Honouring your postpartum body
Your body has gone through so much. Are you treating it with compassion, love and kindness?
I made a conscious decision when I became pregnant with my son that I would honour my body. Listen to her needs and treat her with nothing but respect.
My daughter is five years old. She is already being taught about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food choices at school. She is starting to talk about fat. At five years old.
I have seen so many beautiful women close to me struggle with disordered eating. There is so much pressure placed on us as women to look a certain way. I am committed that she won’t get that at home (and would love to change the world so she doesn’t get it anywhere).
In this time of huge shifts and changes, these early weeks, months and years of motherhood. Are you feeling at home in your body? Do you treat your body with kindness?
Mine has been an interesting journey but a lovely one too. I didn’t realise until I started how much I needed to be kinder to myself, more accepting and more loving towards my one and only body.
Some of the decisions I’ve made for myself along the way have been.
I am not wearing anything that is too tight, uncomfortable or doesn’t quite fit yet. This is a game changer, being able to deeply breathe, move in whatever way I please and feel comfortable at all times makes for a much happier human.
I am eating whatever I feel called too. Especially while I am existing on very little sleep. I thought this would be for around six months but here we are eighteen months later and still in that phase. If you are struggling with this Just Eat It by Laura Thomas is a helpful read.
I am moving my body, intuitively, as much as possible. First walking and I am now working my way slowly through Couch to 5K. I waited until I wasn’t exclusively breastfeeding anymore to start (a year ago) and have just progressed to running for around 25 mins. It has been a different approach to not be competitive with myself and others and really listen to what my body needs (which has been a lot of strengthening work for my pelvis and my core). To keep having to stop, take time out and strengthen then go back to the start. My yoga teacher shared a Japanese proverb which I love and say to myself often: ‘Fall Over Seven, Stand Up Eight’.
My wish for you is that you too are treating your body with respect, compassion and love for everything it has done and continues to do.
Give yourself a moment to think about what your body might need today? To be tucked up in bed, a bath, a massive cry?
Accepting the shifts and changes of motherhood can take time, if you would like some support you can always get in touch.
