While women are bombarded every day with images of models and celebrities that they will likely never be able to attain themselves, what can really wreak havoc with a woman’s self-confidence is the body she has right after delivering a baby.
However, feeling a drop in your confidence in your body doesn’t have to happen after having a baby. Even if you’re not at a size, ability, or health that you want, you can find ways to be happy with the body you have now and learn to love yourself regardless of what you look like right now.
To help you with this, here are three ways to embrace your new body after having a baby.
Strive For Patience
The body you have right after having your baby won’t be the same body you’ll have in just a few weeks or months after delivery. But despite this, many women become over-anxious to have their bodies “bounce back” to look like a celebrity’s. However, most women will find that their bodies change slowly in the weeks and months after having a baby.
Because of this, Kaitlin Standford, a contributor to The Bump, advises that you try to strive for patience while you’re recovering, figuring things out with your newborn, and trying to find your new normal. By being patient, you’ll be able to appreciate your body at every phase.
Find Self-Worth In Something Other Than Your Body
Although it can feel nice to love the body you have, this shouldn’t be the only thing in your life that gives you self confidence. So if you’re struggling with this, you might want to find something else in your life that can give you confidence.
According to Lauren Gibbons, a contributor to Mother.ly, things like your skills, abilities, and relationships can all help you to have self-worth that comes from or is tied to something that isn’t reflective of how your body looks. And at a time where your body might be something that you don’t completely recognize, having self-worth in these other areas can be very helpful.
Appreciate What Your Body Just Accomplished
Sometimes, it takes spending a while thinking about all that your body has gone through and accomplished in the last few months to get you really appreciating just how amazing your body truly is, regardless of its size.
Janette Siva Fishman, a contributor to Parents.com, writes that having stretch marks, varicose veins, and extra weight can serve as a reminder that your body was able to conceive a baby, carry that baby, and keep both you and your little one healthy for months and months.
If your postpartum body is causing you to have some emotional or mental strife, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn to embrace this new version of yourself.
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