Bad body image during pregnancy is a tough and often confusing experience. That awkward phase when you look more bloated than pregnant can trigger all kinds of emotions.

“Is it bloat or is it the baby?”

That awkward phase in pregnancy when you look more bloated than pregnant.

For most of my life — I’m 36 now — my belly has been the source of most of my worries. For about 20 years, I obsessed over having a flat stomach and worried constantly about how my belly looked. While I’ve spent the last few years healing my relationship with my body — including my belly — it was an interesting turn of events to experience a bad body image day while pregnant.

I was barely 5 months pregnant on a summer holiday in Turkey, wearing a bikini all day and noticing being worried about what people think.

They must think I am bloated?

Can they tell I am not but actually pregnant?

I don’t have anything to wear, I love huge in everything I brought with me.

Add the truck load of frustration and me bitching around.

Luckily this isn’t my first rodeo. Bad body image days have been a constant in my past life – before I healed my body image and all my food, weight and body issues.

And I know exactly how to holistically shift from a bad body image day to feeling confident in a few moments.

Because let me be real honest with you:

-Spiralling is normal but you can gently stop it

-Starting a drastic diet isn’t he solution but actually part of the problem

-Feeling uncomfortable in your body is an emotion and not a fact aka can be shifted with the right tools and knowledge

-Feeling ugly or fat doesn’t mean you are

-Just pretending like everything is fine, isn’t going to work.

How to Feel Better on a Bad Body Image Day — Pregnant or Not

• Allow yourself to feel your emotions. The only way out of an emotion is through. Just because you chose to not feel something uncomfortable isn’t making it go away. It will only be stored by your body and bite you in the ass later. Take a few moments to just sit with the disgust, the frustration, the dislike for your body. Breathe through it and give your body the gift of presence through the uncomfortable.

I have created a free tutorial for you to shift uncomfortable emotions – get access here.

Allow yourself to feel your emotions.
The only way out of an emotion is through. Avoiding uncomfortable feelings doesn’t make them go away — it only stores them in your body, ready to bite you later. Take a few moments to sit with the disgust, frustration, or dislike you feel toward your body. Breathe through it and give yourself the gift of presence — even when it’s uncomfortable.

Use EFT Tapping.
If you struggle with body image or your relationship to food and weight, this probably isn’t your first bad body image day. That means you likely have past experiences stored in your body. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can be an incredible tool to work through these feelings. DM me if you’re new to EFT Tapping, and I’ll help you get started.

Be gentle with your body.
Your body isn’t at fault. It’s doing its best to keep you safe — and right now, it’s growing a human being. When bad body image strikes, it’s rarely about your actual body, but about how you feel about it. So be kind. Do something supportive for your body today.

Avoid drastic actions when you’re distressed.
Under no circumstances should you make big decisions rooted in fear or frustration — no drastic diets, extreme exercise plans, or rigid food rules. Repeat after me: I will not make decisions about my body or food out of fear.

Regulate your nervous system.
A bad body image day often stresses your nervous system — especially if it’s already out of balance. Take a moment for gentle rocking or shaking (if you’re pregnant, do this very gently and check with your doctor if you’re unsure — avoid shaking if less than 3 months pregnant). Practice humming to stimulate your vagus nerve and bring calm, or go outside and let your bare feet connect with the earth.

Do something kind for yourself.
Whether it’s a gentle walk, smelling fresh flowers, or hugging a loved one, small acts of self-love can shift your energy more than you realize.

Try one or more of these strategies and notice how your energy and perspective begin to change. Stay curious — healing bad body image days takes practice. The more you use holistic tools, the less often they’ll visit.

Final thoughts on body image during pregnancy

Pregnancy can bring up intense emotions and fears around body image and weight — but there is also deep healing found in it. As your belly grows, so does your baby.

PS: As an ex-belly-hater, suddenly wanting to show off my belly is definitely a new and wholesome experience.

If you want to dive deeper into healing your body image, your relationship with food, and your body — the Holistic Body Club is your place to be.

The Holistic Body Club is where your dream body becomes a natural result of healing your relationship with your body, food, and God.

You’ll learn a step-by-step process to go from chronically dieting and frustrated about your body to feeling amazing in your skin — all while enjoying your favorite foods.

Join the Holistic Body Club today.