With the nausea, swollen ankles, headaches, back pain and pressure in unmentionable areas, my nine months of pregnancy sometimes felt like an eternity. I not only got more and more uncomfortable as the weeks progressed, but I also become more and more anxious and excited to meet that little baby who called my belly home. Despite the obvious miracle of growing a human being, there were some additional and unexpected perks I discovered while being pregnant:

1. The kindness of strangers

When you are pregnant, suddenly everyone wants to open the door for you, carry your bags, and give you their seat. Someone in line behind you at the store may be upset about how slow you are moving, but as soon as they see that belly, they smile sheepishly and offer to help you with anything you need. It’s pure magic.

2. An excuse for getting out of anything

Too tired to make it to that dinner party? Uninterested in sitting through another after work get together? No problem! Being pregnant is like a ‘get out of jail free’ card for leaving early or just plain not attending any social function.

3. Bigger boobs

If you are already large-chested, this may not excite you. But if you are small-chested like me, you will love your pregnancy breasts and will be sad when they are gone.

4. A deadline to get things done

No matter how much procrastinating you do or excuses you come up with, your baby has a due date that you can’t change. Knowing this caused me to put hard deadlines in place for every goal I had to accomplish before our baby came. I was more focused than I had ever been before, knowing our baby was coming whether I was ready or not.

5. More empathy for others

I had never experienced true back pain like I did when I was pregnant. It didn’t seem to improve no matter how much I stretched or what positions I tried getting myself into. The one thing that helped was knowing it was temporary. I learned to have so much sympathy for people who suffer from chronic pain of any kind.

6. Self-confidence

I gained weight, developed weird skin tags, sweated profusely, had gas, experienced heartburn and spent more time in the bathroom than I care to remember. And yet, I felt more beautiful than I ever had in my life. There is something very empowering about seeing your body change and knowing it is for such an amazing cause.

7. No hangovers

There were times I missed sipping on wine while I was pregnant, but I never once missed the hangover that comes with a night of too much drinking. I was happy to feel refreshed and rejuvenated the next morning.

8. Seeing a different side of your partner

Even the most stoic man can tear up when they first hear your baby’s heartbeat, see the ultrasound picture, or hear the words, “It’s a girl!” It’s amazing to see your partner evolve into a dad before your baby is even born.

9. The realization someone else is more important than you

While I missed sushi and wine and coffee, it wasn’t hard to give them up for nine months. Every choice I made was no longer about me, but about the precious baby inside of me. It was very liberating to know I was no longer the most important person in my world, and I never would be again.

10. Feeling your baby kick throughout the day

Every time my baby girl kicked, I felt like she was talking to me. It became a wonderful conversation we had throughout the day that was just for us. There is no feeling in the world like your baby kicking and moving inside of you. When they finally join you in the world, you’ll feel like you already know them. Featured photo credit: being pregnant via pixabay.com