From everything I've read on the interwebs, now's about the time that lots of pregnant women start noticing their clothes fitting tighter, or their bellies starting to protrude.
If you look at 'bump shots' of pregnant ladies, most of the time they are average sized women, who's obvious baby bump grows delightfully throughout their pregnancy. They start out small, but become more and more apparent as babyies grow and bellies stretch.
But what about people who are bigger to start with?
I have been overweight for some time now, and I can safely say that IVF did not help me in the weight department. Sure, the bloating has gone down and I feel much more human again - but at the end of the day, I have a tummy. I have excess weight. That's me.
We just don't seem to see weekly pregnancy shots of women who are plus sized. I'm sure they are out there, but they are a minority. Is it because they feel like I do: ashamed of their size, comparing their baby bellies to those of their thinner counterparts, worried they'll be judged for sharing their journey? I don't know.
All I know is that I do share that apprehension, and it's something that makes me anxious.
I want to take weekly pictures. I want to see my baby grow, visually. I want to share that with people who might not see me for some time, and to have a memento of this experience for the future. But I'm also nervous, too.
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14 comments:
Take pics of your weekly belly. It is something that you will get to cherish for a lifetime :) Just remember that we are all different sizes and shapes and we are all beautiful :)
Girl, take your pictures and post them proudly! You are beautiful, just like all women. You should celebrate your pregnancy with the weekly bump shot right of passage. It's part of the journey of being a mama!
Take those pictures! You earned that bump!! :)) I know what you mean though. But, don't worry, none of here will judge you - we'll think that it's a BEAUTIFUL baby bump!
I agree with everyone above :) TAKE PICS! I just started weekly pics (17 weeks) and I'm sad I don't have them from earlier. Even if they're just for you, YOU will want to remember. As said above--you earned that bump. show it off! Also, there's a great book called The Belly Book that you can keep your pics/journaling/doctor visits in. You can get in on Amazon.com.
Take pictures and be proud of that belly! Do it for YOU, you may regret it later if you don't.
You are lovely! And right now your body is doing an AMAZING THING. I hope that you do take pictures to let everyone help you celebrate!
I'm not skinny, and for the first 20 weeks of pregnancy I just looked increasingly pudgy. No cute little bump that could only be seen in profile... oh no, I gained all over! lol. But I'm so glad that I took monthly pictures beginning at 12 weeks. At the time I felt pudgy but when I look back at them now all I see is how HAPPY I look. I hope the same holds true for you. :)
Take them! I did my belly shots every other week as weekly didn't really seem to show a difference for me. I took a picture at 6 weeks and another at 10 and maaaaaaybe noticed a tiny difference if I stared for a long time. But you could really see the difference between 10 and 14 weeks, even on me. Here's the set of my pregnancy photos, if you want to peruse: http://www.flickr.com/photos/duwaxloolu/sets/72157624537243052/
Thoughts from a not-skinny pregnant lady here...
I think you should do what YOU want, because who cares what anyone else is doing. And if you just want to take weekly pics for yourself for now, and start sharing them later when you're more comfy, that's okay too.
I find that I feel more comfortable sharing when it becomes an obvious bump, not just a cheeseburger belly. Haha. Given how small the baby is right now, most of any bump is just bloat, and that never feels stellar to me. But eventually that little bloat will turn into a legit, rock hard bump! I swear :)
Take 'em and post 'em!
xox
Take the pictures, even if you don't want to post them. You'll love being able to look back and see your bump grow. And trust me, it will grow! I took pictures every week, but only posted a few online -- maybe one or two per trimester -- because I knew I was probably the only one looking close enough to notice the slight difference from week to week. So I just posted occasionally, when the difference was obvious. But I still can look back on the weekly pictures that I saved for myself and enjoy remembering each crazy week of pregnancy.
Thank you for writing this post! I'm not pregnant yet but I have thought about this exact issue many times. Most women who post bump photos on sites like HelloBee are thin to start with, and it can be really discouraging. It makes it seem like only thin women are pregnant, but I suspect that a lot of average- to plus-size women just don't post because of the exact reasons you mention.
You are beautiful, so you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable! At least take photos for yourself, and start sharing them whenever you feel like it.
Oh please post weekly belly shots. Really. It would make me SO happy to see the updates!! And maybe it would give other women the confidence to share more too! :)
Belly pics! Belly pics! Seriously- I hope you post them and show off what you worked hard to achieve. There is no reason to post bare belly pics.....just wear a tight shirt and put your hand under your growing belly. :-)
Ah, you nailed it lady. I kinda felt like my body looked a bit like a pregnant lady before I got pregnant, so I thought, "meh, how hard will it be?". Well...now that my clothes aren't fitting and I am just looking fat overall (there is a belly happening, but not so much so that it is clearly a preggo belly and not a 'ate a big meal' belly given that the rest of me isn't that skinny), I'm kind of struggling. Don't get me started on the doctor's office weigh-ins. I am proud of you for going for it!!! I never realized how truly hung up about my weight I was until this pregnancy happened.
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