When becoming a new mom, you’re giving birth to a new you, too. Your body is suddenly foreign, your old life a blurred memory. Society also suddenly interacts with you in a completely new way. But rather than give new moms grace, they’re instead nitpicked, especially when it comes to their bodies. Pregnant women are expected to only gain a certain amount of weight before they give birth, then pressured to “snap back” as soon as their baby is born.
This is especially true for Black moms, who already experience a disproportionate amount of negligence when it comes to the medical practice. From doctors assuming obesity-related risks to navigating public shaming, here’s a deeper look into how society polices Black women’s bodies before and after birth.
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The Pregnancy Weight Stigma
Pregnancy weight stigma refers to the societal pressures and biases around a woman’s body during pregnancy, particularly in regard to gaining weight. For Black women, this stigma is coupled with racial expectations.
In the broader context of beauty standards and body size, Black women are often subjected to insidious messaging surrounding body image, and this only intensifies during pregnancy. For many Black women, navigating pregnancy in a society that already marginalizes their bodies can be a shameful and isolating experience. There is a disproportionate amount of focus on weight gain, particularly by health professionals. Black women often face a higher level of scrutiny regarding weight. This scrutiny is part of a broader, systemic issue in which medical professionals assume that Black women’s bodies are inherently more “at risk” due to higher a BMI, and that those risks mean negative health outcomes for both the mother and the baby.
In fact, research has shown that Black women are more likely to be labeled as “obese” by healthcare providers, even when they may be in good health. As a result, their doctors might automatically consider conditions like gestational diabetes, hypertension, or preeclampsia, leading to unnecessary interventions.
The Emotional Toll
For Black women, dealing with pregnancy weight stigma isn’t just about physical health. It’s a mental and emotional toll all the same. Studies show that Black women are more likely to experience prenatal depression and postpartum depression. This is in part due to the external pressures they face regarding their bodies. They can internalize weight-based judgments, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. This comes at a time when their hormones are already on a rollercoaster.
It’s also a tough, added layer when you’re feeling disregarded by those meant to keep you safe and prioritized. Black women are not just fighting against pregnancy weight stigma; they are also navigating the intersection of racism, sexism, classism, and sizeism by their medical teams. They unequivocally face disparities in access to quality prenatal care, resulting in fewer resources to properly navigate pregnancy.
The Pressure of Snapping Back
As if Black women weren’t under enough pressure when it comes to beauty standards, this only intensifies after giving birth. Not only are new moms dealing with the complexities of postpartum, from birth injuries to baby blues, they’re also shamed for not immediately looking like how they looked before.
“Snap back” culture has soared to new heights since the inception of social media. The public is being force-fed images of new moms seemingly losing all the weight in no time. They’re praised for how quickly they did it rather than encouraged to rest and give their bodies grace. Giving birth is a miraculous yet deeply traumatic experience, and the last thing a woman needs is to limit her eating or force exercise when there is deep internal and external healing to be had.
When several Black women were asked how they navigated the pressure of “snapping back” after they gave birth, these were their responses:
“Snap back culture is insane to me. I see women congratulated for losing the weight so quickly, as if that’s what we should believe the real accomplishment is. My body will probably never look like what it did before. That’s okay because I’m simply not the woman I was before.”
“I wasn’t impacted by snap back culture because I was so focused on keeping my baby alive and well I forgot I had a body.”
“The pressure of snapping back honestly landed me in therapy.”
“It was awful. I was comparing myself to all these celebrity new moms who had trainers, chefs, nanny’s. I had none of that.”
“Having a newborn doesn’t even allow you the time to think about snapping back. But once you’ve finally adjusted, you feel the pressure to pick up the pieces of yourself.”
“You just have to know that everybody’s bodies and experiences are different. That has to be okay.”
“Science says it technically takes to years to regulate ‘back to normal,’ so giving myself grace was key. My hormones have been ebbing and flowing and with that can be weight fluctuations. I never set unreachable goals. I started slow with some cardio here and there. Then I worked my way up on my time, even if that took a year. My body gave me my best accomplishment. I can’t believe I grew him. Bringing him into this world felt like magic. I always try to remember that although my body doesn’t exactly look like it used to— which it never will— it gave me magic.”
You Are Not Alone
If you are a Black mom navigating the woes the societal negligence, know that you are not alone. There are plenty of groups advocating for racial equity in maternal health. This includes the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. The group focuses on addressing systemic disparities, promoting policies that improve the well-being of Black mothers, and offering resources to help Black women advocate for their health.
Beyond that, you are your own best advocate. It’s crucial you protect your wellbeing. Curate a social media timeline that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a race against your own body. Decide that you will support your body with whatever it needs. Don’t hold it hostage against expectations that don’t belong to you.