Body Image during Pregnancy

Something that continues to be a mental struggle for me is body image during pregnancy. I knew my body would change but I was not mentally prepared for the changes to come.

Growing up I’ve always had body image issues. I was too thin, too big, not muscular enough, too pale, had to many freckles, my hair was too dark, my teeth weren’t white enough…the list can go on and on. As I got older and especially once I got into my 30’s I started to get comfortable in my own skin for the first time ever. I’d say within the last year I’ve actually felt pretty damn good about myself for the first time ever.

So here I am having all this confidence in myself and then I get pregnant. Which I was so excited for of course but slowly my body started to change. My boobs got bigger. Sure that sounds great right? It was ok at first but now I just want my old boobs back. My back hurts and I just don’t care to have bigger boobs. Then of course my stomach started to grow slowly. I’ve never had a six pack in my life. I’ve always tended to carry more fat in my mid section. So while I didn’t have killer abs I did have a flat stomach and felt like it looked good. So once that started to change I slowly started feeling fatter and fatter and had a hard time adjusting to having this bulging belly.

There are of course other physical changes that I hate. Like the horrible breakouts. One clears up and I have another one forming. It’s never ending. I have more hair on my body which is just amazing. (insert eye roll) My legs have slowly added a little thickness to them and my damn feet are even a little wider!

So while I did expect body changes I never expected so many. Or it’s at least one of those things that until you actually experience it you just really don’t know. And of course everyone is different this is just what I’m experiencing.

So body image has once again been a mental struggle in my life. I know it’s only temporary but it’s still hard. Reminding myself its all for the baby and that its only for a short while does help some. I also workout regularly and that is one of the only things that makes me feel somewhat in control of what’s going on with my body because my body will do what it needs to regardless. I also have some friends (and my amazing husband) that understand how I feel and I can talk with them as well. It’s nice to have a support system and I’m so lucky for all of them.

I think a lot of the time you hear about how amazing pregnancy is and how you’ll love it. You see pictures of these thin glowing moms to be in magazines or online and you think, “wow that’s gotta be great!”, well think again lol I’m only partly kidding. It’s great don’t get me wrong but it’s HARD, at least for me. I think until you actually experience it for yourself you really have no idea what it’s like because you can read a million articles on it but it’s not the same as actually going through it.

I’d also like to add while I do have days where the ‘struggle is real’ I also have days where I feel great. Like today for example. I was walking around Target feeling like a cute badass mom to be and loved it. I even had a conversation with another mom to be about storage totes for a changing table lol

Sometimes pregnancy is great but sometimes it’s also really hard and I think more women need to talk about it. Feel free to leave comments about your experiences with pregnancy, good and bad.

Thanks for reading.

(the attached picture is at almost 22 weeks. I felt confident and fit so I wanted to share)

2 thoughts on “Body Image during Pregnancy”

  1. This is true talk! Thank you for sharing. I felt the same way when I was pregnant. I always felt fat and nothing I owned looked good on me. My boobs shrunk to nothing after I stopped breastfeeding (originally a 36b to a 38 DD when pregnant to a 36 A, no joke)and my ass grew a size. Just know that you’re not alone. Your body is working overtime to make another person but take time and realize that it’s ok to feel awkward every now and then. It’s normal! Mama bodies are a miracle. You’re a miracle! You’re gorgeous, don’t forget it! <3

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