But why? Accepting My Post-Baby Body

I am now a mom of three small children.  Whoa!  That was unexpected.  One of the hardest things for me has been accepting my post baby body.  But why?  Why can’t we accept the amazing thing our body just did?  Why is it so hard for moms to come to terms with how their bodies have changed once we are holding our beautiful, perfect, amazing babies in our arms?  Why? 

I don’t think the answer is the same for everyone.  For me, it was knowing I was the fittest I had ever been when I got pregnant with my third beautiful baby.  I had worked so hard to get to that point.  My original goal was to work as hard as I could to maintain that during the pregnancy.  I got sick for about nine weeks with a ‘bronchial thing’ as my doctor called it.  It made it very difficult and painful to breathe. My fitness took a hit.  A bit one.  On the good days I could walk at a super slow pace.  This was not a way to maintain fitness.  Eventually I recovered from that and then the third trimester hit.  Again, it was hard to breathe and move.  Really hard. 

I have been wanting to get back to fitness and in the meantime, I’ve been ashamed of how my body looks.  But why?  If this isn’t how a body is supposed to look after having a baby?  How IS it supposed to look?  This is how my body looks. The fitness will come in time.  Will my body change as I get back to fit?  Probably.  In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy each of my children who came from my body.