Today’s guest is Katie Lamport, RSSW. Katie is a counsellor in private practice in the Barrie, Ontario area. I first met Katie when I started a new job as an addiction’s counsellor. Katie was fully pregnant as a gestational carrier and went on maternity leave a few days later. Katie shared her story of being a gestational carrier in season 1 so check it out. On today’s episode we talk about the impacts of beauty standards and ideals on us in the perinatal period and how we can challenge the impacts of these ideals on us.
You can find Katie on Instagram @katielamportcounselling at https://www.mainstreamtherapy.com and
2:50 - How are body image/weight issues perpetuated in the perinatal period, Katie and Christine’s journey with body image and weight
5:40 – Women being told that we should be tiny, be small and the pressure of chasing the ideal body
11:13 - Coming home to your body
12:00 – Acknowledging patriarchy and capitalism
15:07 – Impact of beauty standards on Katie and Christine’s pregnancies
23:53 – If we stop chasing ideals, could we reach body neutrality? Gratitude, being in awe of having babies
30:12 - Weight gain as the worst possible outcome
34:15 - Pressure to retain a certain image in motherhood
39:15 – Intuitive eating, being present with our bodies as they are now
42:43 – What being a mom means in terms of body image and sexuality and how we chase these ideals
47:54 – What would it look like if we stopped chasing? A framework could look like:
Reconnecting to your body
Be mindful
Learn to trust the self
Sit with the discomfort
1:03:47 – Katie’s poem
Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Body is not an apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
Decolonizing Wellness: A QTBIPOC-Centered Guide to Escape the Diet Trap, Heal Your Self-Image, and Achieve Body Liberation by Dalia Kinsey
You can find Katie on Instagram @katielamportcounselling at https://www.mainstreamtherapy.com and
You can find us at www.perinatalwellbeing.ca on Instagram @perinatalwellbeing_ontario or by email info@perinatalwellbeing.ca
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms discussed in this or any episode please reach out to me at info@perinatalwellbeing.ca and I can help you find support in your area or online.
Check out Postpartum Support International at www.postpartum.net for more information about Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders as well as free online support groups and a provider directory.
You can look for an individual therapist on www.psychologytoday.com .