7 Perks of Pregnancy

Let’s talk about pregnancy and the perks of pregnancy for a minute.

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know I’m not a fan of it. There’s a lot of not so great things about being pregnant.

(But please know, I am so grateful that I can get pregnant and carry a baby! I don’t take that lightly.)

Hard Parts of Pregnancy

I’m a crazy hormonal mess 90% of the time. I cry a lot about nothing. Get terrible heartburn and feel really uncomfortable. And I pee all.the.darn.time.

I get winded walking around the block (despite used to being a marathon runner!). My biggest complaint is I just don’t really feel like myself for 9+ months!

I’m sure you get it (and can add a thing or 10).

HOWEVER. It has it’s perks. There’s actually a lot of them when you really think about it.

7 Perks of Pregnancy

1. You get to wear jeans with an elastic waistband.

And not one person can make fun of you for it. 😉 There’s also zero shame for wearing them post pregnancy until you can fit into your pre-pregnancy pants!

I resisted wearing maternity pants with my first pregnancy but now the thought of being pregnant makes me want to bust them out again. They’re so comfy!

2. People automatically offer to help you do pretty much everything.

I used to get annoyed by this and insist on doing everything myself (like mow our lawn with a very steep hill just 3 days before delivering Roy) and then I realized the errors of my ways and now let everyone who offers help.

It’s not every day a neighbor will mow your lawn, a stranger will carry your groceries or you’ll be given priority of a seat in a busy waiting room of a restaurant. Just say “thank you”.

3. You can indulge in food more often than normal.

While I still try to do most things in moderation, I definitely eat lots more ice cream and carbs covered in cheese when I’m pregnant. Your baby needs those extra calories so don’t feel bad for indulging now and then!

I had a hard time gaining weight so I just ate small meals all the time. I had 2 breakfasts (one savory and one sweet), lunch, dinner and tons of snacks in between.

Stay healthy but be sure to get those necessary calories in!

4. You have an excuse for going to bed early or take frequent naps (if you need one).

Being pregnant is exhausting! Get that extra sleep! I know it can be so hard to get a full night’s sleep so rest when you can. Nap when your other kids are napping, take catnaps before dinner or just try to rest as much as possible.

I had a friend who used to take a 20 minute cat nap before driving home after work because her commute was over an hour and she was so tired! Do what you need to to get that rest!

5. You have a very valid reason to buy new clothes.

Your “normal” clothes literally don’t cover areas they need to cover so new clothes is a necessity. (If you’re struggling with looking cute while pregnant, check out this post!)

6. You have thicker hair and stronger nails.

My husband even pointed out to me how pretty my nails were this time around ha!

During pregnancy you have higher levels of estrogen that prolong the growth phase so you’re not really losing much hair at all while pregnant! (Let’s just not talk about post pregnancy ha!)

{photos by Rebecca Petersen}

7. You can blame all of your mistakes or forgetfulness on pregnancy brain (followed up with “baby brain”).

Lost the car at the mall? Forgot to email a client? Pregnancy brain to the rescue! Even better, you can use this excuse until your child is at least 6.

There are even other perks of pregnancy if you’re someone who enjoys being the center of attention (everyone wants to ask about your due date, if you’re having a boy or girl and ask all about how you’ve been feeling) or loves to watch your belly move and groove all the time (I’m impartial about this one…) but these are my personal favs.

What are some of the perks of pregnancy that you loved? If this is your first baby be sure to check out my post talking all about what do contractions feel like!

Thanks so much for reading!