Let's talk about body image

Mama, let's begin with you are AMAZING!

We are all told from the beginning that having a baby will be hard work. You will stop sleeping, you will have a permant cuddle partner and you will be more tired than you ever knew was possible.

But something you are not told is just how much your body will change post partum...

Post-Partum Body Image

I'm different, and that deserves to be embraced.

As our children grow older, we begin to see things that cause us concern. Body image is something everybody can feel self-conscious about, but it is definitely something that we as females begin to take notice of from quite a young age.

This article will not delve into the history of feminism. What it will delve into is to remind all of you readers that you have just grown a person inside your body. You literally created life, right there in your tummy! DO NOT be hard on yourself, DO NOT feel as if you have lost your worth, DO NOT care that you look different. 

If you had not sacrificed your body in the short term, your baby wouldn't exist.

It stands to complete reason that as your stomach grows, your skin will stretch. It will become loose, stretch marks are likely to appear and your waist may not be what it once was. Doesn't matter.

Wear your new shape with pride. Don't compare yourself to others. Something to remember is that when a woman is in the public eye, looking a certain way is part of her job. It is not a part of a regular woman's job. If you feel good, that is all that matters.

Stretchmarks

Did you know a massive 90% of women have experienced stretchmarks by their third trimester of pregnancy?¹

You are certianly not alone there mama, and it only makes sense. Sure, there are remedies you can try to smooth that skin back out, but if it's proving too hard or you just don't care? Even better! Wear them proudly as a badge of honour and show the world you are now a mum. There is no medical reason for you to get rid of them. If you will feel better about yourself by trying to get rid of them then please, do try. But otherwise, all you are doing is showing everyone around you tha you have given them the greatest gift possible, your child.

Diastasis recti

Otherwise known as split tummy muscles. It just stands to perfect reason that this is going to happen to you. When a baby has been sitting in your stomach, performing cartwheels and finding the most comfortable position in there right on top of your bladder, it's a tad bit inevitable. Most commonly, a Diastasis Recti will result in a 'pooch' or buldge in your stomach.

Most noticable when you are bending over, your tummy can often look like it is folding into itself. There are excercises you can do to join those muscles back together, but it takes hard work and persistance. And something to note, if you are planning more children those muscles are weaker than they were the first time around, so it can happen again.

But just like with our stretchmarks, once we have kids our flat tummies may just be a thing of the past. And that's okay. That's more than okay. You are not alone and you will not be the last person to ever look this way.

Next, the big one. Literally. Breasts.

Men around the world rejoice right? Sure, it can be a cool thing. All of a sudden your breasts have grown and are fuller and rounder than ever. Fabulous. Sometimes. They can also be too big, become engorged, have leaking nipples and just don't sit right in your bras anymore. One word. NORMAL.

If you are breastfeeding, your boobs will change. You have a baby literally feeding on them, drawing them down. They are soft and tender post-partum, and gravity is just not our friend the older we get. Sometimes, you breasts will return to their original size. Other times, they stay big. Every mum is different and our bodies are amazing because of that. They do what they want because they know what is best for us as women. What works for one may not work for the other.

So whether you love or hate your new breasts, remember what they are actually there for: to produce the liquid gold your baby will be forever grateful to you for supplying them!

And a final overall mention

To us as women in general. If you look and feel different, it's because you are. Where you were once just you, you are now both you and Mum. Your little baby won't be little forever. Starving yourself and undertaking heavy excercise to get back to how you were before won't do your mental wellbeing OR your breastmilk supply any favours. Just enjoy this time your time with your baby. They won't be little forever and you will blink and off they'll go to school. 

There is plenty of time to get your body back, but in all honestly, don't do it if you don't want to. Your post-pregnancy glow is there, internally, externally, mentally and emotionally. If you notice a roundess to your waist that wasn't there before, some jiggle in your thighs and breasts that feel ready to explode at any moment, it's okay. It really is. Because you are you.

You've got this Mama 💛