Enjoy it! Easy ways to get maximum pleasure from your first pregnancy

Even if you go on to half a dozen more children in the future, the nine months of your first pregnancy are weeks you will only ever experience once. Finding ways to enjoy your pregnancy, in spite of the downsides, is something that you will be glad you did.

A first pregnancy is nine months that are a whirlwind of emotional, activity and yes, some rather unpleasant side effects, many of which a first time expectant Mom will never have experienced before.

It is, unfortunately, all too easy to get upset, annoyed and just plain old fed up of all the nausea, the fatigue that leaves you feeling more zombie than human, the weight gain, and the ridiculous mood swings caused by all of those raging hormones. There is good reason for the upset too, none of these things are fun.

However, every day of a first pregnancy does not have to be miserable. Even if you go on to half a dozen more children in the future the nine months of your first pregnancy are weeks you will only ever experience once. Finding ways to enjoy your pregnancy, in spite of the downsides, is something that you will be glad you did, both while you are expecting and years after Baby is born. Here are just a few tips and ideas for making your first pregnancy an experience you can (mainly) look back on fondly:

Enjoy Eating – During their first trimester most pregnant women do not feel like eating very much at all, thanks to ever present pregnancy sickness (morning sickness is a complete understatement and a term that should be ignored!)

Fortunately, by the twelfth or thirteenth week most women find that their appetite returns and the idea of food other than crackers and dry toast becomes a palatable one again. While healthy, sensible, eating is important during pregnancy allow yourself to enjoy a few treats you might not usually.

For example, under normal circumstances many of us would consider a beautiful piece of salmon a special treat and be more accustomed to sticking to fish sticks to get the recommended fish fix for the week. However, that salmon is full of all kinds of great stuff for Baby’s health and yours, so indulge yourself without guilt.

Enjoy Your New Assets – Bigger boobs and a bigger butt are both usual ‘side effects’ of pregnancy. Instead of hiding these new assets, flaunt them. That does not mean you have to begin dressing like a – well, you know,- but swapping a high necked blouse for a lower necked, flowing and flattering top is a great way to feel far better about the way you look.

This advice actually applies to your appearance in general. Being pregnant does not have to mean you are condemned to nine months as a frump. There are some truly fashionable and stylish maternity clothes out there now, so go ahead and indulge in a shopping spree and hit the salon while you are out as well.

Let Others Help You – In an age where there is a lot of pressure on women to do all of the same things as men and be ‘tough’, many women vow to remain fiercely independent while expecting and start turning down the help that other people offer in order to do so.

While no-one would suggest that you become a simpering wimp, turning down honest offers of help, and a little bit of pampering, during your first pregnancy is silly. If your partner suddenly wants to help with housework that he never has before, let him go for it. Same for the cooking. If your boss says that you can do some work at home, don’t soldier on, consider yourself lucky.

Accept Compliments and Laugh Off Criticisms – People often forget their manners when talking to pregnant women. Some people say the rudest things (oh! you are so huge!) and most of the time they mean no harm. Getting overly offended about these gaffes is a waste of energy though. Either ignore the comments or laugh them off.

By the same token, you will also get a lot of compliments. If you feel large, ungainly and less than attractive you may not actually believe them but accept them anyway, because almost all of them will actually be genuine.