Postpartum body image

Hi Cherubs!

A few of my friends that have had babies have been lucky enough to look like nothing has happened to their bodies after delivery...Their words not mine! Well guess what, that did not happen to me!! 

The day after I gave birth I looked in the mirror and was horrified, I did not recognize myself at all. I was swollen from all the fluids, my stomach still looked around 6 months pregnant, I had stretch marks and not to mention a c-section scar to get used to. And yes looking at my sweet baby girl I know its all worth it but I can want my gorgeous girl and a Victoria Secret model worthy body right? 

I'm 11 weeks postpartum and have lost the 35lbs I put on this pregnancy and 10lbs that I put on in my previous pregnancy (which ended in miscarriage at 12 weeks) so thats 45lbs total. Am I happy with my postpartum body now? Sometimes! I still pick apart things that I don't like and probably won't be able to change. Like stretch marks, will they ever go? I apply lotions and potions everyday in the hopes that I'm making a small difference. I have a soft stomach which turns into a noticeable roll when I sit down. My boobs are gigantic from breastfeeding, I know I should be happy about this one but I miss my small chest so much!! 

Then other days I'm totally feeling myself and can't believe how slim I'm looking and how flat my stomach looks, I know I've said this before but postpartum hormones are CRAZY!

There are a few things that I've been doing to help with my self esteem and getting my pre baby body back. After being given the go ahead to work out from my doctor I went straight back to Corepower yoga where I do hot yoga 2-3 times a week, first week back was incredibly hard and my abs did not know what hit them seriously! But that aching feeling after a work out instantly improves my mood!

Eating healthy and using MyFitnessPal. I am always more successful at losing weight using MyFitnessPal because theres nothing like seeing exactly what you're eating in a day and in my case the sugar consumption to put my diet back on track. Its easy to count carbs or calories with this app which ever you prefer, I personally have better results counting carbs. I know people say not to diet too much whilst breastfeeding but I have not noticed a reduction in my supply and I pump around 5 times a day so it is something I would notice straight away. But again everyone and every body is different. Another app I use to keep me on track is called 'My Weight' and you basically just add your weight in as often as you feel like. You can set a goal weight and a goal time to hit and view your progress on a chart. I put my weight in from the day before I gave birth and its pretty amazing to see my progress on the chart. Again it's just another way of motivating myself by seeing those numbers dropping week by week.

Ditching maternity clothes. I definitely held onto my maternity clothing and baggy things a little longer than I should have. Although if your clothes still fit then keep them of course but after a while mine didn't and they didn't do me any favors. Postpartum leggings have been a lifesaver for me because they give so much support around my stomach and are very flattering! Perfect for lounging around with your newborn and running errands. The ones I'm wearing in this post are incredibly comfortable, I highly recommend investing in a pair!! Postpartum dressing can be tricky especially if you need easy access to your lady lumps but since I'm just pumping its been a little easier and I can pretty much wear whatever I like and its been so much fun squeezing back into my favorite items!

Those small things have been helping me feel and look good whilst I'm in this postpartum stage, and I know we all have good and bad days so its important to just listen to your body, do things that make you happy and enjoy your little one!

Top - American Apparel
Shirt - Gap
Leggings - Lalabu*
Trainers - Nike

Catch up on last weeks beauty post here

Love Sarah