"I'm Pregnant, I'm Fat and I Hate It": Salon writer discusses pregnancy body loathing

Kim Brooks opens about her pregnancy weight struggles in her Salon essay, "I'm pregnant, I'm fat and I hate it." Read the article, and a response.

In other news, check out the latest reviews of Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? on Healthy Baby Network and Feministing!

The Fashion Industry Doesn't Like Coco Rocha's Grown-Up Curves

Coco Rocha is the latest model to come out against the fashion industry's stubborn adherence to a super-skinny aesthetic on the runway. Rocha has recently gone on the record saying that she has lost jobs because her body is too big now that she's reached the ripe old age of 21.

We remember when Rocha was a featured speaker at a CFDA Health Initiative forum back in 2008, where she confessed that a day in the life of a typical model involved hearing sensitive comments like, "We don't want you to be anorexic--we just want you to look like you are." She also admitted that an agent had once advised her to throw up after meals and that she had used diuretics to control her weight. Today, Rocha has a healthier outlook: “You know what, I’ve stopped caring. If I want a hamburger, I’m going to have one. No 21-year-old should be worrying about whether she fits a sample size.” The same cannot be said for many industry insiders, who, despite their attendance at the CFDA forums, are still upholding the unhealthy standard of hiring pre-pubescent girls and then routinely rejecting them when they start showing the first signs of curves.

“A lot of people are accountable, and nobody’s saying anything about it,” says James Scully a well-known fashion industry casting agent. “What happens when these girls develop and turn into women?” Well, it looks like they get the axe.

"A Model's Prospects: Slim and None" [NY Times]

Breaking Down Beauty Commercials: What Advertisers Don't Tell You

From the fake eyelashes in mascara ads to the "secret" ingredient in Proactiv, this parody takes on the beauty biz and its empty promises.

"What If Beauty Ads Told the Truth?"
via Jezebel

Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? Blog Book Tour

Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? has been on the virtual road over the past few weeks, making stops at lots o’ blogs. A few of our favorite quotes from reviewers:

“Reading this book was like listening to a friend…Obviously, this book is about pregnancy but underneath its healthy dose of humor, it’s about finally making peace with ourselves and our bodies.” –Crazy Suburban Mom

“I found it a very informative, fun read. It’s also an important book since women do so often feel horribly insecure about their bodies.” –Tripping Toward Lucidity

“Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? made me open my eyes to my own pre-conceived perceptions before I had children, what my expectations were while pregnant and the guilt that I had kept buried since then. I even giggled and cheered through the section of ‘The WTF Files: How to deal with dumb comments and stupid moves’…I finished reading with so much to consider. I leave with a whole new outlook on myself, almost making peace with myself after all these years.” –My Organized Chaos

“Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? is a no-holds barred, realistic guide about body image, the media, style, sex, and even breastfeeding. I found it informative, well-written, amusing and quick to read. And there was more than one section that I found myself nodding my head vigorously in agreement…This manual is a wonderful resource for any woman and would make a PERFECT baby shower gift!” –In the Trenches of Mommyhood (leave a comment by Friday, January 15th and you’ll be entered to win a copy).

Thanks to all those who have taken the time to read and review our book. You can check out a full list of tour stops here.

Buy the book | Follow us on Twitter | Become a Facebook fan

Happy New Year! Healthy Beauty Resolutions for 2010

It's that time of year when we start hearing more about diets, workouts, and "goal weights." Every 12 months, millions of women make weight loss resolutions only to end up feeling disappointed and defeated. So we're challenging all of you to kick off 2010 with a new set of promises to yourself: Renew your commitment to the Heathy Beauty pledge. Read the pledge today, and leave a comment telling us what you would add.

Healthy beauty is not about pounds, calories, or hours logged at the gym. It's about making important changes in your life that will lead you to true body confidence. It's a positive attitude that you can pass on to your children.

We send you our best wishes for a healthy, happy new year!

xo,
Claire & Magali

In Your Words: What Children Can Teach Us About Healthy Body Image

There's no doubt that the body changes of pregnancy and motherhood can lead to a lot of insecurities. But we also talked to women who found that the process of becoming a mother helped to give them a whole new positive perspective on their bodies.

