Body Shaming: Get Your Pre-Baby Body Back

For far too long, our culture has made it not only acceptable, but expected to shame our bodies. Everything from the obvious shaming when we've gained weight to apologizing for our early morning look in pictures on social media. One of the most amazing things I have always been fascinated with is child birth. Two people making a human being is something I am still amazed with every time I stop and think of the complex processes that is creating life. For years, mothers have come to me as a personal trainer to get back something they have "lost". I would explain to the amazing thing that their bodies have done and gone through, offered that extension of being kind to themselves and how important it is to give themselves more credit and time because their bodies have supplied something so incredible, but it was often brushed off and their laser focus was quickly reinstated on getting their "pre-baby" body back as quickly as possible. Losing pregnancy weight was primary, and it's because of these sorts of messages and phrases that are shoved down our throats day in and day out.

In my food and culture class a few semesters ago, my instructor put a picture of a postpartum famous mom on the screen, in her underwear. See below.

The instructor asked what the problem was with these sorts of posts and how can a picture like this one she displayed be damaging to women's physiques and emotional health. Quickly my classmates were offering opinions on both sides of the spectrum from extrememly dangerous explaining how this could lead new moms to eating disorders to achieve their "pre-baby" body to the other side that thought the message was inspirational to love their bodies and do what's right to get back to a healthy lifestyle.

If you know me at all, I am not one to keep my strong opinions to myself, however at this moment I was at a loss for words. Both of my younger sisters have had 3 children each and I was thinking solely of them. My heart hurt thinking of how they may see this photo and shame themselves understandably with zero compassion as to why their bodies didn't look this way 4 days after childbirth. My mind went a million miles a second and all I could feel was a heavy heart. I myself have never had a child nor do we plan to, but this kind of expectation is so heavy and detrimental, I can't even imagine the burden.

It has been some time since I've really dove deep into this because it was so exhausting for me as an older sister and as a woman. It breaks my heart that a new mother goes through 9 months of conception, laborious birthing, and is then expected to fall back into this body that is no longer the same. I refuse to facilitate that sort of thinking with my clients, my family,  and on social media. We need to stop the body shaming and celebrate the damn thing you just did! Ladies, you have created LIFE, you have supplied a child with every nutrient and need it required, your body was essentially a host for 9 months- BE KIND TO HER. Take a stand and do not fall victim to this self harassment and allow for these expectations to any longer take hold.

We are constantly moving forward as a culture to grow yet, as a society we are expected to get back to youth, get back to our "before".... We are not in high school- therefore I do NOT need to fit into my high school jeans. You are not the same body as before you created a human being- stop trying to force and rush back to that body. Practice kindness, compassion, patience, and gratitude. As a society we need to take a step back and put a stop to shaming our bodies, these vessels that carry us through life and do so many amazing things.