Any of you felt shameful of your pregnancy body and didn't like posting up pictures of yourself? I have a friend who is having a hard time adjusting with her new shape and cannot come to terms with it. How can I encourage her to embrace the changes?

We are 26 weeks pregnant. My wife has similar inhibitions. Maybe, you could ask your friend to think about three things a) what does she feel about it b) what is she doing about it c) how is her support system behaving a) How you feel I think it is absolutely natural to feel a little less than pleased with your body when things change so rapidly after the first trimester. Pregnancy is choosy when it comes to adding the glow and glamour to mums-to-be. This feeling is especially reinforced when your BFF is pregnant or has been recently pregnant. Having body images issues are more common that people care to admit. It helps to understand and concentrate on what is your most prominent feeling about your current state. b) what you would do about it. This is more important and would influence the state of mind during the pregnancy and after delivery. Most effective way to deal with it is to document the weight, possibly the size of the uterus (with relation to the belly button), and the interval between the Braxton Hicks on a weekly basis. In short, turn it into a science project. This will help you track your pregnancy, and would feed to the talking points with your Obstetrician. Bodies are surprisingly flexible when it comes to getting back to shape. Light exercise as recommended by the doctor and a good exercise regime post delivery would get you back you your shape in no time. In addition, you get to flaunt your kid! c) Support system It is important, now more than ever, to have a good support system. Even so, inexperienced people are a bit hesitant when it comes to extending help when it comes to pregnancy. This is mainly due to the fact that they do not know what to do! My advice is to talk about all possible stuff with your partner, family members, friends, even your own doctor. This is the most beautiful phase in your life, and you have every right to be heard! To sum it up, understand your feelings well, don't beat yourself up but make plans to get back in shape as soon as you can after delivery, and recruit listeners and hand holders if you already haven't.

I have a friend who took “bump” photos every month to document her journey of becoming a mother. I think it helped her adjust and she viewed the changes positively (as a good progress of her pregnancy). It helped that her husband fully supports her and constantly reassure her of her changing figure. When she posted her bump photos, the “likes” she got also helped add to her confidence. Sure, there were times where she felt down and would worry about not being able to get back to her pre-pregnancy figure. But more often than not, she reminded herself that what mattered most was that her baby was getting enough nutrients and that to worry about the post pregnancy figure only when the time comes. All these positive thoughts helped motivate her through the final few weeks (which was when she put on most weight). There are many methods available that would help to lose weight (healthily) after she delivers. You can try gathering more information on those to assure her that it is not an irreversible change. Examples would be breastfeeding, postnatal massages, exercising (when she feels up to it, you can also offer to be her exercise buddy), and having a balanced diet. Hope your friend would feel better about her body and have a happy pregnancy!

It is actually very natural to feel self-conscious when you're pregnant. A specialist in women's issues says "No matter how much they hate to admit it, most mothers-to-be struggle with their changing figure," But there are a few things that helped me when I was pregnant, which I hope helps you too. For one, although it is easy to worry about how much weight you've gained, don't fret about it unless your doctor raises any concern. exercise made me feel energetic and positive. I joined a class for pregnant mums and the positive energy did a lot for my self esteem. Join a mummy-to-be support group. It is a known fact that interacting with like minded people lifts our spirits. So join a pregnancy group and meet up with mums who are going through what you are going through. Hope these help!

I never really took too much pictures of myself when I was pregnant. Haha. But I guess it's very natural to feel more self-conscious especially if we have been seeing the kilos piling up. Most of it is self-thought and she might be worried or conscious about how her husband thinks of her body or worry that he doesn't find her attractive. So I guess for her to slowly open up, her hubby needs to reassure her on how attractive she is. She will only feel more confident when she is reassured that hubby still loves her (in fact love her more). Good luck!

There's an awkward phase when you just look bloated and not really pregnant. I didn't like posting photos of myself at this time either. It also wasn't encouraging that my clothes weren't fitting well anymore. Tell her that it gets better. When it's a baby bump and she gets flattering maternity clothes, she'll feel proud of her body. As her friend, you can be the one to start her off on her new wardrobe! H&M Maternity is pretty cool: http://www.hm.com/sg/subdepartment/LADIES?Nr=4294928860

Speaking from a point of a husband.. the husband should always praise his wife for all that is being went through for the birth of a baby... and even better should do exercise together to look good together... can also date each other at the same time... an always remember that keeping fit and looking good is a long term process...

I didn't particular like my new body shape or the double chin I was starting to have! I never posted pregnancy photos of myself too! And now that I am in the postpartum period, I don't like my new shape either. Still have a paunch and I don't think I will post up any pics until I am back to my pre pregnancy weight.

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I wasnt shameful of my pregnancy body but my post partum body has been nothing to crow off. I suggest just leave her alone. Its no big deal that she is not embracing her body. It will change soon!

I took regular pictures during pregnancy but that's because I love to! I feel mums should celebrate their body during pregnancy! If she doesn't want to, it's ok. Whatever keeps her happy