Mums have opened up about the changes their bodies went through during pregnancy and how it made them feel.
They discussed everything from their boobs to their bums, as part of a three-part video series, in which five women speak openly about their post-baby bodies.
“My pot belly, which I had been covering for years, was very proud and out during my pregnancy,” said Jenna Rutherford, a mum-of-two, from Milton Keynes. “I loved my pregnancy body, my boobs did get very large - which my husband didn’t mind.
“That was something I embraced. I just loved my pregnancy belly.”
Adele Armstrong, a mum-of-one from Walthamstow, London, wasn’t prepared for the new wardrobe she’d have to buy when she fell pregnant.
“I enjoyed my pregnancy body until the day I had to buy new pants,” she said. “I remember thinking: ‘I have to buy them this is crazy’.
“It showed how big my bum was getting, it was a big event for me. You think of your bump [growing], you don’t think of anything else.”
Emily Shaw, a mum-of-one, from Wimbledon, London, said at times she worried about her pregnancy body because other people brought things to her attention.
“They would comment on the way my bump was growing or the size of it and what I was eating and how I’d lose weight after,’ she said.
“When people were commenting on my appearance, that was upsetting at times and bought things to my attention that I hadn’t otherwise been worried about.”
Mum-of-two Juliet Forsyth-Farrelly, from Walthamstow, London, said she received some comments about how her body was changing when she fell pregnant for the first time, but that she soon managed to change the conversation.
“You hear the horror stories [from people] and you hear there are going to be things that will happen to your body that you’re not going to like,” said mum Juliet Forsyth-Farrelly.
“But once I told people the baby was happy and healthy and everything was great, they stopped asking about my body, it was more about the baby and that’s what I loved.”
With thanks to...
Sarah Caldwell (www.sarahthedoulamk.com)
Jenna Rutherford (www.odula.co.uk)
Juliet Forsyth-Farrelly (www.thefirstcuddle.com)
Adele Armstrong (https://europeanmummy.com)
Emily Shaw (www.instagram.com/hamishandme/)
HuffPost UK Parents is running a week-long focus on ‘Mumbod’ to empower mums and mums-to-be to feel confident about their bodies pre- and post-baby. We are launching a section on the site that focuses on all aspects of mums’ bodies and highlights the amazing things they are capable of. We’d also love to hear your stories. To blog for Mumbod, email ukblogteam@huffingtonpost.com. To keep up to date with features, blogs and videos on the topic, follow the hashtag #MyMumbod.
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