Alright, I promised I’d dive into the messy intersection of pregnancy, medical weight stigma, and trying to hold onto your “health at every size” philosophy while a very large nurse prints out your weight on a very small piece of paper.

When your entire personal and professional philosophy is built on the idea that you don’t owe health to anyone and that body size does not equal health, pregnancy really puts that shit to the test.

The Weigh-In Waltz

Every prenatal appointment, same dance. They ask you to hop on the scale, usually facing away so you can’t see (cute, but we know what you’re doing), and then later the number appears in your online portal like a ghost from Christmas past.

I’ve heard of weight-inclusive dietitians and those with eating disorder histories doing blind weights through their entire pregnancy. Great option. I chose to look. And let me tell you, watching that number climb week after week while your belly grows and your ankles disappear is… a lot.

But here’s what I kept coming back to: Is my body doing something incredible? Yes. Is that number on the scale telling me anything about my health or my baby’s health on its own? Absolutely not.

The Weight Bias I Received (Whether They Meant It or Not)

Remember how I mentioned doing an early glucose test before 20 weeks? And then another one at 27 weeks? The only reason I can suspect is my BMI. No other health issues, no conditions, just… the number.

This is the subtle (and not-so-subtle) weight bias that happens in medical settings every single day. Even for those of us who know how to advocate for ourselves, who have done the work, who literally study this stuff—we still receive it.

I found myself constantly translating their concerns in my head:

Them: “We’ll just do this test early to be safe.”

Me (internally): “Because you see my body and assume the worst.”

What If Something “Goes Wrong”?

This was the big one for me. What if I developed gestational diabetes? What if I had pre-eclampsia? Would I be able to separate the medical condition from the self-blame? Or would that critical voice scream, “See? Your body is the problem”?

The answer I landed on (and am still landing on every day postpartum): Our bodies are not problems to be solved. Conditions can arise during pregnancy for a million complex reasons, many of which have nothing to do with us. Genetics, placenta placement, sheer luck of the draw.

We can hold both:

I am doing my best to nourish and support this body

AND

Sometimes things happen that are out of my control

That doesn’t make my body bad. It makes my body human.

So, Does HAES Go Out the Window During Pregnancy?

No. It becomes more important than ever.

Because if you can’t practice body neutrality and self-compassion when your body is literally creating life, when can you?

It means:

Seeing the scale as data, not judgment

Questioning medical recommendations that seem based on weight alone

Giving yourself grace whether you pass or fail any test

Remembering that your worth was never in that number to begin with

Navigating Medical Appointments Sanely

A few things that helped me:

Bringing a support person to appointments when possible

Practicing what I might say if weight became the focus (”I’d prefer to discuss this without centering my weight” or “Can you explain how this recommendation is different for someone in a larger body?”)

Reminding myself before each appointment: “I am showing up for me and my baby. That is enough.”

If you’re navigating pregnancy in a body that doesn’t fit the thin ideal, keep fighting the good fight. It will challenge all the work you thought you’d done—ultimately for the better.

If this resonated, working together might feel like a really supportive next step. Click HERE to book.