Being pregnant is an amazing feeling. Once I got past the first trimester and when my belly slowly, but surely started to come in, things started to finally sink in. I’m going to be a mom! There’s an actual human being inside of me! One that has to come out eventually! Eek!

It’s definitely equal parts excitement and fear, especially the first time, and there are days when it’s either one or the other, and also both.

Being 6 months pregnant means that I’ve had plenty of time to Google the heck out of what I’m feeling and whether it’s normal or not. But there’s still lots of stuff that you would think is obvious, but is not…

You might not have all the popular symptoms 

I blame movies and TV shoes for this one. I was so convinced that morning sickness and crazy cravings were a mandatory part of pregnancy, that I started thinking something was wrong with me when I didn’t have those symptoms. Instead, I should have been counting my blessings, but they have been so ingrained in me that when they didn’t arise, I started to worry (as usual). But apparently, not every woman gets morning sickness. And I just happened to be one of the lucky ones!

As for cravings, that’s one symptom I do feel cheated out of during my pregnancy. It seems like such a rite of passage to go deliriously crazy craving things and I was kind of excited to see what sort of weird things I would crave. But alas I never had them! So I never had that funny situation of making my husband running out in the middle of the night for a tub of specific ice cream. People keep telling me I might still get them, but they still haven’t come in yet.

You might not get any of the so-called benefits

The same goes for the ‘benefits’ of pregnancy. Again, I’d heard so much about the glowing skin, the thick hair and nails that I was so excited for them! Who doesn’t want to be told that they’re glowing and to have their hair grow in thicker?

But again, I didn’t get any of these! My skin has actually gotten worse, so I don’t feel like I’m glowing, and my hair and nails stayed the same. So sad.

You feel like a baby

Ok, this is kind of a weird one, but it’s so true. You might be having a baby, but pregnancy suddenly makes you feel like the baby, especially towards the end. I’ve started needing help putting on my shoes because it’s harder to bend down. I also need help walking across with all the ice and snow, and because my balance is totally off. I get tired much easier and can’t get half of what I used to get done in one day. I take naps constantly.

So it feels like you become a baby to have a baby.

You’ll grow overnight

It honestly feels like I did! Ok maybe not overnight, but literally over the span of one week. From a tiny baby bump that was so easy to hide to a blooming belly that pops out of my clothes now. 2 weeks ago all my clothes fit and all of a sudden none of them do! I went from wondering if I looked pregnant to knowing I’ve reached the stage where I can’t. And as big as I feel right now, I know I’m only going to get bigger.

Pregnancy is such an amazing, but weird time. There are so many things that are happening with and inside your body that sometimes it feels like there’s an alien inside of you. And sometimes your body feels like the alien, as it changes and morphs into something you barely recognize.

But when you feel those first flutters of movement in your stomach, your heart begins to swell with love and excitement, and it all seems worth it.

Thanks for reading,

Ikhlas