Stop Telling Me I Should Focus On Getting My Old Body Back

April 15, 2013 Subscribe · Forward Stop Telling Me I Should Focus On Getting My Old Body Back I am five months pregnant, and up until now, I was feeling pretty sexy. I was feeling a little glorious in all my pregnant majesty -- belly outthrust, butt and thighs cushioning, my breasts -- well, they refuse to grow for some mysterious reason, but whatever. I was liking how my new bigness feels essential, necessary and full of purpose. I am carrying a baby human. I am holding the trump card. Kiss my damn pregnant belly, Victoria's Secret. I don't know. Something like that. And then something changed. Maybe it was the series of absolutely terrible photos someone took of me in my favorite empire-waisted dress at a party, looking lumbering and bloated and lopsided and generally awful. Maybe it was the fact that practically everything I read about pregnancy tells me I should be worried. I should be worried, specifically, about the way I look.  Continue reading... These Gun Control Ads Will Stop You In Your Tracks This Is What Autism Looks Like Dad's Awesome Response To A Stranger At Walmart The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week 14 Fiery Baby Names First Woman To Ever Receive Womb Transplant Gets Amazing News LOOK: Baby Covered In French Bulldogs Is Even Cuter Than It Sounds WATCH: Babies 'Cursing' Are F*cking Cute, Dammit LOOK: Baby Covered In French Bulldogs Is Even Cuter Than It Sounds Dear Daughter, Here's Why I Work Being a C-Section Mama In the Birth Goddess Club PHAEDRA ELLIS-LAMKINS The Trait I Don't Want My Daughter to Inherit Now I have a daughter. And I realize that I am carrying more than the extra weight I gained during my pregnancy. I am carrying shame -- shame that I cannot pass on to my little girl. I do not want her to share the legacy of self-hate that so many women feel. Continue reading... BURT HEYMAN Parent to Parent Plea Why in heaven's name did we stay on the sidelines; why not share our grief and our tragedy as a warning to everyone that losing a child to senseless gun violence is indescribable? As the saying goes "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy." Continue reading... LAURA WATTENBERG What Is a Popular Baby Name? (Spoiler: There Are Fewer Than You Think) When a restaurant or a vacation destination is described as "popular," that's usually considered a compliment. A popular spot is an attractive and crowd-pleasing choice. Yet, in the world of baby names, "popular" has become the least popular designation around. Continue reading... WHIT HONEA Occupy Childhood, or How I Learned to Love the Moment My sons take their seats, the motor kicks on and the swings start turning to the right in a soft, careful circle. It is their spotlight. It is as wide as a slow dance and twice as wild. Their hearts beat accordingly. They pass me by again and again. The only thing that changes is the calendar. Continue reading... DANIEL R. PORTERFIELD, PH.D. The Pre-Commencement Speech Seniors Need Now I find that the most engaged students may suffer these pre-commencement blues most acutely. It's precisely because they've cared so much that they may grieve so deeply -- during what they think should be a joyous period. Continue reading... Received this from a friend? Sign up for alerts from The Huffington Post here. Unsubscribe here. Huffington Post, 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003