Tuesday, 26 August 2008

  • Does Being Pregnant Really Make You Feel Beautiful?

    by Momaroo Team

    People talk about the "pregnancy glow" and how women look beautiful during pregnancy.  But does it really?  And is that how a woman feels?  In response to the question posted on this Momaroo forum, one reader responds:

    I loved that I didn't have to worry about "sucking in my belly," and the pregnant shape I think is very beautiful. However it's also hard NOT to feel like a whale in those last months when you're huge, everything hurts, etc.

    Did/do you feel beautiful during pregnancy? Did you feel that way throughout the entire pregnancy, or was each trimester different?

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Comments (35)

  • sugartomyhoney@xanga

    I felt awful and ugly during all 5 pregnancies during the whole! pregnancy!
  • Amyld@xanga

    I felt beautiful thoughout the entire pregnancy. (with all of them)
  • jediwa72@xanga

    I'm 21 weeks pregnant with my third....I feel like for the past 10 weeks minimum I've looked like I've had a fat gut and not a pregnant belly.  And my face keeps getting pimples.  The answer is no, no I do not feel pretty.  And I'm sleepy and grumpy too=P
  • Amarisa@xanga

    The first trimester, no.  But after that, yes.
  • mamaturtle

    I'm usually a mixed bag, lol. I love my belly, but that's about it. Dh says I'm beautiful though I think some women get the glow and others don't, and sometimes the glow comes and goes for each person.
  • firetyger@xanga

    Honestly...for me, not really.  With both of my pregnancies, my skin has breakouts, I carry out so far everyone asks me if I'm having triplets, and my thighs are packing on all the weight.

    My husband and my mother say I look beautiful but I just don't feel it myself.
  • SeeBeeWrite@xanga

    Right now it's kind of like, "Damn, girl needs to go do some sit-ups and see a dermatologist."

    So no. I feel disgusting. So far.
  • sillylily0204@xanga

    the first trimester, i just felt pudgy.  the second, sort of, but still pudgy/fat.  the third, i only sometimes feel fat, so i suppose that's an improvement.  i tend to compare myself to those work-out-aholic pregnant women who still have tone arms and legs even while pregnant or to those women who are naturally skinny even with a baby bump.  so self-esteem is a big issue too.  i believe if you were confident about yourself before, then you'll tend to be even if you're pregnant.
  • mamajoyjoy

    The beginning was hard because I'm super skinny, so the belly was a little awkward. It just looked like I was getting chubby. Other than that, the rest of the pregnancy was great. I didn't gain weigh in any other areas (maybe a little in the behind). A week or 2 before delivery, it was hard to turn over or get out of the bed or get up though.
  • Gunnermom@xanga

    NOT AT ALL, I do not enjoy the whole pregnancy thing much, I am tired and sore and cannot sleep to save my life ( I get pregnancy induced insomnia it is horrible and I have to take somethign every so often to get some sleep) Also I am just so well, Fat in my opinion, I hate that things do not fit I HATE pregnancy clothes and HATE even more that my feet hurt all the time so no I never felt pretty at all
  • englishbelleinks@xanga

    I'm not a fan of the first trimester, simply because I'm SOOOO sick.  This pregnancy was a million times worse than my last in that respect.

    Once I get past the wanna-puke-all-the-time phase, I feel like a million bucks.  I have a tendency to lose weight while pregnant.  I lose, but baby and everything associated with baby gains.  It's the greatest weight loss plan I've found...haha!

    I told my husband last night that part of me is sad about being pregnant, because I feel more beautiful now than I ever do when I'm not pregnant.  He disagreed...good man!
  • averyswife@xanga

    So AWFULLY sick the first two trimesters that I felt like my husband wouldn't even want to look at me.  But by the eighth month, I felt gorgeous!  'Course, I didn't gain any weight until the second trimester and then ended up only gaining 18 pounds the whole time, so it was mainly only my belly that grew (and my butt a bit, which was fine cuz I was skinny to begin with).


    BUT, I definitely didn't have pretty pregnancy skin...my face was all sorts of colors during the second trimester and I got a million stretch marks on my boobs and butt.

