Postpartum Body Changes

Hi mama friends!

After giving birth to two small children there were a lot of changes to the my body. Some for the good, and some for the bad (lol). When I had Ryland, I lost all of that baby weight so quick and I did minimal work- age could have played a huge role with this because I had Ryland 5 days after I turned 23 years old! I had Rori two years later, losing that baby weight was a struggle! I had to work out, eat healthier, and just got active!

The Changes That Happened to My Body Postpartum

1.) Enlargement of the breasts (yay!), but not really because it was filled with milk and occasionally with touch I would lactate and milk were squirt out or cause discomfort (SO SEXY! lol) oh, and don’t forget mastitis, OUCH!

2.) Stomach pooch loose skin – no matter how much I work out and lose weight I ALWAYS have loose skin when I bend over or occasionally it will hang over the top of my jeans! (YES, even tiny people have this postpartum loose skin). I used to feel so uncomfortable when I would lie on my side and the loose skin that was once so taught and tight would now just slightly hang.

3.) Hormones are all out of whack and I felt like I was going through menopause in my early 20s! I’m mad, I’m happy, I’m sad, I’m having hot flashes, I can’t hold my pee, I’m having anxiety. WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEEEE??? Totally normal.

4.) Stretch marks on my breasts? Oh great, I wanted bigger cups, but now they have marks. I can’t ever win.

Accept Your Body

The motherly body goes through so many changes, and at times I felt so insecure about my body. I felt really insecure about myself, especially my stomach pooch with loose skin. I would never want to wear a bikini during the summertime or wear well fitted clothing because I didn’t want that pooch to be seen. I started to exercise daily doing high intense workouts, I ate clean (for the most part, sorry but coffee creamer was a must)), I got active, I did yoga. I gained that nice slim body, but that loose skin was still there smiling at me daily. I’ve learned to accept the changes to my body because THIS body gave life to TWO BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT children.

We all have insecurities, and it can be such a cruel and judging world, but we should embrace these changes to our body! We are SO very blessed to be able to carry our children!

The Happy Facts

Those no longer perfect breasts produced milk for our children!

Those stretch marks are marks that shows that we carried and cared for a beautiful baby- life is SO beautiful!

That stomach pouch with loose skin is a reminder that we are always a mama first. No matter what is happening in life, no matter how hard we work out, no matter how stressed and hectic life gets, at the end of the day- we are always a mama first and that isn’t going anywhere, neither is that loose skin pooch. Some bodies may differ from one another, but we all have felt the same feeling of change. Some times people look at me at they’re thinking “you’re so tiny, and barely a pooch – why are you insecure?” I am tiny, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own mirror image to battle- just like the next person.

 

Women Unite

So here I am showing you all that my skin is not always tight and perfect, when I took these photos I originally wanted to cover my belly (which I did in the beginning and the above photos), but then I said I’ve got nothing to hide. I am a mom – this is apart of who I am, I am just going to show these beautiful women that we are ALL apart of the same circle and going through the same mommyin’ struggles.

 

 

Outfit Details

Gold Rim Sunglasses (similar to mine)- $25

Lipstick – under $18

Off the shoulder striped top – under $40

Black distressed shorts –  under $45 : runs big, order 1 size down (I got a size 24)

Saddle suede bag –  $250, splurge but it goes with everything!

Wedges – under $75 (in taupe color, the color I have is cognac- but sold out!) : website says to order a size up, in my opinion they run TTS (I got a size 7)

Xx, Jennifer