Watching one’s body change dramatically over a matter of months can feel disconcerting. Combine that with a history of disordered eating and body image challenges, and navigating pregnancy and postpartum may feel overwhelming and out of control.
In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with licensed social worker, Catie Lynch, who specializes in eating disorders, body image, and the postpartum period. She has made it her mission to help women stop dieting and find food freedom for themselves and their children. Catie shares tactics to find freedom from disordered eating and body image issues and discover ways to accept, embrace and trust your body during pregnancy and postpartum. She also discusses factors that contribute to the unrealistic expectations for pregnant and postpartum people’s body image.
In this episode you will learn:
- About Catie and what led her to her work with pregnant and postpartum people and disordered eating.
- Catie’s background and story with pregnancy, postpartum, body image challenges and disordered eating.
- What Catie learned from her own experiences that she uses to support her clients
- Pitfalls pregnant and postpartum folks fall prey to in marketing for a “healthy life and clean eating” and how that can actually lead to more controlled eating.
- Factors that contributes to the unrealistic expectations for pregnant and postpartum people’s body image
- The pressure for pregnant people to look a “certain way” and how Catie helps people who may already have fear or discomfort around letting go of control surrounding food and exercise choices.
- Pressure to get back to the “pre-pregnancy body”.
- The top concerns Catie hears from new parents during the postpartum period.
- Ways to encourage pregnant and postpartum people to accept their feelings, trust their body and it’s desired weight, as well as accept the changes it needs to go through to create and birth a child and heal postpartum.
- Traditional care provider’s understanding of nutrition and supporting people with disordered eating.
- Behavioral warnings that someone is heading down a dangerous path.
- One final tip/piece or advice for new and expectant parents.
- Where to find Catie’s work!
About Catie:
Catie Lynch is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in eating disorders, body image, and the postpartum period. She has made it her mission to help women stop dieting and find food freedom for themselves and their children.
Connect with Catie:
- @catielynchlcsw on instagram
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