Joanna Gaines Loved Being Pregnant — And Why We're Tired Of Hearing It

Pregnancy is beautiful! At least, that's what I've heard. I've gone through four pregnancies myself, and I'm still looking for that pregnancy glow that everyone talks about. Joanna Gaines and Kylie Kelce recently chatted about pregnancy experiences on Kelce's "Not Gonna Lie" podcast, and it really drives home how different women's experiences can be.

"I loved being pregnant," Gaines, who shares five kids with husband Chip Gaines, admitted on the episode. Before you roll your eyes (because that's my reaction, too), Kelce had the greatest response. The podcast host, who is a mom of four with husband Jason Kelce, responded, "Even though it was not my experience, I am so happy for people who enjoyed it because I wanted to have a sense of that, like, 'Oh, this is like, I'm creating life and this is beautiful and I feel good and I feel like I can do anything,'" she said. "It just wasn't the case." How refreshing is it to hear that pregnancy isn't always amazing and beautiful for everyone?

Gaines praised, "You're giving people the permission to be honest with the experience, and that's what I think is so healthy." Yes, girl! Pregnancy is hard and full of things that aren't safe to do, and I am ready for people to be more open about that simple fact. I struggled with pregnancy so much, from my first pregnancy in 2017, when I experienced pregnancy hypertension and PUPPP, which caused a massive, itchy rash to spread over my entire body. (I was due in August in Texas, so the heat was miserable, too.) When I got pregnant for the second and third times in 2018 and 2021, I hated how much my back ached and how limited my body became, making it harder to keep up with my other kids. 

Pregnancy comes with risks of serious complications, like heart issues, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression, and other issues. Not to mention, Black women in the United States have a higher likelihood of experiencing maternal mortality and other dangerous complications during and after pregnancy, due to our country's history of institutionalized racism.

Going through the bigger pregnancy challenges was difficult, but the regular, run-of-the-mill pregnancy symptoms I experienced weren't a walk in the park either. For a while, it felt like I could barely leave my bed with morning sickness that lasted all day, extreme fatigue that made it impossible to stay awake, and body changes that were painful and uncomfortable. 

And don't even get me started on the mood changes, from being super emotional to feeling debilitating worry over my baby. My fourth pregnancy happened in 2025, after going through chemo for breast cancer in 2023, so every twinge and pain brought with it a side of anxiety and fear of a cancer recurrence. And people expect pregnant women to just carry on with their normal life, working and existing while going through this?! It feels impossible.

All that to say, it's completely fine to hate being pregnant! It doesn't mean you love your children any less; it just means we're realistic about the awful and often dangerous symptoms that many women experience. Women shouldn't be afraid to say we didn't like our pregnancies, and I'm thankful for Kylie Kelce and Joanna Gaines bringing attention to this not-often-talked-about subject.