With one final push you look up to see your brand new baby, waving his arms around and crying wildly. And then you glance down to see what used to be a tight, very round belly, now draped across your abdomen like a pillow. It feels like a half-drained water bed mattress. It moves like a bowl of gelatin. When you stand up, it falls against your body in the shape of a rain drop: one the size of a cantaloupe. And although it makes a perfect cushion for your nursing newborn, you can’t help but look forward to the … Continue reading →

I just discovered that Nicole Kidman and I have something in common. We both love pregnancy for the way it gives us curves! In an interview with Ladies Home Journal, Kidman shared her excitement over her new fuller figure, which put her in the average range for bust size. Nicole, if you are reading this, I know exactly what you mean! I know I will miss this figure once my nursing days are over. I’m sure that there are tons of woman out there who are enjoying the boosting benefits of pregnancy and nursing. I always get a kick out … Continue reading →

Does your belly hang low? Do you waddle to and fro? Can you put on your own socks? Can you paint your pinky toe? Do you grab your husband’s shoulder So you don’t go tumbling over? Does your belly – hang – low? I’ve noticed a trend among women when talking about belly shapes and sizes during pregnancy. All women want this small, compact beach ball out in front of them. When they start looking “pregnant in the back,” they become ashamed of the way they look! They assume they are putting on too much weight. Chances are it is … Continue reading →

Have you found yourself sifting through your closet, looking for a pair of shoes that don’t kill your feet lately? Have you discovered that many of your shoes don’t even fit any more? Chances are, your feet are swollen from pregnancy. There are various reasons for your feet to swell during pregnancy, causing those favorite heels to fit a little more snugly, or not at all. Fortunately, there are some things you can do, as well. The technical term for swelling of the extremities, such as the feet, during pregnancy is called edema. Fluid is collecting in the tissue. Your … Continue reading →

If you’ve ever stood in line at the grocery store, undoubtedly you’ve seen the tabloids asking “is she pregnant?” A different Hollywood star is accused of pregnancy in any given week it seems. I can’t imagine the horror of having an unflattering photo of myself plastered across the entire country, telling everyone I’m pregnant when I’m not. When you’re pregnant, you want to look pregnant and you want everyone to know. But if you’re not pregnant, the accusations are hurtful. A person might as well say, “You look fat!” Current fashions play into this trend, with empire waists and draping … Continue reading →

Not every woman readily embraces the changes in her figure that take place when she becomes pregnant. I have heard countless complaints from women about those first few months when the abdomen begins to swell and bras suddenly don’t fit right anymore. “I don’t look pregnant yet, I just look fat.” If you feel this way, I have a message for you. I could tell you that your skin is glowing and that bump definitely looks like baby, not fat, but that is not what you need to hear. You would still be basing your beauty on your appearance. The … Continue reading →

One of the fun parts of pregnancy is watching your figure round out and blossom into a beautiful, bountiful baby belly. Some women have a hard time watching their hourglass turn into a beach ball, but there is nothing more gorgeous than a pregnant woman’s body, in my opinion. There are lots of ways to track your growth and watching your progress can be a fun way to get your mind of more worrisome aspects of pregnancy. One of the most popular ways to document your growing belly is through pictures. Taking a photo of your burgeoning profile each week … Continue reading →

The average woman gains 25-35 pounds during pregnancy. Much of this weight is lost after the baby is born, and the rest is slowly lost during the first 3-6 months. This is completely normal. It seems that along with the Hollywood trend of having babies (and publicizing it) has come the trend of losing the baby weight in just a few weeks. I remember looking at a picture of Jessica Alba a few weeks after she had her daughter and I was shocked to see she looked the same, if not better, than she did before she ever got pregnant. … Continue reading →

A study at Temple University has resulted in some interesting information about body image and excessive weight gain in pregnancy. As most women know, some of us have an accurate body image, but others view themselves as either thinner or heavier than their actual body weight. According to researchers, this distorted body image can result in a greater risk of gaining too much weight in pregnancy. Over 1500 women who were enrolled in a program called Project Viva were participants in the study. The women were classified as normal weight, overweight or obese. These groups were subdivided into women with … Continue reading →

The strangest thing happens once you start showing. People seem unable to resist touching a pregnant belly. At no other point in life will strangers approach you and try to touch your stomach. For some reason, some have no problem invading the personal space of a stranger to touch her stomach. If you are lucky, the stranger will ask before touching. Even this can be awkward. How do you say “no” in a polite way? Personally, I wouldn’t worry too much about politeness. After all, the question isn’t very polite, is it? Well, it could be worse. Some don’t even … Continue reading →