Body Positivity: The Category is Mom-Bod

Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for church, I literally growled at the mirror because I felt disgusting, unworthy, and just straight-up ugly.

I've struggled with these intrusive thoughts ever since I've entered and now exited into the "4th Trimester,"... aka Postpartum.

No one ever tells you about what you feel like after you have a baby. Of course, you love your new bundle of joy, you are exhausted from the sleepless nights, and you feel overwhelmed with the changing hormones you experience. But that doesn't even touch the surface of what happens to your body, mind, and spirit.

Your body is now unrecognizable. You've been carrying a watermelon for 9-months, and suddenly there's no baby inside of you, but that belly can very well still be there. You start to miss your pre-baby body, and that little pudge, those stretch marks, those new pockets of weight that you've picked up on the journey to deliver your baby, sticks around.

I didn't start to struggle with my body image with postpartum until a few weeks ago. I was okay with giving my body time to heal, but I feel inadequate almost five months into post-partum. I haven't been to the gym; I haven't done a juice cleanse; I haven't started a diet, but with a baby who has time.

But to me, I've seen all of these celebrities, influencers, bloggers lose baby weight and get back into a bikini in a snap. It makes you feel insecure and inadequate, and just not yourself.

But this morning, as I started grabbing the little pudge that carried my baby girl, I said to myself, "I grew a human, I carried life and kept it alive, I love me, and I love my body."

Most importantly, I have to remember that it took me 9-months to grow a baby, and I am never going back to my "old me" my new body is beautiful, and it's a vessel for life. It's God's creation, and no amount of gym sessions, dieting, or juice cleanses will change that.

So I am approaching taking care of my body differently from now on. I am remembering that my body is a temple, and God wants me to take care of it. I want to love my body in its healthy form, not just its skinny form. My weight doesn't define me, and it doesn't make me a better or worse mom. I am embracing my "mom body" and remembering that I am a strong and beautiful woman because HE said so.

Peace & Love, D