The Shape of a Mother

So MIL has the older kids this afternoon (and tonight - she is awesome!) and I was relaxing on the couch flicking through tv channels when I came across a program about mothers and how they feel about their bodies. I only caught a small part of it but they showed an American website called The Shape of a Mother

Wow.

It was started by a mother who is trying to show what normal post-preggy bodies look like, saggy bits, stretch marks and all! It is something that we don't often see, usually it is only celebs and air brushed pictures we have to compare ourselves with.

Like most women (I imagine) I struggle to come to terms with my post-baby body (I know there is a lot I can do to help i.e. lose weight and tone up, but my body will never be the same as it was before pregnancy). I hope, in time, I can make peace with the stretch marks, extra skin and droopy boobs and perhaps seeing the post-preggy bodies of other 'real' women may help.

Anyway, thought I would share this as I think its a great idea

Before I become pregnant I worried about my post-baby body.
But then I thought that breasts are made for breast feeding, so if they become saggy and stretch marked, then that must be how they are meant to look after a baby, as they have just been doing what they are meant to do.
And as for other saggy bits, and bits that are different, I no longer give a crap, I just think that I would rather have my son and have these parts, then have an unblemished body and no kids.

Yep I'm very grateful that my body has given me 3 beautiful children, it's an amazing thing! I wouldn't change that at all and even if we ever had the money I don't think I would change my body i.e. plastic surgery, but I guess I wasn't prepared for how much my body would change.

Bowie - when they were talking about the website I jumped on the laptop so didn't really watch to much more, but I saw an after shot of a woman who had gone through plastic surgery and then the presenter doing a underwear photo shoot??

I think I look better now post babies the pre babies and I feel I appreciate my body more now because it gave me these amazing little people.

Thats so cool, thank you for the link. I am also happier with my body after I have had my kids, but that probably says a lot more about my self confidence before I had them, than it does anything else. But I was only 18 so still growing up really.

For me the hardest thing is that I am naturally slim, and I am smaller now after the kids, and for that reason I have tiny breasts now. They were never huge, I was about a full C, now I am a A cup that has breastfed two bubs for 8 months each. I am very self conscious of them because of the way they sit in a bikini, the way they have no real tone or anything to them, the way they 'crease' if thats the right word? I hope someone knows what I mean...anyway, they bug me, but like someone else said, they are made for feeding our beautiful children, and I wouldn't have it any other way.