Why I Will Never Be Ashamed of My Postpartum Body

Even though I have some stretch marks and a deflated balloon stomach, and I still wear maternity clothes, I am very proud of my body. With all of the major bodily changes that occur to a woman’s body during pregnancy, I can see how it would be so easy to get caught up in self- pity and comparison.

Growing a baby for nine months is incredibly miraculous and the fact that a woman’s body can even do that is simply amazing. A lot of women struggle with dissatisfaction with their bodies postpartum. It is perfectly normal. I even sometimes find myself struggling with confidence over my “new” kind of body. Even though these thoughts are normal to have, women need to continually remind themselves that they should never feel bad or humiliated in any way over their postpartum body.

A lot of times, I feel that women feel this overwhelming societal pressure to immediately “fix” their body as soon as their baby is born. While, yes, I do want to eventually stop wearing my maternity clothes, I’m not going to worry about that right now. Women need to remind themselves that they are beautiful with their “mom bod,” and it should never be something they feel they should hide or cover up.

Every time I am feeling embarrassed over my body or my postpartum weight, all I have to do is look at my baby. When I see his adorably pudgy, rubber band wrists, I don’t care anymore that I have stretch marks. When I watch him make the exact same facial expressions that I make, I forget about the fact that I still can’t fit into my favorite Target jeans. When I hear him squeal with delight when I pretend to eat his little feet, I really don’t care that I look like I could still be pregnant.

I know that I will most likely be able to wear my pre-pregnancy clothes one day and that my stretch marks will probably fade, but in the meantime, I am going to proudly put on my yoga pants. Motherhood brings a whole new set of challenges and being discouraged over body image should not be one of them. Mamas, your body grew a baby! Of course your body is going to look a little different! Don’t let anyone ever make you feel ashamed over your postpartum body.

Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.

By Collyn Morgan on February 3, 2016
Collyn is a freelance writer that enjoys researching and writing on modern feminism, health, motherhood, and other related topics. She has a passionate love for macaroons, vegetarian cuisine, newsletters, and anything regarding The Walking Dead. You can find her musings and intrigues on Twitter.