Pregnant stepmothers

We know all the stories about evil and wicked stepmothers – but we also know that there are wonderful and loving ones too. Being a stepmother is not easy, whatever the circumstances. Some women do have it easier than others, but non-traditional families almost always have issued that traditional families don’t, such as – when stepmom becomes pregnant.

Even if you have the best of relationships with your stepchildren, becoming pregnant can throw a wrench in the whole thing. Children who are old enough to understand may fear becoming less important to you and, most importantly, their father. Living arrangements may need to be changed to accommodate the new child, and they just may not know where they fit in the family anymore.

Knowing that your pregnancy will have a profound effect on your family can also cause extra stress on you and your husband or partner. However, realizing that there are issues that need to be discussed and handled is a good first step to managing them. Cynthia Wilson James wrote a good piece on stepmoms and pregnancy called Telling Your Stepchildren About Your First Pregnancy.

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Tags: pregnancy blog, pregnant stepmother