Today on The Mag we have Jen McLellan. Jen is the founder of the extremely popular website Plus Size Birth, host of Plus Size Mommy Podcast, certified childbirth educator and mom of one. Learn more about Jen and her business, why plus size representation in pregnancy and motherhood is so important, some of her favorite small businesses and more!

Jen McLellan, Founder of Plus Size Birth

Introduce yourself, your family and your brand.

Hi, my name is Jen McLellan, and I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with my husband Chris and our ten-year-old son, Braeden. Fun fact - I can't spell Albuquerque without spell check, and we've lived here three years. In 2010, when I was pregnant with Braeden, everything I read online led me to believe that I couldn't have a healthy outcome because I'm plus size.

Instead of believing what I read, I was proactive with my nutrition, fell in love with water aerobics, hired a doula, and switched care providers as well as medical facilities. I had a completely healthy pregnancy and gave birth on my knees - take that Google!

As I was settling into parenthood, I had this nagging feeling that I wanted to tell my story. Surely, I wasn't the first plus size person to have a healthy pregnancy outcome, even though Google made me feel that way. So in April of 2011, I started blogging about plus size pregnancy. That decision changed my life forever!

Nearly a decade later, my Plus Size Birth site has received over six million page views. From the New York Times to Glamour, my work has appeared in major publications, and I'm the host of the Plus Mommy Podcast.

As a certified childbirth educator, I get to spend every day supporting people and encouraging them to believe their bodies are capable of magnificent things. I'm so lucky!

What is Plus Size Birth's mission and why is plus size representation in pregnancy/motherhood so important?

Here's the mission of Plus Size Birth - Plus Size Birth promotes evidence-based information and positive resources to empower healthy decision making for plus size people who are either trying to conceive or currently pregnant. By sharing personal stories, inspiring images, and practical strategies, pregnancy for people of size becomes normalized.

Why is it important?

Over 60% of women in their childbearing years are classified as overweight or obese. Yet, as I shared, most of the information online is incredibly negative. Studies show care provider bias against people of size exists, and the cesarean birth rate is astronomical for those with a BMI over 40. There's also such a lack of representation of plus size people during pregnancy from pregnancy magazines to birth professional's websites.

When I was pregnant, I remember spending hours on Google Images searching to see someone with a body like mine pregnant. Sharing stunning plus size pregnancy images on Instagram and throughout my website is so important to me. Beyond images, I'm also honored to have a collection of plus size birth stories on my website!

Circling back to my mission, by sharing all of these evidence-based resources and images, I help plus size parents to feel less alone and more empowered!

Given that there's lots of misinformation on plus size pregnancy, do you have a guide that can help women navigate their questions? What are some topics it covers?

I do! After doing this work for so many years, I get asked the same set of questions repeatedly.

The first question is where people can find plus size maternity clothes. The options available aren't much better today than they were when I was pregnant. But, you bet I've research high and low to find the best
options available.

The second question I get asked most often is how people can connect with a size-friendly health care provider. Sadly, it's common for plus size people to have a history of being mistreated by the medical community.

I answer those questions and so much more via the My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide and audiobook.

My work has always been about sharing evidence-based, compassionate resources. I not only talk about the increased risks plus size people face during pregnancy but what our actual risk is (hint: it's much lower than media outlets led you to believe). And then, I go a step further by focusing on how to be proactive with your wellness throughout pregnancy.

I also dive into topics you don't hear about often, like embracing your changing body during pregnancy. It's common for plus size people to have a belly that's shaped more like a B during pregnancy than a D - and that's perfectly okay!

From how to embrace your body to having a healthy plus size pregnancy - the My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide covers it all!

Name up to three small businesses that you admire?

I'm so thankful for the resources Evidence Based Birth puts out into the world. The reality is a lot of harm is done during pregnancy to people of all sizes. The maternal mortality rates for Black women are heartbreaking! It's hard to know where to find information to help make decisions throughout your pregnancy and birth. Evidence Based Birth is a resource I recommend all the time!

Another resource I talk about often is a podcast from a mental health professional - Dr. Kat of Mom and Mind. I'm so thankful that talking about maternal mental health is far less taboo. Dr. Kat provides so many helpful resources delivered in a way that makes you feel welcome to get mental health support. She takes a lot of the fear out of a topic that can be scary, especially during pregnancy and postpartum.

Lastly, I recently connected with Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins, an OB-GYN who has a popular podcast. I also recommend her online childbirth education courses. She's a size-friendly care provider with a passion for helping first-time parents.

And finally, where can we find you?

I'd love to connect! For all things plus size pregnancy and trying to conceive, you can find me at Plus Size Birth on Instagram and Facebook. And of course, the Plus Size Birth website!

I spend most of my time on Plus Mommy Instagram stories (I might have a problem). You get a whole lot of Jen, and no topic is off-limits! If you prefer Facebook, you can join my page with a community of over 178,000 plus size parents. I often do Lives on Saturday evenings with special guests.

Last but not least, if you enjoy listening to podcasts, I hope you'll check out the Plus Mommy Podcast. The tagline is from bumps to bellies, we talk about it all! I interview guests ranging from body positive activists, writers, actors, birth professionals, to moms.

And to answer what you might be thinking, no, I don't sleep much, but I love what I do!

Thanks for spending this time with me, and I hope to connect with you soon.