Mom Bod

Mom Bod

10 days postpartum before a walk

So, Your a Mom Now

Let me be real. It took you over 9 months to make a new life. A new life! Like, what?! That sweet little baby in your arms came out of your belly with a lot of help from you and your body. You packed on extra pounds to support a life. Your bone structure, ligaments, and organs all changed and moved during that time. And let's not even get started on what birthing that child may have done to impact your body. So, why do we feel the need to look like we did before being pregnant at three months postpartum?

The belly at almost 42 weeks pregnant. Our dogs in awe of how big that baby was getting ;)

Postpartum Expectations

Don't have them. Seriously. Just don't. Don't compare yourself to your sister, your friend, that crossfit athlete or bikini pro. They aren't you. I can remember even when I was pregnant looking up hashtags of the same amount of weeks pregnant I was. Hello, comparison is bound to happen when your literally searching for it. And why?? They aren't me. I saw all kinds of 40 weeks in vs 40 weeks out pictures. I remember wondering would I just "bounce back," too. 

2 weeks postpartum doing some pelvic floor training. Looking like a deflated balloon
 with muscles stretched and weary.
But, I love this picture. So real and raw. This body had done something amazing.

Bounce Back

Bounce back…what is that? Seriously. I have been guilty of saying this. And excuse my language, but screw that. "Bounce back" from making a new life and if your breastfeeding you are still supporting that new life. And your body has been through a trauma. Yes, a trauma. I said it. Carrying a child in your belly impacts your body, your back, your core, everything. And then delivering takes it to a whole other level of TRAUMA. 

Rehab Your Body

So, what happens after a trauma? Rehabilitation. All women are different when it comes to how long it will take to find their new normal. I am now 9 months postpartum and I am still rehabbing my body and my core from pregnancy and birth. My abdominals are still separated by my belly button. And luckily for me I have some training in how to rehab this myself since I'm a PTA. But, some women aren't so lucky. They just jump right into sit-ups and running without knowing that is the worst thing to do to your still recovering body. 

1 Month Postpartum, being a bad patient and lifting weights too soon. 

Life Hack

If it doesn't feel good or right: don't do it. Does jumping feel weird, running, sit-ups? Don't do it. It's your body telling you it's not ready for that just yet. Are you still bleeding? Don't do anything. Relax, snuggle, breastfeed, and let your body recover. It's done a lot in this past year. Three months off of working out will do it some good. I'm all about going for walks, meditating, and doing some light pelvic floor strengthening. But, take it easy. Don't be scanning instagram for what you think you should be looking like already. That run and those sit-ups will do way more harm than good for you.

One of our many walks that was huge and wonderful for my recovery at 2 months postpartum

 When Will I Feel Back to Normal?

I can only speak for myself, but I'd say never...it's a new normal. My old body is gone. And I'm not saying that in a bad way. But, this body is different. I did a hip hop class last night for the first time since way before pregnancy. I used to be somewhat good and could get the steps and movement right. And last night, I was so uncoordinated. And my memory and mind couldn't focus on the steps. All I could think about was that it was about time for my son to nurse. I kept forgetting the steps and wondering what the heck I was doing there. I felt like Arielle from the Little Mermaid right after she got legs for the first time. So, 9 months later and I'm still adjusting to this new body. 

Before baby body. Not a goal. But, a past transformation.
A new shift on my perspective of the woman I was before I was a mom. 

Pre-Pregnancy Weight

I will say that my weight is back to "pre-pregnancy." But, why even compare to before? My body is super different than before. I fit into most, but not all of my old pants. None of my old bras. And I don't have the muscle I had before. So, who cares really? To me, it's just a number on the scale. But, I did used to focus on it. Because I was tracking my weight gain all through my pregnancy. I remember dropping so much weight right after Elias was born. And then I was stuck on the same number for months which wasn't what I weighed before. I started working out harder. Which my body totally rejected this by constantly giving me mastitis. Not fun. It literally feels like you have the flu plus your boobs feel like they are on fire with rocks inside of them. By the third hit of mastitis, I finally decided I would listen to my body. 

Social Media is the Thief of Joy

When I finally stopped comparing myself to other moms and finally didn't try to rush my recovery. Those last few stubborn pounds came off and I was able to fit into my jeans again. And MOST importantly, I felt content. And not because of the weight. But, because I wasn't comparing myself to anyone. I was letting my new body do it's thing and I let myself feel grace. I let my body heal. And my body thanked me for it. My workouts were strictly recovery based and I didn't try to rush putting on the plates. I still lift light and focus on form. 

Moral of the Story

Just focus on taking care of that sweet babe. Continuing to eat healthy for the two on you. And slowly rehabbing your new body. Don't rush a thing. Don't compare. Don't put a timeline on anything. And be thankful for all your body has done. It's done something amazing and miraculous. Remember that. Your body is different than your neighbors, your pregnancy was different, your delivery, everything. You are amazing. And you are a Mom now. Such a beautiful gift. So, give yourself some grace, Mama. Figuring out this whole mom thing is hard enough on it's own.

This past weekend doing yoga on the beach. 9 months postpartum.
Feeling out this new body and treating it right.

Please feel free to like/share/comment. 

I love feedback and comments on your experience with your new mom body

and if this post meant anything to you.

As always, thanks for reading!

XOXO, 

Jacqui