A mum who was dating while seven months pregnant has said women shouldn’t be ashamed of doing the same, even if it might seem a little ‘unconventional’.
Megan Dowling, 24, split from the father of her unborn child 19 weeks into her pregnancy, admitting she felt ‘heartbroken’ at first.
However, the hairstylist decided she didn’t want to give up on love, and bounced back from the breakup by dipping her toe back into the dating pool.
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Megan, from Atlanta in Georgia, has now found a new love who she has been with for the last two months, saying he has supported her through the latter stages of pregnancy and that he’s even ready to be her baby’s stepdad.
"I know dating while pregnant is unconventional, but you deserve love just as much as the next person,” she said.
"Your baby deserves a mama who is full of happiness and joy.
"Of course, be safe and make sure you're still guarding your heart and protecting your peace - but just because you're pregnant, it does not mean you're undeserving."
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Megan said her ex called off their relationship after nine months, but that she found a new partner on Hinge - a 43-year-old man – when she was seven months pregnant.
He told her he was willing to help her raise baby Meadow, who was born last week on 27 September.
"I've always been one to not stress over things I can't control - I still reach out to my ex and update him on my pregnancy,” Megan said.
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"It was less about being sad about our relationship and more about being sad I was bringing a baby into a broken home.
"I started receiving so many compliments from guys on Instagram and was shocked.
"Then I came across an old TV series, Pregnant and Dating. I tried to find more on TikTok and blogs about other women, but there's not much out there.
"Since then, I've discovered that a lot of pregnant women do date but they're just embarrassed to talk about it.
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"I know I could've used someone else's stories to help me in the beginning so I hope I do the same.
"My dating profile looked just like any other! I had photos of myself, updated of course, but just selfies. The only difference is that I listed that I have children when I'm certainly very pregnant.
"I never imagined I would actually be able to find such a genuine person in my situation.
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"He's helped me so much and has made me feel loved. My mum loves him just as much as me, and I can't wait to see what our future holds.
"I don't want to force him into taking care of someone else's child, but he also knows that comes with dating me.”
Megan added: "We're just going to see how things play out and take it day by day.
"He's constantly reassuring me that everything is going to be okay, which is nice to hear when it sometimes feels like it's not.
"He definitely has some nerves, but I think all in all he just wants to show me the love that I deserve.
"He never lets me open a door, he cooks multiple nights a week, checks on me when he can see I'm uncomfortable and is currently bringing me breakfast to the hospital since it's running late!
"He's the kindest soul and I totally lucked out finding him. He's helped me with so much around my house and nursery. He's always keeping me active and happy.
"Most importantly, he has kids of his own so he understands how difficult pregnancy can be. He just wishes I would've had a better beginning, but the ending has been perfect."
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Parenting, Pregnancy
Jess Hardiman