Nell Hudson

Nell Hudson Instagram – I want to discuss the pervasiveness of the thinness bullshit as it relates to pregnancy and having a child. So. Image 1 versus Image 2.
When I entered treatment for an eating disorder a long time ago I said to a therapist (only half joking) “I feel like if I had a baby I’d be fine” and she joked back, quite rightly, “yes that’s why we prescribe for all our clients to have babies”. HOWEVER. I was onto a thing…
I’ve heard lots of women talk about falling in love with their body when pregnant because they felt so in awe of what it could do. For me, it didn’t happen when I was pregnant. At the time this picture was taken I thought it was a lovely image but I thought I looked too big. Out of proportion. Not beautiful. I would have chosen to post the second image because in a FUCKED UP way I felt I looked more “skinny pregnant”. What the fuck even is that!?? what is “too big” when pregnant??
I never thought of myself as a particularly impressionable person.
Do you?
Ask yourself: do I believe I look “better” thinner? Why?
Sorry but this is the hill I will die on. (Not least because there is an actual economic curve worldwide that correlates FEMALE thinness with higher income.) We are force fed, like geese bred for foie gras, images of thinness as beauty. Even and including pregnant thinness. I’m very embarrassed to admit but until two months ago, despite knowing intellectually that thinner does not equal better, I would still see pictures of myself at my smallest and, though I knew it didn’t make me happy, I would think “fuck I did look better though.” Not anymore.
I have never felt more confident, healed, beautiful, whole, amazing and actually just NOT FUSSED about how my body looks. It happened after I gave birth, not before. And it might be partly because I had a daughter and I look at her chubby little thighs and I think YES HOW PERFECT CHUBBY THIGHS!!!
Yes, shmush my upper arm against my body look at the flesh! Instead of always sticking it out at an angle to look thinner. Yes my head looks too small for my body how endearing. Yes I grew a 9lb baby but my bum, whilst large, is still somehow completely flat 😂
Hooray. Hooray for my healthy beautiful body. | Posted on 03/Oct/2025 16:17:13