Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Post-Baby Body

You know what is totally unrealistic? Women like this:


I was talking with my MIL a few weeks ago about how tired I am of seeing women in the media with their perfect post-baby bodies. It makes us 'normal' mommies feel unattractive when in reality they are the abnormal ones. I don't have a personal chef, personal trainer, a nanny, a housecleaner, or a surgeon to make me look 'perfect' again.

Shopping for jeans after having a baby was pretty depressing for me. For some reason I had all these ideas in my head that I would be back to my pre-baby body by the holidays. Boy, was I wrong! I blame the media for putting those ideas into my head. That the baby weight would "melt away" with breastfeeding. Yeah, right! Not for me. It's a slow, slow decline on the scale. But you know what? I grew a baby inside of me.


Now I am feeding her with my own body. I need to try to remember to love my body for what it is. Sure, I may carry some extra weight, but I love my body for being able to grow a perfect baby and now provide her with enough food to enable her to grow healthy and strong. So if a few extra pounds is the price I pay for my daughter? So be it. She is more than worth it.

17 comments :

Heather said...

Good for you! I hate all the media attention on stars' rapid weight loss. It's unrealistic and ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

So true! The magazines lie.

Meagan said...

I'm proud my hips are a little wider and my belly has loose skin! My son is adorable, perfect, and healthy and he's all mine! Grown right here!

Lourie said...

I thought I would bounce right back too. Nope. And you are so right to love your body the way it is. Look at her. She is beautiful. And slower weight loss is the better kind anyway. It stays off better. She's only a couple of months old. Give yourself time. :) That's a pretty big deal to grow an entire person. ;)

Emily said...

You know what? Even they aren't completely the same. You never can be. Having a baby changes your body forever, mostly for the better. Except they can retouch theirs in pictures! You may remember I posted a post-baby belly pic. It was NOT pretty. It takes me at least 9 months each time to lose most of the weight and fit all my pre pregnancy clothes. By the time I do, I'm pregnant again, lol. Anyway, you look great. Motherhood is an awesome makeover.

ps. 2-3 months is where I hit a rut and I stop losing weight for a little while. Be patient, it'll happen : )

Erin said...

I think you are beautiful! Screw these celebrities who make post pregnancy bodies SO unrealistic!

Erika said...

Yes! I said the SAME thing when I saw her on a commercial for Jenny this morning. It took me 3.5 months to loose most of my weight, I still have 6-8 pounds to go and I haven't worked out. My body has changed. And I'm not depleting my food source for my baby by dieting. Oy.

Emily said...

I love this post! I think you look great and the most important part is for YOU to be happy with you :)

Meg O. said...

I'm glad that we had our little twitter talk and then read this post today. I started feeling really nervous about getting my body back, but I think I was thinking too unrealistic. I've always been super healthy and haven't had a hard time losing weight when I wanted to, so I guess I just have to be patient and REALISTIC. It's amazing what our bodies are built to do. I think you look incredible. 10 lbs is really not much to lose at all!

LWLH said...

Those celebrities are ridiculous. I don't even have any babies yet and I know that is unrealistic. I can't even look like that now without child :(

Your perfect just the way you are and nourishing your baby is a bigger gift than a flat tummy anyday, in my book :)

Blissfully Burton said...

love this post! i cried last Monday when I went shopping for jeans and had to get 2 sizes bigger than pre-baby. it is so hard when you see all the 'hot celeb' moms! but, you look awesome...and you are right - we'd look that good too with people doing things for us left and right!

Megan said...

This is beautiful! I think you look amazing, but you're so right. It's so ridiculous that women are expected to bounce right back to this tiny size!

Courtney B said...

LOVE the picture! You both look so pretty ;)
I read an interview with Jennifer Lopez and they asked her how she got her body back after having twins. She said she thinks people need to back off with the weight loss; it takes 9 months to grow a baby... it'll take 9 months or more to lose the weight.
I LOVE that! I mean, it is SO true! I can imagine how hard it is to remember that when we have a bad day and think the worst of ourselves. But you are such a lucky mama and have a perfect baby! And I have no doubt that your husband thinks you're the hottest thing he's ever laid eyes on ;)

Mrs. T said...

Heavenly Father designed women's bodies to create, grow, and nurture children, not to dance around on TV in booty shorts. You look amazing Shelley! You should just consider any of the minor differences between your pre-baby body and your new and improved partner-with-God-baby-creating-body an outward display of your Divine Nature. Motherhood looks good on you!

Neely said...

How fast they lose that weight is unhealthy! You look great.

Nicole J @ Pampers & Pumps said...

Shell you are GORGEOUS! The celebrities in the media are not the norm, we are. And you look fan-friggin-tastic for just having had a baby in September.

Anonymous said...

After having a baby and then nursing for 11 1/2 months I can say when I look in the mirror I see someone completely different. And I don't mean that in a bad way. Sure I still have 5 pounds to lose....a year later...but I grew a baby. I feed a baby who had nothing but what I made for him for 6 months. Women's bodies are AMAZING. I have a whole new outlook on my body. It wasn't designed to fit into the perfect size jeans. It's not always easy though. Even with how ridiculous the magazines are it's still hard not to compare yourself to them. And that's when you look at your baby and remind yourself what's really important. :)You look great, btw!

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