B Belly Confessions

It's a fact that, as with anything body related, pregnancy will be different for every woman. However, I never considered this fact would include my baby bump. I thought that when the time came I'd have a round symmetrical tummy like we've all seen*. Once getting pregnant it didn't take me long to realize that a lot determines the shape of your baby bump including baby's position, your body type, position of the placenta etc.

Since I'm a curvy girl a couple of things happened: 1) It took longer than I expected to "look" pregnant 2) Even when there's no denying I have a bun in the oven I have what is affectionately called a "B" belly.

A B-shaped belly (vs a D-shaped belly) just means when you look at your reflection from the side your stomach resembles the outline of a capitalized B. It doesn't affect the baby's health or growth and is actually pretty common. So why have you never heard of this before? I think it's just something us plus size pregnant women need to be honest about and discuss more. Truthfully wearing certain maternity clothes and/or pregnancy support belts, can a lot of times make a B belly appear more rounder in shape. However I really appreciated this article by Plus Size Birth shedding additional light on the subject.

So if you've followed my blog for any amount of time you know I strive to always accept my body. But I'm not going to lie, it took me a minute to accept my B baby bump. For me it boiled down to 20+ years of thinking I'd look one way during pregnancy and then having to change my long standing expectation. However it didn't take me too long, mainly because I focused on the truth that no matter how I look there is life growing inside me. The fact that I've had a difficult pregnancy (I am considered high risk and am on modified bed rest) definitely helps to keep me focused on the positives. At this point, I could look like a blob and I wouldn't care as long as I deliver a healthy baby. 

Maternity Photoshoot at Riverbanks Botanical Gardens

Earlier in the pregnancy, when I was still self-conscious of my baby bump and growing body, I considered not having maternity pictures taken. But as we passed every hurdle in this challenging pregnancy journey, I realized how important it was for me to actually push through and celebrate my body's strengths and beauty. My photographer picked the perfect location - Riverbanks Botanical Gardens! Everything just kind of came together like magic. During the photoshoot, one little girl asked me if I was a princess. I smiled because I did feel like a fairy princess that day, B belly and all.

--*Seen mostly in the media, which should have been my first clue... Oops!