Pregnancy: Body Issues

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Pregnant me in 2010
Have you noticed that your body issues tend to intensify during pregnancy? It might not be so for everyone but some of us go through a challenging period of self-acceptance when we look at a changing body who happens to be carrying an amazing gift from God. During my pregnancies, my body goes from being mine to being the nurturing home of my soon to be newborn. During 9 months, my baby's home goes through some intense changes physically and psychologically.
One thing is guaranteed: every expecting mother goes through some type of change during those 9 months. Don't pay attention to women who scream "I never got stretch marks," because they will never tell you if they have hemorrhoids. Don't compare yourself with the superstar in the magazine cover wearing a bikini only 2 weeks post-partum. We don't know how large is her staff (cooks, trainers, nannies, nurses, sitters for the other kids, maids, butlers, drivers, etc) or what kind of contract she signed before conceiving. 
Remember that God created seasons. The pregnancy season comes to an end when birth takes place. God created your wonderful body to nurture your baby so once the baby is born, your body transformation continues. I know most of us are afraid of never losing the baby weight. I can guarantee you that fear doesn't help your weight loss process at all. Take it from someone who's been through this twice before: the weight will come off. It wasn't a magical process for me but I learned how to get back in shape without meds, gimmicks or harsh restrictions. My mind needed to be changed before the body transformation began. I took Romans 12:2 seriously, it says that I am to renew my mind and find out what God's perfect will is for me. Once I found out what works for me, the journey was much easier.
At 25 weeks of pregnancy I still have moments where I deeply miss my hot mama, 5K running body. I quickly remind myself of the treasure I am carrying. I focus in providing the best nutrition while getting a good balance of rest and exercise. It's also encouraging to remember my previous experiences and look at the wonderful results from healthy pregnancies. I look at my kids and I think: children, you are so worth it! How do you manage the body issues you have/had during your pregnancy?
Pregnant me on 3/17/2012