“Trust yourself and your body”: advice from fat individuals on how to navigate fat fertility, pregnancy, and birth

Weight stigma contributes to healthcare-related stress and can make pregnancy difficult for people in larger bodies who are frequently denied reproductive healthcare treatment or receive poor quality care. Support from similar others – those who have experienced the same stressor – is particularly useful for navigating these challenges. Our goal in this study was to solicit advice from fat individuals who have tried to conceive, been pregnant, or had a baby. Survey responses from 150 people included 225 units of advice. We used content analysis to code the advice into 10 types that fell under three main categories: intrapersonal advice, communication advice, and social support advice. The two most prevalent pieces of advice were to trust yourself and your body (n = 57) and find an inclusive provider (n = 56). Based on our results, we suggest finding fat-affirming and inclusive providers, seeking nourishment rather than a restrictive diet, engaging in joyful movement, and connecting with a community of other fat individuals.