Body image issues during their pregnancy? Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that me and hubby are going to have a baby, it's unbelievable still to this day. Pre pregnancy, I struggled every day with my weight and struggled to keep it in a heathy range, but yet still wasn't happy with my body. Now that I'm pregnant and have out grown all of my regular clothes (I knew this was going to happen too) I'm getting really self conscious and down about the way I look. I know it's all in my head, but I guess once you have certain standards for yourself it's hard to change (even if it's only for 9 months). I'm not trying to be selfish, even though I know it is. My baby needs to room to grow and trust me baby has plenty of room to grow. Some days I look and feel havier than others. I have eaten a lot of junk over the past few weeks and I have drank more pop during this time than I have in a year. This week I have devoted myself to getting my eating habits back on track since healthy food sounds appetizing again and maybe I will start walking on the treadmill or go easy on the elliptical. I just don't want to gain more weight than I am supposed to and here lately I feel that I have gained an enormous amount of weight. I'm too scared to step on the scale to see what I weigh. Do any of you ever feel like this? I guess I am realizing how anal I was about my weight pre pregnancy.

I was at first, and Im still a bit worried now.

Ive had weight issues for most of my life (wont go into it, long story) but Im not that big, I was a Uk size 12 before I got pregnant. Anyway, when I found out I was so worried about stretchmarks and putting on weight and it really depressed me, because I wanted this baby so badly, but I felt like my weight and appearance were out of my control. In the past when Ive put on weight Ive always known how to get rid of it, but now theres nothing I can do, and that scared me. I dont really know why.

It is a horrible thing to feel, and talk about because people think you're being selfish, but if you've got a history of issues with your appearance then its obviously going to come back when you're pregnant.

When Im worried about my weight now I go swimming and do like a million lengths and feel loads better afterwards. Its really good excersize when you're pregnant and apparently if you're healthy and used to excersize you can handle labour better.

I dont really know what else to say hun, I hope you feel better soon. If you need anyone to talk to drop me a line

xxx

I know exactly how you feel. it makes me so depressed that i'm putting on weight. xxx

At first I hated everything about it. Now I love my mummy bits LOL

Thank you all for posting. Linzi, it sounds like you know exactly I feel. It's just hard to get past the fact that I'm going to get bigger and bigger and that my body is going through all these changes. All of the girls that I know except for two of them lost all of their weight plus more after they gave birth (in a short period of time). Two of them look anorexic. I don't want to look like that, but I was 10 or 15 pounds heavier than I was supposed to be before I got pregnant and I'm hoping I lose all this weight I am gaining and some more on top of that. I haven't worked out at all (been too tired or just plain lazy). I need to walk or something because I can already tell my body is out of shape. Thank you all for listening and sharing, I really appreciate it.

Honestly, if you can, swimming is brilliant. Ive managed to tone my legs up completely.

xxx

I've swung from loving my pregnant body to loathing it... I always love the aspects to do with growing a baby in there and it all seems so miraculous etc etc And a lot of the time I have so much love for what my body is doing and for the little person growing in there... However I can't help getting down sometimes - I've always been prone to body insecurity, and suffered from eating problems earlier in my teenage years, and these are obviously worsened by all the hormones during pregnancy......

I haven't actually gained that much weight, but I feel like my bum and hips have blown right up, and I've become a bit detatched from my body - seeing it as a baby-making machine rather than a sexual womanly body. The leaking breasts has added to this a lot... I also worry a lot about what my body will be like after the birth - will I ever be able to tone up my tummy again? Will I be stuck with loads of purple stretchmarks and sagginess?

To a degree, I think these worries are normal, sucky as they are. But if they're really getting you down, to the point that you're feeling depressed regularly, you should talk to someone about it - your midwife or doctor perhaps?

What does your other half think of your changing body?

I've never really been concerned with my weight, the BabyDaddy always used to make me feel happy about the way I was I just worried what other people will think but I learned not to think about them. Now if I get alot bigger from baby weight I won't mind because the little Bean needs all the room it can get . Just think nobody should judge you, your pregnant! And no matter how much weight you put on it'll be worth it, and if it does make you feel better to exercise then you should I think I'll start going swimming again to try and keep my weight lowish.

I'm UK size 10, but I'm tall aswel. Only problem with swimming is not many friends would come because alot of them are quite overweight so they are self concious. And if you ask me you are not being selfish at all, it's just another worry that comes with pregnancy.

I know what you mean, I was working out 5 days a week and just starting to drop a little weight right before I got pregnant...Dont get me wrong I was only over about 10 lbs and lost at least 7 right before it happened but more than the weight, I wanted to be in shape and toned. We were expecting to be pregnant but now it hit me whats going to happen to my body? I cant wait to have my baby i am soooo happy but I also fear putting on to much weight and getting to many stretch marks, i am to young to want to hide myself. The baby is going to be a blessing and make our lifes change for the better, but I am a firm believer that you your relationship with your spouse is just a important and I, in no way want him to feel I am no longer attractive And of course he has a solid body from going to the gym EVERY day so that dosent help me either...I am just going to eat right try to keep to the 25-35 lbd gain range and pray!!!!! ALOT

I'm having a hard time with the scale going up. I lost 23 lbs. before I got pregnant and I'm having a really hard time watching it get closer to that big number. My body still looks okay and I haven't gotten big anywhere else, but I'm terrified of it!