Synopses & Reviews
"How much weight will I gain--and how fast can I lose it?"
"Will my partner still want to have sex with me after watching the birth?"
"How do I handle the know-it-alls, judges, and Space Invaders?"
"Will I end up wearing Mom jeans forever?"
People might tell you you're glowing, but you just feel like you're growing, and perhaps you're not liking--or even recognizing--the changing image you see in the mirror. If you're like most expectant women, you're worried about what pregnancy and motherhood will do to your body, your sexuality, and your self-esteem (even if you don't want to admit it out loud for fear of the Bad Mommy Police). While the journey to motherhood is truly miraculous and brings forth life, it can also bring forth a myriad of legitimate concerns.
Enter beauty activists Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei, who reveal a much-needed forewarning on what to expect from your changing body, as well as a reality check for each stage of your pregnancy, exposing the myths, challenges, and insecurities you'll face throughout pregnancy and beyond--and what to do about them. From candid interviews with more than 400 women and men, as well as their own experiences, Claire and Magali help you discover:
- How you can learn to trust your changing body, appreciate it, and yes...even work it!
- Why you should be wary of the Hollywood "bump watch" and post-baby weight loss stories- and how to take the focus off the scale
- How to deal with your raging hormones--in the bedroom and beyond
- The truth, the lies, and sure-fire fixes for sagging skin, acne, stretch marks, and boobs that continue to defy gravity
- How to recognize when your body issues get extreme--and how to get help
With startling confessions of women's unspoken fears and advice on how to remedy them, this essential compendium of girl-friendly advice will help champion any woman to feel her best about her body, herself, and her role as a mom.
Synopsis
Studies show that a growing number of women (88%) are entering pregnancy with a stressor that no one talks about'"the very real fear of what pregnancy and motherhood will do to their bodies and their self-esteem.
Claire Mysko and Magali Amadeïknow firsthand. Magali was one of the first models to go public with her bulimia struggle, and Claire is a renowned body image expert who served as the director of the American Anorexia Bulimia Association. Together they formed Inside Beauty, an outreach program to give women a healthy beauty reality check. From working with supermodels to soccer moms, they realized the void of information that prepares women for how pregnancy and ensuing motherhood will affect their self-esteem, body image, sexuality, and beauty routines.
While some may scoff that such superficial concerns as stretch marks and scars pale in comparison to the miracle of birth, there are serious consequences when women don't confront their beauty and body issues beforetaking the plunge into motherhood. Insecurities that go unaddressed can make for unhappy moms, directly impacting how women feel about themselves, and their ability to bond with their babies and husbands.
Magali and Claire reveal the most prevalent challenges and insecurities most women face'"as well as their own. Will women be forced to permanently incorporate elastic waistbands into their wardrobes? How can women stop the barrage of strangers from rubbing their pregnant bellies?What do the stars do to camouflage sagging skin? And is foreplay actually possible while you're lactating? With stories and tips from other moms (including celebrities), the authors will help any woman find her own "beauty-baby balance,"offering expert advice to make her feel her best--mind, body, and spirit. These authors have the answers'"in the expert, yet compassionate, voice that every woman needs to hear.
Synopsis
In a time of "Celebrity Bump Watches" and "Mommy Makeover" plastic surgeries at four weeks post partum, Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? is the only practical guide that will get women talking honestly about taboo topics--how pregnancy and motherhood negatively impacts a woman's sense of beauty, sexuality, and body image, offering advice to help women feel and look their best.
About the Author
Claire Mysko is an internationally recognized expert on the issues facing women and girls today. As the director of the American Anorexia Bulimia Association, she oversaw outreach programs and managed the organization's hotline. She was the Executive Editor of SmartGirl and served as the Assistant Director of Communications at Girls Incorporated, the organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Her book for tween girls, Girls Inc. Presents: You're Amazing! A No-Pressure Guide to Being Your Best Self, was published by Adams Media in 2008. Claire has an MA in Gender Studies from the New School for Social Research. Her website (clairemysko.com) was recently named one of the top seven websites about 'all things girl' by Shaping Youth.Magali Amadeï has appeared on the covers and pages of every major fashion magazine in the world, including Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar. Her international advertising campaigns include Banana Republic, L'Oreal, Pantene, and Dove. As a result of her battle with and victory over bulimia, Magali became the world's first top model to tour nationally and tell her story on behalf of an eating disorders organization. In 2005, she gave birth to a daughter. Magali recently appeared in Sex and the City: The Movie. Her essays are published in Feeding the Fame: Celebrities Tell Their Real-Life Stories of Eating Disorders and Recovery (Hazelden, 2006) and If I'd Known Then: Women In Their 20s and 30s Write ïLetter to Their Younger Selves (Da Capo, 2008).