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View as: GRID LIST

THE POST BABY BODY

1
She is here!! Just over 41 weeks in the making and with a mercifully short and uncomplicated labour (although still resulting in scenes I would imagine close to those of an RTA) our third little person has arrived safely. She is delicious. Soft chubby cheeks and just enough fine brown hair that there shouldn’t be any Mitchell brother comparisons = perfection.

There has been cake and balloons and cards and cuddles and rightly so, there is a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. However, as all eyes turn to baby and away from me and my no longer

SelfishMother.com
2
impressively sized stomach, I admit to feeling a little lost without my bump.

I cannot lie, from week 38 I complained every day (and I do mean every day) about my seemingly never ending pregnancy. I was uncomfortable and tired and rotating a remaining 3 outfits that fitted (just). I was impatient to meet our newest creation and cross with my body for showing no signs of starting the eviction process. In my mind I was remaining as positive as I could, telling myself that all is well, baby will come when she is ready and I am not planning on being

SelfishMother.com
3
pregnant again so I should enjoy the last few weeks/days….

Then she arrived. In a haze of tears, excitement and joy she finally arrived and we are so happy – however, I am already giving my body a hard time again. Why do we do it? I would have thought by number 3 I would have learnt by now to give myself a break. However, within the first 7 days of having number 3 I have stood on the scales, tried on a pre-pregnancy dress and eaten 2 chocolate bars and a fairy cake for ‘lunch’ and then looked at the calorie content and felt awash with misery and

SelfishMother.com
4
guilt for the rest of the day.

On day 5 post birth, our eldest patted my stomach and went to say goodnight to baby as he has done every night for the last few months. Only for me to remind him that despite appearances, baby has moved out. Cue silent sobbing in bathroom – not just because I still look a bit pregnant (a cruel but not unexpected impact of pregnancy) but also because my tummy now feels empty and redundant.

It is no secret that when you are pregnant people suddenly feel it’s ok to comment; on your size and shape, where you are

SelfishMother.com
5
carrying your weight, what you are or should be eating, and don’t get me started on the uninvited touching! You are under continuous body surveillance. One midwife I saw even felt it was necessary to point out to me that although maybe I could not see them, I hadn’t ‘got away with it’ and had ‘finally’ started to get some stretch marks. Brilliant.

As women, our bodies are pretty awesome at adapting in pregnancy, mother nature showing us some of her best work. Then baby arrives. The months and months of it just being you and them are gone

SelfishMother.com
6
and you alone are left with the reality of the post baby body. I imagine we all experience this differently – some of us struggling more with the physical impact, others the emotional. (A salute to those wonderful women who just crack on and don’t give it a second thought).

For me this reality means remembering what it is like to be flying solo again. My stomach no longer needs me to gently rub it or protectively shield it from daily life and I no longer need a wide turning circle. The flutters I feel now really are just wind. The acceptance of my

SelfishMother.com
7
post baby body third time around also goes beyond the physical side of losing weight and investing in a good moisturiser. It is about accepting my part in procreation is done. Our sanity and finances wouldn’t stretch to a 4th child, even if my stomach would and as we are both one of 3 children and now have our 3, we know this is our family completed.

It is about accepting what my body can and does still do for our children to love and nurture them as they grow. From cuddles and kisses to wiping tears and hand holding and everything else that we do

SelfishMother.com
8
as parents. It is about not inviting or listening to the post pregnancy baby comments, however innocently meant and not taking them to heart.

In spite of my overly optimistic memories of my pre baby body I was never a size a 8 with a washboard stomach but I like to think I looked alright. I have never been big on high maintenance hair styles, makeup or the latest trends and that is not likely to change. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to fit in my old clothes or enjoy buying new ones and I do like to feel good about myself, not only as a

SelfishMother.com
9
mother who has successfully cooked and delivered 3 lovely children, but also for me – and that’s the bit that doesn’t feel so easy right now.

On the physical side of things, as accurately reported by the midwife, I have picked up a few stretch marks in this pregnancy which in a bid to remain positive I will be viewing as little fireworks streaking across my stomach in celebration of another great achievement. Whatever makes you happy, right?  Not much I can do about the extra pounds I’m carrying right now but the number of outfits I can rotate 3

SelfishMother.com
10
weeks post birth is increasing so hopefully I’m heading in the right direction. As for me adapting again to a body with no baby, that is going to take a little time and maybe a little more cake…..
SelfishMother.com

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- 5 Apr 16

She is here!! Just over 41 weeks in the making and with a mercifully short and uncomplicated labour (although still resulting in scenes I would imagine close to those of an RTA) our third little person has arrived safely. She is delicious. Soft chubby cheeks and just enough fine brown hair that there shouldn’t be any Mitchell brother comparisons = perfection.

