As your belly starts to show, something shifts — not just in your body, but in how others see you. People may smile, ask questions, or touch your stomach without asking. Suddenly your body feels less private. For many, it brings both pride and vulnerability.

Pregnancy turns the body from something personal into something shared. You’re no longer just carrying yourself — you’re carrying a life, and that makes you visible in a new way. For some, it feels powerful; for others, exposing. Both feelings are valid.

The brain needs time to adjust to this. Hormones can distort perception — you might feel heavy, swollen, or unfamiliar in your own skin, even while knowing your body is doing something miraculous.

Self-image in pregnancy is fluid. It moves between pride and discomfort, between individuality and connection. There’s no right balance — only the one that feels honest today.

Alma’s advice:

• Protect your boundaries — your body is still yours.

• See changes as evidence of strength, not loss.

• Look at yourself without judgement sometimes — simply to meet the person you are becoming.

Your body hasn’t changed away from you. It’s changing with you — and for the life you hold.