beauty

The post-baby body shock everyone forgets to warn you about

Our favourite blog from last week’s iBlog Friday has been chosen. Renee Wilson of Mummy, Wife, Me has won with her post Where have my boobs gone? Congratulations Renee! Your Cetaphil pack is in the mail! 

Renee writes about the post-baby body fact everyone forgets to warn you about.

Renee's 'girls', before and after...

I have always loved my boobs.

I would definitely consider them my best asset. Not too big, not too small. Just right. Dave always says that the first time he laid eyes on them he thought they were … ‘the best rack he’s ever seen’. :)

We were at the pool yesterday, soaking up the gorgeous Spring sunshine and splashing around with the girls when I felt a gentle breeze tickle my nipples. I looked down in shock. Had my strap come undone? No. My once snugly fitting bikini top was gaping open. Instead of seeing my beautiful boozies, I was peering down at two half deflated balloons.

Where, oh where have my boobs gone? Have they gone forever? Will they ever come back? Will I look like I have the chest of a 12-year-old boy forever? How can Miranda Kerr still have knockout knockers when mine resemble pan fried eggs?

I have to admit the changes to my body post-kids have come as a bit of a shock. During both pregnancies, I did plenty of reading on the changes my body was going through week to week and how my baby was developing. Nothing I read, though, prepared me for how my body would change after birth and breastfeeding.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I thought after giving birth I’d be back to my pre-pregnancy weight in a few weeks. I blame this craziness on my mother. There is a gorgeous photo of her in a string bikini looking model thin with me in her arms not even six weeks old. I was under the illusion that I too would bounce back like mum.

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And as for the media, it has done nothing to portray realistic images of new mums. Its insane infatuation with post-baby bodies and how this, that, and the other super celeb is looking hotter than ever weeks after giving birth is enough to drive a new mum crazy.

I read a great post recently over at The Mums Group. The inspirational Erin set the record straight about what a post-baby tummy really looks like. It was so refreshing to read this story and its encouragement for us mums to make peace with our new bodies.

Just like that meme that does the rounds of social media every so often, we are tigers and we’ve earned our stripes.

We certainly do go through battle, so to speak, and our bodies change as a result. I have a mummy tummy, my tailbone aches 24 7, I can’t run without wetting my pants, and now it appears that my boobs have gone AWOL.

I may not have the body I used to, but I’m cool with that. I’m making peace. This body has given me two of the most precious gifts I could ask for. My perky boobs and flat tummy is the least I could sacrifice for my beautiful girls.

Have you made peace with your changed body? Were you as clueless as me when it came to knowing how your body would change?

Every week we publish a selection of our favourite blogs. To enter send your best post of the week through to info@themotherish.com by midday on Thursday. The winner will receive a fabulous prize as well as publication as a stand-alone post on Monday. Goodluck!