Post Baby Bod...

So, let's just get real for a minute here, how many times do you see magazine covers with the 'post baby body' titles on it? ALL of the time. As a society we are very much caught up in aesthetics and vanity. Sure we like to hear that this celebrity or that is enjoying parenthood but what we really want to see is how these super human creatures handle this alteration to their lives and bodies. As if that's not enough, now we are looking at this as a possibility, a standard. If we step back and look at how different the average person's reality is compared to a celebrity...this is just silly thinking. 

The reality is, pregnancy is meant to change your body! Our bodies are capable of amazing things, to be able to create, grow, and house a tiny human for 40 weeks (or more) is a sensational thing. The ability to birth this baby and then our bodies create the perfect source of nutrition for this baby as well, all while hormones and reproductive organs start down regulating, and going back to normal...it's incredible if we think about it. It seems like pregnant women can't wait to see that baby bump appear early in pregnancy it's so exciting to let the world know you're carrying a new life! Then just as soon as the baby is delivered, all too often women are upset with what they look like or see in the mirror after delivery. To think that a woman would ever feel any kind of shame about what their body looks like after baby is heart breaking. 

Here is a picture at the pool a few days before Tri was born

Have I looked in the mirror before and not been thrilled with the reflection that I see...sure, but why? Because I'm guilty of this as much as anyone else. It's past time to speak out and talk about the realities of post baby bodies. This pregnancy was very different for me for a lot of reasons, but one of the most surprising differences was how I felt about myself. I worked hard throughout my 40 weeks to eat healthy, and stay active. Was I perfect 100% of the time? Absolutely not, I'm human, I had Ben & Jerry's and skipped workouts...but that's because I'm real! I would say though, that I did the best that I could and I felt good about how I took care of myself and my baby throughout the pregnancy. I documented most of those 40 weeks as far as being accountable for activity, and sticking with the goals I had set for myself. After I had baby Tri, I was so caught up in love with him, and taking care of myself to heal, the last thing on my mind was getting in my next workout. Don't get me wrong, I want to get back to being as fit as I can for my health, to keep up with my kids, and numerous other reasons...but it certainly wasn't the first thing on my mind. Getting my 'body back' somehow just doesn't seem as pressing as I thought it might be. This was a very positive and healthy feeling, I think it means that I'm growing in self love and self acceptance...which might seem small, but this is something I've always struggled with.

Our last picture as a family of 4 at Keats 8th
grade graduation

The most important things that I've been working on these weeks are taking care of my children, spending enough time with each of them, keeping the house running with the help of my husband, and trying to get enough sleep. I'm making sure I'm getting good nutrition to keep my milk supply up for the baby, making healthy meals for the family, and getting into the swing of things as our dynamic has changed with our new little addition. Now I'm back to work to care for my patients, getting the hang of cloth diapering, making time for pumping, and just enjoying every moment with my youngest son because time seems so fleeting when you have a newborn. 

I'm soaking up every moment with this tiny boy

Pregnancy is different for each person, it looks different for each person as far as how they feel, the weight they gain, how the baby develops, how morning sickness affects them, etc. Some women gain a lot of weight while eating healthy throughout pregnancy, some women gain minimal weight while eating less healthy, no two pregnancies are the exact same. So, it would makes sense that not everyone looks the same afterwards, feels the same, recovers the same, or progresses the same! We need to stop comparing ourselves to other women, ESPECIALLY celebrities for goodness sake, and we need to spread a message of self love and acceptance. We should embrace these changes as our bodies took time to grow and nourish a sweet little baby, and just celebrate what a miracle that is in and of itself! No your skin will not look exactly the same, your clothes will fit you differently even after all of the baby weight is gone, and if you plan to breastfeed, it will change the way those girls look forever! At the end of the day I hope you can look at your body and look at the changes and welcome them the way I have this time...because it is proof of motherhood. It is proof that you gave life to another. It is proof that every day from now until forever you will put the needs of your baby in front of everything else, because that is what unconditional love feels like. The most incredible thing is, only women can feel and experience these things, and it is my belief that we should be proud of these changes.

I took this the day after Tri was born 

After Keats & Reese I never would've shared
these pics, but I'm not ashamed of how I
look after having Tri, I'm proud of my body
and what I went through to bring him into
the world :D

I needed more time to heal after this labor & delivery than with my other two, be it my age, or the way the baby was positioned, I'm unsure, but I knew I needed more time. Sarah, my midwife said to give myself 6 weeks which sounded like a lot, but since I didn't even really feel human until the end of week 2...I was surprised at how fast the time went. I started out thinking I'd go for the gusto and jump right back into my workouts like I had left off...but that was not very realistic. After the first two workouts I realized that I need to ease back into it if I want to continue to heal and not have any set backs. Sarah also evaluated me for diastasis recti and we discussed the importance of listening to my body so I continue to heal and recover as I begin exercising. I'm not giving up on exercising, that's not my point, but this time I'm very aware that it took 9 months for my body to change and make room for baby Tri, and it's not going to be back to 'normal' over night. 

This was taken at 6 weeks pp to document the
start of my fitness journey

It's amazing to me how much my body had already
changed at this point without exercise

I plan to keep pushing myself to exercise, eat healthy, and take care of my little family, but the important thing to me is finding a balance. I plan to document my progress and these changes as well so that hopefully any moms out there reading this will also give themselves a break, and love themselves at every point in their journey. It's not a contest, there's no race, there's no photo shoot or deadline to be at your pre-baby weight. It's about taking time to care for yourself, your family, and just taking things one day at a time. 

His onesie says it all, what a flirt!