Hey Tine, congratulations on your little Alma! How is mom-life treating you?
Thank you for the kind words and the congratulations. I’m really enjoying my new life as a mother. My husband and I were so lucky to have an easy baby, who smiles and laughs most of the time, so I’m very thankful for how mom-life has been treating me so far!
How has your body changed since giving birth?
My body changed a lot during pregnancy. I remember noticing how the curves of my body got fuller and appeared different. Not only the belly but also my arms, waist and thighs. But the biggest change that happened to my body during pregnancy were the stretch marks. I always thought they would only appear on the belly, so I was really surprised seeing them everywhere on my body. On my arms, my belly, my hips and thighs.
How was your relationship with your body before you got pregnant with Alma?
I always had a rollercoaster-relationship with my body, and always fluctuated between feeling pretty and secure, to the opposite. But overall I always thought of myself as being worthy and pretty, having a ‘normal’ body (if there is such thing). I actually think that I’ve gotten a better relationship with my body after I’ve become a mom. Maybe it’s the fact that it is able to create something so beautiful as a little human being, maybe it’s because I’ve gotten older, or maybe it’s because of my decision to focus on the beautiful things and creating positive energy being ‘body-positive’. Whatever the reason might be, I feel way more confident in my body, than I did before.
Were you worried about your body changing while you were pregnant?
When I first saw the tiny little stretch marks on my belly I actually felt proud, because they occured at the same time as the belly began to grow and as I felt the first life, so I was really happy and proud. Proud that my body could create something as amazing as life, and a stretch mark or two couldn’t knock me out.
But when I entered the third trimester, my belly was all cracked and looked kind of crazy. I had never seen a pregnant belly with stretch marks before that. I only saw the flawless baby bumps in magazines and they looked nothing like mine, haha. It was difficult for me accepting the stretch marks, that had gotten so massive and were not only on my belly but also on my hips, and on my arms ‘cracking’ my tattoos.
And they were not any less visible after I gave birth. Rather the contrary, and it took some time accepting my mom-body, but I was so exhausted of always talking negative to and about myself and comparing myself with others. I spent so much time feeling sad and angry, that it took my energy from the most important thing; my family. So I made a promise to myself to practice self-love and self-acceptance.
I may not be where I want to be with my body but for now this is how it looks, and that’s perfectly okay. My body is as good as any body! It is not less worthy just because there’s more of it. I’m not going to lie, because some days I fall back into old patterns and criticize myself, but I find it easier getting up again to where I accept myself, and I guess it takes both time and practice to fully love yourself.
How do you feel about your body today?
As I’ve mentioned earlier, I have a peaceful relationship with my post-pregnancy body. I am still overwhelmed by how amazing the female body is. And I am so amazed by the fact that it is capable of creating life, giving birth and heal itself again.
I really don’t get it, (being aware of the flower and the bee, but I mean) it really is a miracle. And when you’ve seen and experienced your body doing miracles, it’s so cruel to still criticize and shame it. It’s easier said than done, but our bodies deserve so much more credit and love than we give it, carrying us around everyday, keeping us alive and giving life! So we should give our bodies and ourselves all the positivity we deserve, and start talking to ourselves with kind and loving words.
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