I actually wrote this post when Brooke was 8 weeks old but for some reason didn’t post it until now. Hopefully it can help any moms reading that are struggling with that post baby body:)
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Let’s be honest here mkay. After you have a baby your body just isn’t the same for a while. I’ve got a lovely thick brown line that runs down my stomach that I don’t think will ever disappear and even though some of my old clothes may fit again my body obviously doesn’t look the same.
I feel like I am doing better with the whole situation than I ever thought I would but I still have moments where I struggle with some of the changes that have occurred.
For those moments that I start thinking negative about my post baby body I found the solution.
My solution:
Go find your baby wherever they may be even if they are sleeping in their crib. You go stare at that beautiful face real hard and realize that your body MADE that face, those wiggly toes, those baby thighs that you just want to gobble up, their tongue that they are still trying to figure out what in the world that is and I guarantee you will forget about those stretch marks or the jeans that don’t zip up because that baby’s face makes you realize what is really important.
Even though our bodies go through crazy changes and you don’t always feel secure in your own skin you really just have to think about that little baby and you will appreciate and thank your body for creating the best thing in your world.
52 comments
Alex
Thanks, I really needed this post. I am due on August 18th with my 1st and at 21 weeks right now I am feeling a bit emotional when anyone comments on my appearance and I am happy to say that I know it is all worth it. Sometimes it is just better to hear it from another Mom. Thanks again!
Michele @ Nycrunningmama
Amen. Couldn’t agree more with you. Pregnancy DOES change your body…but it’s something that should be celebrated and cherished =)
Christina @ The Tiny Runner
She is beautiful!
Cathryn
My son is now three and I’m back at the same weight I was before I had him – but nothing is the same. My hips are wider (and my favourite summer dresses are not possible any longer). My boobs are flatter. My waist is thicker. I’ll be honest, I don’t like those changes….but I hardly ever think about them because, as you said, every little smile and hug and kiss from a sloppy wet three year old boy is worth it all.
I also find that it keeps me grounded. I look back at the photos of me pre-boy and look at my tiny waist and hour-glass shape and now I think how fab I looked, whereas I used to think how fat I was and how chunky. So I think that in ten years time, I’ll look back at my current shape and think how fab I looked and wish I’d stopped being so tough on myself!!
Elizabeth @ My Neon Running Shoes
AGREED! Another thing that helps me is thinking now I have a place for them to cuddle and rest their sweet heads, rather than skin and bones. How sad would it be if your child didn’t want to cuddle with you because you weren’t comfortable :-(
Racheal @ Running with Racheal
Exactly what I need to read today. Thank you! <3
Courtney LeDuc
Exactly! I couldn’t agree more with your post! My hips get stuck a little wider with each baby, but they are SO STINKIN PRECIOUS who cares about the hips and the weird wrinkles that are still on my rib cage… I saw this picture on pinterest of a baby saying “Mom, I know you’ll never wear that bikini again, but I promise I’m worth it!!” Hahaha! ;)
Leslie
I am sooooo tagging this and reading it after our little girl makes her debut because I have no doubt I’ll need it. THANK YOU for such an honest post!!!
Kaitlin @4loveofcarrots
I hope I remember this and feel this way when I have children!
Sharisse @ sharissespieces
Thanks for posting this, Janae! I am months away from a post-baby body, but I already know I’ve had some negative thoughts about when that time comes. What works for me is looking forward to training to run hard and get into high-intensity workouts again once I’m able to. For some reason, my longing to do those kinds of exercises has really increased AFTER I got pregnant! I think it has something to do with not being able to do them that makes me want to even more.
Lauren
This is absolutely true and I love it. There is freedom in prioritizing what’s truly important in life. Having a baby was the best thing that ever happened to my self esteem. The female body is just incredible. It also gives you the opportunity to rethink how you talk about yourself when you are shaping a little girls reality each and everyday. My babe is only 1 year, but I make it a point to be healthy, positive and confident… Because that is exactly what I want for her. Great post!
Katie M.
Thank you for this. I’m due in the next month and am already starting to struggle with how I’m going to feel after our little girl is here. I really needed to read this today :)
Rene
Beautiful post. Our bodies change permanently after giving birth and most of us haven’t mentally prepared for that. I learned to wear my c-section scar with honor. Even though it has been almost 18 years it reminds me how grateful I am for the safe delivery of my breech baby.
Michele
Most powerful post award goes to you!
Kristen @ notsodomesticated
I needed this. ;) I’m due on Monday and I need this reminder. Thanks, girl!
Becky @ The Bex Factor
I am in awe of the work my body did to create my beautiful boy but even still, six most post-baby, I’m struggling with body image issues. I miss the way I looked before getting pregnant, I miss my abs and my stretch mark free belly. I miss my old clothes.
I have been working out and eating fairly well, but I’m still not quite there yet. I’ve still been living in pants or leggings, my hairs a mess most days and I struggle to feel good about the girl in the mirror. I dont mind the csection scar but wish they extra flab and stretch marks would take a hike. But what matters the most is that I created the healthiest, most beautiful baby boy I could have ever asked for.
michelle kim
Wonderfully-written! I will have to send this post to my two mommy friends (they both delivered their babies less than one year ago).
Callie
You said it all so perfectly!!! I haven’t had a child yet, but I sometimes do think about how I will handle the way my body changes, and this sums it up. Thank you for putting yourself out there and reminding us about what really matters. It’s so hard when all you hear in the media and magazines is how to get that post-baby body back, but really it will come with time and the reason you have a body is to make such a precious gift.
Katie
Our daughters about two weeks apart, Alyx was born 08/04, and even being 8 months post birth and I have lost all my baby weight it is so true that the body you have post and pre-baby are different. I will take the extra curves any day of the week, my little girl and her big gummy grins mean more to me than anything else! Not to mention its a pretty amazing feeling being able to hold your sweet baby and know that your body helped make her and she is healthy because of everything you have done for her!
Courtney @ CardioQueen
I want to bookmark this post to read after I have a baby one day. I wish I could give this 10 million hearts!! (but it only let me click once :)
Courtney @ CardioQueen
(I just tried because I’m a dork and it let me add more hearts! haha sorry if that skews is data you collect! whoopsie! I’ll limit myself from now on! :P)
Angie @ A Mother's Pace
Thanks for sharing your post with us. I’m 5 weeks postpartum right now and I agree with everything you said. Babies are amazing and well worth what our bodies go through. It’s nice to hear it from someone else! :)
Lily
This is a wonderful post. My beautiful daughter is now 10 years old, and my body is definitely not the same as it was before giving birth to her. My belly never really bounced back after the pregnancy, and I definitely have excess/loose skin in that area. I’m now back to the same weight I was in high school and run 50 miles per week, but still I have loose skin around my stomach. Bleh.
BUT…. my daughter is healthy, happy, and so beautiful. Everytime I look down at my stomach and wish it would go back to the way it used to look, I remind myself that this body gave birth to the most amazing girl ever.
Thank you for this post :)
Kristen
This literally brought me to tears. Post baby hormones are also not a joke. Thank you for posting! It’s comforting to know others feel/felt the same way I am feeling.
Kerry
im due in august and i obsess and think about this all the time. deep breathes. you are right. so worth it. i’ve recovered and sped up my marathon times after my fir,st 2 babies so the 3rd times a charm!
Ali @AliMakes:
Thank you for posting this! I’m currently pregnant with twins and I know it’s going to be a long road to get back to where I was! This may sound weird but I’m looking forward to getting back to it – I miss running :)
Melissa
I also hate how when a celebrity gives birth, the media immediately starts stalking them for their “post baby body” pictures to see how bad they can catch them looking. And the timer starts to see how rapidly they can drop the weight, tone up, and appear triumphantly on a magazine cover championing their weight loss.
