According to an insightful article by Sasha Brown-Worsham, the conditioned response to a pregnant woman's changing body is not always on par with how he woman feels. While the act of bringing new life into the world is always associated with beauty, the physics of carrying a child are closely linked to all types of discomfort.
Feeling weighed down, releasing your bowels by accident and strained breathing are just among a few of the common issues that a pregnant woman faces during her day to day activities. After a few months of this lifestyle, it's easy to understand why some mothers feel that their glow has diminished or changed entirely.
"For weight-conscious women, it can feel terrifying, like a complete loss of control. It wasn't fat-shaming to say I felt ugly. It was an acknowledgement of my truth: My body was changing. Possibly for good. I wasn't able to run as fast or jump as far or get into the deep backbends that are part of my daily yoga practice."
It can be difficult to imagine an interaction where a woman can comfortably admit that her pregnancy is making her feel unattractive. In a world where strangers cross personal boundaries to touch a woman's pregnant stomach, first time mothers feel pressured to respond a certain way. Brown-Worsham explains that it's time to change the rhetoric we gravitate towards when we encounter women who are pregnant.
"As a pregnant woman, what I wanted more than anything was to feel like myself. So I'm declaring a moratorium on all the "glow" talk."
