Читать книгу Blooming Birth: How to get the pregnancy and birth you want - Lucy Atkins - Страница 5

‘Nobody can really tell you what to expect when you’re expecting because every woman feels it differently. My sister adored her expanding belly and said she felt like a sexy goddess throughout her pregnancy. I felt like an increasingly mad, swelling gorilla.’

FAITH, 32, MOTHER OF HARVEY (2)

EIGHT POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT BEING PREGNANT

1 Your love for this baby one day will be stratospheric.

2 People will treat you as if you are deeply special (well sometimes, at least).

3 You are not alone. Around 596,000 other women in England and Wales alone are having a baby this year too.

4 You have maternity choices and rights like never before. You have the right to question your caregivers, change hospitals, midwives or doctors, see your records and make informed decisions.

5 The laws on maternity leave have never been more in your favour and there are organizations to help you sort out what you’re entitled to if you’re confused. (See Resources.)

6 You are giving birth as the ‘doula’ movement is taking off in Britain – you can now find one-to-one emotional and practical support throughout this pregnancy and birth, even if the NHS can’t provide it.

7 You can still be glam: clothing companies are finally waking up to the fact that you may not want to wear leggings and bloke’s t-shirts for nine months. High street shops like Hennes, Dorothy Perkins and even Mothercare are coming up trumps; designer maternity lines are springing up all over the place and online maternity shopping is a constant temptation. (See Resources.)

8 You can look forward to nine months free from tampons, pads, PMT and condoms.