How to love your body after having a baby (even though it’s hard)
Are you struggling to love your body after a baby? Are you frustrated because you no longer feel like yourself? You are absolutely not alone!
After my pregnancy, everything changed: My tummy stuck out, my boobs and butt sagged, and I had patches of stretch marks all over. As a result, I found myself looking at my “before” pictures…you know those pre-baby pictures when I had little responsibility, lots of sleep, and a few less pounds? It was hard for me to find acceptance for my postpartum body.
I think our culture idolizes this idea of “bouncing back” to our pre pregnancy body, as if that is what we are supposed to do in order to be ourselves again.
I constantly see advertisements pushing products that will help you “lose the baby pooch in 2 weeks” or “Drop the baby weight fast!” or the worst one: “Get your body back after baby!”… We never lost our bodies! They just went through a transformation. We can feel like the world is just expecting us to erase all signs that our body grew a human!
Here is a secret: You can love your body right now – mom bod and all!
If you’re struggling to feel like yourself, here are a few ways you can learn to accept and love your body after having a baby.
Give yourself a break!
You may have heard this line before but it’s true: YOUR BODY CREATED A HUMAN!
Seriously! Let’s put things into perspective.
During pregnancy…
- Your uterus expanded to about 500 times from it’s pre pregnancy size
- Your blood volume doubled
- Your body hormones went on a roller coaster of changes
- Your bones softened
- Your pelvic bone split to widen your hips
- You abdominal muscles split to accommodate your growing baby
- Your organs shifted, you grew a NEW organ
- Then you gave birth, either out your vagina or by having a major surgery!
Your body did all of that and more to bring a beautiful baby into the world! Give yourself and your body a break, because it’s going to take time for your body to recover from all of the huge and amazing things it did.
Stop comparing
Stop comparing yourself to the friend, celebrity, or random person on social media who looks like a supermodel a month after having a baby. They are not you and you are not them. Everybody’s… BODY and circumstances are different. They may be struggling with things that they don’t show to the outside world.
Your physical health and appearance is not a race. With anything in life, you’ll be happier if you focus on your own journey and progress.
Buy new clothes
This step is so important… and often overlooked! Please go shopping and buy yourself some clothes that fit you right now.
Stop looking at your pre-pregnancy clothes and trying to squeeze into those old jeans. It’s just going to frustrate you and make you feel bad about yourself.
Maybe one day you will fit into your pre-pregnancy clothes, maybe not. Either way it’s not going to happen over night! It’s a process. In the meantime, get some closet staples in your current clothing size. You deserve to look good and feel comfortable and confident right now.
Dressing up and looking nice will really help with your mood and confidence. When you feel like yourself, it’s easier to love yourself and your postpartum body.
Take care of your body
I am a firm believer that if you take care of your body, your body will take care of you! Eating well and moving your body is crucial to boosting your mood and confidence.
Eat nutritious foods
Avoid crash dieting, because they are not good for you. It may be tempting because you can see fast weight loss in the beginning, but strict dieting deprives your body of important nutrients which can actually slow your metabolism, lead to rapid weight gain, and hinder your immune system (According to CNN).
Drink plenty of water and eat foods that are nutritious and make you feel good. Be sure that your meals provide proper proteins, vitamins, iron, and hydration to your recovering body.
Exercise
6-8 weeks after birth, your doctor may give you the all-clear to resume normal physical activities. This does NOT mean you’re expected to immediately “bounce back” or start hitting the gym full force (unless you really want to). I think it’s unfair to put pressure on yourself to achieve a lofty fitness goal when you’re still dealing with the stress (and probably sleep deprivation) that comes with taking care of a baby!
However, it is a good idea to slowly include exercise and movement into your daily routine. A little exercise can do wonders to boost your mood, energy, and confidence! Once movement is a part of your daily routine, it becomes addictive.
PRO TIP: Do a workout that will simultaneously entertain your baby baby!
- Go on a daily walk with you baby in the stroller or baby carrier.
- Wear your baby in the carrier while doing a light cardio workout.
- Lay your baby on the ground and do yoga or mat exercises while making faces and interacting with your baby. Here is the “mom+baby home workout” video I started out with:
Do something just for you!
Babies demand a lot of attention. It can feel like your whole life is just serving them… is it any wonder you don’t feel like yourself??
What are a few things that you used to enjoy before having a baby? Maybe it’s painting your nails, reading a novel, baking a new recipe, playing video games, or listening to music.
Every once in a while, try to incorporate a few small things that are just for you! This will help you get back to feeling more like yourself and not JUST a mom.
Loving Your Whole Self is a Process
Learning to love yourself and your postpartum body isn’t a straight line. There will be high points and low points. It’s natural to miss looking a certain way or to want to change things about ourselves, but it doesn’t have to consume us or stop us from appreciating our bodies as they are!
Whatever you do, do it because you WANT TO and because it makes you feel good… not because of societal pressure to “bounce back”.
I hope these tips can help you reframe how you look at yourself in the mirror and help you love and appreciate your amazing body after having a baby!
Share your journey in the comments!
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