Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.

-Carrie Fisher

Don’t you just love this quote about pregnancy? I remember wondering this same thing during my own pregnancies. It’s been many, many years since I was last pregnant, as my own children are now 18 and 14 respectively. However, I can still remember the myriad of emotions I felt like it was yesterday…

• The anxiety around if everything was really going to be okay for me and my baby (and after a late miscarriage, the anxiety got exponentially worse throughout out my next pregnancy)
• The joy I felt around finally being pregnant after months and months of waiting and hoping
• The grief I felt surrounding our changing family, and wanting it to grow while also missing the life stage we were moving away from
• The sadness I felt, often for no identifiable reason, because of my everchanging hormones
• The anger I felt when I got shamed by a nurse for gaining too much weight during one emotionally hard month
• And the pure happiness at the end of it all when I finally got to meet my babies!

 For most of us, each trimester brings about its own stressors and heightened emotions. Let’s dive in to each one specifically…

Common first trimester pregnancy struggles include:

1. Fear of miscarriage- especially if you’ve already had one
2. Morning sickness- talk to your doctor or midwife about possible medication that may be helpful here
3. Figuring out when to tell people you’re pregnant- this differs from person to person, so stick with what feels best for you and your family
4. Heightened emotions that seem to change without warning- happy, sad, mad, scared, shame, loneliness, etc. are all very normal during pregnancy

What else would you add to this list?

Common second trimester pregnancy struggles include:

1. Late miscarriage fears- uncommon, but unfortunately does happen
2. Worries about baby- this occurs a lot during the lull between your morning sickness symptoms fading and you feeling your baby move
3. Figuring out if you want to know the sex of your baby (which is often happening during the first trimester now), and other worries that may occur during the anatomy scan
4. Glucose challenge anxiety, especially if you’ve had gestational diabetes during a past pregnancy

What else would you add here?

Common third trimester pregnancy struggles often include:

1. Not sleeping well- especially as you’re moving toward the end of your pregnancy because of frequent bathroom breaks throughout the night
2. Physical pain and discomfort- you may not be feeling great in your own skin, may not be able to do many of the activities you’re used to doing, and may have trouble getting comfortable when you’re sitting down or trying to sleep
3. Fear around the birth process- even if you’ve been through it before, all births are different and therefore anxiety provoking for most of us
4. Financial stressors- baby items are getting more and more expensive by the day, your maternity leave may not be fully paid for by your employer, etc.

What else did I forget here?

Although heightened emotions are normal throughout the three pregnancy trimesters, they can still be hard to deal with personally. If you’re pregnant and currently struggling, please reach out to a doctor, midwife or therapist in your area for more support. I’m sending lots of love and compassion your way as you navigate your own pregnancy stressors!

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