Pregnancy and the Focus on Weight: How to Maintain Your Mental Health
For many people, the focus on weight and weight gain (or lack thereof) causes significant anxiety during pregnancy. Having to step on a set of scales every few weeks and having your weight and the size of your belly closely monitored can be very distressing if you have a history of negative body image or if you’re struggling with the changes that are happening in your body. So how do you focus on your mental health when your weight is constantly a point of discussion?
Advocate for Yourself with Your Medical Team
If you’re already struggling to accept your weight gain or if you worked very hard to not let your worth be determined by your weight, then it can be difficult to be asked to step onto a set of scales regularly.
Have an open conversation with your healthcare team about the feelings you’re experiencing. It’s very common for people to experience difficult emotions about their weight during pregnancy, and many people don’t like being weighed and being told their weight.
Ask your team if they can make any accommodations for you, for example if you can be weighed less frequently. Or adding a note to your file so that other team members are also aware and can be considerate about the topic.
You can also ask your team if they can make accommodations if you have to be weighed. For example, ask if you can step backwards onto the scales or if they can cover the number with a piece of paper so you can’t see it. You can also ask that they do not repeat the number out loud.
Don’t Engage in Conversations About Your Weight
Unfortunately, it’s common for people to be asked how much weight they’ve gained during their pregnancy. Comments about your growing belly (or even about a smaller than usual belly) are sadly also common. If these conversations make you uncomfortable, you are allowed to change the subject or respond accordingly:
Yes, my body is doing a great job of growing this baby!
That’s quite a rude question. Would you ask someone who isn’t pregnant?
I would prefer it if you didn’t say that. It’s inappropriate.
The only person who has to worry about my weight is my doctor/midwife.
That’s really none of your concern.
I don’t want to talk about this, and I don’t owe you an explanation.
Seek Professional Help if Needed
It’s common for concerns regarding body image, eating, and dieting to resurface during pregnancy, even if you had previously addressed them in therapy. With your body changing so rapidly, it’s completely understandable that your body image is being affected.
If you’re struggling with your body image during pregnancy, or if your mental health is being impacted by the way your body and weight is changing during pregnancy, a qualified counsellor can help you to process these feelings in therapy.
I specialise in working with people who want to improve their relationship with their body, especially those who are pregnant or have just given birth. If you would like to find out more or see if we’re a good match, please feel free to book a free 15-minute phone call with me via my website.
