30 reasons why I love being pregnant

When you're pregnant, the emotional ups and downs that come from having a boost in your crazy hormones can mean that there are days when being pregnant just sucks. Or, there are days when you're just DONE with it. Let me have this baby already!

Towards the end of my second pregnancy, this was definitely where my head was at and I knew it wasn't a good place to stay for very long. Feeling frustrated and stressed is OK in short bursts, but if it seems like it's lurking and lingering then it needs attention. For me, towards the end of my pregnancy I was just getting fed up with lots of little tiny things that on their own are nothing; but together felt like crap and I realised that I just need to shift my thinking a bit so that I wouldn't get as frustrated by it all. So I decided to turn to an exercise that I use quite a bit with my Head Trash Clearance clients. It's super simple....

When you're feeling affected by something that you're perceiving to be negative (because remember, things aren't ACTUALLY bad, we just THINK they're bad), then all you need to do is this; come up with 30 reasons why the thing you think is bad, IS GOOD. Or to put it another way, Think of 30 reasons why you love this thing that you hate.

What's great about this exercise is that is can very quickly change your thinking. Why? Well for starters...

you're focusing on the positive aspect of something
you're actively searching for positive things about this thing
30 is quite a big number and you'll probably find it hard, so it pushes you to be creative, silly and open-minded
you drop assumptions about things to hit your target, assumptions which might turn out to be silly and pointless, but you held onto them anyway and perhpas now you realise how silly they are

I started with all of the things that were winding me up and tried to turn them on their head. In doing so, it made me look for the possible positive aspect within it... and for many of them, it turned out that I was able to hold on to that view in the weeks that followed. It really helped me to stay calm when faced with those things that previoulsy wound me up... I just wish I had done it sooner! Before those things got to the wind-me-up stage!

The truth was that most of the time I'd put my hand on heart and say that "I love being pregnant" but sure, there were days when I didn't.. and I just wanted to make sure that the "I love being pregnant" vibe was the one that was sounding the loudest to my baby.

So here are my 30 reasons why I love being pregnant.... hopefully some of these resonate with you too!
30 reasons why I LOVE being pregnant
1. Enjoy the daily awe-inspiring feeling that comes from knowing that you're growing a life-form inside you.
2. Appreciate other women who feel an immediate connection to you and come over and make conversation... and enjoy those conversations as the precious moments they are.
3. Have the perfect excuse to slum about in slip-on flats, baggy tops and leggings.
4. Amuse at other people touching your body/bump without invitation... and yet enjoy the fact that it's not a sexual pervy thing.. FOR ONCE!
5. Have the perfect excuse to EAT WHAT YOU WANT!!!! IN THE QUANTITY YOU WANT!! No - I didn't deprive myself of the usual pregnancy no-go foods - apart from mussels and pate. I gave my body and baby what they wanted.
6. Appreciate the forced slowness in movement that, gives you a new perspective when out walking.
7. Indulge in developing your hermit qualities.... necessary side effect of needing to be within 20 yards of a toilet.
8. Have an excuse for whiskers on your legs.. as cats do, we pregnant women need them to see if we can get through the gap.
9. Enjoy the lack of guilt that comes from not bothering with the housework or cleaning...