4. The regular rules of fashion do not apply to pregnant women. Pregnancy is your chance to be daring -- to experiment with your own unique sense of style. It's okay to have fun and look a little eccentric: to put together a one-of-a-kind look by pairing up thrift store finds and items snatched from your partner's side of the closet. So rather than playing by the rules and wearing the same old boring denim jumper as every other pregnant woman in your prenatal class, celebrate your changing body by redefining your sense of fashion. Think "pregnancy chic!"
5. Everyone loves a pregnant woman. It doesn't matter what you look like for the next nine months. You're going to be the centre of attention as it is. After all, the entire world loves a pregnant woman. So stop obsessing about whether you look "fat" or "pregnant" and vow to enjoy your new-found -- and shortlived -- celebrity. (I hate to be the one to break it to you, but the spotlight will soon shift from you to your baby, so you might as well enjoy your star billing while it lasts.)
6. Your body is busy performing a miracle. And last but not least, we come to the most important reason for learning to love your pregnant body: because of what's going on inside. It's something to think about the next time you're feeling badly about the fact that your waistline has gone AWOL, you seem to be sprouting a new stretch mark everyday, and you haven't seen your feet in months. After all, how can you do anything but love your body when it's busy performing a miracle?
Ann Douglas is the author of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, The Mother of All Baby Books, and numerous other books about pregnancy and parenting. You can contact Ann via her website at www.having-a-baby.com.
