Postpartum body image issues are among the most common challenges for new mothers. Are you struggling with your post-baby body? Do you wonder if you will ever feel sexy again? Did you not lose as much weight as you had hoped to lose while breastfeeding? Do you question whether you will ever get back to your old self? If any of these concerns apply to you, it is important to reach out. I can help you redirect your energy in a positive and productive way.
Your body has just gone through a strenuous physical experience. Throughout pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period, many changes have occurred. And now you may look in the mirror, compare yourself to your pre-pregnancy body, and wonder if you will ever look like that again?
Our bodies undergo many changes throughout our lifetimes. In fact, recall what your body has already experienced. How many inches have you grown since you were born? How much more hair do you have now than when you were two? What changes did puberty bring? My point is this--the human body begins to change from the moment it arrives until the moment it passes. Once we can find acceptance with the way we look, whatever way, shape or form, we will have peace. Acceptance doesn’t mean that we can’t strive for something better, or strive to attain certain goals. One of the beauties of being alive is to constantly challenge ourselves to be greater. However, it is important to find the balance between accepting the now and striving for more.
The postpartum body is exactly the way it is supposed to be for a very important reason--to nurture and support new life! Trust that! And know that it will eventually change. One of my favorite quotes is, “The only constant is change.” Basically, regardless of how you look now, as long as you continue to live and breathe, you won’t stay that way forever, because change is inevitable. So, yes, when you are ready, you will get back to where you want to be. But right now, you are supposed to be soft.
The images of beautiful women that we get in the magazines and on TV are not real. And even if they were, no one, not even the models themselves, can maintain that look forever. Eventually, they will have babies. Eventually, they will grow older. The most beautiful women, in my opinion, are those who can accept themselves regardless of their physical form. That type of confidence is universal, and those people shine on a level we can all understand, because we can recognize it within ourselves. If we strive for anything, it should be this type of inner strength and self-acceptance.
I understand how challenging it can be to go through these physical changes--to be unable to move and exercise the way you are used to and to lose your physical strength and endurance. The key is to enjoy this time with your baby. Your baby wants your postpartum body to be soft! Everything your body does is for a reason, so trust that kinesthetic intelligence.
Can you remember an older woman from your childhood? Perhaps it was a grandmother, or an aunt, or a nanny, or a close family friend. Do you remember how soft the older woman’s skin felt? And how comforted you felt surrounded by her cushion of hugs and love? Chances are, you weren’t thinking, “I wish she were thinner or more muscular.” Her body in its natural aging process served a purpose. Every child she birthed left an imprint on her body, allowing her to cradle you in the very way that made you feel safe. We should never be ashamed of this natural maternal process.
I can help you work toward acceptance for all that you are. I can help you embrace the “now” and love the “specialness” of this time in your life. And I can help you explore and reach your goals of getting back into those favorite jeans. Because this, too, is important! And when you can fit into those jeans again, you will likely look back at your newly postpartum self and yearn for it. You will treasure those moments--moments you can’t get back. It won't be your soft and curvy figure you will be thinking about. It will be the moments you shared with your baby.
Contact me today to schedule an appointment in my Longmont or Boulder, Colorado, office so you can begin the process of discovering the beautiful person you already are!!!
