As women, our bodies are capable of some SERIOUSLY superhuman stuff. During my pregnancy, I often thought “WOW… today I’m literally growing a little brain, little eyes, little hands, a LITTLE PERSON inside me!”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty badass superpower!
But what about what has to happen to our bodies for this awesome superpower to occur? And what about after? I know for me, as empowering as pregnancy was, during my first pregnancy I got blindsided by some pretty negative self-talk.I had struggled in my late teens/early twenties with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. I worked hard to come through it, and discover what HEALTHY really meant, felt like, and looked like to me.
Prior to conceiving my first, I thought I was at “my healthiest,” but then the curveball of pregnancy served up some new challenges I wasn’t quite prepared for. My mindset and body struggled, and it wasn’t the “joyous” experience I had hoped for.
I’d catch myself comparing my once-lean body, to the softer, more curvy, and very unpredictable one it was turning into.I’d compare how I seemed to gain weight ALL OVER, to other moms who happily sported a lovely little bump.
And I’d be completely disheartened when someone would ask me if I was almost due at the BEGINNING of my second trimester!
I soon realized that this was only the tip of the iceberg.Once my little love was born I was left with:
- Engorged, different-sized breasts, & mastitis three times… soon followed by shriveled-up, different-sized breasts
- Vaginal Tearing (with my first)
- C-Section scarring, bizarre pooches, & swelling around my incision (with my second)
- Stretch Marks
- Separated Abdominals (with my first)
In summary, a body I didn’t recognize. At all. Which made it MUCH harder, in my new-mama exhausted haze, to see and appreciate the gift of life that my body had just grown and successfully delivered.
This resulted in me literally HIDING from cameras my whole first pregnancy and afterward. Something I now massively regret because I have almost no images of me with my precious firstborn in those first few months of her life.
Although I knew pregnancy and motherhood would come with changes, I was NOT PREPARED for the mental and physical ones.
I had lost control of what my body looked & felt like day-to-day during pregnancy, and was left with a body I didn’t recognize. It was… overwhelming. Luckily, I recognized the signs of the unhealthy mindset I was stuck in and I took action.
I knew I needed guidance & support, but that support wasn’t something readily available.I didn’t want to “complain” to friends, and also didn’t have many who were also moms that could relate to what I was going through.
For all these reasons, I decided to create this type of a community. Create a different, more empowered dialogue for myself, that I could share with other mamas who also struggled with this.
I also swore that when I did have our second baby, I would do things differently. And I DID!
This is why I make it a point now to be so open about what I struggled with, and how by making different choices with my second pregnancy, it was a COMPLETELY different experience.
My 2nd pregnancy, I went into with a completely different mindset and a plan. A plan to honor my body at each stage. To appreciate it as I never had before. To work on fueling my mindset as well as my physical self daily, so that the negative self-talk gremlins didn’t come back to play.
I had a workout plan for each stage of my pregnancy and an ease back in postpartum plan.
Whether I had severe nausea, no energy, lacked time, or motivation. I had workouts that would fit me where I was, ranging from ten to thirty minutes a day,.
I had a variety of meal options to choose from, so even when I had my most severe food aversions I knew I was fueling my body with the nutrient density I needed to help my baby grow healthy and strong, and keep myself healthy and energetic.
I LOVED my second pregnancy. It wasn’t all roses everyday, but I was much more prepared to deal with the lows in a much more positive and healthy way.
All of this I now share in my Rocking Your Bump & Beyond Group, where I also talk openly about the struggles of pregnancy and being in that early postpartum stage.
I share this because I want other mamas and mamas to be to know there is a way to openly discuss and deal with body image distortion, negative self talk, comparison, and dysmorphia during pregnancy and postpartum, so that it doesn’t discourage you and manifest into more.
It’s so important to realize that not all the changes we encounter in this chapter of life are visible, some are hidden, but are no less felt. Having a space to discuss and deal with them in a positive way can make a HUGE difference.
I work with women who have had weight gain because of fertility treatments, bladder incontinence from a difficult delivery or complicated c-section, severe vaginal tearing, rectoceles, sagging excess skin, breasts that never look the same, darkened skin “pregnancy masks,” difficulty breastfeeding, and more.
Many of these things can lead to postpartum depression/anxiety, negative self talk, and body image distortion. But many can also be drastically improved by implementing healthy daily activities before, during, and after pregnancy.
Staying fit and active, before and during pregnancy, can radically improve not only our physical health, but the health of our mindset, AND improve baby’s health and brain development!
Here are a few ways to help yourself and baby:
1. Commit to 20 minutes of moderate activity 3-5 times a week
3. Get enough sleep during pregnancy
4. Reduce stress before and during pregnancy
These changes we encounter are REAL, but they don’t have to define us. It’s so important to know that you’re not alone, and you have permission to simultaneously work to improve how you look and feel, while also loving yourself along the way.
It helps so much to be surrounded by women who understand this and are working toward the same thing. That is why I created my Rocking Your Bump and Beyond Program. You can learn more and take your free health assessment and join us by CLICKING HERE.
As women, our bodies are capable of some SERIOUSLY superhuman stuff. During my pregnancy, I often thought “WOW… today I’m literally growing a little brain, little eyes, little hands, a LITTLE PERSON inside me!” 