  • christygraves@xanga

    I've never felt pretty when I'm pregnant.  My face always breaks out, and I never have that pretty round belly.  Instead, I just look like I've gained some weight.  I'm 29 weeks pregnant right now, and not one person that dosen't already know me has said congratulations.  Because they just think I'm fat.  (Sorry - that was probably hormones talking, but sometimes I just wish I felt pretty like other pregnant women seem to.)
  • filtered_sunlight@xanga

    First four months were spent throwing up pretty much every 5 minutes. In case you've never vomitted, let me tell you: it does NOT make you feel beautiful. Since then, I've been experience break-outs related to some increased oil production thing related to pregnancy (BabyCenter.com tried to warn me it was coming. I refused to believe it...the pregnancy Gods couldn't curse me again, could they?! Oh, but they did.)...zits. Another great way to feel sexy and B-E-A-U-tiful, let me tell you. And we're getting to that "beached whale" stage. I've always been tall and thin...poor, poor pitiful me. I know. So, this is the biggest I've ever been and I haven't adjusted well. I'm really thankful for the whole protective bag of waters thing because I've bumped into more things than I can count with my belly. If it weren't for Tim earnestly telling me I'm beautiful, you'd probably never see me out of bed...I'd just hybernate until November!


    Fair warning: it takes more muscles to frown AND frowning causes wrinkles...again, taking away from the "prettiness" factor, so for the next person that makes a comment about "glowing"? I will be extending my arm and keepin' the pimp hand strong instead.
  • WaterfallPhilosophies@xanga

    Yes I did, up until my 9th month.  My skin looked better, my hair was thicker - I loved knowing that my body was harboring another human soul and I looked forward to greeting my baby.


    During the 9th month I swoll up.  I could barely walk.  Everyone kept saying "Wow, you're HUGE!" and even friends asked me if I was carrying twins.  My face, once oval, turned round and I started to have that "jolly" look. 


    When I look back at my pregnancy pictures I think, "awwww how cute."  But my 9th month of pregnancy photos, I just wanna rip those pictures up!
  • ozzieong@xanga

    The "glow" is the result of hormones. Whether you feel ugly during pregnancy just depend on individuals.
  • the_martyrs_index@xanga

    well most of you may feel beautful but you all look like fat whores!
  • Deannas_Mommy@xanga

    When I first found out I was pregnant, I was thinking "O my gosh, I'm going to be sooo huge, considering I have never been "skinny". The first trimester I felt very ugly and fat, during my second trimester, I felt "cute" lol, even though it irritated me when people would call me cute. During my third trimester I felt beautiful. My skin had cleared up and my hair had more shine. I felt the most beautiful during my 3rd trimester of pregnancy than I had ever felt in my life.
  • saraxqt@xanga

    I never had that "pregnancy glow" it looked like I was miserable all the time but there are times where I felt cute...haha
  • dead_poetic009xx@xanga

    i will never have kids. i'm not messing up my body or looking like a fucking blimp. i personally think it's unattractive but hey....it's a great thing to be able to have a kid and once it's out then i hear it's worth it.....it's just not for me.


    plus i HATE little kids lol. i don't think it would be a good idea to have them if i feel that way.
  • mamaseahorse

    I was definitely not one of those "glowing" women... i was HUGE!  and consider that I am 5'3" and weigh 107 typically.  I'm a diminutive dance teacher.  Now imagine that small frame with the equivalent of 2 basketballs underneath my shirt.  My students would laugh at me because from the back you could hardly tell I was preggo at all!  Anyways... I do remember though during 2nd trimester with all three of them feeling happy and healthy.  Its when you just barely have enough of a bump to prove that its actually a baby and not a beer belly, but before you actually need to wear maternity clothes (at least for me - I got super stretchy stuff and got as much use as I could out of normal-looking clothes!).


    ahhh, good times!  But then in the last trimester, I was loathing everything.  I was a crabby pregnant lady, get out of my way!  lol
  • smallaznmouse@xanga

    I've never been pregnant, but I learned in bio that when a woman is pregnant, her eyes grow wider and glossier.  Her lips are more naturally red, and her breasts are bigger.  It's all because the body is still trying to attract a male who would support her throughout pregnancy.  Honestly, I think the real beauty is the fact that a woman lives nine months of her life (for each child) holding and nurturing a baby, training herself as a mother.  That, my friends, is beauty.
  • Erika_Steele@xanga

    NO and I was angry to boot. 

  • roxygirl88_cait@xanga

    Currently I feel like a sore/tired/fat pregnant lady. I feel blessed though that I'm carrying a life inside of me so that makes it all worth it. I would have to say I loved the point after I wasn't sick to my stomach and before I was big enough for maternity clothes so I had that cute little, "oh my gosh are you pregnant???" belly. Haha. Some days I do have to just give myself a break though and tell myself that I'll be fine and it's almost over. Being sore is never fun :(


    :) Caitlin
  • EccentricSiren@xanga

    Never been pregnant. But I am looking forward to finally having boobs and having my hair grow faster.

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