Friday, February 25, 2005

Being Beautiful and Being Pregnant

You are beautiful no matter what they say Words won't bring you down You are beautiful in every single way Yes, words won't bring you down Don't you bring me down today... - Christina Aguilera Our society has an elevated consciousness of our appearance and how we look. Everyone loves babies and *most* women want to have a family at some point in their lives. Yet society throws us images of thin skinny women. Especially when we view pregnant celebrities giving birth and then walking skinny as a minnie, down the red carpet weeks later. These kinds of images can make it difficult to view your pregnant body as beautiful. Many women workout through their pregnnacy and return to being in even "better" shape than they were before they were pregnant. While there is nothing wrong with exercising, it should not be the main focus. And let's face it, sometimes the goal can be hard to reach. Unless you're a celebrity with 3 nannies, 2 trainers, cook, maid, dogwalker, and a person to change diapers. Let's review. A woman is encouraged to gain 25-35 pounds during pregnancy in order to deliver a healthy child. 35 pounds is going to drastically alter a woman's body. And yet I read forums where women are concerned that they are gaining too much or worried about how they will lose the pounds after they give birth. Take a moment to comprehend how our bodies work. They are capable of so much and designed for doing amazing things. If we focus on this mindset, there will be a greater appreciation for our curvy features. Physically we grow. Emotionally and mentally we grow as well as a new person grows inside and we start experencing pregnancy symptoms (heartbeats, kicking, hiccups). The idea of being a parent really starts to "kick" in (both mentally and physically!). And that little kicker is dependent on you to survive. You might wonder, "Where the heck is this pregnancy glow?" Aside from the green glow of morning sickness there is a radiance that comes to our faces perhaps due to the rapid changes in hormones or because we're eating healthier and taking vitamins. Not only is our skin smoother, but our nails grow much faster and our hair becomes fuller in volume, textured differently, and grows fast as well. You might not see the glow but others can. People you meet will say, "There is nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman!" Your first response may be to smile and think to yourself, "Right! I'm sick all the time, my stomach seems to be growing bigger by the minute. I just look at food and gain weight. None of my clothes or shoes fit me anymore. How can you think this is beautiful?" You ARE beautiful even through the lows. So love your pregnant body, take lots of belly pictures and shout a "woo-hoo" when you look at yourself in the mirror.