"A really healing thing has happened with my daughter. When I see her--I call her naked baby because she loves being naked--it's amazing to see her body. She's growing into my body shape. I love it so much in her. It's just making me accept it more in me."
--Lisa, 35, quoted in Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?

How about you? Have you had a moment of body image wisdom as a mom or mom-to-be?

Sign the Healthy Beauty Pledge | Follow us on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook

Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? Reviews

The latest buzz about Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby...

One of the Top 6 Parenting Books for Moms—SHE KNOWS

“A lighthearted guide to combating a silent societal epidemic...[T]he authors do a great service in bringing to light a fear that women may believe they suffer with alone...The concepts and solidarity offered here should prove valuable for millions of American women.”—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"...a good read that pregnant women will find comforting as they watch their bodies change."—LIBRARY JOURNAL

“It's never good to want to resist the changes your body is putting you through [during pregnancy]. But the fact is, a lot of us do. I'm excited to say that two women are taking on this issue in this book, to capture the many different ways we women go through, and what it makes us think and feel about out bodies. I haven't met a single woman yet who didn't have something to say about this.”—Stacy Morrison, Editor-In-Chief, REDBOOK

“Aside from offering great tips on dealing with hormones, breastfeeding, and those offhand comments from strangers, this book helps to remind me that NOW is the time to be grateful, not hateful, of my body.”—WORKOUT MOMMY

“I think I just found my favorite baby shower gift.”—THE GREAT FITNESS EXPERIMENT

“DOES THIS PREGNANCY MAKE ME LOOK FAT is full of fun and insightful anecdotes from real women talking about their changing feelings, and very helpful steps women can take to make their pregnancy experience a positive one.”—THE GIRL REVOLUTION

Become a fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

Upcoming Reading: 12/3 at Village Books in Pacific Palisades

Calling all LA dwellers: Magali will be reading from Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? and signing books this Thursday, December 3rd from 7:30-9 p.m. at Village Books. Come by and say hello. Hope to see you there!

Thank Your Body This Thanksgiving

The holiday season can be stressful. It's also a time when many women find themselves caught up in a cycle of body bashing--I ate too much, this meal is going straight to my thighs, I'm putting myself on a serious diet when the new year rolls around...

All that negative body talk takes its toll. So this Thanksgiving, take a moment to stop the self-criticism and thank your body.

Healthy Beauty Tip
Write a letter to your body. Yep, pick up a pen and write down all the reasons you are thankful for the body you have, not the body you wish you could have. For inspiration, listen to other women read their letters and get tips from self-esteem expert Jess Weiner.


Magali's Thanksgiving Moment
"I remember my first shower in my own bathroom after I came home from the hospital with my daughter. I looked down at my body in awe. For the first time, I saw it as an incredible machine, and I realized what an astoundingly complex mystery it was to me. I thought of all those years of abuse I had put it through and how resilient it had been. What my body had accomplished was a miracle and I was proud of it. I said 'Thank you' out loud."
--excerpted from Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?

As always, we thank you for your support of our mission and for being an important part of the healthy beauty revolution! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

xo,
Claire & Magali

30% Off Beyond Yoga Online Purchases

One of the biggest body image dilemmas women encounter during pregnancy and after childbirth is the question of what to wear. No matter how excited you might be about the prospect of becoming a mom, outgrowing sizes can lead to a lot of appearance-related insecurity. It's not always easy to find affordable maternity wear and "transition" pieces, not to mention that saying good-bye to certain go-to wardrobe items can be an emotionally draining process.

Mourning the loss of too-small-to-squeeze-into-'em pieces and obsessing over "getting your body back" when everything else around you is moving forward can be a real drag. That's why we outlined our maternity and new mom style essentials in Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? They are all based on letting go of the idea that something is wrong with you if you don't fit into your old clothes. It's those clothes that don't fit your new life.

In the spirit of celebrating all the style possibilities that exist if we can get beyond this unhealthy fixation with prebaby bodies, we've partnered with Beyond Yoga to offer 30% off all online purchases for our readers. Just enter the code PREGGY at checkout (sale and charity items do not apply). Shop online before November 30th!

