Women are sharing the hidden anxieties of pregnancy after one TikTok user's brave post.
In a clip on the video sharing app, user @cdt_99 endeavoured to show "the sides of pregnancy no-one talks about" as she awaited the birth of her 'rainbow baby' - a term usually used to describe a baby conceived after a stillbirth or a miscarriage.
Her mental health symptoms included "paranoia over going to the toilet," "wondering if everything is okay in there" and "constant worry, wanting to have a reassurance scan".
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She also talked of "feeling so drained and unworthy," and questioning: "Is my baby's heart still beating?"
Other questions included: "Am I doing the right things?" and "Am I eating and drinking right?"
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She concluded by telling mums-to-be they weren't alone.
In the comments, pregnant women flocked to discuss their own worries and fears.
"Every pain or twinge I think the worst," wrote one mum in the comments.
As another said: "I started to feel better once I started to feel her move but then it's the worrying when they don't move as much as they have been".
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"One thing I struggled with every day is if she'd be better with another family," another mum wrote. "I thought of it Every. Single. Day. And I felt guilty like that meant I somehow didn't want her when that wasn't true."
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"I feel like I'll worry until she's safe and breathing in my arms," someone else chipped in, as a fellow TikToker wrote: "I'm sick of people acting like pregnancy is easy. It's SO hard. It's mentally and physically exhausting. The hardest thing I've ever had to do and I still feel like I'm failing."
"Congratulations!" another mum said, reassuringly adding: "I'm exactly the same but we got this. Be strong and patient all is worth it in the end".
We love to see these strong mamas rallying together. The internet can be a really beautiful place sometimes...
Featured Image Credit: Unplash x TikTok/cdt_99