post partum

Our first GUEST BLOGGER is one of my favorite Blogger moms and fellow mama of 2! Jackie from Moments of Musing is a seasoned blogger and she shares with us how to love and embrace your post-partum body.

This post is sponsored by TOBI.

My self confidence has most definitely evolved since becoming a mom. While I still have my moments of discontent, I have never loved my body more–and not necessarily because it looks better. But because I am eternally grateful for what my body has given me–my baby, the best gift of all.

How can I be upset at it when it’s done such an amazing thing??

Plus, I don’t want my son hearing me lament about my body. Because contrary to popular belief, boys suffer from body image issues at pretty alarming rates. I don’t want my body issues to cause or influence his. In fact, I hope he never has any.

So, though I have moments when I’m hard on myself, I quickly snap out of it (and I’ve almost completely dropped the F [fat] word!). My hope is that you, too, will do the same and love your postpartum body. If you are struggling with your postpartum body image, here are five things you can do to improve it:

Embrace your new figure. Focus on something(s) you like. It can be your bigger bust or behind or your curvier hips. Maybe it’s a welcomed change 😉
Remember the reason for the changes. Your body did an amazing thing. It grew, nurtured and birthed a human. A miracle was born from you.
Be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace and love. So much love. You and your body have been through so much change recently. You don’t deserve to be hard on yourself.
Put good things into your body. Veggies, fruits, whole grains. Sure, have the occasional soda or ice cream but I assure you the healthier the food you eat, the better you will feel. Exercise would help, too.
Rock your body. Buy the new clothes you’ve been wanting. Show off your curves. Be bold. Be you. Be proud. Confidence is beautiful. And girlfriend, you are gorgeous.

I know this is a very serious issue but I want to end on a light note so I leave you with this Scary Mommy quote:

“Your kids won’t remember your muffin top, spider veins or saggy butt. They’ll only remember you.”

Now, go out there and work it, mama!

*** I am not a therapist or doctor nor do I claim to be. This post is comprised of my individual opinions, and not meant to convey professional medical or mental health advice. This post is not about an eating disorder, self harm, or suicidual thoughts/ideations. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of those, please call the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.***

Today I cried. At 3+ months postpartum, I’m feeling like Regina George because sweatpants are all that fit me right now! This is my second baby in under 15 months and I guess it is taking a little longer for my body to recover after 2 c-sections. I am learning to accept it, although I try to fit into my pre-pregnancy ultra skinny jeans once a week and I get a little sad when they don’t fit. And yes, it is a little frustrating sometimes to look at myself in the mirror and see a wide waist that once was 24 inches and see flabby skin with stretch marks across my lower abs.

I cried, not because I feel ugly or overweight, I cried because it can be discouraging when you don’t fit into clothes that once did. But Dear C-Section Mama: It is OK to cry! At least for a minute, let it OUT. Because unlike many women I’ve heard of that fit into their jeans right after their natural birth, we simply won’t be able to fit into our jeans for a couple of weeks AND that is OK.

Why? Because a c-section is a surgery that leaves you swollen for a couple of weeks or months. It takes us mamas longer to recover our body because our bodies take a moment to realize that there is no longer a baby inside. Yes, you may be sore for a couple of weeks but this too shall pass! And THANK the LORD for c-sections, because without it, I don’t think my firstborn son would be here.

So what can you do in the meantime instead of moping around? Embrace your superwoman body that hosted a tiny human for 9 months. View those stretch marks as a lovely reminder of growing a strong and healthy baby. However, if you feel like crying once in a while, it is OK, but then wipe your tears away, look in that mirror and say THANK YOU belly for bringing me the joy of mamahood!

Before we know it, you and I will fit into those skinny jeans. Until then, rock dresses, yoga pants (typical #momlifer), cool mom tees, etc. But best of all, don’t forget to rock a big ol’ smile, that shows off your pearly whites because being a mom is the most rewarding unpaid job title this world has to offer.

Below are photos from a Sunday after church with my big “baby”, Caleb Beau. Special thanks to my husband for making me feel like the sexiest woman alive in all of my phases and big thanks to Pink Blush for making me feel lovely in all their clothes in every stage of motherhood! (Black Dress by ShopPinkBlush.com)

Disclosure: I have been gifted clothes by PinkBlush as part of being a brand ambassador. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.