Pregnancy and Body Image

Note: I wrote this post the night before I gave birth and didn't have a chance to post it until now

As someone who has suffered with body image issues and an eating disorder, I was a little worried about how I would handle pregnancy.  At first, I was a little apprehensive and had a bit of a hard time dealing with my body once I stopped fitting into my jeans.  It must have been some residual issue resulting from my past history with body image problems...  Even though I was entirely prepared for such a reaction and kept my thoughts completely rational, I still had some weird emotions that didn't make sense.  Luckily, I just toughed it out, bought a belly band and focused on staying positive.  And it worked!

Aside from the first couple of months, I have been absolutely loving my body through the remainder of this pregnancy.  I am just so amazed at what the female body is capable of, and how much of a transformation has taken place.  Now that I look back on my pre-pregnancy pics I think I look too skinny.  In fact, I think going through this pregnancy has been hugely beneficial in helping me overcome my last remaining body image problems.

Here is a list of things that have helped me in my journey:
-Go easy on yourself, write your feelings in a journal and don't feel guilty about your emotions, work on controlling your attitude instead and stay positive.
-Take 'belly pics' throughout your pregnancy so you can look back at your transformation
-Buy a belly band and use it as soon as you need to, do not compare your timeline to others, everyone starts to show at different times
-Buy some nice, well-fitting maternity clothes.  This really helped with my confidence and comfort level.
-Stay active throughout your pregnancy
-Focus on the positive aspects - for me it was having real boobs for the first time in my life :)
-Remember this is only temporary, although it can feel like such a long time while you are in thick of it, it will not last forever.
-Talk to other Moms or read about other women's experiences on the internet.
-Treat your body with respect, marvel at what it is capable of and don't forget to pamper yourself

I am so grateful to have had this experience, and I think it has made me stronger and will definitely help when I enter the next phase - post postpartum.