Pregnancy: it's a beautiful thing, but it can wreak havoc on your body and your self-esteem. Here's a guide to feeling pretty while you're pregnant ... not just "pretty pregnant."
At nine months pregnant, I was an odd combination of emotions. I had never felt better – my anticipation and love for the new life inside of me was overwhelming – but I had also never felt worse. My normally shiny, bouncy, lustrous hair hung limp and greasy within hours of washing it. My complexion looked like a teenager’s. I had lovely purple stretch marks from my widened thighs to my drooping breasts. My legs looked like sausages, and my ankles were officially nonexistent, undistinguishable from my calves. My feet were too swollen to fit into anything but flip-flops. I had outgrown all but one of my maternity outfits. And probably worst of all was the fact that my husband wouldn’t touch me – “because of the baby,” he claimed vaguely, although I couldn’t help but suspect that he was no longer attracted to me in that manner. When it seems that nearly every part of your body is turning against you, it’s hard to feel pretty. I shed many a tear over my feelings of sheer hideousness … yes, it was a rough time. As much as I was looking forward to the arrival of our son, and as much as I had loved being pregnant overall, I couldn’t help but wonder: would I ever feel remotely attractive again?
Don’t feel abnormal if you’re not experiencing all that the pregnancy books say you will.
I have read countless excerpts from various pregnancy guides that talk about how glorious your hair will be, how fast your nails will grow, how you’ll look and feel more beautiful than ever … that kind of thing. If you’re one of those lucky women, I envy you! I didn’t happen to be a woman that looks radiant. The only “pregnancy glow” I seemed to radiate was from the oil slick that was my face and hair, and my nails were as brittle as thin glass. Reading the books, I determined that I was in the vast minority, and therefore felt even more unattractive and isolated. It was only in talking to other women who were pregnant, or who had been pregnant, that I realized I wasn’t in the minority at all. There are many women out there who feel horribly ugly during pregnancy, and chances are if you’re reading this article, you’re one of us. So don’t worry – you’re definitely not alone, and you’re definitely not abnormal.