Before pregnancy I wouldn't say I was happy with my body. I have never had a flat tummy, I've always had boobs which seem too big for my body and my thighs have always touched. I started exercising and eating healthier and felt so much better, then pregnancy happened and all thoughts of exercise went out the window although I still tried to eat healthily for myself and my baby. However I have never loved my body more than when I was pregnant. I loved showing off my bump in tight dresses and couldn't have been any happier with my growing tummy. It was genuinely the most comfortable I think I have felt in my skin. I absolutely loved how I looked, there is honestly nothing more beautiful than pregnancy in my opinion.
Since having Ailsa though I have tried not to look at my body in the mirror knowing that I wouldn't like what I see. I have found it especially hard seeing numerous celebrities in the press with tiny waistlines just weeks after giving birth and here I am 8 months later still with my jelly belly and stretch marks which appeared 2 days before Ailsa was born. I have come to the realisation that we need to stop comparing ourselves to others- I know it seems obvious, but it is the culture that we live in now with social media and the press to look at all these pictures of woman bouncing back to their pre pregnancy shape mere days after giving birth. Of course we have no idea what they look like under their clothes or how many pairs of Spanx they may be wearing to achieve that look or the fact that they may just have a different body type. My body is certainly not perfect and I doubt that it ever will be no matter how much I diet or exercise. I have stretch marks now that weren't there before and stretched out skin around my belly button but I am ok with that.
It has taken me 8 long months to accept these differences in my body and know that I should be so proud of what it has achieved. I grew a whole new person inside me, I brought her into the world and I continue to nourish her with my milk. My body will never be the same and it will change constantly as I age and potentially have more children. I aim to get back into my healthy lifestyle, doing more exercise and making the right nutritional choices and improve my tone and fitness level. After having a baby it is so important to recognise what your body has accomplished. It may not be perfect but that little person you have created and grown certainly is- be proud of that and love yourself for it.
Labels: body, love, post partum, postnatal, proud, trust
