Today I wanted to share this cute outfit, but I also wanted to dive a little deeper and talk about pregnancy and body image. If you’ve been here for a while, you know that body image is something that I’ve struggled with off and on for much of my life. When I got pregnant, I wondered how I would feel about my body throughout this process. As it turns out, it’s made me love my body more and more.
Every time I get an ultrasound or read the weekly update on The Bump about what my body is doing, I’m truly in awe. Getting weighed regularly at the doctor and having to buy new clothes that fit me would normally have been triggers for me. But, the reason that I’m doing these things has given me a shift in perspective that I hope to hold onto postpartum.
What I realized is that we spend so much time obsessing about how our bodies look on the outside. While it’s important to take care of ourselves and be healthy, we forget just how much our bodies are doing on the inside. The human body is incredible, and the things it does on a daily basis should be appreciated. We also tend to overlook the tie between our mental and physical health. They have such an impact on each other, and it’s so important to prioritize both.
Okay, so what about this outfit made me want to write about pregnancy and body image? This form-fitting dress is not something I would have gravitated towards before pregnancy. I would have worried about lumps and bumps showing too much, and I hate that. I’m so proud of what my body is doing (growing a human!) and I love how it looks. Every day, I spend time looking at my bump in the mirror, and I never thought I would be that person. Anyway, the point here is to remind you to give your body a little more credit and appreciate how much it’s doing for you. I’m not saying you have to love how you look all the time, but at least try to look at yourself a little differently.
Earrings: c/o Maison Miru, Necklace: Joy Dravecky via Rocksbox, Dress: Motherhood Maternity (non-maternity option), Boots: Clarks
