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A Happy Pregnancy

Getting a Jump Start on a Pleasant Parenthood

By Teri Brown

Contentment is often a difficult word to define. It can mean satisfied, happy, comfortable and pleased – all rolled into one. But if contentment is difficult to define, it can be even more difficult to achieve, especially if you're pregnant!

Tamra Orr, a mother of four from Portland, Ore., found that achieving contentment, or happiness, during pregnancy often depends on one's circumstances. "I think I ran the entire emotional gamut with my seven pregnancies," says Orr, who miscarried three of those pregnancies. "With my first pregnancy, I was quite content. We were actively trying to have a child, and so when I got pregnant soon after, we were both quite happy. My second pregnancy (to term) was more than content. It was pure joy because we'd been trying for more than five years and we were about to give up."

During her third pregnancy, Orr was living with her in-laws and she found the circumstances were not conducive to a sense of contentment. Her fourth pregnancy was unexpected and she and her husband were shocked for quite some time. Once the surprise wore off, Orr settled into the contentment of what she knew would be her last pregnancy. Orr believes that part of achieving contentment with your pregnancy accepting your feelings as being valid.

"If need be, allow yourself to feel scared, shocked, mad, etc., knowing that the pleasure will come later after you've adjusted to the concept [of being pregnant]," says Orr. Eventually, she cautions, "you should think beyond the moment and realize that we only get to this a couple of times in our lives and each moment should be treasured."

Want to see more?

• Easing Expectant Fears
• Being a Laid-back Mama: Beating Stress is Good for Expectant Moms
• Just for Fun: Pregnancy Video Guide
• Talk about it!