PREGNANCY

"I think you look beautiful," Brian Sheffer told his wife. Hilary looked doubtfully at her reflection in the mirror. That flat stomach she'd once prided herself on now bulged forward; her enlarged breasts rested on the top of her belly and she could see the traces of stretch marks. But Brian rubbed his hand across her belly and said, "I love seeing how the baby is growing. And you really do seem to glow."

In many cultures around the world, larger women have been considered beautiful and sexually attractive. In our Western society, however, thinness has become a prerequisite for feminine beauty. For many women, preoccupation with weight is a constant companion – and one that may not disappear during pregnancy. And that's a shame, because our rigid fashion ideals can get in the way of appreciating the wondrous ability of the pregnant body, and its unique loveliness.

Sandra Pearson, a public health nurse who teaches prenatal classes, observes that the body changes of pregnancy can be difficult to accept: "Some women feel like they are out of control. Women who have struggled with their weight for many years may feel frightened; as their weight goes up, it's like they're being 'bad' all the time."

At least two studies (Fairburn & Welch 1990, Fairburn et al. 1992) have found that most pregnant women worry that they will not be able to lose the weight gained during pregnancy, and that over half say they dislike their appearance.

Originally published in Today's Parent, Pregnancy & Birth, Winter 2006