“There is no better feeling than the movement of life inside of you.” ~ Unknown

I’m currently on my second motherhood journey and though it has been a smooth ride apart from the occasional tiredness, I’m frustrated about one aspect. Let me tell you about my frustration. I’m not one of the numerous cute pregnant women you see showing off their baby bump. When I’m pregnant, I gain a lot of weight. I hide and try not to take pictures because in all honesty, my weight gain makes me very uncomfortable. With my second pregnancy, I’m the heaviest I’ve been my whole life so sexy is not a word in my dictionary I can use to describe myself right now.

With that background, I’m yet to understand why women (because all through my pregnancy journey no man has ever told me I’m fat) feel the need to constantly remind me or tell me how fat I’ve become. Excuse you, I go to my prenatal appointments often, get on the scale, see the scale go up at every appointment, my clothes don’t fit anymore and I see my reflection in the mirror every single day. I know I’ve put on a lot of weight. What do you as a woman gain by telling another woman who is very hormonal and emotionally sensitive that she is fat knowing that most women gain weight when pregnant?

I’m supposed to enjoy my pregnancy journey. It’s a journey some women have prayed for so long to embark on and I do not take this journey for granted because it is indeed a miraculous journey. Sometimes I feel very selfish when I let those hurtful comments get to me. Why? Because this journey is about the tiny life living and growing inside of me that I’m about to birth. Not about me. In my not pregnant state, such comments won’t bother me but I’m highly emotional when pregnant. I’m normally in control of my emotions but not when pregnant.When pregnant, I watch movies and see myself crying at scenes that are not so emotional and I’m asking myself “why am I crying?”

So to those women who see a pregnant woman who has gained weight, unless your intent is to hurt her, please refrain from calling her fat, saying she has put on so much weight, that she is now round and any other hurtful comments you can come up with. Women are expected to gain weight while pregnant, some more than others. We are not all built the same way and can’t gain weight the same way or control weight gain for the most part. Let all the women who have chosen to embark on this pregnancy journey worry about more important and life consuming issues than hateful words from inconsiderate asses.