Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Body image.

Ok, so the second I decide that I have nothing to write, I get inspired again.

There was a discussion on Fertility Forums about enjoying pregnancy. While I know that all these women have been through a lot of shit to get to this point, and I know they wouldn't ever want to change the fact that they're pregnant, a lot of them are having trouble adapting to their "new" bodies and are saying they're really not enjoying being pregnant.

There are a lot of comments about how the fertility meds and pregnancy have caused them to gain weight in their butts and thighs. There are complaints about how they can't work out like they used to, and worries that the won't get their bodies back once the babie/s is/are born. Maybe some of their spouses aren't being 100% supportive, either.

Someone said that every book she's read says if a woman tells you she LOVES being pregnant, she is either lying, doesn't remember, or has some sort of personality disorder. I kind of took offense to this at first, but then was like screw it. I'm not gonna get mad. Books like that are normally written for people who don't prepare for pregnancy and have to read books to ease their fears and figure out what they're in store for.

For me, I'm really enjoying being pregnant. I would even go so far as to say that I LOVE it. Yeah, I get uncomfortable at night and toss and turn a lot. Yeah, my back hurts and I get tired really easily (and I know it's all only gonna get worse), but I've waited so long for this and been through so much crap to get to this point that I wouldn't change it for the world. I think the difference is that these women had much better bodies than me to begin with, and right now they're seeing these big changes that they're not comfortable with. They feel like they're "losing" their bodies. I've always had a low body image, so I feel like I don't have a body to lose. I already have a big ass and big thighs, so that's nothing new to me. The only change I'm seeing at this point is my belly continues to grow. I've always hated the fact that I had belly fat and always tried to hide it. Now that I'm pregnant, the shape of my belly has totally changed, and I'm not even 4 months in. All of a sudden, my belly just popped and became round and hard instead of droopy and flabby. I actually LOOK pregnant, and I feel great wearing shirts that show off my bump. I would never be caught dead in a shirt that was tight on my belly before. And to top it all off, I have a partner that loves me for me and has always loved the shape and size of my body.

I never thought that being bigger than average would ever work to my advantage, but I guess this is the one time in life where it does.

3 comments:

Lindsey said...

I completely agree with you!
I was about 20-30 pounds over weight when I got pregnant. I have always been a little self conscious about my body. Now that I am pregnant I am loving the "I have an excuse to be a little pudgy!" This is not saying that I am packing on the pounds. I am still exercising and trying to eat as healthy as I can (even though NOTHING healthy smells or sounds good!). I like that my body has changed and think it's amazing.
I have a friend who just had baby number 3. She has always been small. She HATED being pregnant. Now that she is 7 weeks post-delivery she is HATING it. She still has a little bit of baby fat to lose. Goodness though! It took her 9 months to put on the weight it's going to take a little bit of time to get it off. I think she looks adorable still:)

Amber said...

I think it's really hard for people who are so "body-conscious" to accept change. They're not used to having to battle with their weight or anything, so losing just that little bit that they put on seems like a gargantuan task to them, even though they obviously have decent metabolisms and are able to maintain on a normal basis.

And for the record, I'm 6 lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight as of 5 minutes ago. It's crazy, because I've never been able to lose an ounce to save my life, and all of a sudden I'm just losing weight. I'm chalking it up to the fact that hubby is super trim and muscular, and now I officially have Tucker DNA in me. lol

Lexie's thoughts said...

Call me crazy but I loved being pregnant too. Before, I never had any boobs, butt, or thighs. When I was pregnant I got it ALL! & I didn't mind one bit. Obviously I sometimes felt a little uncomfortable when I slept also, but it was never anything I couldn't fix by shoving a pillow under my belly or changing my position. I didn't even mean to get pregnant & was not expecting it at all, so I can't say I've been waiting for it & stuff, I just loved it. I never got morning sickness (I am so very lucky for that) & I didn't gain A TON of weight. I loved feeling Anthony move & although I hated people touching my belly(I was selfish, this is MY baby.. don't touch!) I did love to show it off. Who cares if I'm young!? I'm pregnant & I want the world to know how truely happy & excited I am! Everybody swears I'm going to have a miserable pregnancy next time because last time was so great, but I look forward to finding out! I can't wait to get pregnant again (okay yes I can..for now) but I loved the feeling & everything about being pregnant!
Amber, I think we have some personality disorders!!