Friday Roundup: News, Reviews, and Giveaways

This week you can find us in the New York Times, across the pond in the Daily Mail, and on a few other great websites and blogs. Here are all the latest links and book contests:

Blacktating (a blogger who was interviewed about breastfeeding and body image for our book) reviewed Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? and is giving away a copy. Leave a comment to enter. The contest ends November 18th.

"Breast-feed the Baby, Love the Calorie Burn" [New York Times]. We weigh in about the "breastfeeding diet."

"The Baby Weight Obsession: Lose it Quickly and You're Selfish. Keep it On and You're a Failure" [Daily Mail]. A mom talks about her own struggles to achieve healthy body image in a culture obsessed with postbaby weight loss.

"Top 6 Parenting Books for Moms" [She Knows]. We're in good company!

"That's a Big Belly! Yeah, I'm Pregnant" [Tonic]. Love the opening line of this review: "Did pioneer women have this worry: 'Oh, no, I've just churned the butter, hoed the fields, given birth in between, but darn it, I can't fit into my skinny jeans!'"

"Trendwatch: How to Be 'Skinny Pregnant'" [The Great Fitness Experiment]. Blogger Charlotte Hilton Anderson takes on the media pressure to have the "perfect" pergnant body.

"A new book tackles body issues before, during, and after pregnancy" [Parents Ask]

"No Fat Talk During Pregnancy" [You'd Be So Pretty If]

"The Baby Weight Obsession: Lose it Quickly and You're Selfish. Keep it On and You're a Failure"

We're quoted in this Daily Mail article about the baby weight obsession. The piece is written by Sarah Hughes, a mom who worked to overcome her own body image issues.

Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? NYC Reading and Panel Discussion Tonight!

If you're in the NYC area, Claire will be reading from Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? tonight and moderating a panel discussion about body image, pregnancy, and motherhood. The event is hosted by Momasphere and Bump. All the details are right here.

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009
Time: 7-9pm
Place: The Old Stone House, 336 3rd St (bet. 4th & 5th Ave), Brooklyn, NY 11215
Price: Tickets are $10 online & $15 at the door

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Girls Incorporated, a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

Space is limited so please RSVP by purchasing tickets online. Tickets are available for sale at the door for $15.00 on a first-come-first-served basis. Cash only to purchase tickets at the door.

Kendra Loves Her Pregnant Body. Now Begins the Countdown to her 'Postbaby Body' Reveal.

Former "Girl Next Door" Kendra Wilkinson is on the cover of the new issue of InTouch Weekly dishing about how much she loves her pregnant body. Now we love a celebration of the curves, but forgive our cynicism when we predict that along with that little bundle of joy, there is another cover in the making that will appear in a few months--one with bullets outlining how Kendra shed the baby weight.

Let's also pause for a retouching reality check. Forget stretch marks and cellulite, there's not even the tiniest blemish to be found on this photo! In other words, the body that Kendra feels beautiful in has surely been altered for the cover.

At the end of the day, celebrity pregnancy and new mom media coverage is filled with the same mixed messages you'll find in women's magazines that feature weight loss stories alongside tips on how to love your body. "Embrace your pregnant shape!" by looking at this digitally perfected image of a former Playmate in a bikini. "Feel sexy!" now, but it won't be long before we'll be feeding you this celebrity's "exact" diet and workout plan to help you slim down that fat ass. Stephanie, 40, expressed her frustration with this contradictory approach when we interviewed her for Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?:

"It's a strange phenomenon because some celebrities are hailed for accepting their new shapely bodies and others are bashed for not bouncing back sooner. It doesn't make sense because the tabloids constantly flip-flop between celebrating a woman's curves and condemning postpregnancy weight."

While these stories might be packaged to make us feel like we can identify with this or that A-lister or reality TV star, the real reality is that they usually end up playing into our insecurities and vulnerabilities. As if pregnancy and new motherhood aren't stressful enough.

Become a fan of Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

News, Reviews, Readings, and Book Giveaways

We've been mighty busy with the book launch over here! In case you missed any of the action, here's a quick roundup:

Win a copy of Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?
There are two book giveaways running right now. Go throw your name in the hat!

1. Singlemommyhood says: "Every woman deserves to feel good about herself — and to pass along healthy attitudes about weight and body image to her children." Contest ends October 20th.

