Pregnancy & Weight Gain: A Journey of Growth, Grace, and Acceptance
Pregnancy changes us in ways we can’t always prepare for. It is beautiful, transformative, emotional, and deeply physical. One of the most noticeable changes is weight gain, and I want to talk about it openly, honestly, and without shame.
I personally gained 65 pounds during my pregnancy. And at first, I struggled and felt embarrassed.
I was used to feeling strong, toned, and familiar with my body. Suddenly, my reflection looked different. The scale changed. The way I moved changed. Activities that use to be easy to perform were now extremely difficult or felt impossible to complete. My energy levels diminished. I felt like I was adjusting to a new version of myself every single day.
But over time, I learned something powerful:
My body wasn’t losing control — it was doing exactly what it needed to support life. 🌱
Why Weight Gain During Pregnancy Happens 🧡
Weight gain during pregnancy is not “extra weight.” It is not something to fight, fear, or control. It is intentional biology—your body responding in the most intelligent way to support new life. Every pound gained during pregnancy has a purpose.
Your body is building:
A whole human 👶 — tiny bones, organs, eyelashes, a beating heart.
The placenta — your baby’s lifeline for nourishment and oxygen.
Increased blood volume — nearly 50% more blood to support both you and your baby.
Amniotic fluid — the warm, cushioned environment where your baby grows.
Breast tissue — preparing your body to feed and nourish your newborn.
Energy reserves — protective stored fuel for labor, birth, and the early postpartum phase.
This weight is not fat in the way we’ve been conditioned to fear it.
It’s structure. It’s support. It’s nourishment. It’s life-giving.
Your body is not “letting itself go.”
Your body is stepping up, working harder than ever before, and protecting both you and your baby in ways that are incredibly complex and miraculous.
This is not a loss of control —
It is your body doing exactly what it is designed to do.
You are not failing.
You are building.
Your weight gain is:
✨ Functional
✨ Intelligent
✨ Necessary
Your body is not abandoning you—
It is advocating for you and your baby every single day. 💖
My Journey Toward Acceptance 🌿
There were days when I felt uncomfortable in my own skin.
Days where the mirror felt unfamiliar.
Days where I put on clothes that used to fit and felt that sting of frustration.
There were moments when I questioned why my body needed to change so much and moments where I cried because I didn’t feel like “me.”
Pregnancy doesn’t just grow a baby — it stretches you too.
Your identity.
Your sense of control.
Your relationship with your body.
And in that stretching, I had to learn to slow down and listen.
I had to remind myself:
✨ This is temporary.
✨ This is sacred.
✨ This is a season, not a forever.
Pregnancy asks us to release the version of ourselves we were in order to make space for the version of ourselves we are becoming. It teaches us to soften where we once pushed, to trust where we once controlled, and to receive care where we once only gave it.
And that trust?
It becomes a new kind of strength — not the strength of toned muscles or willpower or discipline, but the strength of surrender. The strength of patience. The strength of holding your changing body with love instead of resistance.
I learned that I didn’t need to love every moment or every physical change to honor what my body was doing. Acceptance didn’t happen all at once — it came in small, quiet reassurances:
Placing my hand on my belly and breathing deeply
Choosing clothes that felt comfortable instead of “proving a point”
Allowing myself to rest without guilt
Reminding myself daily: I am growing life. That matters.
Pregnancy asked me to trust my body, maybe for the first time in a deeper way.
And as I leaned into that trust, I realized:
I was not losing myself —
I was becoming more of myself.
Give Yourself Grace Through the Changes 🤍
There may be moments where you look in the mirror and don’t recognize the person staring back.
Moments where your body feels foreign — heavier, rounder, softer.
Moments where swelling makes even the simplest movements uncomfortable.
And moments where the emotional weight of these changes feels just as heavy as the physical ones.
If you have felt:
Heavier than you thought you would
More swollen or puffy than you expected
Out of control of the changes happening
Or disconnected from your body entirely
You are not alone.
So many women experience these exact feelings — they are valid, real, and deeply human.
And most importantly: There is nothing wrong with you.
Your body is not malfunctioning.
Your body is not working against you.
Your body is responding to pregnancy in the exact way it is designed to.
You are doing something extraordinary — you are building and sustaining life.
Your body is expanding, stretching, and prioritizing your baby’s health and your own survival at the same time. This is one of the most powerful and sacred physical processes a human body can experience.
