The kids looked down at my #postpartum belly and asked me when the new baby was going to be born 🤦🏻‍♀️ I wish I could tell you that I felt empowered and beautiful in spite of the flabby belly.  Nope. I felt terrible guys! I felt weak and big and less than.  I didn’t feel like a super hero, and I for sure didn’t wear my tiger stripes proudly.
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Then, I began to explain that mommy’s belly was big because there was a baby living in there for nine months. That for nine months I devoted myself to keeping their brother safe and nourished and healthy and that it takes time for my body to heal and my belly to shrink again.
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You see, four babies later and I still find myself hating the post partum stage. I have this unrealistic expectation that my body is going to “bounce back” as if it didn’t just carry life. As if I didn’t spend the last nine months growing the eyes that look back at me today and the nose that I kiss 54324 times a day. .
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Here’s the truth.  This body of mine is flabby, but is also is selfless in so many ways. It’s strong and resilient and determined. It functions on very little sleep and does it day after day without hesitation because it’s fueled by love and grace. .
I don’t know if I’ll ever “bounce back”, but I am determined to “leap forward” friends.  I’m determined to change my thoughts about my thighs and weight and to light up the next time my kids point at my flabby belly because it’s a reminder of the process, of the miracle of life and it’s a tangible representation of the daily sacrifice that we make for our babies.
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Here’s to fighting the idea that we have to “bounce back” in order to feel good about ourselves, to loving hard on our babies, and to flabby bellies and all that they represent! .
On another note, thanks fabletics for making such comfortable workout clothes that support allllll of the areas and allow me to run after my babies all day long!
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#MyFabletics  #ad #MoveinFabletics.