Pregnancy Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

  • Mom Bods come in all shapes and sizes

Just what is a “Mom bod” supposed to look like?

I was recently told that I don’t look like I’ve had two children. Although I’ll take the compliment, it made me wonder – what is a mom supposed to look like?

Traditionally when many think of a “mom bod”, they think of stretch marks, cellulite, and a tummy pooch. Having been working with moms for over 11 years, I have learned that “mom bods” come in ALL types! I have seen super-fit moms who do bounce back very quickly, I’ve seen stretch marks on moms whose own babies have babies, and everything in between. And I have to say, they are all exactly the way a mom is supposed to look!

We know that every mom body is different, and every mom body is beautiful! As moms, our bodies go through very dramatic changes for months and months on end. We grow an entire human inside of our bodies! Everybody reacts to those drastic changes very differently. Those changes to our bodies signify something even greater than appearance. Our “mom bods” signify the love and dedication we have to our babies, and how we would do anything in the world for them (even allowing our bodies to change.)

TL/TR – watch a short video instead.

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Is there any better reason on why you should love your mom bod, no matter how it looks?

In a society that is moving so much towards body positivity and health at every size, there seems to still be one domain in which this can be lacking at times – body comments during pregnancy. It seems as though sometimes all thought filters and manners disappear when it comes to passing your opinion on a pregnant woman’s body.

What should a pregnant woman look like? How big should her bump be?

Just like a non-pregnant women, there is not one correct answer to this question. There are no two bodies that look the same and one woman’s healthy pregnancy may look and be completely different than the next woman’s. This may even vary between pregnancies of the same woman.

I never really thought much of this until I personally became pregnant and started to firsthand experience some of the comments made by both people I knew as well as strangers. These comments included, ‘You’re really big for how far along you are!’ and ‘Oh, there’s no way that baby is staying in there till November. You’re way too big for that.’ For me, this was the first time I’ve ever really experienced comments criticizing my appearance. And as a hormonal, overly emotional (just ask my husband) pregnant woman, the tears came quickly after those comments. Not only was I trying to personally accept and welcome all the changes that my body was going through, I was now reminded of my growing abdomen from others.

Pregnancy is a journey in itself, leaving women oftentimes feeling all sorts of different emotions at any given moment. Most women are often already concerned about any and every little bodily change, ache, or pain, wondering if there is any harm caused to her growing babe. Although I’m sure a majority of people making these comments mean no harm whatsoever, it may at times come off as insensitive.

Good examples of comments that are very welcomed during pregnancy include:

  • You look so happy
  • That little baby is so lucky to get your as their mama
  • You are going to be a great mother

A little kindness goes a long way and sometimes a comment just as simple as that can turn a whole day around!

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