My bestie Shana, beautiful & confident 2 kids later!Having a child is definitely a life changing experience. Not only are you adjusting to your new lifestyle, but all the physical changes that come along with. After the birth of my second baby Chase I was VERY unhappy with all the changes that took place with my body. Luckily for me, I was fished from the gene pool where post baby weight just falls off, but after Chase's arrival I was unhappy with EVERYTHING about myself, even my weight. My girl Shana and I were going through the same things around the same time (both our kids are literally the same ages) and we both came to realize how those imbalanced hormones can make you feel about your self image, and as long as they inhabit your body your self esteem may suffer. But together we found there ARE ways to appreciate and love yourself flaws and all...
- Celebrate the changes you love-Enjoy your fuller more womanly figure if you were thinner before. Appreciate the thicker healthier hair and nails that came along with your baby. Pregnancy does bring on some positive and welcomed changes. Discover what yours are and display them with pride.
- Be Active & ProActive- The leading complaint from women post-baby is, you guessed it, they've gained too much weight gain and have problems shedding the pounds. Keep your body moving and get up and move around. Exercise with all your new baby gadgets and go for lots of walks with your little one. You won't lose if you don't exercise so stay as active as possible while of course taking your health and post-partum healing process into consideration. MAKE a plan and STICK to it. Its YOUR physical appearance so be proactive in getting it to where you want it to be. If you were lucky enough to not have issues with your weight post baby, lucky you! But you should still stay active to remain healthy and in shape. A lot of women actually start gaining once the hormones exit their system or upon starting a new contraception- so stay as fit as possible!
- Embrace your baby boobs- They may have gotten dramatically bigger or even smaller. Either way be proud of what you have NOW. Take advantage of clothing styles you may not have been able to before. If your breasts are bigger now try more curve hugging blouses that accentuate your womanly figure; if your breasts are smaller try more fashion forward pieces that celebrate a smaller bust.
- Know the Power of Water- Its a natural system flusher, a water weight shedder, a skin clarifier, and an evacuator of those annoying and causative pregnancy hormones. Drink as much water as possible post-baby; it really helps.
- Love the Person in the Mirror- Skin issues are another post-partum problem that affects a lot of women. During the pregnancy of my eldest son Mason, my face was ravaged by Acne. Unfortunately until all the hormones left my system my face and neck never cleared up. But what I did, and what you should try to, is to stay on top of your skin. It may not clear up right away, but you want your skin to be in the best condition when it does. Stick to a skincare routine and visit a dermatologist if you feel you really need to. But just try to wait it out, and don't pick or aggravate your face; you don't want acne scars later.
- Deal with your Stretch Marks- A lot of women complain about the appearance of stretch marks after the birth of their children. What are they? Actual tears in your skin as a result of a dramatic stretch. Genetics play a role in just how severe you will get them, but moisturizing with Vitamin E and Cocoa butter during and after your pregnancy can really help. What do you do if you have them? Embrace them and look at the beauty from which they came. You birthed a child and had a battle with pregnancy...so you have a couple scars. If you can't learn to deal with them or maybe even love them, you can try topical creams to try and fade them. Stri-Vectin is a popular brand that has been around for years. However a lot of people I know that have used it say they can't get results on African-American skin. But this new cream, Trilastin-Sr, is supposed to show results on ANY skin type. Check out this link to see what its about http://www.ecresearchcorp.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=33&FiliAff=1794&Click=30657&gclid=COCeos294JUCFQTEGgodNAdAZA
- If all else fails look at your baby- After all its not about you anymore. Whether its for motivation & inspiration or just to draw comfort and joy from another source, look at your baby and be happy. Don't spend too much time dwelling in depression about your physical appearance; it takes valuable time away from bonding with your baby. At the end of the day you've acquired another beauty in motherhood.
Remember to give yourself some time. It took nine months for your bundle of joy to grow. Things won't change over night. Its natural to feel a little unhappy about your physical appearance after the birth of your child because after all you have changed. Don't compare yourself to the person you used to be. You ARE a different person NOW; move forward and be happy. Being happy with yourself is important to the relationship you're building with your new baby and your mental state as well. Remember, if you ever feel resentment towards your baby or are feeling REALLY depressed don't ignore these emotions. They could mean you're suffering from PPD & need to speak to a doctor before it gets worse. Spend the time after you've given birth loving and enjoying your baby and accepting who you've become. Don't sweat the things you can't change and devote time to working on the things you can and want to. EVERY woman is beautiful and mothers are ESPECIALLY beautiful...celebrate in just that...LOVE
Having the blues after baby is normal-PPD is not. What's the difference? Check out this link to find out http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/postpartum.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment