Things I actually loved about being pregnant

Pregnancy has bad PR, and fair enough, I hear it. Ask your mum or the other women in your life about their experience, and most of the time what comes back first is the trauma, the discomfort, and the food they couldn't enjoy while pregnant.

Pregnancy is wild, no argument there; but I want to share a few things I genuinely loved about being pregnant.

1. The Princess Treatment

I loved the care I received from friends, relatives, and even strangers. My family and community offering to take on some of my usual responsibilities so I didn't feel stressed was a real blessing.

If I'm honest, I found it hard to receive that help at first. I'm usually self-reliant, and I wanted to keep going the way I always had. My body had other plans though, and it humbled me quickly.

The fatigue would take over at random points in the day.

Immense tiredness would hit without warning, no matter what I had planned.

I had no choice but to surrender to what my body wanted to do, when it wanted to do it.

Growing a baby is hard, ongoing work. So let those around you take care of you.

Pamper yourself. Make the requests. Relax and revel in the princess treatment while it lasts. It's a short season.

2. Documenting the Journey

As someone who loves capturing moments and taking photos, I really enjoyed exploring the different ways to document this journey.

Social media is full of people's creativity. Marking each trimester, measuring my bump, recording the changes, the joyful moments and the hard days. It's a whole adventure, and one worth capturing in whatever way feels meaningful to you.

I find it wholesome knowing that one day I'll get to sit down with my daughter and reminisce about her journey into the world, with her.

3. Project Managing My Pregnancy

For all my type-A expecting mums out there, being able to project manage my pregnancy was honestly a highlight for me. Of course, I had to find out whether I was having a boy or a girl so I could plan everything down to the last detail.

The reality is there's so much during pregnancy that's outside our control, so wherever I did have some free rein, I took it with both hands. I loved planning our nursery colour scheme, choosing furniture, shopping for travel systems (buggy etc), researching which nappies were the most absorbent and which breast pump would actually hold up on the go. Yes, it was overwhelming at times, but I was determined (with the little energy I could muster).

If the project-managing side of things sounds more like a nightmare than a highlight to you, that's completely fine too. Lean on the support around you from family, friends, your community, and yes, TikTok reviews.

4. Sharing the Journey With Loved Ones

My excitement for my baby's arrival was sustained by the people around me. Seeing loved ones overjoyed, sending gifts, prayers, and well wishes spoke volumes about how loved she already was before she even arrived.

I still treasure the memories of everyone's different reactions when we shared the news, and the way our community showed up for our baby shower remains one of my fondest memories of the entire journey.

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This season is an adventure, and it deserves to be captured and remembered in whatever way feels meaningful to you. For me that was journaling, which gave me the time and space to process my feelings, sit with my prayers, and build a bond with my baby girl before I held her.

That's exactly why I created the Pregnancy Journal as a place to record not just the milestones, but also the prayers, the affirmations, reflections, and the moments in between, so you have something to look back on and hand down for years to come. If you're looking for a way to document your pregnancy journey, I hope this journal can be part of yours too.