“Being pregnant is in no way, shape or form an under-the-radar kind of experience. After a certain point, people will notice you. And they will make it clear, each in their own way, that they notice you. That level of exposure can be tough to handle — especially when it’s so body-focused,” according to authors Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei in their great book Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby.

People might do everything from asking how much weight you’ve gained (and commenting on whether that’s too much or too little) to asking if you’re having twins to judging what you’re eating to touching your tummy without asking permission.

The best way to deal with all this attention? Create some boundaries!

Whether you have body image issues, disordered eating or are in recovery from an eating disorder, it’s important to recognize your problems and work to resolve them prior to pregnancy or motherhood.

As authors Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei write in their excellent book, Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby*:

If you know you have food and weight issues and you want to go into motherhood prepared to deal with them, that doesn’t mean you’re selfish. It means you’re smart, savvy and self-aware – and we think your kids will thank you for it.

In their book, Mysko and Amadei, who both struggled with and recovered from eating disorders, include a valuable checklist with healthy tips for before and during pregnancy and after your baby’s birth.