Is being pregnant difficult?

Pregnancy is meant to be a unique, "magical" experience that has you lounging on a pink cloud all day long getting massages like some Greek goddess. If, that is, you are still trying to conceive! Of course, everyone expects some pregnancy signs and symptoms. Everyone knows it must be a pain to throw up all the time or have back pain. Is pregnancy a pink cloud, is being pregnant difficult, or a mix of the two? There is truly only one relevant point to make about the perceived difficulty of pregnancy.

Every woman is different, and every pregnancy is unique. If you are suffering from hyperemisis gravidarum and are literally sick all the time, pregnancy is bound to be tough as leather. If you are expecting triplets, or have a chronic condition like rheumatic arthritis, the same thing applies. Other women breeze through pregnancy and hardly have any nasty symptoms. It is not necessary to point out that pregnancy is not at all hard for women like those. I had two easy pregnancies or so I think, anyway. My daughter was born in the middle of a really hot summer and of course, the heat got to me at times. During my son's pregnancy, I had hardly any ailments at all. It was so easy, I barely realized I was pregnant.

What does that tell you about your pregnancy? Absolutely nothing, of course! Some women have difficult pregnancies which are extremely healthy. They just suffer from more than their fair share of ailments, and have a hard time. For other women, specific symptoms that make their life hard actually point to complications that need medical treatment. This is why it is always a good idea to find out whether your particular complaints indicate trouble, and to see your doctor when you feel something might be wrong. For the rest of you remember that pregnancy is definitely a temporary condition!