Loving A Post-Baby Body
A mother of two ditches her old wardrobe and accepts her new body.
When I mentioned that I was writing an article about learning to accept my body, my husband seemed embarrassed to admit he had noticed my recent wardrobe improvements.
"I notice your body more and more lately," he said. "I look at you in what you've been wearing and see the girl I met in college—your breasts are smaller, your hips are a little thinner. It's the body I fell in love with."
Impressed by his sweetness, I wondered what he thought of the all the forms my body had taken over the course of two pregnancies. His response wasn't especially profound: "Well, you had big boobs and I thought, 'Whoa! Big boobs! I haven't seen those in forever.'"
Today, the bathroom mirror no longer reflects the boyish figure it took me two decades to make peace with. Instead, it shows a mother's body—either worked thin and tired from chasing children or bursting round and firm from growing them. But it's mine. You will not find me turning tonight's pot roast in lingerie—but you will find me at the local boutique. I'm the girl with the ponytail handing Goldfish to cherubic toddlers in a double stroller as I rifle through racks of stylish jeans and funky dresses that are just my size.
Discussion
aaaaah i'm scared to have kids someday! i dont want to go through all the pain and anguish and sacrifice! i want to still be me, and i want my relationship to still be wonderful and young. I love kids-it's my job-but i am really terrified to go through it all myself. i dont know where to go to find the courage, or at least lose some of the fear, because i know its an experience i will want in my life, but why does it have to come at such a high price for so many women???
lol LeMaster only a man could say the cool stuff like that. I fully understand you on that one though. Lisa, my name is Lisa too btw. But, thanks sooooo much for your story. I'm actually afraid to have a second child because I feel like I'd never get my shape back. For those who think that as a young mom it would be easy for me to get back "right" just to let you know eh,eh not so, lol I thought the same thing too.
The best thing about your woman having your baby (other than the fact that she's having your baby) is that you (the man) get to have more variety of types than you originally signed on for. In other words, you sort of get five women for the price of one: The non-pregnant woman (hot enough to knock up), the early pregnant woman (very nice rack), the fully pregnant woman (even nicer rack), the nursing woman (whoa!), and the post pregnant woman (a more curvy version of the original). The only bad part is listening to your woman bitch about her big butt all the time. Get over it. Men love butts. And this is a man talking.
What a great piece! I laughed out loud several times! I feel like you just spoke my life. I am not quite at my son's first birthday and I have an inkling that my body will call out to me soon and say something like, "hey, remember me"? It's amazing how much we change with a baby and how absurd some of those changes are. I used to be a lipstick, banana republic, heal wearing chick. These days if I get out of my "comfy clothes" it's a good day. One friend commented that she thinks there's something wrong with women who wear maternity clothes post baby. Maybe she's right, but I just can't give them all up--they're the only things that fit!
Being mother, wife and still feeling sexy is such a challenge! It's good to know your husband is helping in the right ways to make that all happen. There's a reason women wear more lipstick as they get older... it's an easy way to change her mood from sandbox mom to pretty woman.
