Postpartum Beauty

I know it is very hard for women to love their bodies after baby comes.  It's one thing to have pudge here and there while pregnant because it's expected, but after that baby comes out it better be all gone, right?  There is a whole closet full of clothing that you are dying to get back into.  If you had a spring baby its even more important you get it off because swim suite season is coming.  The list of postpartum body expectations is endless and adds that much more stress to a new mom.  New mom bodies are gorgeous! They are rounded and developed in ways that only a woman who has given birth can lay claim to.

It takes near a year to gestate a human life. A year of emotional and physical changes. For me, both of my pregnancies have been the fastest months of my life.  One day you are squealing over the second line on that test and almost overnite you welcoming a new person into the world. After the baby comes though, we stop counting our weeks.  We start counting the baby's weeks.  The attention shifts from pregnant beauty to postpartum horror.  Not enough time is spent on looking at the wonders left behind on a new mother's body.

Yes, you have excess weight. Fat. Pudge. Cellulite. Whatever you want to call it, its there.  And it might be there to stay for a bit.  Your body gained that for a reason.  You need healthy reserves to feed your baby. Your body will draw from this foundation of fat reserves whenever it needs for the health of your baby.The average woman NEEDS 21-32% body fat to function normally(and that's non pregnant).  This is the body's way of ensuring the health of the next generation.  Don't fret if the extra pounds stick around a while, it's a simple insurance policy.  You didn't gain it overnite.  It's going to take time to lose it.  Enjoy your curves.

You've got stretch marks? That's ok! Yes they may seem red and purple and horrid right now, but they will lighten and always be a reminder of the journey you and your baby had.  No one else can share those with you.  They are are yours.  Every mark is different and unique.  There is a beautiful poem featured on Birth Without Fear about stretch marks.  It may take you time to love them, but you will with time. Don't feel ashamed, or hide.  Your husband won't find them ugly either.  They will serve as reminder to him about what your body did to provide a child to your family. I promise you that.

You've got awesome boobs!! They are probably the biggest they have ever been.  Maybe not so awesome for some (like me).  But they are doing wonderful things 24/7 to nourish your new bundle. They make food perfectly.  They comfort, they sooth, they are amazing.  Breasts are probably the easiest thing to get used to after baby.

Your body will absolutely NEVER be the same as it was before pregnancy.  Period.  I won't even try to sugar coat that.  But it doesn't mean your body is bad, worse than before or something to feel embarrassed or ashamed of.  Your body should be envied because it did something that is truly magical and life changing.  You are a mother now, maybe for the first time or the 5th time.

Motherhood is HARD work.  It's physically and mentally demanding.  There is a lot to worry about, things to do and at times you will be a crazy ball of stress and emotions. Don't let postpartum body issues be one of those things you feel you need to worry about.  You are beautiful with your extra weight, stretch marks, crazy breasts and anything else you worry about.  Don't compare yourself to rich and famous moms who use their bodies to make money. Shape wear is uncomfortable! Plus, think of the amount of stress they put themselves under, do you really want to live like that?  I didn't think so.