I have lots of friends that were fortunate enough to, in their own words, "feel and look better than any time in their lives," while they were pregnant. Unfortunately, I was not one of those people. If you imagine being hit by a large bus...multiple times, you'll have an idea of how I felt (and looked) while pregnant.

Not only was I not glowing, I looked downright miserable. My complexion was miserable, my hair looked terrible, I was constantly swollen, I was sick, I felt fat...you name it, I felt it.

As you may imagine, my self esteem, which is usually quite good, took a terrible hit while I was pregnant. If you are part of the non-glowing club, don't despair. There are things you can do to help preserve your self esteem during pregnancy!

~ Go to the spa or give yourself one. There's nothing like a little pampering to make you feel better about yourself.

~ Splurge and get a massage. Just thinking about it ought to make you feel better!

~ Do something completely different with your hair. Sometimes a change is all you need to make you feel better. A new hair style might be just the ticket!

~ Take long walks or get involved in a yoga class. Exercise will make you feel better. It will also help you after you have the baby to get back to your pre-baby weight.

~ Just because you feel like you don't look good, doesn't necessarily mean that other people see it. Take the time to do your hair and your make-up.

~ Buy clothes that fit. Lots of women try to wear their regular clothes during their pregnancy or they switch to their husband's sweatpants and t-shirts. Get at least a few really cute maternity outfits that make you feel pretty.

~ Repeat the mantra, "This too shall pass" Say it to yourself multiple times daily! Soon you'll have a beautiful new baby and you'll be back to looking, and feeling, good again.