“A lot of people focus on the baby so much that they really just forget themselves. And they forget that actually they've gone through something quite transformational, physically and emotionally and mentally.”

If you’ve had children you’ll understand why Connie Simmonds is on a mission to help women who are struggling with their weight and body image post-pregnancy. Connie is a distinguished health and beauty blogger and author of the book Healthy Forever: The Happiest Weight Loss Book Ever. 

Connie uses her Instagram platform to share her personal journey with weight gain, weight loss and body image in the wake of her pregnancy and postpartum. Because these issues can have a real impact on a woman’s health and well being. 

“If you feel positive about those changes, that's obviously going to have a [positive] knock on effect with everything else in your life. If you feel negative in the shell that you're in, that's gonna then have a negative knock on effect with everything else in your life.”

It’s incredibly natural to put on weight during pregnancy, the American Institute of Medicine recommends that the average woman gain between one and four pounds by the end of the first trimester, and one to two pounds per week for the rest of the pregnancy, totaling between 25-35 pounds of weight gain. 

But women are conditioned from a young age to fear weight gain, so it’s a huge undertaking to get your head around. For anyone struggling at the moment, this is a really insightful episode, raw, honest and open.

On today’s podcast:

• The significance of pregnancy on body image 
• Pregnancy is a different experience for every woman
• Unrealistic expectations of weight gain during pregnancy
• The importance of understanding the science of pregnancy
• Connie’s recommended tools for coping 
• The impact of social media on mental health

Links:

• Healthy Forever: The Happiest Weight Loss Book Ever!
• Instagram - @conniesimmonds