What happens when a body-neutrality pioneer goes through the highly physical transformation of pregnancy?
For Bethany C. Meyers, its brought a whole new value and meaning to the practice.
Congratulations on baby Kilmer Dove!
For me its been joyful and also often difficult and exhausting.
How are you doing?
Bethany C. Meyers:Truly, I’m doing well.
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It was a time of super-intense bonding, which was amazing.
Time is such a precious resource during this newborn phaseit moves so fast, to your point.
So I very much appreciate you sharing some of your time with us.
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Has this time impacted your relationship with being body neutral?
I think it’s hard to get to a place where you’re in bliss about your body.
So much of that felt like my body was failing me.
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And then I got pregnant, and my body did not belong to me.
Now that I am holding my baby in my arms, I am so happy.
And that was such a powerful moment.
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Finding this more neutral state is the way that the concept is applying to me the most now.
Experiencing infertility, pregnancy, and postpartum are all largely physical.
BM:My body is so different now than before I was pregnantI’m a different size.
That can be jarring, and I’m more sympathetic to that now.
I’ve also been really, really excited to do movement and to work out.
I’ve wondered whether my motive for wanting to work out is because I want to lose weight.
What role does your partner play?
BM:I’m so lucky to have Nico.
He’s just really been there throughout the pregnancythroughout all of it.
I have a lot of support.
Nico has been making sure I’m fed.
That has made me feel really confident.
He’s always like, You’re looking great and I love this and helping me find clothes.
It’s so helpful to have someone like thatif it’s not your partner, then a friend.
Also, I’ve been really wanting to find time for movement.
And I think having that dedicated time has been really helpful.
What does the concept of control mean to you now and as you look back on pregnancy?
BM:I’m a person who likes to have things figured out.
I like to know what I’m doing.
I like to be in control.
That’s, that’s really where I feel like the struggle comes in sometimes.
And that certainly takes time.
Im also finding a lot of similarities between diet culture and mother culture.
It is wild to me how much parent culture and diet culture connect in this way.
During the first few weeks after Kilmer was born, I was just so inundated with information like this.
Taking care of ourselves and our babies is what we know how to do so deep within.
You’ve shared about all the work youve done to recover from eating disorders and to unlearn diet culture.
Is it a similar mechanism that helps you weed out this noise of unsolicited parenting advice?
BM:I’m attuned to the red flags.
Practicing body neutrality has helped me become really aware of how I feel.
So many people are navigating or in recovery for eating disorders while pregnant or in the postpartum period.
Given your experience, what advice would you offer?
It’s okay to give yourself time.
Set boundaries and also allow yourself the flexibility to change them if they’re not working for you.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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