--- description: Yes, many women struggle with high-risk pregnancies—and tomorrow's Supreme Court decision may address some of their needs. But the rest of us need to buck up title: Pregnancy Is Not A Disability image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5704806b2df9b1ff/69876bdb8e06013a2a458ea4/pregnancy-not-a-disease.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Parenting](/tag/parenting/) ## Parenting Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Pregnancy Is Not a Disability by [Bethany Ramos](/author/bethany-ramos/) ## Bethany Ramos Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 2, 2014 7:31 PM CUT  Pregnant Caucasian woman holding stomach Pregnant Caucasian woman holding stomachJamie—Getty Images by [Bethany Ramos](/author/bethany-ramos/) ## Bethany Ramos Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 2, 2014 7:31 PM CUT Within your lifetime, pregnancy is going to happen to you or someone you know. Lots of women get pregnant every day. In fact, there’s probably a woman getting pregnant right this very second, as we speak… Think about it. Pregnancy is coming to a town near you. I’ve been pregnant twice, and it was hardly my favorite time in life. I am so very glad to be done having babies for ever and ever and ever, praise [#vasectomyjesus](http://www.mommyish.com/2014/04/23/vasectomy-fail-rate/ "undefined"). With that being said, I have a bone to pick with pregnant ladies everywhere. Pregnancy is a part of life. Pregnancy is normal. Pregnancy is not a unique or particularly difficult experience. As a side note, I know there are women who fall into the high-risk pregnancy category. That is an entirely different subject, and this friendly pregnancy rant does not apply. I have close family members who have struggled with high-risk pregnancies, and my heart goes out to these women. But [normal pregnant women](http://www.mommyish.com/2014/04/04/third-trimester-pregnancy/ "undefined") everywhere need to buck up and sign up for a 5K while you’re at it. It’s a common practice to change your life dramatically once you see those two pink lines on a pregnancy test. Of course, you should make healthy, positive changes in your life while carrying a child — like quitting the blow and eating more vegetables and getting enough sleep at night. Still, it really chaps my ass when [pregnant women complain](http://www.mommyish.com/2014/04/14/funny-e-cards-for-moms/ "undefined") about their dire circumstances to anyone who will listen (especially on social media). A pregnant woman may look at you with her sad doe eyes in the breakroom at work and sigh about how she wishes she could have a cup of coffee to wake her up in the morning. (Newsflash — unless your doctor said that you can’t have caffeine while pregnant, you _can_ have at least a cup of coffee a day.) The same sighing-and-hand-wringing routine applies to all of the supposed pregnancy no-no’s: wine, sushi, hot baths, intense exercise, flying, scooping cat litter. Some women may decide to stick to the pregnancy don’ts list to the letter, and that is their prerogative. I have absolutely nothing to say about a pregnant woman’s personal choices — unless she makes them my business by sighing and staring at me while I drink my coffee. I didn’t love being pregnant, but I didn’t let it change my life for the worse. I still exercised like I normally did, ate all my favorite foods (and drinks) in moderation, and went out to non-smoky bars with friends when I felt up to it. Pregnancy isn’t that hard. _Bethany Ramos is_ _a contributor to Mommyish.com, where this article_ [_originally appeared_](http://www.mommyish.com/2014/05/08/pregnancy-is-not-a-disability/ "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3613930/pregnancy-is-not-a-disability/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3613930/pregnancy-is-not-a-disability/"},"headline":"Pregnancy Is Not a Disability","datePublished":"2014-12-02T19:31:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T02:30:34.222Z","description":"Yes, many women struggle with high-risk pregnancies—and tomorrow's Supreme Court decision may address some of their needs. 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