In case you didn’t know, I’m pregnant! *insert happy tears*
I recently shared this on my Instagram story because I’ve been navigating body changes recently, and I asked if people would be interested in me sharing my journey through an Intuitive Eating and body acceptance lens. And the response was overwhelmingly positive.
So, I am sharing my journey as candidly as possible to hopefully help you feel more seen, more valid, and less unsure about all the stuff that comes with it.
I want to make this a series as I go through this next chapter of my life, and I hope you will join. I know that starting a family, having a child, and being pregnant can be a very complicated conversation, and I know that I am no expert at it. I am very, very new to all of that.
But I know we need to talk about the shades of those things more. And I hope that by sharing my experience with you, I make the space for others to share their experiences and realities. We each have a unique, valid experience, and maybe in hearing mine, you will see how important yours is.
My process of becoming pregnant was a very thoughtful one. I did a lot of work planning and prepping. Here’s what all that taught me:
We all have different bodies.
Everyone’s body is different.
No one’s body or experience is ever going to look the same. AND THAT IS BEAUTIFUL.
I don’t think it’s talked about enough. There is no right or wrong way to start a family. It happens differently for every single person.
For me, it started years ago when I began healing my relationship with food in my body because I genuinely don’t think I could be growing a human today if I hadn’t done that work. My body needed to heal to make the space to create another human…talk about mind blown.
And, in the last two years, it’s been a process of learning about my body, working with it, and what it uniquely needs with my PCOS and hypothyroidism. I needed to recognize that my body was not at fault or wrong for what it “doesn’t do.” This is how my body works; the only way to move forward is to support it. Not blame it. Not fight it. Not hate it.
Body acceptance is not simply accepting what is but learning to work with and be your own teammate. It’s surrendering to what is by recognizing that there is no right or wrong, only your path and how you choose to travel it.
All that to say, I think it’s a critical reminder that everyone’s journey is different.
Yes, I will share more of my journey, but not because I think it’s a standard or an example to follow. Instead, I hope that by sharing my experience of trying and getting pregnant, with my body growing and changing, I can help you feel more seen, more heard, and more valid in your unique experience.
If you have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I want this to be an open conversation. And I’ll continue with more soon.
Have a beautiful weekend.