Her Pregnancy Generated Tons Of Questions And Comments
It’s bad form to comment on the size of a woman’s baby bump, but people still do it. A mom-to-be is all too familiar with this phenomenon. Her unusual pregnancy has elicited a few ignorant comments, so she’s setting the record straight.
A Chronic Condition
All her life, Yiota had suffered extremely painful periods. In fact, last year she had a period so painful, she threw up then passed out from the pain. She went to the doctor who diagnosed her with severe endometriosis.
What Is Endometriosis?
In this chronic condition, the tissues that were supposed to line her womb were growing on the outside of her uterus. When that tissue broke down, it had no place to exit the body, leading to the development of scar tissue.
A Miracle Baby
Because this condition interfered with her ability to get pregnant, Yiota decided to undergo a surgery that would remove the scar tissue, thus giving her a shot at starting her own family. Sure enough, the procedure worked like a charm.
Baby’s Growing, But Mama’s Not
Just because the surgery allowed Yiota to get pregnant, that doesn’t mean it was the end of her problems. After Yiota found out she was having a baby, she was thrilled, but something was off. Her stomach wasn’t growing very much.
Thrown Off Kilter
As it turns out, Yiota’s endometriosis wasn’t done with her yet. Because of her condition, for the first four months of her pregnancy, Yiota’s uterus was tilted, which meant that her womb was growing backward into her body.
Her Small Figure Caused Envy
As a result, for the first few months of her pregnancy, Yiota barely showed at all. Her tiny bump was a wonder to her many Instagram followers, with some people commenting about how they wished they looked like that.
The Envious Comments Rolled In
“Dude…this is me after I have lunch. HOW! Is this possible,” wrote one commenter. “Can’t wait to be 6 months pregnant one day and look like this,” wrote another.
A Bunch Of Doubting Thomases
Other commenters weren’t so complimentary. Some questioned whether she was really pregnant at all while others took to mom-shaming her for having such a petite figure while pregnant.
Negativity Doesn’t Suit Them
“She ain’t pregnant she just ate a large combo,” one woman wrote.
“This woman is 4 months pregnant…? Where?” questioned another.
Putting An End To The Questions
In order to shed some light on her condition, and to avoid people developing unhealthy body image based on what they think a pregnant woman usually looks like, Yiota shared the details of her pregnancy struggles.
Laying It All Out
“I want to explain a few things about my body. Not that I’m upset/affected by these comments at all, but more for the reason of educating in the hope that some people are less judgemental of others and even themselves,” she wrote.
Not Your Normal Pregnancy
“For the first 4 months of my pregnancy, my uterus was tilted which means that I was growing backward into my body. Most people with this type of uterus tilt forward at around 12 weeks and continue growing outwards like normal.”
Things Eventually Went Back To Normal
“My uterus didn’t ‘flip forward’ until well into being 4 months pregnant because of the backward tilted position paired with decades old endometriosis scarring that I have on my uterosacral ligaments,” she wrote on Instagram.
The Nitty, Gritty Details
“Basically, these ligaments are acting like anchors keeping my uterus ‘inside’ rather than ‘outside,’ which is why I appeared smaller than most people for the first 4 or 5 months. Now I’m growing forwards just like everyone else.”
Even More Information
“My torso is also short and my stomach is naturally toned which is keeping my belly super tight, so I’ve had to stop all ab exercises to avoid any issues with possible ab separation. This is for me personally, as instructed by my doctor.”
Spreading Body Positivity
While reassuring her followers, Yiota had a wonderful message for them. “I’m perfectly healthy, baby is perfectly healthy and that’s all that matters. Our bodies and bumps are all different and our shapes and sizes are all different too.”
Every Body Is Wonderfully Different
Just because Yiota carries one way while pregnant does not mean that it’s the best or only way for a woman to carry their baby. Pregnancy is different for every woman, so there’s no use in trying to hold yourself up to some impossible standard.
Despite Difficulties, Both Mom And Baby Are Doing Just Fine
Now she’s six months pregnant and is growing outward as normal. Both mom and baby are perfectly healthy. Yiota, who is having a baby boy, is expecting her bundle of joy in January 2018. Congrats and good luck to the little family!