10.5.11
When I first got pregnant, I heard a lot of predictions about my post-pregnant life. I was fairly certain that I’d have stretch marks, varicose veins, deflated breasts. That I’d end up peeing whenever I sneezed and never having sex. Ever. (I have some stretch marks. The end.)
But there’s one pregnancy assumption so widely spread that it’s not even debated. In fact, it’s one of the most common reasons my 20-something friends are waiting to have kids. And it makes me want to shake them by their collars.
Read more of my post over at Being Pregnant.
3 Comments to The Most Annoying Pregnancy Myth
Tana
October 5, 2011 at 5:21 pm
I am an “early mama”, becoming pregnant at 22. I got married at 21 and became pregnant with my now 9-month-old son about 6 months after. The “myth” of your life being “over”, the death of all of your dreams,travel and professional aspirations absolutely terrified me. I still struggle with this. I live my son, he brings me incredible amounts of joy but it is a challenge to accomplish what I want and need to accomlish. I am finishing up my bachlor’s degree and completely classes, while not impossible is certainly difficult. Even though I do have help ( my mother in law and husband), the ultimate responsibility of parenting rests on my shoulders. On good days it is a weight I am proud and honored to carry, on bad days it is oppressive, weighing heavily on my heart. It is not the child care itself, I don’t even mind poop diapers ; ), but it is the loss of my time. Having a son hasn’t really affected my husband at all, he still comes and goes as he pleases, while I am constanly on call for my son, lucky to get a shower. Don’t misunderstand me, I do not have a horrible life, I don’t have to worry about a roof over my head or where my next meal is coming from and I am fortunate to be able to be in college, I guess I am “mourning” the “freedom” of my pre-baby life. How do you reconcile the two? How do you fulfill my dreams that are separate from my child? How do you not be overwhelmed with the giant task of motherhood?
Amy
October 5, 2011 at 8:23 pm
I would have totally agreed with you post baby #1. My 22 year old body bounced straight back.
Post baby two, at 24, I do have that ‘typical’ Mum body- the stretch marks, the little extra podge, the deflated breasts. I just don’t think my body was able to cope with all that stretching a second time around (or thought ‘Geez woman, if you are going to keep doing this to me, I’m just going to stay flabby and weird’.)
I’m working hard to get it back to the way I like- but after baby 1, the changes were a huge shock…
Jessica
October 5, 2011 at 11:31 pm
Ha! This is a great little post! When I found out I was pregnant I too thought the same. I thought great at 20 I am going to have stretchmarks all over my stomach, non existant boobs etc.. I didnt get any of that. Mind you my boobs dont feel as ‘full’ as they did but that could be because I was so used to Mummy Milk boobs that without the milk they arent as full.