I’ve always been pretty comfortable in my own skin (well, once you skip over the teenage years, that is), but I have to be honest with you guys, pregnancy is throwing me for a bit of a loop. I’m only 17 weeks into my pregnancy, and already I’m having a tough time dealing with my changing body – and I can only imagine how much harder it’s going to get.
And I know, I hear all of you, pregnancy is a beautiful thing. I’m supposed to embrace it, revel in it, and fucking glow. Yes, I’ve heard it all before. I know the drill. Hell, I even agree with you – when I see other pregnant women – I also truly think they look beautiful – but lately when I see myself, that’s not how I feel.
Instead, I just feel kind of fluffy and enlarged, and sometimes even kind of awkward. It’s like I’m inhabiting someone else’s body – it looks and feels completely foreign to me – but I’m still the one operating it, feeding it, and exercising it. It just isn’t mine. Every so often, friends will point at my belly, or comment on how huge my boobs are, or worse yet, point out my belly in a photo (yes, thank you, I see it, I’m aware.…), and while I know they are actually celebrating me and my pregnancy, I always find myself shuddering at the attention, or shooing their finger pointing, squealing, and comments away.
And yes, I know that expanding is part of pregnancy. I get that it’s natural, normal, and healthy for your body to begin to prepare for motherhood. I even expected all of what’s happening to happen – my now huge boobs, my ever expanding waistline (or full grown beer belly as I like to call it) – but I didn’t expect to feel so strange while it was happening.
I think maybe all of the overly blissed out pregnancy media really got to me – I expected to fucking glow, and feel so radiant that rainbows and cupcakes followed me around everywhere I went. I expected to have some sort of weird lightness, ease about the changes – some kind of new wisdom take over my entire being – like I’d be zen as fuck…..because I was a fucking radiant, glowing pregnant person.
But that’s just not the reality.
And it’s not just how I feel in my body, it’s also how I feel in my clothes lately. It’s as if every article of clothing I could once rely on as a go to, now just looks strange, ill fitted, and clingy. I hate getting dressed everyday and wish I could just walk around in sweatpants and slippers and not loathe myself for doing it.
But again, that’s just not reality…or at least, not my reality.
I have to fucking get dressed every day. I have to get over myself and function like a normal person. And quite frankly, I have to wear clingy clothes. Kind of hard to practice and teach yoga in sweatpants, if you know what I mean….
So when I got the opportunity to review the Upbra, a bra designed to give bigger chested women a natural looking lift and smaller chested women more natural looking cleavage, at first I shied away. No way, no how was I going to show off my body, this body in a bra. No way, no how would that bra work on my now gigantic breasts. No way could I enjoy putting anything on that wasn’t in the sweatpants family.
So no thanks.
But then I read some of the reviews online. And they were absolutely glowing. So I thought, why the hell not? If I have to get dressed every day, I may as well give myself some better options.
So I decided I would try Upbra’s T-Shirt bra because in the description, they used the word comfortable. And I’m all about COMFORTABLE right now. Did I mention sweatpants?
And I’m so glad I did. This bra is not only comfortable, it also provides natural looking (and feeling!) lift and support. Plus, it’s ultra feminine and looks great with or without a shirt. So great in fact that I did away with my negativity, stripped off my shirt, and reviewed a bra in my newly expanded body. Booooya.
But I’ll let you be the judge, check out Upbra’s line of lifting, supporting and cleavage enhancing bras – or check out our full review on our YouTube channel – and leave a comment about how fucking radiant and glowing we both look.
And if a new bra isn’t enough to make you feel glowing and radiant, here’s a swim suit option that will do just the trick.
Ok, pregnant and formerly pregnant ladies out there (ahem, other moms), how did you learn to embrace the changes? Was it easy for you? Challenging? Any good tips, or tricks?
Lend a girl a hand!
And as always, stay sweaty friends!
XO
Jamie
Disclaimer: I was provided with an Upbra for review purposes. That being said, all of my opinions, thoughts, rantings about my body, and words expressed are my very own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Sweat Pink community.
Chrystal Rose says
November 16, 2017 at 6:04 amYou’re both so cute! You are looking AMAZING!! I totally get the whole ‘sport bras all day everyday’! 😅 But this bra looks amazing for those girls night out times! Thanks for sharing!!