Its so important to remember that even after birth, for several months your body is still supporting the baby if you are breast feeding. So you still need more calories and body fat. And as you mentioned, changes like the size of the uterus (which gets ENORMOUS!) takes a while to go down.
Awesome post!
Carrie Bradshaw
you are so beautiful, janae!!! i have been loving all of your posts lately (more than usual, which is hard to beat!). i miss you and am looking fwd to seeing you again in the USA one day soon! :) can’t wait to meet brooke in person – she is a doll!!! there are no words to describe how gorgeous she is! xox carrie
Kelsey
I am absolutely going to have to re-read this again in a few weeks, then again probably every day after that. My baby boy is due in less than 2 weeks (so hard to believe!!) and I am so fearful of the post baby bod. I’m hoping my feelings about my body change a lot once I have him in my arms!
Kerry @ Half Healthy, Half Nuts
Thanks for posting this. I have an 11 week old and am struggling with losing the last 15 lbs (I gained 47, eek!). But you are right, whenever I get discouraged I just look at my smiley little girl and say, “you were totally worth it!”
Beth
I have 3 children ages 11, 8, and 4. I was ok with my body after #1 (no stretch marks, back in a bikini, back to my normal weight) and with each child it got worse (Never again a bikini, stretch marks, and about 20 -30 lbs over my pre baby weight). It is really hard being a mom and working full time. I have recently (within the last couple months) started making time for myself and running again everyday after work here at home on a treadmill (we live in Wisconsin). I thing it’s good for me and my children! I am down about 15 lbs so far with more to come!!!
Lauren
Wow, thank you so much for this. I had my little boy 5 weeks ago and while I never could have I imagined how different my body would feel even once most of the weight has come off, I am also pleasantly surprised about how it doesn’t change how happy I am or how I feel about myself. It is awesome to have something to focus on that matters so much more than how you look!
Brianna
As someone who has an 8 week old and is going shopping tomorrow, thank you! I actually weigh less now than I did when I got pregnant (I love you breastfeeding) but my clothes don’t fit anything like they used to. I agree though that looking at the sweet face you made puts things into perspective very nicely!
Sarah
Thank you so much for posting this-I needed this a lot right now. My little girl is almost 4 months old, and I have been really struggling with my body image. I needed the reminder that she is worth every stretch mark, extra pound and saggy skin that I have. :)
Christina @ The Athletarian
JANAE! I just read this as well as your scale post and I just wanted to tell you I am so proud of you! Although I have no kids and can’t totally relate the way moms can, I think you put it beautifully. Brooke is amazing. All children are amazing. Moms should be nothing but happy and proud about their bodies and the little miracles they have created.
Thank you for always being so honest and open in your posts. xo.
Dori
I sitting here nursing my 6 week old son and near tears! I REALLY needed to hear that today.. I always read your blog ( usually during our middle of the night nursing sessions!) and I was just laying here thinking wow.. This pregnancy sure diddle me look different.. Even though I have a 2.5 year old and was able to be fit and healthy again, it’s still a struggle to realize you no longer look the same after pregnancy. Whether it is your 1st, or your 2nd baby. THANK YOU for this post. As I start at those little baby thighs I can’t help but smile, and know that he is totally worth it!
Linda @running4two
Great post, thank you. My baby girl is 10 weeks old, so I am living this right now. But you are right, looking at her makes everything ok. :-)
Amanda N
Thanks for this post I think that as females we tend to lose sight of the good things (like children) sometimes when we have “bad” things to obsess about (like body image/weight). It great to see so many bloggers talking about the issue and to read all the comments that others leave.
Amy
Bravo! Thank you for a beautiful post. I have worked hard at not letting the scale define how I feel about myself. C section scars, breast cancer scars…it really doesn’t matter. Health, happiness, great family and friends are the true important things to an awesome life. Life is good!
