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Pregnancy Diaries: Steph Claire Smith spills on pregnancy symptom that left her 'mortified'

By As told to Maddison Leach|

Ever wonder if other women experience pregnancy the same way you do? Now is your chance to find out.

Our new series, Pregnancy Diaries, is all about sharing real women's true pregnancy stories จC the highs, the lows, the hilarious and the shocking from conception all the way to birth.

In this diary entry, star mum Steph Claire Smith spills the beans on some of her 'mortifying' symptoms while pregnant with son Harvey.

Want to share your own pregnancy story? Email it to mleach@nine.com.au?

Steph Claire Smith and husband Josh Miller announce they're expecting.
Steph Claire Smith and husband Josh Millar announced they were expecting in October 2020. (Instagram)

"We found out we were pregnant pretty much four weeks after conception, but we were in lockdown at that time.?

I wasn't sure what my experience was going to be, how sick I was going to get and I was worried about not being able to have my mum or some close friends around to help.

But that ended up being a blessing in disguise because, whilst I didn't suffer from morning sickness, the thing that did hit me hard was the fatigue.?

I was working from home, so I was able to jump on a Zoom call and then pass out on the couch. There were no questions because no one was around to see how tired I was.?

Our lives prior to lockdown were also so busy, I was travelling interstate every week and I don't know how I would've gone in my first trimester if life was 'as normal'.?

I was just so excited to be fortunate enough to be pregnant, so I was just trying to soak up everything and learn as much as I could without overwhelming myself.

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Steph Claire Smith poses in a two-piece set while pregnant.
Some pregnancy symptoms before son Harvey's birth in 2021 surprised her. (Instagram)

There were random pregnancy symptoms I didn't expect though, like in some areas my hair was growing a lot darker.?

I remember a moment where I was mortified but also in hysterics laughing at myself because I felt this hair on my bum and I said to Josh, 'Can you come and have a look?'?

We discovered that I had all these long brown hairs on my bottom that definitely weren't there before pregnancy!

I was speaking to a few people about it and apparently when you have a baby, particularly if it's a boy and there's extra testosterone running through you, it can affect things like that. That was stuff I just had no idea about.?

There were so many weird and wonderful things that happened, I found it really fascinating.

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We were the first from our family and our close group of friends to get pregnant, so I hadn't really been close with anyone and watched someone go through it.?

I didn't really know what was going on, but I really loved reading articles online or following accounts on Instagram and finding information that way. The confusing thing is that there's a lot of mixed messages online!

I found a lot of comfort in reading other mums' stories because I realised that there was such a big variety of how people found their pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience.?

There were just so many different things that could happen and I found that a really great way to educate myself and be in the know.

I'm obviously someone who shares a lot online and so I'm quite used to showing everyone the good, the bad and the ugly.?

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Steph Claire Smith shows off her belly in her third trimester of pregnancy.
The influencer and model chose to share her pregnancy journey on Instagram. (Instagram)

I wanted to share my pregnancy too, not just because people were asking for it but because it felt like I would be holding back too much if I didn't.

But what I was conscious of is that not everyone's journey to getting pregnant is the same, and not everyone's pregnancy is the same.?

Some really close friends who were in hospital bedridden for months within their pregnancy because they were so unwell. I also knew that births didn't always go to plan, so I was very conscious when I was sharing stuff online.

I made sure that I was sharing my own personal journey and not making anyone else feel bad about their own.

I also tried not to get too down in the dumps with any kind of physical change and just understand that my body was going through something massive.?

Going through the pregnancy journey myself and being someone who loves exercise so much, there's a lot of mixed messages out there about exercising when you're pregnant.?

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Steph Claire Smith on a walk with her dog on the beach while pregnant.
Walking was one of her favourite ways to exercise while pregnant. (Instagram)

I trust the experts I work with [at Keep It Cleaner] and you have to be in tune with your body and know when to slow down or take it a little easier.

When I had a poor relationship with exercise, if I didn't walk away sore or sweaty, then I was really disappointed. That is not how we should look at moving our body and exercising, and that's certainly not where I've been for a long time.?

Instead I was in a headspace of appreciating being able to move my body while pregnant and not needing every workout to feel like a huge challenge. I was able to pull back during my pregnancy and take it easy without feeling down about it.

As for advice, treating yourself like a best friend and talking to yourself like a best friend is a really good practice.?

If your best friend had gone through pregnancy, birth of postpartum and then she was pulling herself apart over little things, what would you say to that person to bring them up? Try to keep that internal dialogue for yourself as well."

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