Life
Depending on the individual woman's experience, pregnancy can be terrifying, uncomfortable, painful, glorious, self-affirming, empowering, or all of the above. One thing is true for almost all pregnant women, though: it is an experience you'll never forget. I asked moms to share the one pregnant moment they'll never forget because, well, feelings.
I had lots of unforgettable moments during my pregnancy; some of them wonderful and some of them truly awful. Shortly after I found out I was expecting, my husband and I took a vacation with our extended family. It was so wonderful to have this special little secret between us. We splashed around in the ocean thinking of baby names, and tried to hide my virgin cocktails from our relatives (who probably would have guessed our secret had they caught on). Of course, there were bad times, too. When I was about 32 weeks pregnant, I got the worse case of food poisoning. I was so sick, but was also really worried about the baby.
One of my best memories, however, was the first time I heard my baby's heartbeat. It was an audible confirmation that there was life inside of me and it was just beautiful. So, if you're in the throes of pregnancy and feeling anything but "wonderful," know that there are wonderful moments ahead.
Marie
"The very first moment I found out I was pregnant and seeing that line appear. I'll never forget it."
Janelle
"When I realized I couldn't see over my stomach anymore and my feet were a distant memory."
Rachel
"Telling my mum I was pregnant was pretty sweet. She cried happy tears and hugged me for, like, 20 minutes!"
Sue
"Watching my partner walk out the door. I was petrified and so sad, but I knew I could do this by myself. It wasn't my first choice, but I knew we were going to be OK."
Roz
"My doctor sat us down and said, "It's twins.' I don't remember anything for the rest of that day, it was just a whirlwind. However, that one sentence will always be in my heart."
Samantha
"Going for the ultrasound and seeing my baby for the first time was amazing. She was sucking her thumb and kicking her legs. It was so unreal."
Alice
"Feeling my daughter kick for the first time was really memorable. The cat was lying on my tummy and suddenly jumped off, then I felt a movement and watched as the whole top of my stomach moved like a wave went through it."
Laurie
"I have a 16-year-old son from a previous relationship. Telling him I was pregnant was a real magical moment. He went really quiet, sat down, and then burst into a big smile and cried. Adorable!"
Sally
"The birth. I will never forget it for as long as I live, and I won't have any more children. It was horrendous."
Francesca
"I really liked being pregnant. The most memorable thing, for me, was my baby shower. I felt really pretty with my little bump on display and everyone was so kind and generous. My whole family was there and I felt so loved."
Taylor
"I'll never forget when my water broke. I was on a bus and I thought I peed myself, so I was trying to get off the bus without drawing any attention to myself. However, I was huge and the bus was packed with people. Then there was this huge gush that splashed the woman's shoes next to me and everyone freaked out. It was so embarrassing."
