Since before I even dreamed of starting a family, I heard about the pregnancy glow that would descend on the mother to be and garner compliments from her nearest and dearest. I thought I would also be blessed with this glow…

It’s amazing what a  makeup artist, good photographer, and a little photoshop can do! This is called the faux glow.

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Before I went off the birth control pill, I asked my doctor at the time how my skin would be affected, as I originally went on it to help with my acne. She said that my skin would most likely go back to how it was before I ever went on the pill, but that once I got pregnant, it would clear up again.

One of the reasons I waited almost 10 months after we got married to go off the pill was that I was terrified of what would happen to my skin once I did. Before I went on the pill at 21 years old, my skin was a mess. On the pill, I’d get a pimple here or there, but I usually had pretty clear skin. I didn’t want to go back to the land of breakouts.

Luckily, when I first went off the pill, my skin didn’t erupt into a million zits. It stayed basically the same with maybe a few more pimples here or there, but nothing like I was expecting. Then, my periods became more and more infrequent, I went on Provera, and BAM! Zit central.

Clomid didn’t help, either. Once I got pregnant, I thought the pimples would disappear and I’d get the glow, but no such luck.

That’s a photo of me straight out of the shower with no makeup. You’re welcome, internet.

After my first trimester, the pimples became more infrequent, but still no glow. My skin has remained red and blotchy and I can’t get rid of the dark circles, no matter what I try.

And now that I’m just a month away from my due date, I’m scared of what will happen to my skin after baby TTT arrives and the pregnancy hormones depart.

Did you have a pregnancy glow? How was your skin after baby?