>"I Am Mom"

>Pregnancy is supposed to be a time of gratitude, wonder, awe, beauty and amazement. The disturbing reality is that the focus seems to be more about self-image, weight gain, and losing the baby weight. What's that all about? Hello, there's something pretty amazing, powerful, and miraculous going on in your body!! Yeah, easier said than done. I speak from experience. I'm on round two of this pregnancy journey and I know first-hand how hard it is to watch your waistline, hips, butt, and everything else expand. When my almost 2-year old runs up to me and gives me monster hugs and kisses, I forget about all of that other (silly, useless) stuff. What I can't get over is what I read/hear from other expecting moms and medical professionals. Why are we so obsessed with how many pounds we've gained or haven't gained? Don't get me wrong, as a health professional, I am fully aware of the importance of a healthy diet/lifestyle during pregnancy. But why aren't we talking about the fact that so many women are suffering from serious body image issues during pregnancy? It's truly upsetting to me when I read the baby message boards (you know the one I'm talking about) and see so many threads about weight loss/gain, or losing weight, etc. It's not easy when you're battling hormones, competition with other women, and Hollywood actresses that seem to only gain weight in their bellies, and then lose it about 5 minutes after delivery.

When we as health professionals choose to focus on the whole individual rather than general guidelines and numbers, we choose to help a woman embrace her new body and this truly miraculous time that is called pregnancy.

I found this quote from a magazine. It's for an ad for BOB strollers, which are awesome strollers!
"I AM NOT A woman who lost my baby weight
in two weeks, lets fashion dictate my style, and is
never tired. But I am strong. I am invincible.
I AM MOM."
24 Weeks