Jamie says
November 16, 2017 at 10:16 amIt’s such a CUTE bra, you will LOVE it! 🙂
Shelby says
November 16, 2017 at 9:57 amI don’t think “easy” was the word I’d use on embracing the preggo challenges but it was much better with my second. I guess I appreciate the journey a bit more. But regardless, being a fit chick and pregnant isn’t easy and definitely a bit of a mental cluster eff.
Jamie says
November 16, 2017 at 10:27 amRight? It’s such a cluster f? I never imagined to feel this way…but here I am!
Thanks for the words of wisdom. XOXO
Nic says
November 16, 2017 at 9:58 amSounds like it’s all about adapting, finding the comfy clothes, and the perfect snacks. I think you’re killin it so far.
Jamie says
November 16, 2017 at 10:31 amUgh, clothes, I don’t want to wear them anymore. HAHA. NO PANTS DANCE.
Alyse says
November 16, 2017 at 10:22 amAhhh the expanding body can be such a mind fuck. It’s hard. I think the watershed moment for me was when I finally broke down and got some maternity jeans… and really when I crossed the threshold into looking pregnant instead of just fluffy. 🙂
Hang in there!
Jamie says
November 16, 2017 at 11:29 amI’m not quite at maternity jean level yet. I kind of want to be so I can not feel so fucking awkward all the time.
Liz says
November 16, 2017 at 10:30 amI’m just going to keep kissing your belly until you love it as much as I do. 😉 xoxo You are the most badass pregnant lady I know! And the most badass lady who happens to be pregnant I know….
Jamie says
November 16, 2017 at 10:32 amHahah, thanks Liz, I know your belly loving is love…I’m just a cranky pregnant lady. xoxo
Liz says
November 16, 2017 at 12:22 pmYou’re allowed to be as cranky as you want! I’m just gonna keep loving on Danger anyways… HAH!
Oh, and these gifs are everything!
Jamie says
November 16, 2017 at 12:41 pmI know, I’m obsessed with all the amazing preggo gifs. HAHA. Lady bosses / mom bosses. They’re AMAZING
Desireé says
November 16, 2017 at 1:37 pmOh man the growing belly. I feel you on wanting to wear sweats everyday! I hated wearing clothes and having to find clothes that can fit. Especially trying to find a dress to get married in was horrible! One thing I hated with my growing belly was people would always say, “wow, looks like you are due any day.” That made me feel huge, but I just smiled and would tell them actually no, I’m pregnant with twins. Anyways, sounds like you are at the awkward beer belly stage. It will get better! When your belly is gone, you will miss it.
I am going to have to try this bra! I hate bras right now.
Jamie says
November 16, 2017 at 3:53 pmIt’s a great, supportive bra – I think you’ll really like it – and it looks cute. I am in that horribly awkward stage. It’s like none of my own clothes fit right and I’m not quite ready for maternity clothes yet.
Oh man, I can’t even imagine carrying twins – you’re such a rockstar – and they’re obviously so worth it – they’re the cutest.
XOXO
Coach Henness says
November 16, 2017 at 5:54 pmUGH! I’ve been under a major rock. YOU’RE PREGGO! CONGRATULATIONS! I’m so excited for you guys. And Abbie. But mostly your baby because he/she is going to have such a rad set of parents to do all the fun things with! And in case you never saw my “Prenatal Confessions” post or want to revisit it…> thoroughlythriving.com/tiff-corner/prenatal-confessions/
Jamie says
November 17, 2017 at 11:23 amI will definitely revisit! 🙂 I am all about reading everyone’s individual experiences. 🙂 XO
De BOLTON says
November 17, 2017 at 11:50 amI tell everyone I hated being pregnant but I love being a Mom. Its okay not to glow and to occasionally have awful gas (that wasnt fun either) but this is the short term part. The Mom part makes it worth it so my advice? Enjoy what you can but the best is yet to come (that lil baby)! Congratulations!!
Jamie says
November 20, 2017 at 9:45 pmThanks De, I so appreciate the honesty, I’m glad it’s not just me who doesn’t love being pregnant! 🙂 I’m counting on the mom part being awesome. XOXO