I wrote a few months ago about how I struggled with my body image during my first trimester of this pregnancy. My second trimester was a lot better for me as far as maintaining a positive body image (and basically as far as everything). I had a lot more energy and loved that I was obviously pregnant versus just looking like I was over-indulging at each meal. I also trained quite a bit harder, longer and more often, my nutrition was more normal and my hormones evened out a little bit. Love that honeymoon trimester!
Let’s be real though. I don’t I feel amazing and full of energy every day, nor do I look in the mirror and sing my praises every day. My body is still changing and even though as a second-time mom I expect most of the changes, there are still some days I feel old and heavy, not young, vibrant and beautiful. (Also, don’t look at wedding pictures when you’re feeling old and tired. ha!)
Today, I’m sharing some truths about what will happen to your body during pregnancy and how you can deal with the inevitable changes, both physically and emotionally. Remember, all pregnancies are different, but I loved reading “real” information when I was pregnant so hopefully this will help some of you who are new to this whole pregnancy thing or thinking about becoming pregnant soon.
If you are curious and/or have questions about pregnancy, I highly recommend making some time to sit down with your close friends who’ve had children. Ask these close friends for the “truth” about pregnancy, labor, delivery and motherhood. Most moms love talking about their experiences and sharing some of the things about pregnancy that aren’t so well known or at least not talked about as often.
You are likely very happy that you’re pregnant. You are also likely focused on doing what’s best for the baby. But sometimes, you also just want to know what is going to happen to your body and life during pregnancy!
What about YOUR body during pregnancy?
Your body is going to change. You’re not going to feel comfortable with all of the changes. Some of the physical and mental changes are going to surprise you. Others might frustrate you. A few may concern you. You likely already know about the possibility of stretch marks, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, headaches, nausea, bloating, swelling, constipation, sore breasts and skin changes.
As if that list wasn’t enough to scare you, there will be times when you simply feel really huge and tired. You’ll wonder why you’re not glowing like all of the other pregnant women you see. You’ll probably feel conflicted because you likely want this pregnancy and this baby, but you also want your body back.
You will likely be tired during your first trimester. I know I point this out a lot, but it’s not just tired like you stayed out too late one night, but a whole new kind of tired you’ve never experienced before. It’s really important to listen to your body, especially during this trimester, but also during your entire pregnancy and just slow down, put your feet up and take a nap when your body tells you that’s what you need.
Move. Even when you don’t feel like it. It’s important not to push yourself like crazy when you are exhausted, but I highly recommend that you do something to stay active. Better yet, move more and also lift weights to help you stay strong.
Walking often and staying as strong as possible both help make it easier to deal with your growing body during pregnancy, as well as during labor and deliver and as you recover post-baby. I trained my entire pregnancy with Connor, but I’m significantly stronger this time and I’m hoping and praying it makes for an even better recovery!
You will gain weight. Just let that settle in. If the scales drives you crazy, let the doctors weigh you at your appointments. It’s likely that your weight fluctuates day-to-day and weighing yourself too often might make you more nuts than you’ll already be with all of the hormones buzzing around your body. If it doesn’t make you nuts, weigh away.
I’ve found that weighing myself a few times a week is really interesting and keeps things in check, but dealing with the number on the scale is something I’ve become way more comfortable with over the last few years. I don’t lose sleep over it anymore so if you do, let the doctors deal with the numbers.
You will lose weight after the baby is born, but it does take some effort. Yes, you’ll get your body back (mostly). See below for more on that.
It’s easy to fall into a comparison trap with your post-partum body. You’ll compare yourself to every other mom you know and you’ll wonder how someone you know got her body back so quickly. Then again, you might also wonder how that mom who has a 10-year old still looks slightly pregnant.
Keep in mind, you might lose weight more quickly than expected or it might seem to take forever. Control what you can control and try not to stress about the rest. If you get back to exercising when appropriate and eat healthy 80% of the time, it will happen. You can look hot again one day and more importantly, you can feel at peace with your body again with some time time and patience.
Your body will likely never look quite the same again. However, you will also likely be more comfortable with your post-pregnancy body than you ever were with your pre-pregnancy body. To be honest, this is one reason why I struggled so much with body image this time around when I got pregnant.
It took some time after having Connor, but by the time I got pregnant again I was really happy and comfortable in my body. I felt stronger and more energetic than ever and I was able to maintain a lean physique fairly easily after lots of experimenting to figure out how my body functions best. I found that I was more in tune with my body after pregnancy, which helped to listen to signals from my body about what I needed more of less of when it came to food, training and sleep.
For most people, labor and delivery is not the hardest part. I mean, sure it is in a way (it’s the hardest workout you’ve ever done as some people say!), but in my opinion it’s not the hardest because it’s relatively short compared with pregnancy, post-partum recovery and motherhood. Besides that, most of the time you have very little control over how your labor and deliver goes. I encourage moms to spend time resting and being active instead of worrying about the what-it’s of labor.
You’ll get through it and you won’t regret it! Being a mom is simply amazing. It’s exhausting and I do think it’s aged me quite a bit, but I love being a mom more than I love anything in the world.
If you’re pregnant and feeling a bit less-than-confident, it’s important to remember that your body changing is part of the journey. It’s part of being pregnant and part of becoming a mother. This doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Embrace pregnancy and early motherhood the best you can. Invest in a few cute outfits that fit and make you feel good. Sleep a lot. Move and lift when you can. Try not to stress about the things you can’t control. Love your body.
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