Why body image and food concerns can return during pregnancy
If you’re pregnant and have noticed that your relationship with body and/or food has changed, you are not alone. Studies have found that it’s common for concerns with body image and food to re-emerge during pregnancy, even if they had previously been addressed or resolved.
Maybe you worked really hard to develop a healthy and sustainable relationship with food before you became pregnant, but now you’ve noticed that you’ve become preoccupied with what you eat, how you eat, or when you eat.
Maybe you already had a difficult relationship with your body, and you’ve noticed that you’ve started to develop more negative feelings towards your body since you became pregnant.
Or maybe you’ve never experienced negative feelings towards your body or what you eat, and these feelings came out of the blue.
All these feelings are valid and common during pregnancy. There are many factors that contribute to them.
Increased focus on your weight. You step on the scale at every appointment. The growth of your belly is measured. There is talk of “excessive weight gain.” If you have what some consider a “high BMI”, you might be considered a high-risk pregnancy purely because of your weight. When there is such a heavy focus on the numbers on the scale for such a long period of time, it’s not unexpected that the focus on weight starts to impact your mental health. If you have worked hard to not let yourself be determined by your weight, it can be confronting and triggering to experience such focus on your weight.
Increased focus on what you eat. Your medical team tells you to only have 1 coffee a day. Your coworker tells you you can’t have McDonald’s for dinner because it’s bad for the baby. Your friend tells you that you’ll get gestational diabetes if you have too many sweets. When you’re pregnant, it can feel like everyone has an opinion about the food you eat. You might feel scrutinised anytime you eat around other people, scared that someone will make a comment about eating a so-called “bad” or “unhealthy” food. Experiencing a focus on the food you consume can be triggering and difficult to deal with, especially if this is something you’ve had issues with in the past.
Gaining weight. For many people, even those who didn’t have a difficult relationship with their bodies pre-pregnancy, this is the big one. Diet culture has conditioned us to believe that gaining weight is the worst thing that can happen to our bodies. When you see such a sudden and rapid change in your weight as many people experience during pregnancy, it can bring back insecurities and negative beliefs about what your body should look like.
Cravings and being more hungry than usual. When you’ve worked hard to be mindful about food and eating, it can very difficult to experience sudden cravings or being more hungry than usual. Perhaps you’ve spent years trying to eat more intuitively, and you suddenly find yourself eating multiple bowls of cereal at 3AM. Or maybe you try to be mindful about eating foods that nourish your body and mind, but find yourself only wanting Cheetos and Skittles. When hunger cues and cravings are so intense, it’s normal for your relationship with food and eating to change or be challenged.
Medically necessary diets. If you have to follow a diet for medical reasons, such as gestational diabetes or other pregnancy complications, this can be very difficult to navigate if you have or previously had a difficult relationship with dieting. Navigating your personal values (not wanting to restrict the foods you eat) and your medical situation (having to avoid certain foods to avoid further complications) can be a difficult balance to find.
Loss of control over your body. Pregnancy is filled with symptoms and changes which you cannot control. Weight gain, nausea, swelling, heartburn, difficulty breathing, snoring, and extreme physical discomfort are only a few of the common symptoms that can make you feel like you have no control over your body. You might even feel disconnected from your body, as if it’s no longer yours. This disconnect between your body and mind can contribute to negative body image.
Unsollicited comments and advice.“Wow, you must be due soon!” “Are you really pregnant? You’re barely showing.” “Are you sure you’re only having one?” Many people find it difficult to accept how common it is to comment on a pregnant body. A coworker who has never spoken a word to you suddenly comments on the burger you’re having for lunch. A stranger at the supermarket asks you how far along you are and comments that you don’t look that pregnant. Someone on the train asks you if you’re due soon because you look like you’re about to pop! Feeling like your body is a thing that anyone can comment on can make it feel less like your own, while the negative comments can lower your self-esteem.
Looking for Personalised Support?
I’m a body image counsellor and therapist who specialises in supporting people who are navigating body image concerns, including people who are pregnant and postpartum. If you’re looking for more personalised support, you can book a free 15-minute phone consultation with me to see if we’re a good fit. Book your appointment now via www.outofthewoodscounselling.net or contact me via yasmine@outofthewoodscounselling.net I’d love to hear from you.
