Feeling nostalgic so throwback to this 7 month bump! Also thinking back on people constantly saying things like,

“It’s the only time you can eat whatever you want without feeling guilty”…
“It’s the best excuse to be bloated”…
“Enjoy the food freedom while it lasts”…

It pains me to think that we only give ourselves that leniency and grace when we feel we have a reason to, an excuse, a “condition” like pregnancy.

Who makes those rules anyway?

During my pregnancy I was the healthiest I’ve ever been.

Was I eating as strictly as ever? Not at all. Exercising the hardest? Not even close.

But my relationship with food, my appreciation for my body, my lack of guilt or second-guessing around my choices…now those were healthy.

Hungry ‪at midnight‬? I ate.
Felt like I should be doing “productive” things, but too tired to keep my eyes open? I slept.
Wanted the fries instead of the salad? I ordered the fries.
Too sore to work out? Then I didn’t.

If my mind or body was telling me something, I listened to it and followed it – without feeling down on myself (and that part’s the key, also the hardest). I think it came easier to me to make those kinds of choices because I was subconsciously attributing my needs to baby’s needs. I wanted to do anything I could to keep him healthy and growing well inside, so I listened. I followed his lead.

Since his birth it’s taken more conscious decision-making on my part, not being willing to accept the idea that there are stringent food rules around what’s okay and not okay. I can choose to ignore the norms that diet culture says are necessary. (Get your pre-baby body back! Don’t let yourself go! Lose the weight before it’s too late!) I do not have to be pregnant to have an excuse to skip exercising, look bloated, or eat fries.

It’s far more important to me to surround my little one with my own sense of self-love. To show him grace and kindness toward myself. To begin instilling healthy values in him…ones that do not center on the importance of weight, appearance, or negative feelings around nourishing yourself. I firmly believe it’s never too early to start.