Pregnancy Shouldn't Be A Stressful Time: Here's How You Can Enjoy It

There are few times in a woman's life more exciting than when they first get pregnant. After all, you're on your way to one of the most incredible and life-changing experiences that you'll ever go through. Of course, just about everyone knows that you're not necessarily going to have the best time when you're pregnant. While it can be incredibly enjoyable, certain aspects of the experience can be pretty tough as well.

From morning sickness to the changes in your body, you're going to have to deal with a lot of things that you might never have experienced before. These kinds of things can be a pretty difficult and stressful, and it can often be more than you really wanted to be dealing with at any given time. However, that's not how things have to be. In order to make it the most pleasant and enjoyable experience possible, here are a few things that you can do in order to take the stress out of your pregnancy.

Take care of your body

During pregnancy, your body is going to go through more changes than you ever thought possible. If Hollywood and TV is to be believed, all you're really going to have to deal with is your stomach getting bigger. But the reality is that your entire body is going to be affected, and that really shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Sure, your belly is the place where you're going to see the most radical changes, and it's a good idea to stock up on stretch marks lotion to keep your skin relaxed no matter how big you can get. After all, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that something stretching out the skin on your stomach for several months can get pretty uncomfortable. However, you're also going to end up having to deal with things like swollen hands and feet, aches and pains here and there, not to mention the feeling of your baby pressing up against your various internal organs. Because of all of this, you should make sure to take the best care of your body as possible. The last thing you want is to feel uncomfortable on top of the anxiety that you're already feeling.

Get pampered

Sometimes you just need a break. That applies to just about any time in your life, but it applies doubly so when you're pregnant. Whether it's trying to plan or the arrival of the baby, dealing with changes in your body, combating morning sickness, or simply putting up with unwanted advances from people who want to ask you about your pregnancy, you're going to end up feeling much more stressed than you otherwise would. Which is why it's so important that you take the time to pamper and look after yourself. Go for a spa day and relax as much as possible, or even do something as simple as spending a day in bed. If there was ever a time in your life when you could get away with wanting just to sit back and relax every so often, this is it.

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Don't count the days

One of the most common things that women do when they're pregnant is to count the days until their due date. You check up on how your baby's developing and what kinds of changes are going on in your body, and you figure out exactly how long you've got until the new addition to your family arrives. Of course, just like when you were are a kid waiting for Christmas, counting down the days is just going to make the whole thing go much more slowly. The last thing you want is for the excitement that you feel about getting to meet your baby to become a source of stress for you. Find things to distract yourself with and try to just live your life as normal. See friends, watch movies, go to work, and just do all of the things that you did before you were pregnant. Letting your pregnancy take over your life is just going to leave you feeling more stressed than you need to.

Do your research

A lot of the things that are going to happen during pregnancy can be pretty unexpected, and most of the time people don't talk about some of the more specific aspects of it. Sure, you might have a vague idea of what it's like from movies and TV, but the truth is that they rarely show the genuine experience. That's why it's a good idea to do as much research on both pregnancy and birth so that you know what to expect. The idea of giving birth can be a serious source of anxiety for many women but often doing plenty of research can help you understand the process better, make the choices that are right for you when the day comes, and just generally feel much more in control of an incredibly scary experience that you might not otherwise be prepared for at all. There are dozens of great pregnancy and baby books out there as well as thousands of blog posts and articles that can give you all of the information you need about what to expect when you're expecting.

It's okay to be scared and stressed during your pregnancy. A lot of people end up feeling as though there's something wrong with them if they aren't constantly excited and overjoyed the entire time but that's not the case. The truth is that you're dealing with some incredibly significant changes to your life and to your body and feeling somewhat anxious in the face of those kinds of changes is incredibly common and understandable. The media stereotype of a pregnant woman is someone who's happy and excited all of the time and sure, you're going to have those feelings, but remember that there's nothing wrong with having fears or worries sitting there in the back of your mind during such a significant time in your life.