Susie
Hi Janae, I don’t know that I’ve ever commented but I’ve been reading since about a year before Brooke was born. I love this post in particular because you really carry yourself as someone who is really happy and put together, and it’s refreshing to see that you have the same doubts (if that’s what you want to call it) as everyone else. I am almost 14 weeks pregnant and realllllllllly struggling with the (so far little, in comparison) weight gain. I weighed myself daily prior and really put a lot of value in that number. It’s sad. I hope that over the next several months I can let go and realize the value in my getting bigger, but it’s just tough. I know that sounds so awful, especially considering how many people would gain 300 pounds if it meant they could have a baby. I try to keep it in perspective. Anyway, all of this to say, I really loved this post. You look fabulous, by the way!
Katie
Absolutely LOVE this. I’m definitely saving this to read when I have babies of my own and start thinking those thoughts! :)
xo
KatyBug
LOVE. THIS. My daughter is about a week away from turning 6 months and I’m still amazed that my body created, carried and gave birth to her. Sure, I’m squishy and droopy in places that used to be firm and cute, but dang if it’s not worth it.
Holly
This made me cry big happy tears!! Thank YOU! Love ya!
Karen
Wow, you could not have better timing with this post. Sometimes it’s hard not to let my mind slip into the negative when things just don’t fit like they used to. But, looking at my sweet baby and thinking “I made you” kinda erases all those other thoughts out of my head! I do hope this brown line *eventually* disappears though ;)
Arrienne
I just had a beautiful baby boy two weeks ago and this post was just what I needed. Thank you! You said it so perfectly and I completely related. I hope you don’t mind, but I had to link these posts on my blog to share with others!
Gillian
Great post. I have a 5month old and she was worth every added pound :). I do get discouraged sometimes when I stare at my closet and see that nothing fits me still. But I do the same and hold my baby girl and give her tons of kisses on those chubby cheeks and all is right in the world!! I think running is so important for stress relief and to banish those negative thoughts, it has helped me immensely.
christianne
I love this Janae!
Victoria
I actually love my post-baby body. To some extent. I finally have hips! I had longed for hips for years, all my friends had them. And I was this awkward, no hipped girl. Then a baby grew in me and now I have them! It makes leggings look good haha.
Also, my boobs. I am a fan of them, they are fuller.
Things I am not a fan of that my beautiful lovebug helps: This pouch in my lower stomach, I think it’s scar tissue from my c-section. No matter how many miles I run, planks I do, etc…I think it will still be there. And that’s ok, but somedays I wish it was flatter.
After carrying around 25 lbs of pure belly, my legs got super strong. I am proud of them.
I love my baby girl (14 almost 15m) and she is the best gift! Plus now I can bicep curl 25 lbs. I am pretty sure it’s from hoisting her around town.
I want more babies…
Karla
Just ran across your blog and stubbeled on this post. I needed this. I was/am obsessed with the scale and like you vowed to never ever get on it ever again and then it happened. I broke my vow. I needed this post . I’m going to go stare at my sleeping 9 month old beauty and remind myself just how AWESOME this body of mine is. :)
tmy_chronicles
One of my best friends sent me this link because I have been lamenting over this very same thing. I have a 14-month-old and a 4-month-old. At birth, my first was 8lbs. and 13 ozs., and my second was 10 lbs. and 10 ozs. Needless to say, with their birthweights, having them close together, and being small in frame, my body has undergone MAJOR changes. Reconciling what I used to where with what now fits my body has been a tension-filled conversation between my past and present. But this post was so inspirational. Thank you for sharing it. Going now to hug my gems.
JennyJ
I have never added a comment to any blog/posting in my life (too busy and you’ll see why) but I just had to chime in here. I am pregnant with my 1oth (not a typo) baby and still running, even through 1st trimester puking. I have superficial blood clots and ugly varicose veins, stretch marks, and a bum jiggle to rival Jell-o. But it IS all worth it. Over and over and over again. Keep it up all you wonderful marathon mommas!
Amy @ {Life to the Full}
I love this! Such a great reminder. Being able to have a baby is such a blessing and a MIRACLE!