The Irresponsible Portrayal of the 'Perfect' Pregnant Body
Thursday 30th of May 2013 | Category: Pregnancy News | Written by: Siobhan ThomasThe media have long been held to blame for both men and women having unhealthy and unrealistic ideals of how they should appear both clothed and unclothed. Angry discussion continues daily about the size 6 stick insects touted as beautiful and the condescending articles about women with a fuller figure. Not that they're always that diplomatic of course, and neither is it only women that are targeted - as this cringe-worthy article in The Sun demonstrates.
The endless criticism of celebrities' appearance doesn't stop with their figures of course, their choice of outfits is dissected with utterly uninteresting yet disparaging detail - Carol Vorderman being a prime example this week for committing the sin of wearing a bog-standard looking padded jacket whilst walking in the cold. I'm bored even writing that sentence, it's utter nonsense! This constant stream of criticism is thought to have increased self-confidence issues among the public as well as excessive spending, as people (especially women) attempt to keep up with fashion that they can't always afford.
Pregnant women are targeted in the same way
What people talk about less is the identical damage being done to the ideal image of a pregnant woman's body and clothes.
OK so no pregnant woman expects to maintain a flat stomach for the duration of her pregnancy. But there is a clear indication in the press that a 'good' pregnancy body is one that maintains tiny body proportions with only a swollen belly, and perhaps a perky pregnancy-enhanced cleavage. Varicose veins and swollen ankles have yet to be publicly sported by the likes of Victoria Beckham or Caprice, and yet both are hugely common amongst pregnant women young, old, fat and thin.
Examples of this increasingly warped interpretation of attractive pregnancies are easy to find. This week Halle Berry looks 'radiantly happy' with 'luminous skin' according to the Mail Online, whilst the same publication labels Jessica Simpson as 'happy but huge' and makes pointed remarks about her maternity dress being 'stretched to its limit'.
Whilst I'm not a Kardashian fan, the negative attention that pregnant Kim Kardashian has been getting for her weight gain, flamboyant dress sense and impractical footwear has been consistently harsh. If it was brought down to the lives of ordinary people this running commentary would amount to bullying. The persistent attack on her every public appearance simply reinforces in other pregnant women's minds the idea that your own appearance will be judged harshly by society.
Water off a duck's back?
It is all unintelligent drivel of course, but image is something that many women seriously struggle with. In the same way that a teenager getting to grips with her changing body compare herself to Miley Cyrus or Rihanna, pregnant women are unlikely to skip through the gossip pages when a famous mum-to-be is getting coverage - be it good or bad.
Maternity clothes are quite difficult to find, hard to get right and what's more they're an expensive and short-lived addition to your wardrobe. Dresses that look good at 20 weeks pregnant might look overly stretched and see through by week 30. Maternity t-shirts that flatter your small bump early on can leave you with an exposed belly only a month later if you raise your arms above shoulder height!
Around 50% of women develop varicose veins at some point, and they usually start during pregnancy. Weight gain is often uneven and in lots of cases it is most noticeable around the face. Many pregnant women develop skin problems including pigmentation, stretch marks and acne. Without wishing to paint a monstrous image of pregnancy, other common side effects include leaking breasts, and sweatiness!
The all hailed body beautiful are never portrayed in this way and so yet another area of life is having 'normal' redefined by the ability of digital media to flood our screens with images of the unusual and hard to achieve body types.
Pregnancy is a beautiful stage of a woman's life, but it isn't flawless and being conned into thinking it ought to be is leaving too many women unreasonably disappointed with their own appearance.
About the author
Siobhan Thomas
Siobhan left the corporate world behind when she had her first daughter in 2010. After that she got involved in Mum.co.uk and became Senior Editor in 2012. She now has two little girls and loves being a mum.share this page with friends and family
|
|
|