There has been cake and balloons and cards and cuddles and rightly so, there is a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. However, as all eyes turn to baby and away from me and my no longer impressively sized stomach, I admit to feeling a little lost without my bump.

I cannot lie, from week 38 I complained every day (and I do mean every day) about my seemingly never ending pregnancy. I was uncomfortable and tired and rotating a remaining 3 outfits that fitted (just). I was impatient to meet our newest creation and cross with my body for showing no signs of starting the eviction process. In my mind I was remaining as positive as I could, telling myself that all is well, baby will come when she is ready and I am not planning on being pregnant again so I should enjoy the last few weeks/days….

Then she arrived. In a haze of tears, excitement and joy she finally arrived and we are so happy – however, I am already giving my body a hard time again. Why do we do it? I would have thought by number 3 I would have learnt by now to give myself a break. However, within the first 7 days of having number 3 I have stood on the scales, tried on a pre-pregnancy dress and eaten 2 chocolate bars and a fairy cake for ‘lunch’ and then looked at the calorie content and felt awash with misery and guilt for the rest of the day.

On day 5 post birth, our eldest patted my stomach and went to say goodnight to baby as he has done every night for the last few months. Only for me to remind him that despite appearances, baby has moved out. Cue silent sobbing in bathroom – not just because I still look a bit pregnant (a cruel but not unexpected impact of pregnancy) but also because my tummy now feels empty and redundant.

It is no secret that when you are pregnant people suddenly feel it’s ok to comment; on your size and shape, where you are carrying your weight, what you are or should be eating, and don’t get me started on the uninvited touching! You are under continuous body surveillance. One midwife I saw even felt it was necessary to point out to me that although maybe I could not see them, I hadn’t ‘got away with it’ and had ‘finally’ started to get some stretch marks. Brilliant.

As women, our bodies are pretty awesome at adapting in pregnancy, mother nature showing us some of her best work. Then baby arrives. The months and months of it just being you and them are gone and you alone are left with the reality of the post baby body. I imagine we all experience this differently – some of us struggling more with the physical impact, others the emotional. (A salute to those wonderful women who just crack on and don’t give it a second thought).

For me this reality means remembering what it is like to be flying solo again. My stomach no longer needs me to gently rub it or protectively shield it from daily life and I no longer need a wide turning circle. The flutters I feel now really are just wind. The acceptance of my post baby body third time around also goes beyond the physical side of losing weight and investing in a good moisturiser. It is about accepting my part in procreation is done. Our sanity and finances wouldn’t stretch to a 4th child, even if my stomach would and as we are both one of 3 children and now have our 3, we know this is our family completed.

It is about accepting what my body can and does still do for our children to love and nurture them as they grow. From cuddles and kisses to wiping tears and hand holding and everything else that we do as parents. It is about not inviting or listening to the post pregnancy baby comments, however innocently meant and not taking them to heart.

In spite of my overly optimistic memories of my pre baby body I was never a size a 8 with a washboard stomach but I like to think I looked alright. I have never been big on high maintenance hair styles, makeup or the latest trends and that is not likely to change. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to fit in my old clothes or enjoy buying new ones and I do like to feel good about myself, not only as a mother who has successfully cooked and delivered 3 lovely children, but also for me – and that’s the bit that doesn’t feel so easy right now.

On the physical side of things, as accurately reported by the midwife, I have picked up a few stretch marks in this pregnancy which in a bid to remain positive I will be viewing as little fireworks streaking across my stomach in celebration of another great achievement. Whatever makes you happy, right?  Not much I can do about the extra pounds I’m carrying right now but the number of outfits I can rotate 3 weeks post birth is increasing so hopefully I’m heading in the right direction. As for me adapting again to a body with no baby, that is going to take a little time and maybe a little more cake…..

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Mum of fabulous children, wife to one very patient husband. My blogs are about anything that has popped into my head as it occurs to me. I have aspirations to write more, that are slowly turning into reality. A lover of the simple things in life - good friends, good food, good wine and of course family.

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