WHY PREGNANCY IS DIFFERENT WHEN YOU LIVE WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS OR DISEASE | The emotional side

Why pregnancy is different when you live with a chronic illness or disease...a simple yet powerful statement that I decided to dive into today. I dive into some thoughts that I've been having over the course of my three pregnancy trimesters as well as how the preparation and experience of pregnancy may be different when you have an illness in the mix.
There are different emotions and feelings that come to the forefront of a pregnancy journey that may not be present if you don't live with a chronic illness. Some of the thoughts I dive into in this video include:
"My wish to have a normal pregnancy"
We who live with chronic illness are acutely aware that our illness creates burdens not carried by healthy people. We live with these burdens, finding ways to manage as best we can. Many of us come to a more-or-less grudging acceptance of life with illness. Pregnancy can unseat this acceptance and create a profound longing to be “normal,” even in women who have already done a substantial amount of emotional and psychological work regarding their illness.
"Can my body grow a healthy baby?"
Those of us who live with chronic illness have experienced our bodies as malfunctioning. Our lived experience is such that we may come to believe that our bodies are fragile, delicate, and always poised to betray us. It can be difficult to ease into pregnancy with the confidence that nature will take its course, and our bodies will perform without a hitch
"Will I be a good mother?"
Pregnant women with chronic illness may be concerned that their child will inherit their disease, or that the life-saving medications they take while pregnant will adversely affect the baby. The fatigue and disease exacerbation that many chronically ill pregnant women experience may cause them to doubt their ability to parent well. They may worry that they will not be able to breastfeed, that their illness will render them unavailable to their child, even that they may die and leave their child motherless
What were some thoughts that you had during your pregnancy if you deal with a chronic illness or disease?
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