Healthy Perspectives on Postpartum Body Image
So many moms struggle with the way they look after giving birth. During pregnancy, everyone appreciated your belly bump, but now you may feel like you just “want your body back.” It took you 9 months to grow your baby inside you (plus whatever time it took you to conceive in the first place), so please give your body time!
Metabolic shifts are completely normal.
After your baby is born, you may notice that your metabolism feels “off.” Your weight and pant size may feel out of control at times. I encourage you to relax and allow for one to one a half years of metabolic adjustment postpartum. This time frame may seem very long, but it may realistically take for you to return to your baseline. Ask other moms and they’ll confirm that this is totally normal and average, despite all the intense feelings!
So let go of outward pressures and internalized “shoulds.” Work toward putting systems and support in place that you need in order to enjoy your baby, your family, your food, your body, your favorite forms of movement (even if those are “just” walking, dancing, and playing with your baby), and most of all, your life! When you look back at your baby’s earliest years, these will be the things that really matter, not those last few pounds of baby weight!
If you don’t have a medical condition that requires monitoring of your weight and metabolism, I invite you to let go of a premature focus on your postpartum weight and pant size. Consider the emotional weight of internalized shape/size expectations to be the real “weight” problem. It’s a distraction from the wholehearted and light-hearted enjoyment of motherhood, family, and parenting. Eat healthfully, think healthy thoughts, and live a healthy lifestyle from an overarching perspective, and trust that your metabolism will adjust in due time.
Postpartum healing means nourishment, not dieting.
You will find healing in stillness and connection, not in regimentation and deprivation. This is a time for rest, healing, and connection. “Fitness” may mean getting support so you can sleep through the night, taking gentle walks with your baby, and getting targeted support for any structural issues you may experience.
Follow these suggestions to nourish yourself in mind, body, and soul:
- Ask your partner to write a list of things that are amazing about your body right now, or to write a poem about things that are lovely about your body just as it is right now.
- Spend time with other new moms in a support group. Notice how there are so many shapes and sizes, and how they are all lovely. Remind yourself that you are just as lovely and special as the other moms!
- Notice how your sweet baby looks at you. Your body is your baby’s first love, the source of life, and the source of nourishment. Learn to love and appreciate your body from your baby’s perspective, and you’ll find yourself more connected to yourself and to your baby, as well.
- Get support from a therapist, if needed. Depending on where you live, you may have someone near you who specializes in postpartum wellness and has experience supporting postpartum women.
Putting it all together.
Mainstream Western society has some unhealthy views about women’s roles and women’s bodies. These unhealthy views explode for many new moms who feel that they should have perfect (read: thin and toned) bodies. Women in the Western world are conditioned to feed themselves as little as possible while giving as much as possible to others.
Our society doesn’t sufficiently discuss, let alone portray, the intense normalcy of post-birth bodies or the incredibly nutrient-dense requirements of pregnancy, postpartum recovery, lactation, and round-the-clock baby care! Sadly, a lot of new moms trying to fit into the ideal Western image of a female body eat as little and as rarely as possible to stay alive and produce milk for their babies. However, as a new mom, you need nourishment for yourself, too.
