Beyond the Glow: The Less Talked About Side of Being Pregnant

That iconic pregnancy glow— the radiant skin, the dreamy smiles, the perfect baby bump cradled by photoshoot-ready hands. But behind every glowing photo, there is often a different story. A story less shared, less Instagrammable—but just as real, and just as important.

Sometimes, beyond the glow, there’s a lot of mess, mystery, and downright discomfort.

Read this article to explore the real side of being pregnant behind that glamorous glow.

Pregnancy tiredness isn’t like the usual “I need a nap” feeling. It's the kind of exhaustion that makes brushing your teeth feel like running a marathon.

According to a study, fatigue is one of the very first signs of pregnancy, especially during the first trimester when your body is working overtime to create life—literally growing the placenta, the lifeline between you and your baby.

You might sleep for twelve hours and still wake up feeling like you need twelve more. And no, it’s not laziness—it’s biology.

Sure, some women get that famous dewy pregnancy glow. But many others? They get acne. Like, high-school-all-over-again acne.

Blame the hormones—specifically the rise in androgens that cause your skin to produce more oil. A study revealed that about 50 percent of pregnant women experience skin changes, and not always for the better.

One minute you're crying over a sappy commercial. The next, you’re rage-cleaning the kitchen because someone left a dish in the sink.

Hormonal shifts, rising stress, physical discomfort—it all adds up. According to research, around 15 to 23 percent of women experience prenatal depression or significant mood swings during pregnancy. Yet emotional ups and downs are rarely mentioned in glowing pregnancy announcements.

Pregnancy brings joy, yes. But it also brings anxiety, fear, self-doubt—and that's perfectly normal.

Swollen ankles. Aching backs. Nosebleeds. Weird, vivid dreams. Hair in places you didn’t know hair could grow.

Your body, your beautiful, brave body, is adapting in a thousand tiny ways to support the baby growing inside you. Some days, you might feel like a fertility goddess. Other days, like a bloated balloon with ankles the size of small watermelons.

Neither feeling is wrong. Both are part of the ride.

People often focus on how exciting it must be to be pregnant—but not enough people talk about how lonely it can feel.

If you are missing your old routines, your independence, or even your old body, you are not selfish. You are human. Many women quietly grieve the loss of their "before" selves even as they eagerly await their baby’s arrival.

You can talk to trusted friends, join pregnancy groups, or even just give yourself permission to feel all the messy feelings, which can help.

The truth is, pregnancy isn't all glow. It’s tough, transformative work, filled with days that are both beautiful and brutally hard.

Real motherhood starts not with the first diaper change, but with the first moment you choose to keep showing up.