Being Squishy

I can tell you right now, this is certainly not one of those "how to lose that baby-weight quick" posts that are in no short supply.

I battled myself after giving birth to our sweet daughter because everything I saw around me was telling me I should be trying to rid myself of all that squish...now...and the quicker, the better! But, what this was also doing was planting into my mind that I shouldn't be happy with my postpartum body. That something was wrong with my newly squishy body and it needed to be fixed as soon as possible. So wearing pj pants all day long was not only easier practically speaking (because who has time for changing clothes?!), but it was also easier mentally because I didn't have to face the inevitable...I was 3 sizes bigger than ever before. Can I pose something? If we can come to grips with the fact that life will never be the same as we know it once we choose to start a family, than I do believe it would do us women a great bit of good to also come to grips with the fact that our bodies will likely not be the same either (even temporarily)....and that's okay!

Look, I'm not one of those people who just wants to sit on a sofa, whoa-is-me, I'm all squishy, let me eat what I want and become lazy. Umm, no... Carrying excess weight over time and maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle can certainly do more harm than good. Being healthy is a good way of life! But, the pressures of new motherhood are immense as is, so add to that body image issues and you might as well feel worthless. When your entire sense of normal has just been flipped upside down, being able to look in the mirror and at least understand your new body and all that it's capable of can bring a sense of pride that is far more motivating than any quick-fix program can provide.

I truly hope that every new mom can come to grips with their postpartum body and learn just how beautiful they really are. Yes, I am still 20 pounds (on a good day) from my pre-pregnancy weight and my body looks far different than how I've ever recognized it before, but I find it hard to get upset about that fact when I realize all that this body has been able to accomplish in just one short year. It's amazing really... I have grown, carried, protected within me, birthed, and now nutritionally sustain another little person. Did you get that!?! Really though..stop and notice just how miraculous a mother's body is. In fact, I think it's beautiful. It is not a burden to carry squish right now and I have not "let myself go" because I choose to recognize that beauty and am not back to normal (whatever that means) in just 3 months. One day, slowly, this squish will begin to fade, and until then I will choose to accept the body that comes with new motherhood and marvel at all it can do.