This is a topic I think most moms struggle with but are too embarrassed to talk about. I know I struggled with this topic during pregnancy and after. It is hard to talk about because we live in a society that makes mothers feel like they can't complain about their weight or appearance during pregnancy. I remember my first child I thought I was huge. I would complain about being "fat" and most people responses were rude. I got called selfish for thinking about myself. I got dirty looks too. I can image others got worse responses. I wanted to write about this topic because I want all moms to know you are not alone. Pregnancy is hard, stressful at time, your tired, and you are just not yourself. It is ok to think about yourself. It is ok if you do not like the way you look.
Moms we must do better speaking into each other’s lives. We are great at breaking people down, but we need to be great at picking people up. You look amazing. You are glowing. You are killing this pregnancy. You got the mommy glow. You are doing a great job mom. These are all great compliments to help pick up another mom. I am going to do a common practice and break up what I want to say to pregnant mom vs new moms.
Pregnant moms:
I know pregnancy is hard and your body is not how you want it. I have been there 3 times. I had 3 handsome boys and they all made me gain different weight. You may gain 10 pounds, 25 pounds or even 50 pounds. You do not know how much you will gain in total. With my second child I even broke out bad in my face. It is not uncommon to dislike the weight gain or other pregnancy symptoms. You do not love you baby any less by saying that. You are doing such a selfless thing by carrying another life. Take time to think about yourself.
Weight gain is the most common thing moms complain about. Some moms snap back quick while others struggle. I am one of those moms where it is a struggle. I felt defeated and upset because I wanted to be skinny again. I starved myself, did extreme workouts, and was brutal on myself. Why am I mentioning any of this? I want others to know you are not alone. You have a right to feel how you are feeling. Its ok to not lose the baby fat quickly. Its ok to have to work hard to get it off. Its ok to be frustrated. Here I am 1 year postpartum, and I still have not gotten rid of my baby fat.
Even though weight gain is the most common complaint there are others: Skin changes, hormone changes, baby brain, vision changes and so much more. Being pregnant is hard and your body is not its normal self. Take your pregnancy one day at a time mom. Do not forget on the bad days to acknowledge your feelings and of course speak life to yourself. One of my common practices daily is to look in the mirror and compliment myself. I encourage you to do the same thing. We are our biggest critics. Compliment yourself and others!
New moms/ Moms who have been doing it awhile:
I lumped both groups together because both have the same thing in common you are no longer pregnant. I just knew when I had my kids I would lose the weight quickly but guess what....I never did. Over the course of 2 years, I would lose enough weight to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. But of course, I would get pregnant again. It was an ongoing and still is an ongoing issue. I lost my confidence and self-esteem. I went from being photogenetic to rarely taken photos. I lost myself. Now of course my husband was amazing and gave me unlimited compliments. But not all women get that kind of support. Even if you do not feel like it, you yes YOU are beautiful.
I mention weight a lot because this is the main thing new moms complain about. You see some moms who snap back quick and other who do not. Let me just say there is nothing wrong if you snapped back quickly. That is an amazing thing but there are some women who are not as lucky. Same for some women who still experience pregnancy brain after pregnancy. Some women skin is still horrible after delivering. This is not just about weight.
Now that we mentioned weights lets address hormones. Hormones is another huge issue. Why because hormones play a huge part in pregnancy and postpartum. I know my hormones were all over the place lol. One minute I was happy and next thing I know I was crying. I felt crazy and helpless. Eventually I went back to normal. Again, you are not alone. Whatever your insecurity is about yourself, you are not alone. Other moms have felt the same way. Best advice I can give is, speak life to yourself. You are a great mother, you are beautiful, you are glowing, and you are overcoming all your insecurities.
All and all I want to make sure everyone who is reading this know.....YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You are beautiful, you are a great mom, and you will rise from this. Until next time! God bless!
Comentários