Pregnancy and the postpartum period is a time of change. Mentally, emotionally and physically, having a baby can rearrange everything that you thought you knew about yourself. (Literally, a baby grows inside you and pushes your organs out of the way. Pregnancy is exhausting.)
In the midst of all of that change, it’s not uncommon for your relationship with your body to change. For some, pregnancy makes them feel whole, happy and glowing. Birth feels fulfilling and teaches them what they are capable of.
For others, pregnancy and birth are hard. Becoming a parent can do a number on your self-image, and make it hard to be body positive and love the skin you’re in.
But you absolutely deserve to love yourself and your body, whether you’re pregnant, have never had a baby, or are caring for a little one.
As someone who’s always working to love herself a little more, here are a few things that have worked for me:
1. Enjoy the things that your body can do, rather than how it looks.
Regardless of our abilities or challenges, there’s something that your our does for us. Your brain is reading and understanding this blog post. Maybe you’re legs move you through the day or your arms hug your loved ones.
For many of you, your body is performing a miracle right now, or has before, and it made a person!
Your body is a part of you. It deserves to be celebrated.
2. Don’t talk about size, weight or dieting.
This one might seem hard, if you bond with people over losing weight. But you’ll have plenty to talk about without focusing on how you want to change your hips and belly, I promise. Maybe you’ll even find a body positive crew, or help your friends shift their own thinking for the better.
3. If there’s a part of your body that you’re not a fan of, give it a name and say nice things to it.
True story- when I was a pre-teen, I “developed” faster than some of the other girls, and I was NOT a fan of my boobs. So I named them Tyra and Giselle- women that I thought were beautiful. And I decided that my boobs were beautiful too. Yay us!
Treat your body parts like friends. Treat yourself like a friend. It can be easier to love on those we care about than it is to love ourselves (that’s a whole other can of worms), so treat that mommy pooch like you would if it belonged to your best friend.
4. Wear clothes that fit. Avoid things that give you what I call the “sausage feeling”.
I think lots of us have clothes in our closet for “someday”, or that we used to fit. And some of us go a step further, and try to fake it until we make it to that size.
If that’s making you happy, cool. But in my experience, it’s really hard to be your best self when you’re squeezing into your clothes.
Just get new jeans. It’s worth it.
5. Make celebrating your body a part of your routine.
Build some body positivity into your day in simple ways.
Smile at yourself while brushing your teeth. Enjoy how soft your skin is when you put on lotion, and how strong your hair is when you comb it. Thank your feet as you take off your shoes- they’ve worked hard.
I believe being body positive will help you have a healthy pregnancy and enjoy early motherhood.
For me, these simple steps create an environment where I’m kinder to myself. And I want that for our doula clients and everyone.
If you try these, or have other tips, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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Be sure to check out our online pregnancy course designed for women of color, Attain.
