By Alison • 9 Comments
When you've just had a baby, it's incredibly annoying to see celebrity moms looking svelte and boasting about how they were back in their size 2 jeans three days after giving birth. But you shouldn't be influenced by these images and feel depressed that you've still got your baby belly weeks (or months) after the birth. This is the way to learn to love your post-baby body …
Okay, you could be down the gym as soon as your doctor or midwife okay it. But wouldn't you rather be focusing on the most important thing in your life - your beautiful child? Take the focus away from your anxieties that your body is out of shape, and concentrate your emotional energies on getting to know the new life you've just brought into the world.
Every time I hear about a new baby or see a pregnant woman, I'm amazed at what a woman's body can do. It can grow a human being just from a couple of cells! So be proud of what your body has accomplished. It's created and nurtured a life. That's an extraordinary achievement, even if thousands of other women do exactly the same thing.
Few women find that their body is the same post-pregnancy as before. Well, so what! Don't fret about the fact that you've got a wobbly belly or aren't as toned as you used to be. Focus on being a great mom and enjoying the time with your child. They won't be a baby forever, so savour that very special stage in their life.
If you've gained weight during your pregnancy, as most moms do, you should never be in a rush to shift those pounds. You may still be breastfeeding, and need that extra weight. Besides, it took months to gain those extra pounds, and weight loss should never be sudden and drastic. Make sure you're consuming enough calories to support your breastfeeding, and lose the weight slowly.
Celebrity moms have something you probably don't have access to - a personal trainer and time to spend hours working out. They also have an image to maintain; their job depends on them looking their best. You can concentrate on more important things and take your time to get back to normal.
You may find that there are bonuses to having a post-baby body. If you've never had a generous chest, you could now be sporting an impressive cleavage! Enjoy the positive side of the changes being pregnant has brought, and don't worry about a few extra pounds here and there. All in good time, and if they stick around, it doesn't matter!
Your partner should also play a part in helping you to accept your post-baby body. He should appreciate the work your body has done in creating his child, and not nag you to lose weight or shape up. Indeed, he may not see anything wrong with your body post-pregnancy; if he thinks you look fine, listen to him!
What are the best things about being a mom?