Sure, it got a bit tough when the waddle set in, and child birth itself isn't exactly a walk a park, but overall I had it good.
This week in Whanganui we got to admire the beautiful baby bump of Minister for Women, associate minister of transport and health, and Green MP Julie Anne Genter.
She took part in two events – a cruise on the MV Wairua, her first time on Te Awa Tupua, and a breakfast in support of the Women's Network.
It was timely to hear from Genter, another leader having her first child in office, due a few weeks after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Have you seen the stunning pics of our PM at Buckingham Palace showing her baby bump while wearing a kahu huruhuru, a feather cloak?
(Note, it's not called a korowai. While I may have, with levels of guilt, deferred my te reo class until the second half of the year, I'm still trying to learn.)
Genter gave an inspiring speech this week in Whanganui, talking about now is the time to make further progress with women in visible leadership roles.
She also talked wisely about how it's time to be more nuanced about women having it all. Being a mum of a little one and having a high pressure career with long hours is never going to be easy, or even possible, for everyone.
However, Genter also acknowledged her privilege – a supportive partner taking time off his career to be the lead carer, a mum coming to stay, and a supportive workplace.
She talked about the challenges that face single mums (and dads) who are juggling multiple, low-paid roles with less job security, or those raising children on benefits.
It's not even close to easy for everyone.
So it was with shock I read this week that a Work and Income case manager told a single mum that her benefit would be cut because she went on two dates where her date paid for dinner and a movie. It's not the first outrageous example of a punitive culture at Work and Income I've read about.
Before we leap into demonising the individual officer, look at the wider culture. How do we change a system so employees are not incentivised to be ruthless at following the toughest interpretation possible of "the rules".
It's been a tough week for some of my friends, losing a friend in one way or another.
Buddhist writer Pema Chödrön has some thoughts about living with life's pain:
"Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energises us. We feel connected.
"But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant… wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction.
"On the other hand, wretchedness – life's painful aspect – softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person.
"When you are feeling a lot of grief, you can look right into somebody's eyes because you feel you haven't got anything to lose – you're just there… Gloriousness and wretchedness need each other. One inspires us, the other softens us. They go together."
I accept that having balance in life is necessary, but I still wish for a bit more gloriousness for us all.
*Nicola Patrick is a Horizons regional councillor, works for Te Kaahui o Rauru, and is part of a new social enterprise hub, Thrive Whanganui. A mother of two boys, she has a science degree and is a Green Party member
