Loving My Postpartum Body

An amazing thing happened after I gave birth to my first child: I was proud of my body, swollen belly and all. I expected I would still look pregnant after I had my baby and I was mighty nervous about how I would feel; what I didn't expect was the peace that came with my changed body. I remember changing into my "going-home" clothes as we were preparing to leave the hospital, and I didn't even try to suck in my belly or hide its bulge by wearing my husband's clothes. (Okay, technically I was wearing his pajama bottoms, but anyone who has had a baby knows how impossibly uncomfortable it is to wear formfitting pants 24 hours after delivery!) When Marshall and I went on a mini-date to the grocery store the following evening, I even joked about whether or not people around us were wondering how far along pregnant I was.

I didn't care.

My body had sustained life for exactly 273 days.

My body had pushed out a beautiful, perfect little girl.

Why should I shame myself into thinking that I needed to bounce right back into my "pre-baby" body? Maybe it is a better idea to praise myself each morning and time I walk past a mirror. Praise the God above and praise my efforts and the miracle of creation.

Now I need to be honest. These feelings of peace and contentment after the baby came lasted continuously for about 3 weeks. During those 3 weeks I had never felt so confident and comfortable in my own skin. This was something I had prayed about feeling again for so many years. I was amazed that I could feel such a thing, even postpartum. During these 3 weeks I also saw huge changes in how my body was healing and how my belly was shrinking so rapidly day by day.

After 3 weeks when my belly stopped shrinking so rapidly, I remember having those nasty thoughts slip into my mind, telling me that I needed to fix my "mom belly" quickly, because Heaven forbid I allow my belly to be a little bit soft. Luckily I have been able to bounce back to the confidence and peace that I felt during the early weeks postpartum, and the outside voices of body shame haven't persisted for longer than a few minutes at a time.

I think it's time we all look into the mirror and praise our bodies for what they do. It doesn't matter if you've had a child or not, if you feel imperfect or you feel spot-on. Tell your body how much you love it and I know it will love you back. Our bodies are gifts from above and it is our responsibility to cherish and appreciate the miracle of life.

Comments

Hoping for a Rainbow

I'm really not sure if I ever thought this day would come. The day that I made it past 13 weeks pregnant without losing the baby. #miracle. I know I am not out of the woods yet, and honestly, when are we really? I am just trying to live every day with gratitude for the life inside of me, living with hope for the future. Part of me wanted to wait until next week, when I was past 14 weeks and officially in the 2nd trimester, but I couldn't wait any longer. I've been getting a little thick in the middle, which is getting more difficult to hide, and I feel like I haven't been able to be completely honest with friends when they would ask, "how are you doing?" All I wanted to talk about was how nauseous I was or how nervous I felt. So now, the news is out, whether or not you already suspected something was up. Seriously though, the 1st trimester is not for the faint of heart! There were many instances when I thought I would lose the baby, but dee

I'm Pregnant! .....

...or so I thought. And you did too. Happy April Fools Day! I had been having baby dreams and feeling nauseous on and off during spring break, and I knew I would test immediately when I returned home from our road trip. The test was barely visible and I didn't believe it, so I said nothing to Marshall. That night I had a dream where the next pregnancy test I took was a solid double line. Well, two days after the first test, I got my obvious positive. I was so excited. Not knowing if it would be a good pregnancy or not, I tested again two days later and the line was darker, so I felt confident. The past two pregnancies I miscarried at approximately 6 or 7 weeks both times, so I was pretty nervous about this one. What if it happened again? Would I be strong enough? Knowing that I needed extra strength and prayers, I asked roughly 40 of our family and closest friends to fast and pray with us on Easter Sunday. That Sunday I was on the top of the world. I felt so strong an

Grandpa is Always Right | Gender Reveal |

I was hanging out in our rental apartment in Salzburg, Austria with my sister when my dad walked out of his bedroom and announced that I was having a girl. I was only 11 weeks along at that point and while I was wishfully hoping for a girl, I was preparing myself for a boy. His strong conviction of the gender of our child without any hints from an ultrasound surprised me. My dad seems to always be right about things, so I secretly hoped he was right this time too. Today during my scan, my favorite sonographer announced that we were having a girl. Grandpa is always right. I never imagined our family starting with a baby boy. I don't know why, but a baby girl seems to fit just perfectly. Now I just have to keep calm and stay healthy for 19 more weeks.

Tender Mercies

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