“Yea, that’s normal.”

A common, though not comforting, refrain pregnant women often hear when they tell a doctor or a midwife about the ever-changing symptoms they experience throughout the 9 months they’re sharing their body with another human. As a first-timer, I was particularly upset when I heard this from my midwife as I described the sharp, shooting pain running down my backside any time I moved. I had heard it in my other visits when I answered the question, “so, how are you feeling?” but this time was different – this was completely debilitating, and it being normal wasn’t going to cut it.