Right after you’ve given birth, it’s hard to make sense of the mess that is your body. Sure, when you were pregnant, you could still claim to have a glow and a gorgeous baby bump that you may have even taken naked photos of, but afterwards? The aura around you feels more like exhaustion than anything else. As a child, I remember visiting an aunt in the hospital after she had given birth and wondering why her tummy was still so large even after her baby had already come out. Then after I gave birth, I too was faced with an empty, sagging belly. I had to take a deep breath and remind myself that this really happened. I just had to give my body time to readjust. At the same time, my mom’s voice kept playing in my head, “Your body will change shape. Pregnancy will permanently alter it.” I just crossed my fingers that it was for the better. If that was even possible.
Though almost impossible to believe, there are reasons to love your post-pregnancy body.
1. More womanly curves
See past the flab and the loose skin. Instead, consider how your pregnancy made you look even more feminine. At least that’s what happened to Rachel Tuason. “I now have fuller curves,” she says.
Rhea Bautista had a similar experience. “Before my first pregnancy, I was super thin because of my work—94 pounds was my dancing weight,” she says. “So I looked haggard. After giving birth, I filled out and looked more normal.”
2. The ability to breastfeed
“The best reason for loving my post pregnant body is that it is able to nurture my baby as I'm breastfeeding. Plus, I've got real cleavage from having bigger boobs!” Treena Ongking shares with a laugh. Bautista agrees, “I also saw my new body as an amazing machine that could nurture a life that was totally dependent on me. That's pretty amazing, isn't it?”
Justine Tajonera adds, “I love that my body was designed to give life. My breasts literally give life! That was never how I saw my body before. Now, I see it as a vessel of generosity.”
Anne Santos shares another plus to breastfeeding. “It was soon after I give birth that I was at my thinnest,” she says. “Thanks to breastfeeding, I could eat as much as I wanted and still continue to lose weight. I loved it!”
3. Your body’s strength
“I actually miss my young body, the one that could stuff itself with chocolates and greasy lechon and not gain an ounce,” says Rissa Kawpeng. “But I’m amazed at my post pregnancy body’s resiliency and ability to heal.” After having gone through the physical trauma of childbirth, your body will indeed amaze you as it quickly recovers. Not only that, although it has been through so much stress, it still can nurse a baby and run on almost zero sleep as you find yourself a slave to your baby’s unpredictable schedule.
4. What your body achieved
You may say that you didn’t need the extra curves because you were already curvy even before you got pregnant. Or that you weren’t able to breastfeed due to medical conditions. Or that it took forever for your body to heal because of complications. Yes it is tough to find a reason to love a body that you no longer recognize or one that refuses to cooperate the way it used to. But for Sheila Galon, there is one main reason to love your post pregnant body. “This is the body that brought my two beautiful babies into the world,” she says. “I can have a perfect body, but without my kids. I’d rather have this one. It’s all worth it.”
And if your expanded tummy still gets you down, Camille Laguda says, “The loose belly makes you remember that your baby was actually part of you.”
Though almost impossible to believe, there are reasons to love your post-pregnancy body.
1. More womanly curves
See past the flab and the loose skin. Instead, consider how your pregnancy made you look even more feminine. At least that’s what happened to Rachel Tuason. “I now have fuller curves,” she says.
Rhea Bautista had a similar experience. “Before my first pregnancy, I was super thin because of my work—94 pounds was my dancing weight,” she says. “So I looked haggard. After giving birth, I filled out and looked more normal.”
2. The ability to breastfeed
“The best reason for loving my post pregnant body is that it is able to nurture my baby as I'm breastfeeding. Plus, I've got real cleavage from having bigger boobs!” Treena Ongking shares with a laugh. Bautista agrees, “I also saw my new body as an amazing machine that could nurture a life that was totally dependent on me. That's pretty amazing, isn't it?”
Justine Tajonera adds, “I love that my body was designed to give life. My breasts literally give life! That was never how I saw my body before. Now, I see it as a vessel of generosity.”
Anne Santos shares another plus to breastfeeding. “It was soon after I give birth that I was at my thinnest,” she says. “Thanks to breastfeeding, I could eat as much as I wanted and still continue to lose weight. I loved it!”
3. Your body’s strength
“I actually miss my young body, the one that could stuff itself with chocolates and greasy lechon and not gain an ounce,” says Rissa Kawpeng. “But I’m amazed at my post pregnancy body’s resiliency and ability to heal.” After having gone through the physical trauma of childbirth, your body will indeed amaze you as it quickly recovers. Not only that, although it has been through so much stress, it still can nurse a baby and run on almost zero sleep as you find yourself a slave to your baby’s unpredictable schedule.
4. What your body achieved
You may say that you didn’t need the extra curves because you were already curvy even before you got pregnant. Or that you weren’t able to breastfeed due to medical conditions. Or that it took forever for your body to heal because of complications. Yes it is tough to find a reason to love a body that you no longer recognize or one that refuses to cooperate the way it used to. But for Sheila Galon, there is one main reason to love your post pregnant body. “This is the body that brought my two beautiful babies into the world,” she says. “I can have a perfect body, but without my kids. I’d rather have this one. It’s all worth it.”
And if your expanded tummy still gets you down, Camille Laguda says, “The loose belly makes you remember that your baby was actually part of you.”
All in all, a post pregnancy body is definitely a body worth celebrating.
Olivia has been writing ever since she can remember. She has written for health, teen, parenting, and children's magazines. Her latest endeavor is being a mom to her three-year-old daughter—her toughest assignment yet. Swap stories with her at threeolivias@yahoo.com.
