In my experience, Valentine’s Day is not the worst holiday to be pregnant (it's Arbor Day, obviously). It doesn’t require the same preparation and planning as other winter holidays, there are plenty of sweets to be had, and romantic partners generally attempt to spoil one another. Hello, yes, I’ll take all the spoiling I can get right now. If my spouse is, in fact, reading this, perhaps I’ll even make things easy on him and spell out a list of things every pregnant woman wants for Valentine’s Day. And, if he’s not reading this right now, maybe it will be of help to the partners and loved ones of all the other women currently with child (enthusiastic shoutout to Jay Z).
Of course, I’m speaking pretty broadly here, so of course the pregnant person in your life may have other wants and needs. She may be one of those splendid, glamorous pregnant woman who always appears in stock photography, or one of those woodland nymphs who claims to love pregnancy, and has desires more, like, flower crowns and fairy dust and garments made with long, flowy fabric. Or, she may be experiencing a pregnancy like mine, which is full of minor inconveniences and struggles, pants with elastic waistbands, and donuts. Either way, here’s a place to start when it comes to planning for Valentine’s Day:
Sweets
No, I'm not just saying this to be nice and make it easy on everyone; I really mean it. Sweets are pretty much what I'm living for these days. You'd think I'd be bored of them because I'm surrounding myself with them all the time, but that's definitely not the case. The only thing that makes me happier than the thought of eating more sweets in the coming weeks is eating heart-shaped ones and ones with cutesy sayings on them.
Gift Cards
I know, I know. Gift cards can seem rather boring, right? Personally, I'd be thrilled to receive some right now though, because I know so much is going to change in the coming months, I'd love to know that I have some spending money for down the road.
Stuffed Animals
Stuffed animals are a wonderful gift for a pregnant woman for a few different reasons. First, they double as pillows, of which a pregnant women can never have too many. Secondly, in a short while, she'll be able to pass them along to her baby. See? Everyone wins!
Compliments
Disclaimer: the compliments should be genuine. But, chances are, they should be easy to come up with. If you know a pregnant woman, you know someone who's working hard, or sacrificing a lot, or glowing, or looking fantastic with a bump, or doing something that deserves recognition. Let her know.
Dinner (Seriously)
Not sure about everyone else, but I'm in that stage of pregnancy where I wake up excited each morning because I can go eat (pregnancy is a gift, isn't it?). So a delicious meal with my significant other sounds downright amazing to me right now.
The Freedom To Stay In
I mean, not that I wouldn't be touched if my partner planned an elaborate date night for us, because I totally would be. However, the chances of me staying comfortably out past 9 p.m. are pretty slim. And, by "pretty slim," I mean "nonexistent."
Perhaps A Nice Mocktail In A Fancy Glass
Here's some insight into my home life that you didn't ask for: We have one of those soda-making machines, and the ability to add sparkling water to fruit juice and to drink it out of a glass with a stem has brought me more joy during pregnancy than I ever thought possible.
A Massage
I don't care if it's a professional massage. I don't care if it's in a fancy spa. I don't care if he instructs me to sit down on the floor and then squeezes my shoulders during a commercial break. Actually, wait, yes, I'd care a little bit if it was just the last one. My point is, it doesn't need to be an elaborate, extravagant splurge, but a nice, relaxing way to take care of myself and my body would be, um, amazing right now.
A Nap
Speaking of nice, relaxing things for my body to do, how about an uninterrupted window of two to three hours, during which I can blissfully drift into unconsciousness?
A Blanket
Yes, that's right. I would love the biggest, softest, fluffiest blanket in existence to arrive on my doorstep. Or, better yet, my couch, because if I'm sitting anywhere without a blanket these days, I feel like I'm doing it wrong.
A Time Machine
I mean, if we're making a wish list, we might as well go all out, right? If anyone out there knows where I, or my partner, my procure a time machine before Valentine's Day, please, by all means, let me know. I'd like to jump ahead a few months. Not too far, just until someone places my just-born baby on my chest and I'm through with those whole pregnancy thing. That's not too much to ask, is it?
