10 Moments When Pregnancy “Gets Real”

For many women, they don’t “feel” pregnant as soon as they find out the news from their doctor or get a positive on a home pregnancy test. You may not fully believe it is all happening, even if you are spending most mornings in your bathroom on the floor. It may take some time to pass, and some “real” moments to occur to really have your pregnancy set in.

It may be the moment you look down and realize that your belly is growing at a rapid rate, perhaps your hundredth trip to the bathroom that day, or when you can no longer bend down to reach the orange you just dropped on the floor comfortably. Pregnancy is filled with many surprises and adventures along the way that make it all suddenly “get real”.

1. The Moment You Find Out

Many couples choose to wait until around the second trimester to let others know they are pregnant. In a way, not telling everyone can make it feel like it isn’t really happening. But other couples shout it from the rooftops as soon as they find out. They are so excited, that they can’t wait to share the news! Whenever you decide is best for you to share the news, things will suddenly feel a lot more real. There is something about having your friends and loved ones know about your little bundle of joy in the making, that makes it all feel like it is truly happening.

2. Seeing and Hearing Your Baby For the First Time

The moment you see your baby on the ultrasound screen, you may experience tears, joy, and sheer love. There is something about seeing that your belly really does have a baby in it and it isn’t just a few extra cheeseburgers that you had last week. When you are far enough along to hear the heartbeat, that might just make those pregnancy hormones bring tears to your eyes. You will remember this moment from this point on. Seeing and hearing the miracle that you have created will change your pregnancy from that moment on. You have now officially begun to feel your maternal and paternal instincts. When you share your photos with others, the “realness” of the little growing being inside of you really begins to set in.

3. Buying Your First Maternity Outfit

There will come a point in your pregnancy that your clothes will not fit anymore. The moment your pants no longer zip up, you will have the realization that your body is really changing at a fast pace. When that time comes, you will open up the door to the new comfortable styles of maternity clothing! Many women can wear their normal clothes long into their pregnancies, however not all can. Pregnancy is different for every body, especially if it is your second or third baby. When you go on your first maternity clothes outing, you may feel out of place depending on how big your bump is. Luckily, many maternity stores have a “belly bump” you can put over your growing stomach so that you can get a glimpse of what your clothes will look like in a few months. Seeing yourself with a bump, and wearing your new “mom in the making clothes” will make your pregnancy seem even more “real”.

4. Your First Pregnancy Craving

You are sitting around watching TV, you see this amazing looking chocolate shake and it hits you out of nowhere you need this like you need air. Welcome to your first pregnancy craving! You might have had food cravings before, but they were nothing compared to a pregnancy craving. When you crave food during pregnancy, it can feel like the world is going to stop if you do not get that food right then and there! The moment you experience this for the first time, that baby growing in your belly will definitely feel “real”.

5. Realizing your Changing Body

While, you may not realize a lot of the changes going on in your body during the first trimester. By the time you hit the second trimester, you will be able to look down one day or straight ahead in the mirror and shock yourself. Pregnancy is a miracle and the body changes in so many ways in order to make it happen. Whether it is your growing belly, your growing and changing breasts, or the new found acne that won’t leave your face, you will notice many changes. Some of these changes just sneak up on you until one day you look in the mirror and barely recognize yourself and your new body. You will also notice these new found changes will alter the way you are used to sleeping. Thanks to your changing body, if you were a stomach sleeper that will soon change!

6. When You are Suddenly Surrounded By Baby Gear

When you become pregnant, you may one of the women who begin shopping right away and stocking up for your bundle of joy. It might start out with a onsie here and a onsie there. But, you might just wake up one day and find yourself with enough baby things to fill a room- your baby’s room! When you begin organizing your home and creating space for your new addition, then it will definitely feel “real”. Especially if that means having to go through and donate the things you no longer need or are not safe for a newborn, like your collection of rocks from the 90s.

7. Feeling Your Baby Move

Feeling your baby move is one of the strangest and most amazing things you will ever experience. The first time you feel the baby kick or move is a milestone you will want to always remember. For some women it might feel like a flutter; for others it could be more like a nudge coming from the inside. With time you may even get to see a little hand, foot, or elbow shape poking from your belly. Feeling your baby move inside of you makes everything much more real and is a happy reminder that you are making a beautiful new life.

8. Finding Out Your Baby’s Gender

You will always remember the day that you find out if you are having a boy or a girl. While some people choose to find this out in the delivery room during birth, most find out about halfway through their pregnancy. When you are able to put a name and a gender to your baby, your pregnancy and upcoming parenthood journey will feel that much more real and soon!

9. When You Can No Longer Reach Your Feet

It is the little things that you take for granted that you may not even realize you will miss during your pregnancy. There will come a point in your pregnancy when bending down, shaving your legs, or even putting your shoes on will become a feat. In case you forgot that you were pregnant or growing a human life, that is a great reminder of just how “real” your pregnancy has become. Hopefully you have a great partner there to help you with your new found difficulties that appear along the way.

10. Your First Contraction

Pregnancy doesn’t get any “realer” than when you are nearing the time of labor and delivery. In case you thought it was going to be all fun and games, when your first contraction appears you will realize that is not the case. It might be a dull ache at first, or feel similar to menstrual cramps but eventually they will grow and become stronger. You will never forget your contractions and the way you are feeling throughout them. But, the great thing is they are leading you closer and closer to the REALEST moment of your pregnancy- getting to meet your little one and hold them in your arms.