Practice Makes Perfect: 3 Ways Pregnancy Helps You Be a Better Parent

Being Pregnant

Pregnancy has its good and bad points

, the most obvious benefit being the end result (you know, the baby). Some women hate being pregnant, some women love being pregnant, most find it a mixed bag. But as hard as some of the hard parts can be, there may be a silver lining. (In addition to the baby.) The challenging parts of pregnancy might actually serve a purpose: helping you get ready to become a parent.

Here are five not-always-so-fun things about being pregnant that can actually help you to be a better parent once your baby is born.

1. Interrupted Sleep

Sleep problems in pregnancy are really common. Wakefulness can be hormonal (pregnant woman have sleep cycles that are more easily interrupted), psychological (there's plenty to worry about) or physical (no shortage of discomforts to wake you up in the night). One theory is that this less-sound sleep is a way of training the body to deal with middle of the night feedings and frequent wakings of early parenthood.

More on Babble: 10 Tips for Better Sleep During Pregnancy

2. Sacrifice

Giving things up is part of pregnancy. The ever-growing list of no-nos makes pregnancy a time of learning to live without some of the pleasures you may have taken for granted before getting pregnant. Even something as simple as meeting your own needs can be fraught. Though the details change when the baby's born (or for some women, after breastfeeding) being a mother does involve changing priorities.

More on Babble: 9 Ways to Keep Your Friends After Your Baby Comes

3. Difficult Choices

Some of the choices you encounter in pregnancy are as difficult as any you might come across as a parent. Deciding whether or not to undergo prenatal testing, whether to circumcise, or even what to name your kid. This can be a kind of awakening. You have entered the new high stakes world of parenthood.

Motherhood isn't easy, but pregnancy is great practice. For more ways pregnancy helps you practice for motherhood, visit Babble.

MORE ON BABBLE:

2 Biggest Breastfeeding Myths Busted
8 Safe Ways to Eat What You Want During Pregnancy
Why Women Are Smarter After Giving Birth