I’ve been so happy lately. Sure I have my bad days, but I’ve been feeling so great emotionally and physically. This year I’ve been extremely intentional in dressing myself so that I feel good. After I had Raelynn, I spent so much time wearing a mix of pregnancy clothes and oversized t-shirts and couldn’t understand why I no longer loved my body. I knew something had to change. So along with renewing my mind (talked more about this here), I took on these practical steps to begin loving my postpartum body.
Take Fashion “Risk”
I think trying new things in the fashion realm has been the biggest game-changer for me this year! There are so many times I would reject the thought of wearing certain things in the past year out of fear it’ll look bad. The thing is though, that it was just fear. You never really know how something will look on you until you try it. Besides, there’s no harm in “trying”.
For me, this meant rocking a 2 piece bathing suit for the first time in a long time. It meant confidently rocking shorts and not caring about what my thighs looked like. I started ordering clothes in my correct size and didn’t think twice about whether or not it’ll fit. And if I did have to size up, I refused to let a value define me. Instead of saying “I don’t think this is for me”, I got the next size up and didn’t think about the size again.
This year I’ve taken on the mindset of if I like it, try it. Love and embrace your postpartum body and don’t let temporary changes to your body shift your style.
Stop Running From Pictures
Body dysmorphia is real guys, and taking more pictures of myself has helped me get my mind in check. I remember before I had Raelynn and I went through a phase of gaining weight, I thought “ugh I’m huge”. Now I look at that girl in pictures and say “Girl, you should’ve rocked those curves more”!
As women, our bodies are going to go through changes. Birth control, babies, hormones, stress and so much more play a huge role in our weight and that’s ok! 9 times out of 10, it’s not as bad as you THINK it is. Change isn’t always a bad thing.
Documenting your body in its many states can help you develop a love and appreciation for its many forms!
Speak Confidently To Yourself
Have you seen the video of the plant “bullying” experiment? If not, you need to watch it (I’ll link it here)!
We have to be careful how we speak when it comes to all things, from plants to our bodies. Your words matter. Stop saying you’re ugly. Stop staying you’ve gotten “fat”. I say this all of the time but only because it’s true: your perspective means everything. Not to mention, your little one is probably watching. We can’t expect our children to know what positive self-talk is without demonstrating it.
Get out your head and find something positive to say about yourself and say it daily until you find something new to say. Love your postpartum body.
Make changes
There are 2 types of people in the world: those who say and those who do. Be a doer, not a sayer, or dare I say a complainer.
My husband is notorious for having a solution for everything instead of letting me sulk and complain. At first, it would drive me crazy but it’s helped me adopt a similar mentality when it comes to comments about my postpartum body.
Let’s be real, we all know what to do when it comes to getting a body we love. Either we’re doing it or we’re not.
Make A Daily Effort
As you’re working on getting a postpartum body you love, make an effort daily to still do things that make you feel good.
It may be putting on makeup, journaling or even catching up with a friend. Becoming a mama is a huge adjustment but it doesn’t have to take over your life. It’s ok to take time for yourself and do the things you love as a mama. It doesn’t make you any less of a person.
For me, picking up the things I loved before I was a mama DAILY has made me more confident of a mama.
YOU are more than enough just as you are. Just because you don’t look the same way you looked 10 years ago doesn’t mean you can’t confidently rock your postpartum body!
XO
Michelle
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