156. Women's Hormones, Body Image, and Facts with Dr. Esther Rollhaus

Understanding Disordered Eating: Eating Disorder Recovery and Body Image Healing

Picture this: you’re 18, your body is one way. Then you blink, and suddenly you’re navigating a new shape, new rules, and oh, a closet that betrays you every step of the way. What gives?

Hormones give, my friend. And they’re running the show.

Today’s episode is the reality check you might be looking for.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Esther Rollhous, She’s a reproductive psychiatrist who’s here to unpack the hormonal chaos—er, beautiful journey—we all endure. From the sneaky effects of estrogen on your brain to the “Oh, my hips just widened forever” postpartum revelation, she’s breaking it all down. Dr. Rollhous is bringing both science and empathy to help us reset those expectations and maybe—just maybe—make peace with our ever-evolving forms.

Tweetable Quotes

"Your body is different. It will probably be bigger, maybe a different shape completely. And that is expected." - Rachelle Heinemann

"To expect to have the same or similar body to what we had when we were 18 or 19 years old is absolutely bonkers." - Rachelle Heinemann

"The reproductive system is not essential to survival. When the body is in a calorie deficit, it's going to prioritize living over reproducing." - Dr. Esther Rollhaus

"Pregnancy literally remodels your brain, with some changes lasting up to two years postpartum." - Dr. Esther Rollhaus

"Snapback is a really toxic expectation to have of women, not acknowledging the tremendous change their bodies and identities have undergone." - Dr. Esther Rollhaus

"Moms want to do everything they can for the baby, but sometimes this leads to disordered eating." - Dr. Esther Rollhaus

"The healthier the mom is, the healthier the baby and the pregnancy will be." - Dr. Esther Rollhaus

Resources

Dr. Esther Rollhaus’ website: https://www.childandfamilypsychiatry.com/

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