Shawn Johnson Just Gave Her Husband an Idea of What Pregnancy Feels Like and His Reaction Is Real AF
If you've ever tried to explain the sensation of being pregnant to someone who hasn't experienced it first hand, you likely know this to be true: There are no words to describe what it's like to have an extra 30-ish pounds attached to your midsection and to have that extra weight also come with magical kicking powers that strike you all. the. time.
Sound familiar? Then perhaps you've had the urge to show someone what it feels like to be heavily pregnant instead — at least Shawn Johnson has. The Olympian, who's expecting her second child with husband Andrew East recently gave East a taste of what it's like to carry a child. And, you guys, his responses (and complaints) are hilarious.
Last week, East posted two clips on his Instagram with the text, "Making my husband feel what it's like to be pregnant." The first video ("Part 1") begins with Johnson wrapping a 14-pound ball to her hubby's abdomen as she notes that the typical pregnancy weight gain is more like 30 pounds (though to be clear, every body is different, and many mothers gain well under or over that amount).
And within seconds (yes, seconds), East throws out his first three complaints: "I already feel it in my upper back...and lower back. This is half of the actual weight? That's terrifying. My quads are like fatigued already [and] we haven't even started." He continues, "My stomach hurts. I feel irritable."
Once Johnson finishes up securing the ball with plastic wrap (which, BTW, is pretty damn innovative), she drops a toy on the floor and asks her husband to retrieve it. And while East approaches the challenge with the confidence of Elle Woods doing the "Bend and Snap," he quickly learns why there's a "if-it-falls-on-the-floor-it's-dead-to-me" point in every pregnancy.
"Wow that's actually wild," he says while struggling. "Is that real life?" Yes, yes it is.
Not shockingly (because the video is seriously funny), the likes and comments quickly came in, with many fans asking for, in one commenter's words, "part 2, 3, & 4" of East's pregnant-ish adventures. "I want more of this. Lay on your back and get up. Walk through a small area. Get in and out of the car. Carry drew around. Do handstands like Shawn. Put shoes on," writes one person, who's wish (or part of it) was apparently Johnson and East's demand.
In the second clip, Johnson leads East to the bedroom where she instructs him "to lay down and get back up." And so he does just that, only to realize that such a seemingly simple task is way more challenging than you'd would expect (that is, unless you've been through a pregnancy yourself). He then swings his legs up onto the bed, gently lies his head on the pillow, and cackles. "That's crazy dude," he says as he struggles to get up and out of bed. He then attempts to roll over...and rolls right off the bed. As his wife says, "That's about right."
It's worth noting, of course, that you're not supposed to sleep on your back towards the end of your pregnancy. Even though, as East learns, that tends to be the easiest, most comfortable position to assume when your body is completely front-loaded with the weight of a whole additional person (or more than one person, if you're carrying multiples).
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The videos are hilarious, but they also make an important point about what it really takes to bring babies into this world. And sure, there are jokes to be found here (such as, of course an expectant dad is going to complain after a few seconds of doing that thing expectant moms do for nine months, often many times over). But it's deeper than that too. If these videos teach viewers anything, it's that you probably could put a little more effort into understanding how incredibly tough pregnancy can be and to give people space to feel and express those discomforts. Or, in East's words, "This is good. This is building empathy." (Related: Shawn Johnson Got Real About 'Mom Guilt' After Deciding Not to Breastfeed)
Having a baby is a beautiful, downright miraculous thing, but you can think that while still still acknowledging that it's hard AF. Because, truly, creating a human is nothing short of a wildly impressive feat. So let womxn complain about the hardship, difficult, and sheer exhaustion of it all — any mom has earned the right.
