How do women do this again and again?

[Amazinganatomy]

Currently 40 weeks +2.
I'll start by saying how happy and grateful I feel to be pregnant, and how excited I am for baby to arrive.

But how/why the living f**k do women do this more than once?
I understand every pregnancy is different, and it's only 9 months of your life versus the whole of your babies once they're born.
But still, how?
Between the sickness, bloating, sciatica, poor mental health (much better now thankfully) and my current constant companion, pelvic girdle pain, I really cannot imagine putting myself through all of this again some day.

I really really feel for people who live with pain everyday, it's bloody miserable 😔

I was fine before I became pregnant, now my body just feels broken.

I’ve had ten pregnancies, but they never make it past the first trimester. I’d give anything to have this kind of discomfort, even. I’ll keep going until my sanity runs out (not far off).

It was the physical effect on my body that hit me so hard. I did some modeling at University and it was difficult to reconcile that with what I was looking at in the mirror when naked. I had this gross, big floppy jelly belly, pronounced stretch marks and my boobs were saggy and had strange marks on them. I couldn't cough or sneeze without pissing myself and it took ages to get my fitness back. In the end, through a combination of exercise, treatment and surgery I managed to get it all sorted.

But I got zero help or guidance from the NHS , although I worked for them, and if it hadn't been for my father's generosity I would have struggled for years.

I was sterilised at the first opportunity, again through Private Healthcare.

Yes, I love my kids, but it was a scarring experience, quite literally.

Well for most of history women had very little choice in the matter. When women do have a choice, birth rates do in fact plummet.

I hated pregnancy even though on paper mine were fine. I did it a second time to get a second child, there's no other reason anyone should be going through the ordeal of pregnancy and birth. You should really want that child.

Some women have easier pregnancies (and labours), I think this makes a massive difference in the decision to stop at one.

I hated every minute of pregnancy- never having another. So with you on this one it sucks and anyone who enjoys it doesn’t get all the other symptoms. I had all of yours and I’m diabetic and baby was a month early and yeah never again!!!!!!

Because the pain is worth it. Worth what you get as a result! I had a somewhat problematic 1st pregnancy....VERY problematic for 4 months after my first pregnancy. Only to repeat it 2 more times! And now? I have 3 unbelievably gorgeous adult sons!! That's why!! That's exactly why! 😀
Good luck on your journey!💞

This isn’t going to help but my pregnancies were very very easy, barely noticed apart from the bump, and only pain was heart burn, I didn’t even get morning sickness so it’s different for everyone

I hated pregnancy and here I am again at 22 weeks with DC2. I'm trying so hard to enjoy it this time but it's just so bloody uncomfortable.

Hormones. Hormones have a lot to answer for. And cute babies that smell incredible.

Not all do, I only went through it once and was more than enough

Oh yes, how could I have forgotten about the fact I can't sneeze, cough, laugh or even blow my nose without peeing myself. Women really did draw the biological short straw.

Reading these comments has really made me feel better, its almost easier to cope knowing that everyone else's pregnancies wern't perfect (I'm ignoring the ones whose were, sorry but I don't need that shit😂).

I have one poor friend who a few years ago spent almost every day of her pregnancy really sick, and towards the end would be sick blood alot. Once baby arrived all was well, after many tests coming up blank.
That's the only really awful pregnancy I'd heard about, so I feel I went into this almost blind, expecting some nausea and a bit of back pain at the end and that's it.

The days are easier to get through, it's the nights when you're lying awake in pain desperate to sleep that are the worst.
Just counting down the days/hours until my baby gets here now so I can hopefully forget all about it 😂

To be honest not all women struggle with pregnancy. I'm pregnant with my 3rd and have had three smooth and easy pregnancies. Never sick more than 4/5 times in total each pregnancy, and none this time. No pgp, no sciatica, no mental health concerns. I really sympathise with women who have difficult pregnancies but I do wish they wouldn't lump us all in together. I absolutely love being pregnant and would do it again and again if I could

@satelliteheart this is also true. I’ve objectively got off lighter than many, I’ve not been sick once in any pregnancy. Currently feel fine (though weeing a lot!) it’s not always awful for everyone.

Because you get a little baby at the end and you convince yourself it wasn't as bad as you think it was.

Totally agree with this. You genuinely forget, then you're so busy with your lovely baby and start to look back with rose tinted glasses you think it wasn't that bad. Then you decide go for it again because it would be lovely for DC to remember and once you're pregnant you suddenly remember but it's too late 🤣. I have no idea why people have three.

It's definitely worth it OP. I know it feels like forever but in no time at all you'll be home with your baby.

*would be lovely for DC to have a sibling

Poor you, OP. It must be particularly tough whe you've gone past your due date. Hope it all happens soon.

I suppose I was lucky in that I had relatively easy pregnancies, especially the first one. The worst thing was pregnancy sickness that went on and on. It was particularly bad in my third pregnancy, and I do remember telling myself I could get through it because it was the last one. A year or two later I thought that a fourth would've been nice, but I knew I couldn't go through that sickness again.

If I'd had my second pregnancy first time round I'm not sure I would have had another one.
First pregnancy was fine, actually really enjoyed it. Second time completely different. Some of that is probably down to not being able to rest as much but I still hated almost every moment second time and almost 2 years later I have not forgotten!

You forget. I say as I sit here 21 weeks pregnant with my second after swearing I wouldnt do it again...

Your body produces baby crazy hormones shortly after you've had your first and it takes a year or two to shake them off.

I hated being pregnant, horrendous morning sickness/migraines and then had an emergency section (the sort where they run your bed to theatre) followed by postpartum psychosis with my first. When I regained my sanity I was never having another but by the time he was two, it didn't seem quite so raw. Hated being pregnant the second time too and ended up with another emergency section but honestly the biggest factor in us stopping at 2 was my age and associated risks to any future babies.