“You’re pregnant with the second one!”(I’m not!) said a beaming former neighbor the other day. I was wearing the top in this photo. ⁠
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“I’m not”, I said, smiling back. She meant well. It’s a large cut T-shirt. However, this very innocent comment was enough to spark negative body image thoughts. “My belly doesn’t look like it used to. If I don’t correct my posture, people might very well think that I’m pregnant. My breasts are even smaller than they were before they produced food for my baby. This body is tired and I don’t like how it looks”. ⁠
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Like many women, I struggled with body image issues in the past. Before understanding that the food I was eating and the way I was living my life mattered, I was often bloated. I used to avoid tight T-shirts. I spent every second sucking in my stomach in the presence of others, worrying that I didn’t look thin enough. ⁠
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Like many mums, my belly isn’t flat now. I keep reminding myself that this is simply a sign of how I 3D-printed a human being that’s now part of this earth. I’m proud of what my body did, but I know I have to put a conscious effort to love and care for it. If I don’t, then I easily become disconnected from it. ⁠
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I know I’m not alone. So many of the women I speak to tell me how they have trouble accepting their bodies after pregnancy, whether they are carrying extra weight or not. ⁠
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All the more reason to look at your lifestyle and take care of YOU. Our bodies are beautiful vessels and the only ones we’re going to have in this lifetime. Let’s respond to their needs and love them. ⁠
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