For many women, pregnancy is something to be endured. It is full of aches and pains, worries and discomfort. What with emotional upheavals, along with financial, spiritual, and physical stress, being pregnant for most women is difficult. Yet, they go through it, sometimes many times over, for the end result -- having a baby.
However, there are a percentage of women who say they feel at their best when pregnant. They relish being the center of attention and being on the receiving end of the special comforts and accommodations that are allocated to pregnant women.
Once the baby comes though, they are not as enthused. They sometimes feel empty and lost without the baby bump. These women may actually be addicted to being pregnant.
Some women love being pregnant and more importantly love the way they feel emotionally while pregnant. They may be driven to continue having children out of a feeling of insecurity, a primal need for attention, or even abandonment issues from their own childhood.
Women obsessed with pregnancy may be trying to fill an emptiness inside themselves, which is the same reason many addicts turn to drugs, alcohol or sex. Being pregnant gives the women a purpose, a focus for their lives, and makes them feel less lonely.
Babies are dependent on their mothers. They provide a definite identity for mothers and help women who struggle with self-consciousness and social anxiety hide from their problems. These mothers don’t have to worry about being pretty, chatty or charming because the adorable baby in their arms is taking care of that role for them.
Newborns also help to stave off decisions about careers, marriage issues, and even questions about self-worth. Women who are pregnant or who have just had a child often get a pass from judgmental society when it comes to their appearance, career choices, and other outer appearances.
Being addicted to being pregnant is not just psychological though. Human beings were born with a genuine physical craving in their brain which pushes them toward having children. Human beings’ sex drive, hunger for romantic love, and need for the security of relational attachments is innate. The release of the “feel good” hormone oxytocin during sex, pregnancy, child birth, and nursing can also provoke an addiction to pregnancies.
With the psychological, social, and physical rewards many women experience while pregnant, it is no wonder that many women enjoy this time of life. It is instinctual to procreate but human beings were also given a higher brain function to keep those instincts in check if there isn’t sufficient time, money, or effort being made to care for the children that are already here.
Of course, not all women with large families are pregnancy addicts. Most of them simply like the lifestyle that a large brood creates. But women who find themselves feeling empty and craving a newborn to fill that emptiness should seek help from experts well-versedin pregnancy addiction before they procreate again.
Sources:
Womenshealthmag.com. Web. 23 June 2009. “Can you be addicted to pregnancy?”
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/pregnancy-perks?page=1
Express.co.uk. Web. 19 May 2014. “Surrogate mother addicted to pregnancy: ‘I won’t stop until my womb falls out.”
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/476876/Addicted-to-pregnancy-Surrogate-mother-wont-stop-having-children
Reviewed May 22, 2014
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith