What if your body, that you’ve been with for decades and might know pretty well, starts responding to pregnancy in ways you hadn’t expected? Many women, going into pregnancy, have a bit of an idea of the sorts of physical challenges they might expect to face. I’ve talked to women who’ve had an “Oh, I know there will be things to deal with, certainly, but my body has dealt with challenges before and I’ll be fine” and others who’ve had a much more worried outlook because they have experience with their bodies not adjusting to changes well. And, there are still others who figure their bodies will handle everything in perfect stride.
It’s useful to notice what our assumptions are. Once we see how we’re thinking about an aspect of pregnancy, we can decide if we want to embrace our thoughts – because they are empowering – or look to shift our thoughts because they do not feel the most positive. If you’re thinking that your body will be just fine or that your body is strong and fit, keep telling yourself that. Let yourself feel the truth of it. Keep looking for more evidence that this is true. It’ll create positive momentum for you, and you’ll simply get to be vividly aware of how great your body is doing.
If you’re thinking that your body is a mess and is never going to do well with this, don’t fret. You might be wrong, and besides fretting isn’t going to make a difference. What you can do is look for little ways to shift your thinking more positively. The key is baby steps. Don’t try to convince yourself tomorrow that your body is now suddenly perfectly suited to pregnancy! You’ll likely get into an immediate argument with yourself. Instead, look for something more neutral or slightly less negative that you can believe. It may be, “It hasn’t been fun, but my body has gotten through all the setbacks it’s endured” or something like “I’ve dealt with pain and inconvenience before, I can do it again.” Whatever would be just slightly more empowering for you. Then look for signs that this new thought is true. You can shift your assumptions over time.
It’s useful to accept the idea that we can’t completely control how our bodies respond to pregnancy. At the same time, we can exercise control over how we respond to our bodies’ response. We can be aware of our thoughts and feelings and slowly wiggle our way to the thoughts and emotions that feel best to us.
Please join the conversation: How has your body cooperated or not cooperated? And what thoughts best served you in these circumstances?
