Pregnancy and Your Body

What can I do to not feel fat or big while pregnant?

The way in which pregnancy effects a woman's body image varies greatly from person to person. Some women feel as if they have never been more beautiful, while others spend most of their pregnancy feeling overweight and uncomfortable. For some women pregnancy is a relief from worrying about weight, whereas for others it only exacerbates their fears of weight gain.

Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise program during pregnancy can help a woman also maintain her self-esteem. Regaining muscle tone and losing weight after childbirth is also easier for those women who stayed active throughout their pregnancy. Unless a woman is experiencing complications with the progression of her pregnancy it is perfectly safe for her to continue an exercise program, with some adjustments like avoiding sports where she can easily fall. Pregnant women should not work out as hard as they might have before pregnancy.

Exercise is important to the maintenance of both a healthy body image and a healthy body. Remaining active can lessen feelings of depression, stress and isolation. It is a good means to relieving some of the worry over weight gain, and maintaining muscle and cardiovascular strength. It is important to keep in mind though that the physical changes of pregnancy were gradual and so will be any weight loss after childbirth. It is not safe nor is it effective in the long term to lose more than a pound a half a week. It also may be difficult at first to find the time and the energy to exercise. For this reason any exercise program should be viewed as a stress reliever and not as an additional thing to fit into an already busy schedule. Try choosing an exercise where you can bring your baby with you, like walking at a fast pace. You might also consider investing in home equipment like a treadmill so that you can fit exercise in while the baby naps.

REFERENCES
a listing of scientific articles and texts used.