And while reading and listening to other people’s negative experience is not something that we recommend you do every day, it can help you feel a little less alone if you are going through a particularly bad time.
With this in mind we asked MummyPages mums to share one of the hardest things about pregnancy with us, with the aim that it would, hopefully, help others going through the same thing.
1. Sarah Gibbs: "Being an absolute emotional wreck. This is my third child and I have found myself very down during the first 20 weeks - things are on the up though. Xxx"
2. Nargause Javaid: "I suffered from SPD [Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction] all the way through. I also put on so much weight and was told to go for long walks even though they knew I could hardly move!"
3. Katie Hollingsworth: "For 16 weeks I had constant nausea, sickness and depression and now I have SPD. I'm not enjoying this pregnancy at all, but there's only three months to go. Can't wait 'til it's over and I feel more myself and my baby is here."
4. Rebecca Leask: "The lack of skin on my body after I shredded myself from the unbearable itchiness, the carpal tunnel, the sciatica, the back and the pelvis pain from the SPD, and doubling my pre-pregnancy weight - other than that it was a hoot. I hated being pregnant but it was all worth it and would do it all again in a heartbeat for her."
5. Alison Smith: "Having to give myself daily injections of Fragmin to thin my blood as I was high risk of DVT [Deep Vein Thrombosis]. Each injection caused my skin to come up in itchy, red wheels which was awful. I had to carry on with the injections for three months after I'd given birth, but now it all seems a blur!"
6. Amy Ashman Brunton: "I had Cholestasis and was itching everywhere for months. I couldn't sleep and it even affected my appetite which had a knock on effect to my iron levels. I was constantly worrying about my baby and movements."
7. Miriam Stallard Leonard: "I had Hyperemesis Gravidarum on all off my three pregnancies and it was the hardest thing I've had to do in my life. I dropped two stone, couldn't walk because I was so weak and had to go in and out of hospital for drips and meds. Thankfully, I've three healthy boys that I'm so grateful for, but I think more needs to be done for women who suffer with this."
8. Serrena Morris: "I developed antibodies in my third pregnancy that meant my body was trying to reject my baby; I didn't get any of that good feeling and it was just a constant worry. Thankfully, I had a beautiful, healthy girl, who is now ive! The staff in Holles Street Hospital, Co. Dublin were fantastic."
9. Jaclyn Gurulé: "The hardest part for me is the back and pelvis pain that I suffer from. It makes walking, sitting, standing...everything difficult. Yet, I just gave birth to number four about a week ago, so I guess it can't be too bad if I keep going through it!"
10. Ann Harte: "I'm currently on pregnancy number three. Number two was not a good experience - I got SPD and then PUPPS (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques) near the end and was that swollen I looked like the marshmallow man from the Ghostbuster movies. On number three so far, and I have SPD and have just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and one side is swelling more than other. But all was and will be worth it."
