Hey mamas! This one's for you. I recently read a blog post written by a mama of triplets (God bless her) and it really touched my heart. I just have to say this because I've come across too many of my friends who feel the same way about their bodies. There are so many stereotypes of what women should look like after having a baby(s). We see celebrities give birth and two weeks later they have 6 pack abs and full hair and makeup again. H O W. I N. T H E. W O R L D. I'll never understand. Seriously though I'm baffled. After having the twins, I could barely walk down the hall or take a shower by myself let alone do my hair and makeup. Who has time for that anyways? I don't think I got into my old beauty routine until the boys were about 8 months old.
Eating right, exercising and all those healthy decisions during pregnancy absolutely help in getting your pre-baby bod back, but come on...It still takes time. It's NOT magic. And trust me if someone had a bottle of that they would be gazillionaires right about now.
Women have this unrealistic idea of what they should look like as soon as they pop that sweet baby out. When they get out of bed for the first time and look at their empty stomach, they're disappointed to see that they still look about 6-7 months pregnant. Of course they do! Our bodies were stretched out for 9-10 months. Just because baby, fluid and placenta leave, doesn't mean it magically flattens itself out again.
No wonder so many mamas (especially young first time mamas) feel so down or depressed after bringing baby home. We're tired, exhausted, hungry and feel like a cash cow. Either changing diapers, nursing, or trying to calm a fussy baby. There's hardly any time in that equation to work out. Hell, half the time we can't even remember to eat or drink water like we should.
So if it takes you a few months, a year, or year and a half to lose that baby weight THAT'S OKAY. I repeat THAT IS OKAY! Own your postpartum bodies ladies because you did something truly magical. You created life! In my case I created two at the same time.
It took me months to realize that. I struggled for the longest time with my self image after delivering the twins. I also suffered from postpartum depression, which didn't help at all. I looked in the mirror and cried more than just a few times. I refused to look at myself after a shower and always wanted to be covered up. I didn't even want my husband to look at me. Why was I ashamed? Because I didn't have the tight 6 pack abs I had before babies?
I realize now that that was an absurd way of thinking. Why was I so hard on myself? Because I kept seeing all these other moms with ripped abs and celebrities who "bounced back" so quickly. I kept wondering why I hadn't. I HAD TWINS. My body is different than theirs, different from yours. We're all different, but we're all beautiful! We're all mamas. So stop shaming each other AND yourself.
Love your postpartum bodies ladies! Remember the miracle(s) you created and gave life to. Show your battle scars with pride. All the tiger stripes and loose skin is worth it in the end. You'll eventually reach your fitness goals, but don't be hard on yourself. Focus on being healthy on the inside and everything else will follow.
Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, focus on how you fuel your body! Focus on being strong and healthy. Have an amazing weekend my loves!
Here's my postpartum journey from delivery until now. I used to cringe at these photos, but now I look at them with a smile, seeing how far I've come and how amazing my body is.
