How common is it to have a smooth/not super hard pregnancy and delivery? There are literally hundreds of awful symptoms and complications I hear about (severe morning sickness, pubic bone separation, getting zero to no sleep even before baby is born, painful tearing, etc). I know you can control very little and it all sounds terrifying.

You're going to hear more bad experiences than good - but that's because if it was easy and pleasant, then no one would share because it makes everyone mad, lol. Part of it is your genetics or the father's, but you can make a difference by making it a priority to eat healthy, drink lots of water, and exercise consistently throughout your pregnancy. You should also make this a priority before getting pregnant if possible.

“not super hard” is subjective. I don’t know if there’s research and % on smooth and relatively easy pregnancy and delivery. With 4 pregnancies and 3 living children, I’ve learned to keep myself informed, surround myself with not just my peers but older women with lots of wisdom to share, make sure that I have a solid support for post-partum and hold my birth plan loosely (there are SO many factors that can change this). I would expect that the 1st trimester is tough (not always but that’s common). 3rd trimester is tough because it’s hard to be comfortable when you’re a beached whale. Things like pubic none separation and painful tearing (the 1st one will be painful but my body tolerated this pain well for the rest of my babies) really depend on how your delivery goes. We can all plan the delivery to the best of our knowledge and abilities but really, only God knows how it’s gonna go down. Despite all the wrong things that could happen, I really tried to take it one day at a time. I enjoyed my pregnancies the majority of the time and was in awe of what our bodies could do. Best wishes for you!

Pregnancy was pretty easy for me. I walked 2 miles a day at least 5 days of the week. I think that helped a ton.

2/2 easy experiences.
- Worked out until the day I gave birth — cardio, weights, lunges, pilates.
- First one was cooking so long we induced on a when dr. was on call and on a birthday I wanted. They were a little worried the baby would be too small and wasn’t getting nutrients from the umbilical cord so they wouldn’t wait longer than 2 weeks past due date, though ultrasounds are notoriously not reliable in third trimester so baby weight was perfect. Second one cooked long as well and they only let you go one week past this time as hospital policy and induction date was approaching so I did a little self-induction to get another good birthday.
- For first, got induced and went to bed for 8 hours until it was showtime.
- It took a little longer on the second to get anesthesia so I did feel some of the cramps which was the roughest part (though hard to remember now), but I got it and it kicked in in time for birth.
- I had a few stitches for an inside tear on the first, none for the second.
- Started working out as soon as I could and weight dropped.
- Breastfed both for a year +.

I had an amazing pregnancy. No morning sickness and I felt good up until maybe the last two weeks. I was in labor for 13 hours but I only pushed 3x and he was out. Probably at most 7 minutes of pushing. No tearing. I think it helped a lot that I was very active. I walked for at least 15-20 minutes after very heavy meal. I started using the yoga ball during my second trimester. Raspberry leaf tea and gentle birth tincture started at like 35-36 weeks. The okra capsules I took helped a lot too. It was all so smooth that I’m kind of scared to have a second because there’s no way it will be that easy again.

Both pregnancies were super easy even though they were both high risk. Both births also super easy (second one unmedicated and one/two pushes). Edited to add I don’t exercise or eat a particularly healthy diet. People are just different and we’ll experience the same thing differently. You will hear about the bad more than the good.

Mine was easy - no morning sickness, only brief times where I felt discomfort. Was only induced because I was leaking amniotic fluid days past my due date but I would have been fine carrying her longer. Less than 4 hours of labor.

With my first, I had rough but tolerable morning sickness but otherwise a smooth pregnancy (over 35 and overweight). I did struggle in labor and we were not progressing so ended up with a c section. It was tough for delivery to not go my way, and it wasn’t the natural delivery I envisioned but ultimately me and baby were both kept safe - it did take some time digest the emotional part of things not happening the way I planned.

On my second pregnancy and the pregnancy has actually been a breeze and I was working out into my second trimester. I now have some medical issues that require prompt treatment so baby will come early via a planned c section. This was also a very difficult decision, and not what I wanted, but the OB team has helped me understand when/how baby can be safely delivered so that I can also promptly address my new medical issues. I am bummed bc I really felt like I was moving in the right direction of a successful VBAC (minimal weight gain, activity levels, etc). But I feel much more mentally prepared this time for a planned c section so I think this time that we’ll be mentally easier (may also be that I’ll be in for a few rough months of my own medical treatment so… the c section is much less daunting).

I’ve had relatives that were super fit/healthy and still needed c sections and others that are the opposite. Taking care of yourself will help a smoother process but there is a bit of luck as well. Likely not scientific, but women in my family have almost always needed c sections for one reason or another so, I think some of it is what runs in your family.

I am 9 months pregnant now and pregnancy has gone pretty well for me and I am shocked because I have a weak stomach. The most challenging aspect was getting off of mental health medications that could create complications with pregnancy. Thankfully my body responded well and I am closely supervised by my doctor. I walk about an hour per day. I do not eat processed food and modified my diet about a year before getting pregnant. I didn’t drink alcohol for 6+ months before getting pregnant. I exercised regularly before getting pregnant, and I really laid off for the 1st and 2nd trimester. I probably could have done more, but I was nervous.

Have 2 ivf kids. It was really tough for me. Hope its easier for you.