15 Pregnancy Perks
Posted in Pregnancy on 15. Oct, 2009
Pregnancy is such an exciting time. The anticipation of a new baby brings feelings of joy, excitement, and butterflies in your stomach. And yes – there are plenty of uncomfortable or unpleasant things that come along with pregnancy, but there are also some fun perks you may not have thought of yet. After asking moms out there what their favorite pregnancy perks were, here are our top 15.
- Lines in public restrooms become negotiable. People clear the way like no one’s business when they see a pregnant woman waiting in line at the bathroom. I was almost physically forced to the front of the line in the women’s room at Steve Miller concert when I was nine months along. People are very insistent on making sure you can go ahead of them. It’s great. Like being a huge celebrity.
- During the first week or two of pregnancy, food tastes better than you could even dream. It’s sort of like after you have a couple of beers and eat a slice of pizza, and wonder why the pizza tastes so good.
- If you go to Disney World or another major theme park, you can get special parking in the handicap lot – as long as you’re big enough to convince the guys with the flags that you’re pregnant.
- You get a disproportionate amount of joy from buying a baby hat. It’s really ridiculous. And baby socks are in the same category – over the top adorable once you know you’ll soon have two little feet tiny enough to fit into them.
- Your taste buds change! Before my first pregnancy, I hated beer. Then I smelled it at a parade during the sixth month, and it actually smelled good to me. After the baby was born, I realized that I loved beer. (I keep waiting for my taste buds to change and enable me to like tea. It’s such a classy beverage and I really wish I had a taste for it.)
- People smile at your when you eat ice cream, and don’t judge how humongous the portion is. Undoubtedly, eating what you want during pregnancy is a huge perk among many moms. While the rest of the time we try to make sure we are either losing or maintaining weight, this is a season in our lives when we know we are supposed to gain weight. There really is something liberating about placing that bowl of ice cream on top of your belly (which makes a nice little table in the third trimester) and digging in.
- It takes much less time to go to the bathroom, thanks to maternity pants. No zipper, no buttons… so simple. Oh, but you’ll have to use the bathroom so frequently that I guess this one is sort of a wash.
- Your hair will be awesome. It grows faster, and is much thicker when you’re pregnant. The same goes for your fingernails.
- You can justify dishing out for a massage! There is nothing like a pregnancy massage during the last trimester. Make sure and find someone with a special pillow – this enables you to lie on your stomach, and have your belly lodged nicely into a hole in the pillow.
- Maternity clothes are getting cuter and cuter. It seems like just since I had my last baby two years ago, the clothes are better. Being pregnant is a time when you have to get new clothes, and this is definitely a perk for many women.
- Napping. Pregnancy is a time when you can nap without feeling a twinge of guilt. Sure, we all encourage other moms to nap if they’re tired, but how often do we actually do it ourselves? I don’t know about you, but I seem to get too caught up during nap time, whether it’s because I’m doing housework or busy with something else. Enjoy napping during pregnancy – it’s a great time to take advantage of it!
- General courtesy in society. It’s a relief to know that civility is alive and well, and is showered on those who are pregnant. Men hold the door for you, offer you their seats, and women smile and ask you polite questions. The public in general seems to love pregnant women, and it’s encouraging to see such courtesy and thoughtfulness from strangers.
- Nesting. The urge that pregnant women feel to clean and organize is overwhelming. I remember being seven months pregnant with my first daughter, and I was out running errands one afternoon in July. Since I was hungry and also had to use the restroom, I just stopped by my house for a few minutes. As I pulled into the driveway, I stopped and mentally changed my plan. Once I saw the hedges in my front yard, I immediately went into the garage and grabbed the shears. I spent the next hour or two trimming every hedge in my yard, because in that moment it seemed like the most important thing in the world. I know it was crazy to be seven months pregnant and doing yard work in sweltering hot weather, but it happened anyway. Sigh. So even if nesting can be a little crazy sometimes, it can certainly be helpful if you’re trying to get caught up on things. Many women love this because once the baby is born, you’ll be busy doing other things for quite a while!
- If you like getting attention… then you’ll like this little perk. Some women don’t enjoy the attention at all, but others can’t get enough of it. Whether it’s strangers at the grocery store or close family and friends, it seems everyone has something to ask or comment on regarding pregnancy. While this attention can sometimes backfire (see Top 10 Things Never to Say to a Pregnant Woman), it often sounds something like this: “You look adorable! You don’t look like you’ve gained any weight at all,” or, “How are you feeling? Do you need anything – perhaps some orange juice?”
- Pregnancy – the ultimate scapegoat. Last of all, one of the perks of being pregnant that moms suggested was being able to blame things on pregnancy. If you don’t feel like going to your weird cousin’s costume party, you can say you’re just too tired. Do you want another donut? Go for it! Also, are you forgetting things frequently? Yep – blame that on pregnancy as well. “Pregnancy brain” is way worse than “mommy brain,” so this one really is valid. Regardless of the issue, moms say they like to be able to have an excuse for things – and if pregnancy isn’t a good excuse, then I don’t know what is.
So regardless of morning sickness, fatigue, and not being able to see your feet, pregnancy really does offer a lot of great perks. And of course I haven’t even touched on the greatest “perk” of all – bringing someone into this world who you will love more than you could ever imagine. So when it comes down to it, pregnancy is pretty awesome. Not only are you able to bond with a person you haven’t even met yet in a completely unique way, but you can have a bag of Oreos without anyone saying a word.
- Grace
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