2. Workoutmommy (one of our new favorite expecting moms!) says: "This book helps to remind me that NOW is the time to be grateful, not hateful, of my body." Contest ends October 24th.


Read the latest book buzz on Jezebel, I'm Not Obsessed, The Girl Revolution, Demo Dirt, Girl w/Pen, and The Lamp NYC. We're also offering some body image advice to new moms in the November issue of Babytalk magazine, out now. Other interviews and guest posts are in the works so stay tuned.


See us live and in-person
You can catch Claire in NYC on October 29th for a Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? panel discussion presented by Momasphere and Bump Brooklyn. Get all the details here.

A reading and signing is planned for December in Los Angeles. More on that soon.

Want to book us for a discussion, signing, or workshop? Contact us.


Become a fan of Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? on Facebook.

Write a review on Amazon.

Definition of the Day: Body Confidence

Body confidence: The belief that you are your most beautiful when you are healthy--both in body and mind. A feeling that results when you give up the mission to mold and shape yourself and make a commitment to take care of yourself. Body confidence breeds positive body image--it enables us to see ourselves through a meaningful lens, not a superficial one.

From Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby.

Related: The Healthy Beauty Pledge for Mothers and Mothers-to-Be

Motherhood & Body Image: Illustrated in Women's Words

We asked mothers to tell us how they see themselves. These illustrations reflect their answers. The words we use to describe our own bodies have a direct impact on how our children learn to value their bodies. It is our responsibility to lay a positive foundation, to celebrate our strengths and treat ourselves with kindness and compassion. But when we speak the language of what we lack or what is "wrong" with us, our children will learn to speak that language, too. When we sigh, roll our eyes, and turn away from the mirror, there is no doubt that our children will absorb those lessons. Remember that we all have the power to stop the legacy of body hatred--one word at a time.

Related: "Pregnancy & Body Image: Illustrated in Women's Words"

Illustrations by Monica Martinez, from Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby. Click on images to see them at full size.

"It's Funny Because It's True!" A Pregnancy WTF on "The Office"

On last night's episode of "The Office," Pam faces the ultimate lady conundrum. She wants to look slim and trim in her wedding dress, but she's also pregnant. And hungry. As she reaches for a doughnut, obnoxious co-worker Ryan chimes in on cue: "You know, it's a myth that women need to gain more than nine pounds during pregnancy."

Versions of this scene take place in offices all across America, and anywhere else pregnant women happen to be. There is something about being in the presence of an expectant mom that causes otherwise rational people to say and do inexplicably inane things. And for those who are already lacking in the tact department? Well, their blunders can be downright epic. We heard so many doozies from the women we interviewed, we wrote a whole chapter in Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? on how to deal with them: "The WTF Files: How to Deal With Dumb Comments and Stupid Moves."

Women face such intense pressure to have the "perfect" pregnancy (including the perfect-sized bump, which of course transforms into the perfectly flat, toned stomach right after childbirth). It certainly doesn't help that there is an endless parade of colorful characters--The Know-It-Alls, The Judges, The Space Invaders, The Horror Show Oversharers--lining up to question everything from the weight you've gained to the food choices you're making, and to tell you that you're doing it wrong.

How about you? Were you on the receiving end of any WTF comments or stupid moves during your pregnancy? Have you witnessed any?

5 Ways You Can Help Us Launch Our New Book, Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?

The countdown is over and our "due date" has arrived ! Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby is out today.

First, a heartfelt to all of you who took the time to fill out our surveys and share your thoughts, experiences, and expertise in interviews. There are more than 400 women represented in this book--and we are two very proud parents (yes, we plan to milk these birth and parenting puns for all they're worth).

Now that our baby is officially out in the world, here are five simple ways you can help us make it a success:

1. Buy the book.

2. Spread the word to the moms and moms-to-be you know.

3. Sign our Healthy Beauty Pledge and add a badge to your blog or website.

4. Know of a moms group, birth education class, retail store or book club that would be interested in a signing or workshop? Contact us.

5. Join the discussion on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter.

And of course we welcome your book reviews on Amazon and your own blogs/websites. We're looking forward to hearing your feedback on the book, and thanks again for your continued support of our mission!

The Baby Weight Q & A

We are over on demodirt talking about the growing trend of pregnant women who fear their pregnant bellies. Read the interview.