go through easy pregnancies love the way they look and feel, and enjoy the extra attention they get.
For other women, being pregnant is a nightmare! These women can’t wait to give birth. Pregnancy-related complaints may include fatigue, mood swings, nausea, acne, swollen feet and other joys such as varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and constipation.
For most pregnant women, being pregnant is not an entirely positive experience, nor is it an entirely negative one. Most women have a mix of positive and negative pregnancy side effects. I, for example, had wonderful shiny hair throughout my two pregnancies, but were extremely tired for about six months, which was no fun at all.
Even if you hate being pregnant, try to focus on the positive aspects as much as you can. After all, you’re stuck in this condition anyway.
Pregnancy offers many unique experiences, such as feeling your baby’s very first flutters. I remember myself, during my first pregnancy, waiting at a stoplight. I suddenly felt a slight tickling inside – kind of like a butterfly fluttering inside my belly. It took me a few seconds to realize I was feeling my baby move inside of me. For the rest of my pregnancy, feeling my baby move made me feel awe and inspiration. This is actually the one thing I miss most about pregnancy – feeling a human being growing inside of me.
Whatever your experience with pregnancy, I can pretty much guarantee that being pregnant will not last longer than 42 weeks. Medical experts generally agree that after 42 weeks there’s a higher risk of problems for the baby. As a result, most doctors induce labor after 42 weeks of pregnancy. In the grand scheme of things, being pregnant is a very short experience: do your best to have a healthy pregnancy and try to remain positive.
For a guide to your pregnancy week-by-week, visit EverythingMom‘s Pregnancy Calendar.
 About the Author Vered DeLeeuw fell in love with blogging in early 2008, when she started her personal blog, MomGrind. She has been blogging ever since, on her own blog and for various clients. Vered writes about a wide range of topics, including high tech, real estate, marketing and self improvement, but the topics she enjoys the most are related to women’s issues. Vered lives with her husband and two children in San Francisco, California. Her Profile | Her Main Site | Follow Her on Twitter |