Pregnancy Triggered My Body Dysmorphia

Maybe the miracle of life is learning to confront your shadow.

Content note: This essay discusses eating disorders, parental illness, and self-harm.

I wasn’t prepared for pregnancy. Not psychologically, anyway. Sure, I knew my boobs would change. And my skin would become more sensitive. And I’d eventually develop a baby bump. But I didn’t know I’d be sobbing at a maternity store, staving off a panic attack on the dr…