Stretch marks, saggy breasts, squishy belly, and back fat. My body has been reduced to something I barely recognize in the mirror. I have ranged in sizes from a 6 to an 18 multiple times in the past 13 years, and my closet is overflowing with outfits that are either too big or too small. (Yes, this is all very embarrassing to admit, but I’m laying it all there; even though it ain’t pretty.)
Pregnancy and having babies does crazy things to the body; both on the outside and the inside. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those women who recover quickly from pregnancy and childbirth. It has taken me years with each child to lose the baby weight and get back in shape.
I hate to admit it, but my self worth is greatly affected by these changes. I guess I’m vain, but it’s true. I know this doesn’t bother some women, and I know that I’m not the only woman out there with this issue. So, I thought I would devote this month’s article to the topic of being healthy after childbirth.
As I’ve previously stated, my body always looks and feels ravished after having a baby. I think that is just the chemistry of my body, but man I wish it were easier to get healthy and slim down.
Recently, I was reminded about something very important. My body grew and supported a whole other life! Four of them actually, and they are precious children that I would give my life for. The physical features that are now etched on my body are “battle scars” of motherhood. I know that many women would give anything to have these “battle scars.” So, while I still plan to lose the baby weight and get more toned, I am also trying to have a healthier outlook on my body image. After all, I’ve earned every stretch mark I own.
I have also sat down and thought about why I want to lose weight and look better. Yes, part of it is vanity, but it’s also about being healthy. I want to have the energy to keep up with my kids. I have found it increasingly difficult to manage the household, everyone’s activities, getting everyone everywhere they need to go, and work. My responsibility level is high and my energy level is low all the time. When I actually have a few moments to play with my kids, I don’t have the energy. I’d rather be taking a nap. I often find myself zoning out or wishing I could just be vegging in front of the television.
I find myself so tired that it’s hard to listen to my children’s stories about their day or have an actual conversation with my husband.
I want to be vibrant! I want to be full of life and be able to enjoy every moment I’m given. I want to be able to jump at the chance to play softball with my family or go hiking. I want to enjoy playtime with my toddler and have the energy to sit and chat with my teenager when she decides she is ready to talk incessantly at 9:30 p.m.
I also want to be strong. Yes, I want to be able to carry my toddler all over the ballpark and up flights of stairs when necessary, but it’s more than that. I’m sick of feeling weak, like I’m at the mercy of what my body is “up to doing” that day. I want to know that I can be strong physically and mentally.
Now, a good mom would probably mention that she wants to develop a strong self worth no matter what her body looks like so that she can pass that healthy body image to her children. Well, I do want my kids to have a healthy body image, but I really want to look and feel cute in my clothes. (I told you I was laying it all out there.)
This past July I began a workout program. Yes, I started it with the hope that a healthy lifestyle would pass to my children, but my journey to be healthy and strong was a journey for me. After all, I know that improving my health will make me a better person all the way around, not just a better mother.
I have really enjoyed working out; even though finding the time has been difficult, it has been great for my psyche as well as my physical body. I very quickly lost slightly over 15 pounds and over the past several months, I have lost 20 inches. I still have a VERY long way to go, though!
My plan is to continue to exercise and try to eat a healthy, balanced diet. I do hope that the weight I gained when I was pregnant will come off (and quickly), but my ultimate goal is to wake up in the morning and not be stiff and sore, to gain the energy I lack, and develop a healthy attitude towards food. I want to learn to be happy in my skin, no matter what the scale says.
I hope that my ramblings about my health journey don’t seem self-absorbed. It’s just that everyone seems to always say “you just had a baby” or “it doesn’t matter what the scale says” and that is true to an extent, but I have not been my healthiest in a bit and now I’m ready to be healthy again. I hope that you are at healthy place in your life, but if you are like me and have a bit of work to do to get to that place, then take heart. You aren’t in this journey alone and we can do it! We are strong. We are mothers!
-by Kari Carr
About the Author: Kari doesn’t claim to be a parenting expert, just a mom to her four wonderful children and wife to the love of her life, Mike. Together they move through the ups and downs of raising kids in this crazy world. She struggles through the trials and joys of raising children from the ages of toddler to 12. Kari received her degree at WKU and taught public middle school music and choir for seven years before opening her own business, Sound Beginnings Musikgarten & Vocal Studio. She lives and works in Bowling Green.
