8 things to love about being pregnant

From finally reaching your #hairgoals to being able to blame every mistake on pregnancy brain, there are plenty of things to love about being pregnant.

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For most women, pregnancy is not the image of a rosy-cheeked woman, twirling in a floral dress in the middle of a lush meadow. Despite the morning sickness, weight gain and sore back, there are some remarkable and wonderful things women experience while they’re expecting. Here are eight things to love about being pregnant.

1. People are nicer to you

When people see you’re pregnant, most will go out of their way to be kind. You’ll suddenly have the red carpet rolled out—people will open doors for you, let you cut in long lines and give up their seats (not so much on public transit though). Your mom will be dropping off dinners, your partner will be propping your pillow and massaging your back… Everyone will suddenly look at you differently—in a good way. It’s kind like you’re walking around with an invisible halo over your head because you are with child. Here’s your 15 minutes of fame, so to speak, so embrace it. Take full advantage of these opportunities while you can, because once the baby arrives, all the attention will be on them.

2. You’ll have great skin and thick hair

Pregnancy nesting is the real dealIf you’ve have adult acne like I had, suddenly your complexion will likely be flawless. The rosy glow is thanks to the blood volume in your body increasing while you’re pregnant so your skin enjoys more oxygen and better circulation. So go ahead and share a ton of selfies on Instagram and proudly hashtag them #nofilter.

Your hair will also be thick, lush and shiny—you lose fewer hairs when you’re expecting, which makes your tresses appear fuller. (Sadly, this will all come crashing down at two or three months postpartum when you’ll lose a shocking amount of hair, so enjoy it while you can.)

3. You have a perfect excuse to say no to social functions

“Sorry co-worker, as much as I’d love to attend your Texas Hold’em soirée, I can’t, because I’m nauseous, bloated and fall asleep at 8:30 every night.” Who can argue with that?

4. You can blame all sorts of things on pregnancy brain

“Wait, did I not reply to the email looking for volunteers at the outdoor booth in the middle of January? Pffft, must be my pregnancy brain!”

Spouse: “Why didn’t you tell me my mother called? She wanted to come over but now it’s too late.”

You: “Oops, I forgot! Pregnancy brain! So sorry!”

5. You’ll have some bangin’ cleavage

If you’ve been an A or B breast size all of your life, you’ll be pleased to experience serious cleavage for the very first time. Your body increases in fluid and your breast tissue grows to prepare for milk production. So enjoy being a C or D cup for a while, and don’t be shy to wear lower-cut tops. You’ve got it for the time being, so flaunt it, girl!

6. You may experience increased libido

Bow chica wow wow! For some pregnant women, the desire to have sex with their partner fades. But for others, their sexual desire skyrockets during pregnancy. According to several studies, most women experience reduced libido and sexual enjoyment during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester.  But for some women, their breasts become more sensitive and their vulva becomes engorged with the increased blood flow to the pelvic area, leading to a higher sex drive. This is especially true during the second trimester. Take full advantage to sneak off with your partner when you can!

7. You get to sleep more

One of the symptoms in pregnancy is fatigue, which means you’ll def be falling asleep during The Bachelor. Set your PVR for any reality show that runs past 8:30 or so because you’ll be drooling on yourself within seconds of your head hitting the pillow.

The amount of water in your body increases by 6 to 8 litres and your blood volume increases by 50 percent when you’re expecting. Carrying all that extra fluid around as well as the additional weight you gain can run you ragged. Embrace the extra sleepy time or put your feet up and binge-watch your favourite shows on Netflix. The bonus: you’ll experience increased vivid dreams (thanks, hormones!) that will undeniably be water-cooler-chat worthy.

8. You’ll feel happy

Mood swings can be drastic during pregnancy; you can be irritable one moment and ecstatic the next. There’ll be bad days, but on the good ones, when you’re up, you’re really up! You’ll have a hop in your step, a strut in your walk and a huge smile of your face. You will find yourself amazed with all that your body can do. After all, you are growing a baby inside of you. You’ll feel like Superwoman for having this miraculous ability to procreate.

Of course pregnancy can also have its tough moments, both emotionally and physically. But by staying focused on the positives of pregnancy, the negative aspects of those nine months will seem like a blur.

Read more: Newborn checklist: Everything you need before your baby arrives When I shared my pregnancy news, I didn’t expect these comments

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