Is Pregnancy Glow A Real Thing & When Will It Happen To Me?

If there is anything that I knew about being pregnant before even trying to get pregnant is that you will be waiting for that famous ‘pregnancy glow’ to kick in. It is something we hear get spoken about, people complement pregnant people for it all the time and it is even big in films and TV. Are you still waiting for yours too?

Something I thought came quite early on in the pregnancy and was almost a ‘give away’ to me being pregnant was the glow. If like me you are in the same situation and thinking when it is going to happen it will… in time and it will be so worth it when it does.

After what felt like forever nagging and wanting this famous pregnancy glow and it finally happening I decided to write about my experience, answer some common questions and even give you some tips to help you feel like you have the glow, even if you don’t.

Is Pregnancy Glow A Real Thing?

Yes! I was just as amazed as you are to know that it is actually a real thing and not some old wives tale that you hear about and everyone then believes to be true. Pregnancy glow is actually a thing, it is caused by the boost in hormones which can result in plumper skin, fuller-looking face and body, healthier-looking hair and nails, and even a nice clear complexion.

So yes, everyone! Pregnancy glow is a real thing.

When Does Pregnancy Glow Happen?

Now, this is the elusive part of pregnancy glow, it happens at different times for different people. Some may experience it within the first few weeks, some not until the middle of their pregnancy and some not until the end.

There is no set rule which is great because if you feel like you are lagging behind, you actually aren’t! Yippee! Though it can get extremely frustrating when you are feeling haggard and look 10x worse than you feel (this was me in the first trimester, even Frankenstein would have been scared of my appearance) while there may be another pregnant person looking like they have stepped on the beach and have luscious hair flowing.

How To Feel The Pregnancy Glow Even When It’s Not There

It is typical that our bodies decide to give us another reason to be envious but you don’t have to be.

Once I got into my second trimester I totally thought I wasn’t getting that sought after pregnancy glow so I decided to do a little pamper session to make myself feel better about my body, give myself a little makeover and just really relax.

Though I knew it wasn’t going to be a Cinderella transformation it gave me the chance to look after myself, remind myself that my body is going through a lot of changes and just to enjoy a relaxing evening.

Here are some of the things I did (& used) to help me feel the glow;

Have A Warm Bath

To be honest, since getting pregnant I have been pretty scared of having baths (don’t worry I still showered) but I like to have hot baths if I have one so not knowing what temperature was safe scared me.

I didn’t want to sit in a cold bath but also didn’t want to do anything that could hurt me or the baby al just for having a bath. But as Cora likes more normal temperature baths I got her to test it out for me so I could get in knowing it was a safe temperature.

I lit a coconut scented candle (change this to your choice of scent), used My Little Coco bath oil to help soothe my skin and read a book. I was totally fully relaxed and during that time I got a wonderful experience of feeling our little egg moving around and kicking.

I let all the workday stress and cleaning thoughts leave my mind and I just let my body relax. I sat with a facemask on to help my skin as I was suffering from breakouts and it really helped hydrate my damaged skin.

Buy Yourself A Pamper Kit

One day we were out shopping and Cora noticed a little pamper section for pregnant people in Boots and pointed one out and said it might be nice for you to have a night to relax (she’s good like that). I decided on the My Little Coco pamper pack which included a bath oil, bump mask and moisturising cream for the bump.

Look at the different sets and products you can find to spoil yourself, whether this is for a special night of pampering or just to keep using throughout your pregnancy to help keep you feel soft and subtle.

There are a number of pampering sets you can get to pamper both you and bump. From masks, body scrubs, scented oils and moisturisers.

Get Dressed Up To Go Out

Sometimes something you can do to make yourself feel better and a little more yourself is to get dressed up and go out. I found taking the time to make myself look good was helping me feel good.

I found going out for dinner and getting myself dressed up, hair is done nicely and some makeup on was really helpful to make me feel like I was looking good.

Eventually, after some time my own pregnancy glow did come through and found that I felt so much better about myself and my body. Find something that makes you feel good, find a dress or outfit that makes your bump feel good so you can really embrace your body and the wonderful things it is achieving.

Get An Artificial Glow

I’m naturally quite pale and not having any kind of holiday to give me any colour was very draining on me in my first trimester. I don’t think it helped me feel better knowing I was looking more drained and pale than my natural colour so is essesnse I looked like a zombie!

A friend of mine decided to take matters into her own hands and gave herself an artificial glow. She used a moisturising self tan on her face and body to help her look a little less tired and pale until her natural glow kicked in.

I wouldn’t suggest sunbeds as these are not recommended during pregnancy but something like a natural build up tan can be really great to give you a little boost to your colouring and make you feel a little more sunkissed even when you aren’t.