This is not a time for shrinking, restricting, or forcing your body into old shapes.
This is a time for:
✨ Support — choosing movements and nourishment that help you feel steadier and energized
✨ Nourishment — eating foods that help you and your baby grow strong and healthy
✨ Compassion — speaking to yourself gently, without judgment or pressure
Pregnancy is a season of becoming, not of maintaining or performing.
Your job is not to manage how your body looks —
Your job is to care for the life inside you and the life within you.
Give yourself grace.
Give yourself space.
Give yourself tenderness.
You deserve softness too. 🤍
Healthy Ways to Support Yourself During Pregnancy 🥗🚶♀️🧘♀️
Focus on support, not control.
Eat balanced meals with good protein + whole foods
Move gently: walking, prenatal strength, stretching, yoga
Drink water + rest when you need to
Journal or meditate to stay emotionally grounded
Surround yourself with people who honor your journey
This is about caring for you — not battling your body. ✨
Planning for Postpartum (With Love + Realism) 🌙
You do not need to “bounce back but you can prepare for the day you feel ready to reconnect with your fitness and wellness goals. Your body is not a project that needs to be restored to a previous version of itself, and you are not on a strict deadline. The idea of “bouncing back” suggests that the goal is to erase the pregnancy, to return to who you were before, to pretend this transformation didn’t happen. But pregnancy changes you — physically, emotionally, spiritually — in ways that are meant to be honored, not reversed.
Healing and reconnecting with your body is not about speed — it’s about alignment. There will come a moment, sometimes weeks postpartum, sometimes months, sometimes longer, where you feel a spark again — a readiness. A curiosity. A desire to move. Not because you dislike your body, but because you want to feel strong, balanced, and supported in it for yourself and your new baby.
When that time comes, I’m here to support you through:
Destination Fitness Life At-Home Training Programs 🏡💪
Designed specifically for moms and individuals with changing schedules. Our 12-Week Training Program Group Sessions are designed to help you transform your fitness, boost your confidence, and reach your personal health goals with expert guidance and a supportive, uplifting community. This program combines science-based training with compassionate coaching and structure that adapts to real life—so you always feel supported, never overwhelmed.
What’s Included in the 12-Week Program:
✅ Weekly virtual support + accountability meetings
✅ A professionally structured 12-week training program that's easy to follow and adjust
✅ Nutrition plans created by state-certified dietitians using the glycemic index framework
✅ Full access to our exercise video library
✅ Printable workout planner + food journal PDFs
✅ Expert coaching from a certified personal trainer with over a decade of weight loss experience
→ 1-on-1 Coaching
If you prefer a more personalized approach, I also offer our signature 12 Week Training Program with Private 1 on 1 Sessions. The 12-Week Private Sessions Program offers a fitness experience tailored to your individual goals, schedule and needs. You'll receive all of the expert resources of our 12 Week Group Sessions with the added benefit of one on one coaching and private weekly check ins.
🌺 Learn More About Upcoming Training Programs or Join Here:
https://destinationfitness.life/communitygroups
New challenge groups begin each quarter so whenever you're ready, I'm here to help you. Remember to sign up for our newsletter so you receive updates on upcoming challenge groups.
It’s not:
“I have to lose this weight.”
“I need to look like I did before.”
It’s:
“I want to feel at home in my body again.”
“I want to rebuild my strength slowly, intelligently and lovingly.”
“I want to move because it makes me feel good.”
That is the energy we honor. 🌿 So instead of planning a bounce back, we prepare for a reconnection:
Gentle strengthening of core + pelvic floor
Restoring posture and breath
Building stability before intensity
Prescribed Science based Strength, Cardio & Flexibility Workouts
Integration of Yoga for Physical, Spiritual & Emotional Health
Choosing movement based on energy, not obligation
Progressing gradually and intentionally
Honoring where YOU are in your fitness and wellness journey
This isn’t about erasing your journey — it’s about integrating it.
Your body is not going backward.
You’re moving forward, into your next chapter — stronger, wiser, and more deeply connected to yourself than ever before. ✨
A Final Reminder From My Heart to Yours 💛
Your body is not "ruined."
Your beauty has not faded.
Your strength has not disappeared.
You are becoming.
You are expanding.
You are holding life — and that is powerful beyond measure. ✨
This season is temporary.
Your self is still here.
And when you’re ready, I’ll help you come home to her. 🤍
- Crystal Pergola
