Blogger, stylist and director for e-commerce store The Connection Nadia Bartel is only days away from her due date with baby number two.
She has documented her entire pregnancy with many beautiful photos posted to Instagram, but her latest upload proves that social media does not tell the full story.
Nadia, wife to former Geelong AFL star Jimmy Bartel, shared that her pregnancy had not gone as well as her followers may expect.
She said she is “pretty much house bound” due to sharp, shooting pain up her body caused by Symphysis Pubis Disorder (SPD).
“I didn’t listen to my body this pregnancy and kept pushing through,” she wrote in her post. “The last month has been particularly hard.”
It is estimated that around one in every 300 women will experience some degree of SPD during pregnancy. When the bones which form the front of the pelvis become unstable and move, then the associated bone and nerve pain impacts on normal, everyday mobility.
Nadia said that despite her rough pregnancy, she was grateful to be carrying her second son.
Her message shows not everything is as picture perfect as it is shown to be on social media.
“I am not saying this for pity (there are people that have far worse pregnancies than me),” she wrote. “I am damn lucky, just putting it out there as pictures on Instagram don’t always tell the full story.”
Many women who had also suffered from SPD sympathised with Nadia on her post and thanked her for bringing awareness to it.
“I had never heard of it before I was diagnosed, and searched everywhere for other people with it, so I am so happy you are bringing awareness to it. It will certainly help other Mumma’s to be not feel so alone,” wrote one mum who had dealt with SPD.
“Thank you for opening up and bringing this to light as I felt really alone on this topic as no one around me has dealt with this issue,” wrote another.
Nadia and Jimmy currently have one child – two-year-old Aston.