Learning to love my post partum body is hard.
Stretchmarks, c-section pouch, sagging breasts, ab separation post-birth.
My god.
Women’s bodies are constantly under a microscope.
From cultural pressures, relationships, and now motherhood, it felt like my body always belonged to someone else.
Because whether we’re judged as too skinny, too fat, too large chested (or not enough) our sense of worth becomes tied to the validation of cultural standards ( from a very early age).
Yet as time moves on, I’m learning to practice not only compassion for my post-partum body but my thoughts around it-negative or positive.
That’s why when I look in the mirror, and I catch myself wincing at my stomach, I no longer beat myself up for it.
Instead, I choose to meet myself where I’m at with the realization that:
Yes, it’s okay to not be totally in love with everything aspect myself.
I’m just not there yet.
I think the more liberating question to ask, is:
- Do I accept myself? Even the parts that are still a “work in process?”
- Do I allow thoughts to come up without judging them?
- Or do I feel guilty for negative thoughts about my body?
- What does my feelings about my post-partum tell me about my values / sense of worth?
I’ve come to realize that self love progress is never linear.
Some days I feel great about my body, and other days I have to work a bit harder to give myself a bit more grace.
I know it takes time to shed back all the beauty standard programming society has plagued on women.
And whether they try to wish them away, I accept myself for where I’m at on my healing journey.
SELF LOVE PRACTICE
- Spend 5 minutes in child’s pose taking deep breaths ( long inhale, pause, long exhale)
- Start be cultivating feeling of appreciation & love for your body
- You might feel called to express thanks out loud ( example- I’m thankful my body feeds my baby, I thank my body for bringing life into this world)
- Hone in a part of your body that you’re currently struggling with
- Focus feelings of love for this part
- Acknowledge everything this body part has done & does for you
- Spend 10 minutes reflecting on everything that came up for you