Pregnancy and Your Changing Body, a Psychological Point of View
The “Watermelon Complex”
Now, mind you, this is not a technical term or even something I would personally say. It’s what I hear from mothers-to-be, over and over and over. The “I don’t want my photo taken because I look like I swallowed a watermelon”. It always breaks my heart when I hear these words because, to me, as I have said so many times, the pregnant form is the most beautiful and most powerful female body form there is. I do get it, though, truly I do.
Thanks, Media
Us women have it really tough. Every page in women’s magazines show ads with spindly-legged models, stick figures who are so thin they have no shape and 21” waists, it seems. Society wants to ram it down our throats that if you’re not a size 2, then you are ugly, not good enough, worthless or whatever adjective they want to use. Anyone with a slight little tummy or curve or bit of cellulite is shamed and looked at with pity or disgust. I have seen it, you have seen it, it is just a fact. It’s a sad fact, but still a fact. This constant drive to “be good enough” or “be pretty enough” can become a real problem when a woman becomes pregnant. Soon enough, the joy of becoming a mother can be overshadowed with the fear of gaining weight, changing of body shape, being scarred with stretch marks or not being able to lose the baby weight after baby comes. I would venture to say that the vast majority of mothers-to-be just shut those thoughts up in some dark recess of the mind where the door is slammed shut as soon as the thoughts start to creep out into the light of day. However, for some women, they welcome the thoughts into the forefront of their thoughts, minds, dreams and consciousness, bringing them along with everything they do. Those women no longer see the beautiful miracle that their body is becoming but their vision has morphed into seeing something malformed and grotesque. Body dysmorphia can be a real struggle on the best of days, but add in the enlarging stomach of pregnancy and it can lead to the most drastic and harmful disorders, specifically eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia.
Serious Repercussions
Under non-pregnant circumstances, this is a very dangerous path to go down. When a woman is supposed to be eating for two, as the old saying goes, it can have an even more detrimental impact on their body than when they are not pregnant. Their body, which is working double time to nourish and form their growing baby, needs extra nutrients. When a pregnant woman resorts to not eating or binging and purging, their body and the body of their little one are robbed of precious nutrition. The unborn baby has tremendous needs during this stage of their development. Bones, brain and other organs are forming and to be deprived of what they need can be devastating for their development. The stretch marks just don’t matter, they don’t.
There is help (and yes, it can be at home)
If you are struggling with any sort of eating disorder or body dysmorphic thoughts during your pregnancy, I urge you to reach out to a professional that you feel comfortable with. It can be your family doctor, your OB/GYN, a psychologist or psychiatrist. Just talk to someone who can help you through it. If you wish more anonymity than someone you know and interact with on a regular basis, Within is an organization that can help. Options include group and individual therapy, in patient and outpatient and even from the comfort of your home. I promise, no matter who you reach out to, there will be no judgement, only concern for your safety and that of the little life growing inside of you. You don’t have to struggle in silence or alone.
