Pregnancy & preparation
Feeling uncomfortable with the attention you receive because you are pregnant
Positive attention can still be tiring. You can appreciate care and still want less focus on you and your pregnancy.
Stage
Pregnancy
A selection of guides for the questions, changes and decisions that come with this stage.
52 articles
Recommended reading
Guides for you
Pregnancy & preparation
Feeling like you stopped being yourself and became “the pregnant one”
Pregnancy can become the first label other people see. Wanting the rest of you to stay visible does not mean rejecting motherhood.
Pregnancy & preparation
Missing your pre-pregnancy body without feeling ungrateful
Missing how your body felt before is not a vote on how much you want your baby. It can simply be a…
Pregnancy & preparation
Loving your pregnant belly some days and feeling uncomfortable with it on others
One day you may touch your belly with affection and another feel heavy, watched, or unfamiliar. You do not need one stable…
Pregnancy & preparation
Feeling conflicting emotions when you look in the mirror during pregnancy
A mirror can show a body that feels recognizable and new at the same time. You do not need to decide which…
Family, siblings & boundaries
How to set boundaries when family members want to touch your pregnant belly
With family, touch gets mixed with affection and expectations. A clear boundary works best when it addresses behavior rather than the relationship.
Pregnancy & preparation
Feeling like your body no longer belongs to you during pregnancy
Pregnancy can make your body feel watched and discussed in relation to someone else. That feeling can coexist with a wanted pregnancy.
Parenting & behavior
When everyone comments on your body because you are pregnant
Even well-meant comments can become invasive when your body turns into a recurring public conversation topic.
Pregnancy & preparation
How to respond to comments about the size of your pregnant belly
“Your bump is huge” or “you barely look pregnant” can sound harmless and still trigger comparison or worry. They are not clinical…
Pregnancy & preparation
Not wanting other people to touch your belly during pregnancy
Not wanting people to touch your belly does not require a special explanation. Pregnancy does not make physical contact automatically shared.
Pregnancy & preparation
How to live with emotional uncertainty during pregnancy
Pregnancy uncertainty cannot always be reduced with more information. Sometimes the task is learning how to live a day that does not…
Pregnancy & preparation
Feeling reassured after a pregnancy appointment and worried again a few hours later
Short-lived relief does not mean the appointment failed. It may mean your mind is treating reassurance as something that has to be…