Postpartum body

How do you embrace it?

When I became pregnant, I thought about what my baby will look like, how my life would change- social life, finances etc and taking pregnancy photos! 🥰 I’m sure all you mummy’s can relate!

No one talks much about what your Postpartum body will look like; like how you may be left with a pouch, loose skin, stretch marks etc!!! 🤯

I remember giving birth to my beautiful baby, standing up for the first time and looking at my little pouch… myself and one of the midwives chuckled lol. The female body is TRULY amazing, honestly 👸🏽.

What does bounce back or snap back even mean? As mothers, I’m sure we are all guilty of giving birth, looking at our babies in awe, then after a while our bodies….

Take me for instance, tagged and known to be slim with curves but now, looking slightly bigger (the biggest I’ve been in my life). Never had such stretch marks like this before either. The reality of it is that I tried squeezing into a size 12 pair of jeans after I gave birth and they didn’t go pass my thighs! I was gobsmacked but I also laughed about it to my Husband and Mother!! 🤷🏽‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️ (you have to laugh). 

I’ll be honest, seeing your body go from you to YOU isn’t the easiest at times. 

The world of social media doesn’t help. Seeing the likes of Kim K for example, bounce back quickly does add pressure to many new mums. As is ladies ‘doing their bodies’ and snapping back quickly.

Your parents, in-laws and other family members mentioning how much weight you have put on doesn’t help neither! Your friends talking about how lovely someone looks in their pregnancy or maternity photos which have been overly edited, again is another pressure if you don’t feel great yourself! 

To me, the worst of this are my own self-nagging thoughts. In my opinion, no one can bring us down more than ourselves. It is how we choose to look at a situation that determines everything! It’s not easy… we do need to give ourselves more grace.

The truth is, pregnancy is beautiful whatever your experience however, it does come with sacrifices. The female body stretches, adapts, accommodates and expands just to be a home to our babies for 9 months/ +.

After that… you are left with a new body. Some people love their new ‘mummy bodies’ and some people just don’t.

Things that I have started doing/ trying to do to help me embrace my body:

• Gratitude- thanking God for my daughter, the gift of the fruit of the womb and counting my blessings
• Accepting encouragement- My hubby always reminds me that he’s not complaining and I’m beautiful (he’s been saying this from even when I was pregnant); (encourage yourself too!)
• Giving myself time 🙂 (some ladies say it takes them up to a year to to get back to themselves- some say less and some say more!)
• Walk when I can (I have plans to also do this with my friends that are mothers and who also walk their kids to shed their weight!)
• Bio oil 
• Trying to drink more water 
• Gym/ home work outs (my plan!)

Are there any other tips? Or things that other mothers are doing?! Do any PT’s have any advice on fupa workouts? When would you say is the right time to start thinking about working out?… 

#Talk2Me

With love, 

ANJ TALKS ♡

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