The Light at the End of the Pregnancy Tunnel

I can never talk about the struggles of motherhood or pregnancy without starting out by saying I absolutely love and adore my children. Their precious existence outweighs any hardship this chapter of life may entail. Quite frankly, when I find myself starting to rant on the difficulties of motherhood, I feel somewhat selfish. I chose this life, I knew some days would be harder than others, and I knew that like most careers, the ups and downs would be inevitable. In a matter of days, my husband and I will welcome our third baby into the world, and just like my other pregnancies, when I see our sweet little munchkin, I will most likely forget about the struggles faced these last few weeks as a mama of two. If I am being completely honest, I will probably end up with baby fever in a year when I see a facebook memory of my newborn — hopefully my husband doesn’t read this, ha!

However, that moment of complete serenity post delivery seems so far from my reach today. I know most mothers will agree the final weeks of pregnancy are some of the most arduous. I have to admit that I wake up most days feeling like I really don’t even want to adult or mom-life! I am currently chugging a pumpkin spice latte like I used to chug a beer in college, Kidz Bop is on full blast, and I can smell my 14-month-old daughter’s poop diaper from a distance. My son is asking me to rub his feet because, you know, 4-year-olds have a rough life, and he played too hard on the playground yesterday, and the contractions are rolling in slowly but inconsistently to remind me that I am close, but not close enough to meeting our youngest son.

The end of pregnancy is physically and mentally strenuous, and with multiple little ones and the holidays just around the corner, the complication of even the most everyday tasks seems to be exacerbated. Your clothes don’t fit, but you are so close to birthing a child that the expense of new maternity outfits seems unnecessary, although my hysterical Halloween costume ideas were limitless this year!

Strangers are constantly stopping you any time you are in public to make comments on how large your baby bump is, or even worse, they decide to share their own scary birth experience (just what every mother loves to hear before pushing a baby out of her body). You begin to feel more anti-social, and commitments like birthday parties, baby showers, and holiday school functions feel like a chore. You look in the mirror and most of the time you don’t feel like yourself. You opt for the easiest breakfast, lunch, and dinner options for your family, and on some days, the guilt starts to settle in as you question whether or not you are being sufficient in your role as a mom.

I woke up today feeling exhausted, feeling less attractive, feeling frustrated that my water hasn’t broken, and feeling like I would rather stay in bed and order pizza for breakfast than mom-life. But then suddenly, I heard a knock on my bedroom door, and my 4-year-old walked in with his sweet smiling face. He jumped on my bed, gave me a big hug, and said, “I love you, and you’re the best mommy in the whole world.” I then heard my daughter softly whisper, “Mommy,” in her crib and her face lit up when I walked in the room.

These moments are better than that satisfying cup of morning coffee, because when I get wrapped up in the difficulties associated with the end of pregnancy, I am reminded of the bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Are you a pregnant mother with multiple little ones or a first-time mother in your third trimester? What are your best tips on embracing the overwhelming final moments before the arrival of your new addition?