How to get comfortable with your pregnancy body

Khushbu Patel, 31, a Mumbai-based school teacher, can still remember the first thought that crossed her mind when she realised she was pregnant: that she was going to put on weight. Dr Ketoki Mazumdar, a Mumbai-based consultant psychotherapist, says that some women, especially those more concerned about societal standards of appearance, are likely to experience increased body dissatisfaction. “Compared to other times in women’s lives when body shape remains relatively stable, pregnancy may allow for a more powerful test of the factors leading to body image dissatisfaction.” However, learning self-love and self-acceptance is essential since it can help new mothers feel more confident, which can come in handy while tackling the entire motherhood experience. Taking care of a newborn, lack of sleep, and even career changes can take a physical and emotional toll on a new mother, points out Dr Mazumdar.“We are constantly getting bombarded with set beauty and body standards where women in their natural sizes are made to feel uncomfortable. Dr Meghana Singhal, a clinical psychologist at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, agrees that learning to be comfortable in your postpartum body is essential; when a mother has a positive body image, she can be a good body image role model to her child, she says.