Finding Acceptance in My Postpartum Body!

I've been wanting to write a blog post about this for quite some time, but my content editor, and creative writing major, sister, told me what I wrote sounded negative and depressing. The fact of the matter is the post baby bod does leave me feeling a little depressed and negative. My postpartum body makes me feel like I did back in high school, you know when your body is going through a lot of changes and you’re a little self conscious? It was a long journey toward accepting myself in my new body back then, and now I feel I’m on this journey again as an adult.

Of course, it’s different now. Back then, it was trying to feel comfortable so boys noticed me or so kids didn’t pick on me. As an adult no one is going to pick on me, and for me I got the boy and married him, so no need to impress him. As an adult, it's more about  gaining back the comfort I had with my body. As a fashion blogger and someone who loves shopping and trying on clothes, I learned quickly how to dress my body type, and what styles looked good on me and which ones didn’t. I even had my size and fit down to a science. This made styling my wardrobe and shopping easy. After my little man came into the world I realized my body was completely different than what I was use to. This is where the discomfort comes in. The unknown on what styles, sizes, and fits work best for me. It makes shopping and trying on clothes stressful, and seeing the size on some of my items go up to fit my new body is depressing at times. As with most things, I found time to get used to my new body was key, and of course more shopping trips and fit sessions, obviously!

Now I do realize for some shopping is painful and stressful even before baby. If that's you, remember to give it time and try not to focus on the tag size. I will also note, for a little while, leggings and oversized tees will be your best friends and that's okay. Even as a fashion blogger I lived for comfort and accessibility with my outfit choices post baby. I also had my moments where I tried to dress for a specific event post baby, and instead found myself crying in front of the mirror because I literally had nothing to wear that fit. It’s all about getting to know your body again and remembering you're not alone. Every new mom goes through a stage of discomfort. After talking to a lot of my mommy friends I realize the discomfort is normal and all part of the postpartum recovery process. I mean, it took JR 9 months to grow inside of me it, should have come to no surprise it would take that long or longer to fully recover mentally and physically.  


Bra: Mare Athleticwear      Bottoms: Old Navy 

One of the other things that caused me discomfort and stress with my new body was the pressure to lose the baby weight. Pressure that I put on myself because I had friends and family that put on the weight after baby and had a hard time shedding the pounds. I didn’t want to be that mom. I wanted to get rid of it fast and get back to normal. That sense of being super mom, the one that can do it all. I'm here to tell you: don’t be like me and take the pressure off yourself, it will only cause you stress. Seriously, my biggest motivator is not the mom that got down to her pre baby weight 6 months after baby, it’s my best friend who took two kids and five years to get back to that pre baby weight. Her number one focus was her babies - not the gym. It took a lot of time, but she soon found balance for her wellness and her babies. I’m not sharing this to shame that 6 month mom, I’m sharing this to let you know that everyone has their own timeline to get back to “normal.” You shouldn’t feel rushed because other moms can do it, that's just their timeline and yours might be different.

At 6 months postpartum I’m still holding on to the 20 lbs I gained during my pregnancy and I’m just now starting to get into a workout routine. It’s nothing major, just one hour twice a week. I’m a working mom that deals with “mommy guilt” so it's been hard for me to justify being away from JR nine hours a day. Tagging on another hour to go work out is not something I want, so I only workout on my two days off.

Now JR is 6 months, He has a sleep schedule and I’ve found on my days off 9am nap time is the perfect opportunity for mom to fit in a quick cardio session. I’m hoping as JR gets older and starts sleeping through his night time feeding, to start going back to my once a week yoga class too. For me, my weight loss timeline revolves around JR because he is my number one priority right now and it is what works best for me.

So I’m here to tell you don’t feel rushed! You’re a beautiful new mama and you deserve to take your time and enjoy your new baby! Don’t let anyone tell you or make you feel any different!  

My postpartum journey is ongoing, but I hope by sharing my journey with some of you, especially a new mama, it will help you gain acceptance and comfort on your journey. Being a mom is a whole new world and I’ve found it's easier to navigate when you know you're not alone. To all my moms out there please, feel free to leave a comment about your journey so we can all grow and learn as amazing mamas!   

xoxo Stacy