Dismissiveness towards pregnant women

Dismissiveness towards pregnant women

Have you ever felt that people have been dismissive towards you when you’re pregnant?
Have you ever heard the words
“You’re just pregnant and hormonal”
“You’re not the first pregnant person and you won’t be the last”
“Get on with it”
“Stop using pregnancy as an excuse to be lazy”
“When I was pregnant I still did everything that I’ve always done”
“You’re being dramatic”
“You don’t get any sympathy for being pregnant”
And my personal favourite “pregnancy is the easy part” ( try telling that to a woman who’s suffered hyperemesis gravidarum for 9 months straight and has a toddler to run around after )
Dismissive statements like this are heard by pregnant women everyday.
Pregnancy IS HARD.
Mentally, physically, emotionally.
Some days might be easier than others, but some can be extremely hard.
We don’t get to choose which days are easy and which days aren’t.
If you’re around a pregnant woman, BE KIND!
Just because you might not understand how she’s feeling, or you’ve done it before, doesn’t take away the fact that she might be feeling terrible.
Just because you feel she “put herself in this position” doesn’t give you the right to shame her or make her feel bad about wanting to take things a bit easier.
It doesn’t make her lazy, it makes her tired, exhausted, drained.
She might be suffering with insomnia and barely feels alive, but she feels pressured to just “get on with it”
If you’re pregnant and someone is dismissing how you’re feeling, remind them that their opinion won’t take away your morning sickness, or your chronic migraine, or your sensitivity to smells.
Growing a human is hard.
Really hard.
Hang in there mumma.
You’re doing a beautiful job and doing the best that you can.
Take it easy.
Rest.
Do whatever you need to get through the hard days.
You really are amazing 💕