Loving your body as a plus-size woman in today's world is challenging. Despite every hateful Internet troll, bigger girls are getting better at loving themselves unapologetically. However, when pregnancy rolls around, many body-image issues resurface. From concerns about having the perfect pregnancy body to discrimination from doctors, plus-size pregnant women have heard it all. We spoke with four ladies who are living life as plus-size and pregnant so we could understand firsthand what their experiences are like. Here are their stories …
After suffering a miscarriage, Jennie Brooks was extra cautious about her latest pregnancy.
She reveals to CafeMom that her midwife "threw the textbook" at her, telling her that because of her BMI and age, her baby was at a high risk of complications. Despite having been plus-size and pregnant before (with healthy babies), Jen admits the fears did get to her.
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"I feel care providers for plus-size pregnant people tend to follow textbook a little too much and scare [moms-to-be] more, which could cause more problems with stress and worry than needed," she explains. "Plus-size women aren't deluded to the fact that there are risks, but you have those risks if you have a 'normal' BMI. As long as you eat healthy and keep active, there is no reason why you can't have a happy, healthy pregnancy."
Ashley LaClair Cribbs said her main concern was finding an OB who wouldn't treat her differently for being fat.
Luckily, her OB hasn't made a single comment on her body, and they are both on the same page striving for a natural birth.
"One really wonderful part of pregnancy is just loving my growing belly," Ashley tells us. "My stomach is where I have always carried most of my weight, and I have really struggled to stop feeling negatively about it over the past few years. Now, to watch it growing even larger but knowing my body is capable of this amazing thing which is growing another life, that is just the most magical feeling."
Taylor Studer said that ther pregnancy has been all-around incredible, but she did feel that there is a stigma surrounding plus-size pregnant women.
"I've had no complications so far (knock on wood)," Taylor says. "I did feel a lot of fear and stress in the beginning because of the things I had read. My pregnancy was a huge surprise, and it's been such a blessing. I found an amazing doctor and I think that's been a huge factor in making me feel comfortable. Some of the nurses I dealt with I felt looked down on me because I was plus-size, and my doctor really went to bat for me and made them treat me like any other person."
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Breana Williams says both of her pregnancies as a plus-size woman were easy-breezy -- but the pressure from the outside world can be stifling.
"This pregnancy has been a lot easier," Breana notes. "I haven't had much nausea and all doctors visits show my second boy is right on track. The only not-so-fun part about being plus-size and pregnant is the 'oh, you are pregnant? How far along?' and you tell them six months, etc., and they look shocked. Everyone assumes you just naturally have a giganto tummy when that's not how everybody carries weight nor their infant. Besides that, [I] love being pregnant, love my babies, and am hoping for another seamless delivery."