There aren’t very many things that I really miss when pregnant. Mostly because I realise that I’m growing a human and the things I want to do or have don’t matter as much. Especially because I’ll be able to do or have them in a few months time once the tiny human isn’t inside me any longer!

I know that one thing lots of my friends have missed during their pregnancies is alcohol. But I don’t drink very much: I don’t drink at all at home, and only drink when I’m out with friends so I haven’t really missed it at all. Despite being at quite a few weddings and hen do’s and various other celebrations during this pregnancy, not drinking hasn’t really bothered me. Ok, so once, at my sisters hen do, when we were having a cocktail making session in Bar Soba and the cocktails looked absolutely amazing I was slightly jealous. However I know that very soon I’ll be to go get some, so my envy was short lived.

But of course there are some things that I do miss. These are the ones I can think of right now:

  • Exercising ‘properly’. It’s not that big a deal really because I know I can go back to it when the time is right, but I like being stretched to my limit so hard that I can barely breathe. I hate it at the time, but it feels great afterwards and I do miss that quite a lot.
  • Steam rooms. You’re just not allowed them. All that extra blood in your veins when you’re pregnant means a lower tolerance to heat and so steam rooms and any other kind of super hot places are off limits. I love a good steam – it makes me feel like I can breathe again. That’s what I miss.
  • Having my body to myself. I genuinely love being pregnant. But I do sometimes feel like my body isn’t my own. And it’s not; not really. Everything I do, eat or breathe in could affect this little baby growing inside me, so I don’t do some things that I otherwise would. And some things I worry about doing even though I know they’re perfectly fine.
  • Cycling. I really enjoy cycling with the little lady on the back of my bike. I just don’t feel confident enough to continue that whilst pregnant. I’d never forgive myself if I fell off.
  • Massages. I know that massages are perfectly fine during pregnancy as long as they’re not during the first trimester. However all the pre-natal massages I’ve had have been very gentle, and I like a “proper” massage. I like to feel almost like I’ve been beaten up afterwards. For me, the whole point is to get rid of as many muscle knots as possible, and pre-natal massages do nothing for that. They are relaxing though, which of course is always nice.
  • Runny eggs. (I know this is an extra one but it really bothered me this pregnancy!) Soft boiled ones that I can dip my soldiers in. What kind of person likes eggs with hard yolks? Technically this one doesn’t count anymore because the advice has recently changed and you apparently are allowed soft yolks now. But I really missed them at the beginning of this pregnancy.