Hear from Beyond's eating disorder therapists and eating disorder dietitians about relevant topics related to eating disorders, diet-culture, feeding children, and mental health topis!

As my daughter’s first birthday approaches, I’ve found myself revisiting memories I thought I had moved past. What started as lingering a little longer at bedtime turned into realizing how deeply my nervous system still remembers my postpartum preeclampsia readmission and the trauma of being separated from my newborn days after birth. A personal reflection on postpartum trauma, milestone anniversaries, and maternal mental health.

That innocent relationship with the body is so completely different from the way adults are inundated with messages about their bodies day in and day out. Babies enter the world without harsh inner critics or body shame. But it doesn’t take long for the outside world to start interfering.

Every time you leave an appointment with the message that your body is the problem, something happens internally. Self-doubt creeps in.Self-blame grows louder.You begin to wonder if your body is fundamentally wrong.

Motherhood and postpartum mental health can feel overwhelming, especially when we feel pressure to have it all together. This blog explores how hiding the mess, emotionally and physically, can increase anxiety and isolation, and how honesty and connection can support mental well-being. Because the truth is, we all have a junk drawer.

Weight stigma tells us, explicitly and implicitly, that you must be a certain weight to have an eating disorder. That eating disorders, particularly anorexia, only exist in one kind of body: thin, frail, and easily recognizable from a Hollywood montage. Body size is often used as a diagnostic shortcut: larger bodies are assumed to binge, while smaller bodies are assumed not to, resulting in significant under-screening and misdiagnosis.

Most folxs are inherently compassionate, but mostly toward others and usually less often towards themselves. They find themselves being their worst critic, and speaking to themselves in a way they would never even speak to their worst enemy. Self-compassion is turning that compassion you possess for others inwards. When we act in self-compassion, we are treating and speaking to ourselves in a way in which we would a good friend.

Postpartum is beautiful, exhausting, overwhelming… and honestly? Really complicated when it comes to body image. As a body-image and perinatal therapist — and now a second-time mom with a five-year age gap — I wrote a brand-new blog about the unexpected emotions, identity shifts, and cultural pressure to “bounce back.” If you’ve ever looked at your postpartum reflection and thought, “I don’t feel like myself,” this one’s for you.

The impact goes beyond the plate. Adults with ARFID often share that they avoid work lunches or networking events, feel anxious about parties or coffee dates, and struggle with family gatherings where food is central.

As parents, most of us want the same thing: to raise kids who feel comfortable in their bodies, take care of themselves, and treat others with respect. But in a culture obsessed with dieting, weight, and appearance, this can feel tricky especially if you notice your child’s body doesn’t look like the “ideal” we constantly see in the media.