When my husband and I first started thinking about having a baby, I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to be that glowing pregnant mama to be. I just knew in my heart I was going to absolutely love being pregnant. The only thing I was a little nervous about was morning sickness, but all of my friends and family were on their second baby, so if the morning sickness was the only thing I had to worry about, I really wasn’t worried at all.

So when I got pregnant, and I didn’t feel very glowy, and some other things came up that I wasn’t expecting, I was a little surprised, and I want to make sure that if other mamas to be are feeling like they just aren’t getting that glow, they don’t think they’re alone.

So here are five things (good and bad!) that no one told me about being pregnant:

1.) Not everyone glows

And that’s okay!! When I got pregnant I thought for sure I’d have some Kourtney Kardashian vibes and just love being pregnant, but instead I kind of felt like Ursula from the Little Mermaid. Some women that I have talked to absolutely LOVE being pregnant. For me, that just wasn’t the case. It is okay to not have the pregnancy glow, or at least not feel very glowy.

2.) Just because you don’t glow doesn’t mean you will be a bad mama

This was something I was genuinely afraid of. The mamas that I know all seemed like they had the best and easiest time being pregnant, and they’re all amazing moms. I was so scared that since I didn’t like being pregnant meant I wouldn’t like being a mom. After all, wasn’t I having a hard time being pregnant because I had to share my body? So would that mean I would have a hard time sharing my life?

As crazy as that sounds, that’s how I felt. And that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just because you don’t glow, doesn’t mean you will be a bad mama. Max is my favorite person in the whole world and I absolutely love being his mama.

3.) There are a lot more changes than I expected

One of my good friends was pregnant with her second when I was pregnant with Max and I remember her asking me things like “Do you think you smell different?” and actually I did think that, but I didn’t tell anyone that because I thought I was just being crazy!

I had no idea such strange things would happen to me while pregnant. You hear about the food cravings, the emotional rollercoaster that some women have, and the morning sickness, but there is so much more that can happen.

Some other things I didn’t know would happen would be that I had the craziest, most vivid dreams, the pigment in my skin changed and I suddenly had a million freckles, and this is a big one right now because of coronavirus- I had what felt like a cold for my whole pregnancy pretty much. So if that happens to you, try not to stress! It’s likely just the pregnancy sniffles.

4.) The hormones can affect your mental health

With all of the crazy hormones racing through your body, it’s no surprise that your mental health can be affected, but it did surprise me for some reason. I have always struggled with some anxiety but I didn’t really think it would change during my pregnancy, if anything I thought I’d feel better because there was so much to look forward to. But I still struggled and I’m not alone in that.

While I was pregnant I started seeing a therapist, and really tried hard to focus on my mental health, and I got through it. If you feel like you’re struggling through your pregnancy, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor, or find a therapist that you feel comfortable talking to. A lot of OBGYNs have therapists ready to talk any time, so they can be a great place to start.

5.) It doesn’t last forever and it’s so worth it.

Nine months feels like a lifetime when you are going through it (and really it’s about ten months since it’s forty weeks!) So when you’re in it it can feel like forever, no matter if people tell you it won’t last forever or not. It doesn’t last forever though, and you will get through it. And even though I didn’t have the easiest pregnancy, I would do it all over again because being a mom is really awesome, and Max is so perfect.

These are just a few things I didn’t know about, but these were the ones that really surprised me. So if you’re surprised by any of these, or struggling through your pregnancy, just try to remember that there is an end in sight, and you’ve totally got this!!