TALKIN' BODY

Your body will look and feel different after giving birth. Here are a few things you can do to accept and appreciate your (amazing) body.

For the most part, women spend their pregnancy in fear of what their body might look like after giving birth. Body changes can be really scary and uncomfortable especially with diet-culture inundating us about needing to “get your body back.” Truth be told, your body will change after you have your baby but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. There are things you can do to help yourself from spiraling into a negative place.

FOCUS ON EVERYTHING YOUR BODY HAS DONE AND IS DOING FOR YOU AND YOUR BABY Your body just grew a baby, and brought that little baby into the world. This means that your body did a lot of shifting, changing, and growing to accommodate that new life. In addition, your body is now tasked with feeding that baby, healing from birth process, holding and carrying the baby, and doing all of that while running on very little sleep. Even still, it can be really hard to appreciate your body when you’re feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious in your skin. Try this—when you get a free moment write down a few things in your journal that you’re grateful for, that your body does for you. For example: “I am grateful that I have strong arms to hold my baby.”

BODY NEUTRALITY OVER BODY POSITIVITY It can feel like a huge jump to go from not liking your body to loving it. Instead of striving for body positivity, it might feel more manageable to aim for body neutrality, the place in between love and hate. Rather than focusing on feeling great about your appearance, try working on radically accepting that your body is different, neither good nor bad, just different. Observe negative body thoughts when they occur, then reframe them to give yourself grace and compassion: