We don’t often think about what our bodies can do. We know they do things like walk, sleep, eat, basic functions. We never really dreamed they could grow a person, birth a person, then feed a person for a year to sustain life. When you get pregnant, you aren’t thinking of these things. You are just so excited you got that second line on the stick and see the ultrasound with a heartbeat.
Then you go through the process. You have gotten through each trimester, each with its own milestones. The nausea in the first trimester that comes and goes, or if you are unlucky, comes and stays! The second trimester with finding out the sex of the baby. The third trimester when your baby drops and gets in position. All so different and so very exciting. Then you have the baby. This is a complete out of body experience and one your partner has no way to comprehend.
Then we get into the negative self talk. “I need to lose the baby weight”. “Look at these stretch marks”. “I am always so tired and don’t have energy to do anything”. We are going to stop this right here. Take a step back. Look at yourself. Look at what you created and what you did. As women and as moms, we expect perfection from ourselves. We expect ourselves to bounce right back from this life changing endeavor. We don’t give ourselves time to be grateful for what our bodies did. We immediately start the self-judgement.
Your body is capable of doing amazing things. Your body has done amazing things. Your body will continue to do amazing things. Show yourself a little compassion. Say words to yourself that you would tell your best friend. You wouldn’t point out her stretch marks. Instead you would hug her and say, “Look at what you did, amazing!”
Compassion and confidence. This is what we are focusing on now.
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