The Mom Bod

 The Mom Bod

  

With a new baby comes with a new mom bod. Which for me has been like trying to figure out a Rubik's Cube for the past couple of months. Somehow I expected my body to bounce right back & magically be the size that it was before. Also, I had a C-section,my second,not a natural birth which for many women is harder to bounce back from than women who have had a natural birth.

                                                                 Reality settled in

I pulled out everything in my closet. Every cute,small pair of jeans,tank tops,shirts,swimwear etc & started trying to figure out ways to modify them,to make them functional for me so I could wear them again. Adding more buttons to keep my jeans snug & stay up without rolling under my lovely C-section pooch.

Just when I thought I had that fixed the zipper refused to zip  up & stay in place. It made me feel even more desperate & determined to figure out a way to make my jeans fit again. I seriously started to panic. I even tried making maternity jeans because I wanted to save a few bucks.That was a horribly failed DIY by the way & a very bad idea that I don't recommend unless your like a sewing wizard. 

After doing this for at least 4 weeks ( Yeah, 4 weeks!) I sat on my bedroom floor surrounded by clothes or what were supposed to be clothes,fabric glue,a small sewing kit & scarp fabric all over the floor & I started to cry. Not because I felt sorry for myself  but because I had all of a sudden became very was scared of  how my new "Mom Bod" looked. I didn't feel like the confident Charlana Jo that I was once before.

                                                                   Finding Support

I needed support.I did have my Fiancee,David, full of love & support with this issue which was more than helpful! You are the best babe! I set out looking into Mom groups on Facebook.When I found the right group for me to join it was a really big eye opener for me. Every mom was going through the exact same thing that I had been through,had the exact same thoughts that I did ( and I thought my thinking was bad,haha nope! They were right there with every other mother.) It was so nice to just be open & talk about what was happening to me as a women. Especially about my new Mom-bod. All of my questions were answered & I received more information about my second c-section & how it effected me than I did about my first one. I totally suggest informing yourself about the aftermaths of C-sections if you have already had one or if you are going to have one soon.

                                                            

This started opening the door to accepting myself the way that I was now & will be for awhile. I can most definitely start paving the road ahead of me & get started on a better diet. I got back on my healthy eating habits & vegan meals again which my body really missed! I also take walks 3 or more days a week with the baby for a few hours a day to give my body the exercise that it needs. 

                                                       Accepting & Embracing my Mom Bod

I accepted that it was okay to look the way that I do now because I did bring a human life into this world,that  I shouldn't be so hard on myself or set high expectations of myself that I can't meet right now. Accepting that didn't mean I was making excuses for myself  or that I was weak for having the body that I have. Even if you haven't had any kids at all.,even before motherhood we compare ourselves to other women from time to time.(That's what most women that I've met have told me they've catched themselves doing.)

                                                                   Finally letting go

At the moment I am confidently & proudly throwing EVERYTHING that I once wore before my pregnancy into a bag to give away to our local thrift stores in hopes that whoever needs to feel beautiful & a good bargain stumbles across what I've given. That it will make them just as happy as it had made me (and fashion defiantly makes me happy!) & put a little pep in their step. Plus this also means I can make a Style board full of new trends that I've really been wanting to try & buy! To me this hasn't become just about clothes,it's become about accepting myself, the new chapter within my life & transitioning into the women that I'm meant to be. Or the short term I use to describe it as'shedding my skin." I've had a lot happen to me over the course of a year & I feel like I'm just now catching up on a few things as well as learning new & exciting things about myself. 

                                                                   

                                                                    You aren't alone!

If your going through this trust me when I say that I'm right there with you! Try your best to not feel so alone because you definitely aren't! Take time out for yourself to hit the reset button and make a few changes mentally,physically & emotionally. Definitely find a good support group online or meetings withing your local community center. Just knowing someone else get's it makes things much easier. Until the next blog,stay zen <3