When I tell people I only have a couple months to go (2 1/2, really), they’re surprised at how my pregnancy has flown by. Surprisingly, I have to agree! So I’ve been thinking: What makes a pregnancy seem long or short?
First, I feel like I should note that while some people would like their pregnancies to pass by more quickly, others absolutely love being pregnant and wish the stage would last even longer. There’s no wrong way to feel, and I personally fall somewhere in between: I don’t really mind being pregnant—the attention and anticipation can be exciting—but I’m also very ready to be done by the time the third trimester rolls around. In my experience, these are the things that seem to speed up or slow down the process (but of course, don’t really speed it up—aim for 40 weeks!):
For a faster pregnancy
5. Don’t get sick. I know, this is usually uncontrollable, but severe morning sickness (or painful heartburn) makes the days absolutely crawl by. If you have the choice, sleep it off instead.
4. Wait a little longer before you tell people you’re expecting. If others are thinking, “Wow, you’re still pregnant?” you will likely feel the same way.
3. Focus on things other than the pregnancy, and live life as normally as possible. That way, you won’t feel like you’re simply waiting for life to happen once the baby is born.
2. Stay busy, busy, busy. Working full-time makes the days go faster, as does caring for other kids if you have them. The pregnancy is still progressing whether you’re focusing on it nonstop or not!
1. Don’t find out you’re expecting until you’re halfway through. My sister-in-law didn’t know she was pregnant with her third until she was five months along—that was a super short pregnancy! Of course, she wished she had known earlier so she could have been more careful about her diet and activities.
For a slower pregnancy
5. Start wearing maternity clothes earlier. You might get bored with the wardrobe, but wearing the same preggo clothes for months on end will certainly make the journey seem longer.
4. Talk about your pregnancy often … or blog about it, or keep a daily journal. Noting the little changes and day-to-day happenings of pregnancy will make it seem like less of a blur.
3. Watch the calendar and be aware of each day and week that takes you farther down the baby-making road. Follow what your baby is experiencing as each week goes by.
2. Read pregnancy books, watch videos, take classes: Soak it up.
1. Be put on bed rest. I can’t imagine what would make the days crawl by more slowly. Of course, nothing could be less enjoyable, so I don’t recommend it unless it’s medically necessary!
The second list describes my first pregnancy pretty accurately (besides the bed rest, thank goodness)—I was a little obsessed with being pregnant and thought/read/talked about it all the time. List one is more like my second pregnancy (except for the finding out halfway through). I’ve been so busy working and caring for my 3-year-old that I just don’t have as much time to think about being pregnant; plus, I haven’t felt sick and that helps a lot.
