An Unexpected Love: The True Joy of Pregnancy

As we enter the final waiting game for our little girl, I have found some time to think and reflect on the past nine months and how much things have changed in my life. With bags packed, the nursery complete, and entering the final days, I have been able to see how much God has added into my life and how the entire experience has been fulfilling and joyful. I will admit as most pregnant mothers do, that pregnancy is not a piece of cake. It was not designed to be that way, after all, your body is going through some rapid changes in a short amount of time in order to create life.

However, I noticed something in my first pregnancy that surprised me; there is too much of a negative mindset towards being pregnant. Too much focus is on the discomforts and the physical challenges of going through so much change. Now, we should not hide the true facts about pregnancy because I was grateful to have heard the stories of how hard it is. That helped me to know I wasn’t alone or the only woman experiencing the challenges that come with creating a tiny human inside of you. It helped me feel like the struggles I endured were normal. But I noticed that I heard more about the negatives than the positives of being pregnant. So after going through my own 9 months of pregnancy ups and downs, and numerous conversations with others, I realized we need to start sharing the positives too, not just the negatives. And I will be honest, there are far more negative aspects of being pregnant than pros, but the ultimate pro will always outweigh every ounce of pain, discomfort, or ache that we may experience. So I want to share my positives, or rather the ultimate positive of my pregnancy experience.

If there is one thing I know in my heart is that the feeling of becoming a mother is truly one of a kind and one that while I often dreamed about it, the actual experience is indescribable. And I think most mothers would have to agree, there really is no way to explain the feeling until you experience it yourself. What exactly is that feeling? Well, it is an ultimate love that can only exist between a mother and her child. And like I said, sometimes it is just something you won’t understand until you experience it first hand.

While both parents experience that ultimate love between themselves and their children, there is a unique aspect that only us mothers get to experience, and that is nine months of pregnancy bliss. Okay, not complete bliss, but it can be if we choose to reflect on all the struggle and pain we go through, even through and after labor, and channel all of that towards what is the real meaning of love. Sacrifice. Real love, ultimate love is sacrificing ourselves for others.

A mother sacrifices her body through nine months of hormonal change, reduced physical capabilities, and emotional strain to allow an innocent human being to develop and grow as it prepares to enter the outside world. Think about it, the female sex is the only one of the two sexes that can carry and sustain life within her body. That isn’t just amazing, that is downright miraculous. We allow ourselves to go through all the struggle and pain merely out of love for a child we have not met. You don’t know what they look like or what their personality will be, but you already love them unconditionally. Ready to endure nine months of pain and hardships, not to mention the struggles that come with labor and postpartum, You willingly do anything everything you can to keep the child you haven’t seen face to face safe and secure. You have already started loving them, even before they are born.

The number one thing I have felt these past nine months is that as long as she is inside of me, no harm will come to her. As long as I am careful and on guard she is safe. But, I know those days are coming to an end and soon my little girl will be out in the world, and protecting her becomes a bigger job. While there is some fear and worry that comes with that, it is still pretty amazing how much we are willing to endure for our child. From the moment we learn about our little bundle of joy, our instincts kick in and we see how protective and nurturing we become to the tiny seed of life that grows within us. So what makes that sacrifice so enlightening is that we get to experience that ultimate love in a way no other will have with our child. We get to begin establishing a bond with our child much earlier than anyone else. Every kick, every punch in the ribs, every flip and flop is just some of the small ways we bond with our unborn child, and in the end, we will be the only one who ever got to experience that.

Men cannot experience many of these things the way we do. Now, we should seek to find ways where fathers can bond with their children before entering this world, and thankfully in today’s modern world, more and more fathers are working at being involved and seek sweet ways to bond with their unborn child like rubbing the belly, singing to them, reading books, and so on. Us mothers should not just encourage that but support fathers so they too can begin experiencing that ultimate love as early as possible. And fathers play another role that brings a unique bond between them and their children, they not only support the mother but protect both mother and child. During the pregnancy, I learned just how much I depended on my husband’s support so that I could do my job of growing a baby. His emotional support not only uplifted me when I felt incapable of doing the job but his motivation into taking care of what I could no longer do was a blessing. Along with the support, fathers also provide protection, and protection can come in various ways. It can be lifting the heavy boxes, helping you climb the steps, or get out of the shower so you slip. He is there to help, support, and protect you so you can focus on growing your precious miracle.

Throughout these last nine months, I got to experience that firsthand, and it was not at all what I expected. It was ten times better and even more beautiful, but it was also not something I have heard others share very often. And I think we really should. I have given up a lot these past nine months, more than I think I was prepared to give up or even expected. But every time I feel my precious girl wiggle I remember why all that struggle and sacrifice has been worth it. Because of how much I love her and how much I can’t wait to have her in my arms. Every ounce of sacrifice has only overflown my love for this child and getting to experience that ultimate love and share that with my husband has been the most rewarding and precious gift that I could ever ask for.