9 Moments when Pregnancy Reality Sets In

The reality of being pregnant takes a while to sink in. When it does, whoa momma! You’re taken aback by a big case of the feels. If you have yet to come to the realization that your life is about to change in the biggest way, you’ll get there soon.

Here are nine got real moments of pregnancy:

You formally announce your news to everyone you know.

• You pull the bun in the oven prank with your parents, you dress the dog in a cute t-shirt that reads, “Big Brother” or “Big Sister,” and Facetime your siblings in the next state over to give them the news.

After a myriad of surprised looks and heartfelt tears, you truly get how amazing it is to be pregnant.

When you buy maternity clothes and wear them for the first time.

Nothing compares to the feeling that you get when you put on an elasticized pair of pants. As you grow, you’ll have plenty of room to move around in your maternity clothes. You may want to hold onto them in case you get pregnant again or for sentimental reasons.

Your family and friends comment on how fast your belly and baby are growing.

Overnight, people start to notice that you’ve gotten bigger. They comment on your current state and how you look like you’re about to “pop”. The baby bump has manifested into a baby basketball.

When some stranger comments on the bundle of joy you’re carrying in your belly.

Someone you don’t know asks when your baby is due. They may even ask the sex of the child and what you plan to name him or her. The person may even share their own experience parenting.

When you have to sleep differently because your stomach is so big.

You have to sleep with a pregnancy pillow to fall asleep. You’re curled on your side, so you don’t have indigestion.

You’ve given up shaving your legs.

You’ll worry about that nonsense once the baby is born, and you have a free moment to yourself. You can’t see your legs currently, so it doesn’t really matter.

You can only walk a short distance before becoming winded.

You can’t go very far without feeling like you can’t breathe. All the weight you gained during your pregnancy catches up with you the last few months.

You can’t help but cry when you think about the teeny tiny little body you’ll be dressing.

Every tiny piece of clothing or pair of shoes gets you weepy. You can’t wait to dress your baby for the very first time.

When your home looks like an aisle at Babies R’ Us.

There is more baby stuff than there is space. You’ve created pathways through your home, so you can get to the bathroom safely.

If being pregnant hasn’t quite set in for you, you’ll find a time when it really does like during the moments listed above. Recording your reaction in a journal, through photos or even a live video gives your child something to watch when they get older. They’ll have fun seeing your response to fully realizing that you’re pregnant with them.