Embrace Your Post-Postpartum Body
After I had my daughter in March of 2012, I had been always visioning myself quickly getting back to my pre-baby weight. However, no one told that realistically it would be a lot longer, than I thought. Throughout the years, there has been a lot of conversations about women getting their bodies after giving birth. And the average woman has been comparing herself to the celebrity woman, on how quickly they’ve gotten back to their previous sizes after birth. There’s an idea that women must quickly snatch back to their pre-baby weight after giving birth; for example, celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Kate Middleton and many others. These celebrity women are snatching back so quickly after three months or less after giving birth. And that makes the average woman, like myself, jealous as hell.
I had carried my daughter until 39 weeks and weighed in was 200.5 lbs. The picture below is a before (39 weeks pregnant) and after photo of me (4 months after birth).
Even though, I was able to shed some of the pounds. But I’m still not back at my pre-baby weight; four years later, and I’m still working on getting my body back.
As women, we start to compare ourselves to others, especially celebrities. But no one informs new mothers, about how long it actually would take for their bodies to get back to the way it was. It’s exhausting, depressing and frustrating when you see everyone else getting into better shape than you.
Because celebrities are quickly getting back to their pre-baby weight, for the average woman, it starts to place pressure upon them to do the same.
But not everyone’s body works the same way.
It all ties back to the patriarchal idea that men had placed on women. Men put this idea that women are supposed to carry a child, take care of the home and still be presentable (appearance: make-up done, hair done, and dress appropriately). Men uses this idea, in order to stay superior to women. When women start to become more critical about their appearance, where their insecurities start to take control. Women than start to compete against other women, in order to keep their husbands from exploring other women.
Also, women don’t make thing better. Women start embracing these misogynistic ideas, and start tearing one another down to be seen as the “bad bitch.” Women continuously feed into the ideas, instead of empowering and helping one another. Women need to start embracing their body type, by allowing society to accept me as I am. That a woman starts setting their own standards, instead of men. Women make the decision on how they want to represent themselves, even if they are carrying a child. Once women start to work together as one, then the amount of pressure will go away.
But is that how capitalism works? The weight loss companies like Nurtisystem and Weight Watchers made 6.5 billion dollars last year. And it will continue to grow. Why do you ask? Because of Photoshop and celebrities being endorsed by these companies, women start to believe the products will work for them also.
However, there are some celebrities that have been embracing their postpartum bodies. Celebrities like Amber Rose, Kelly Clarkson, Kendra Wilkinson and many more women, are going against the standards that society has placed on women. Women are becoming more open in their appearance, despite on society’s views.
Like myself, I have grown to accept that I will never be able to get back in a bikini again. And I am now OK with it. I have been able to embrace my imperfection, and start to show others that…
…I’m not taking their shit anymore.
My body is this way after two pregnancies (1 live birth and 1 aborted). The more I continue to start for understanding and accepting myself, then I can help others see the beauty of their own bodies. And then we start becoming a part of a world that is accepting other’s for their difference.
