Let’s talk beauty standards through motherhood.
I’ve had three pregnancies.
Before and after pregnancy, I have felt every single emotion and have been told everything you can think of.
I’ve been too skinny and too fat.
I’ve been told I was too curvy and I’ve been told I had “no body” because I wasn’t curvy enough.
I’ve felt on top of the world, ecstatic with the amazing things my body has done (I mean seriously....it created three healthy babies!!!) and been made to feel like I should nitpick at every little part of my new body.
I have seen and heard it all over the last 10 years as I’ve carried children and lost weight and put it on and took it back off. And I’m here to tell you... society will strip you of a beautiful motherhood experience if you let it. Instead of loving your body for the amazing things it has done, society will tell moms to look a certain way or you’re just not good enough.
Be sexy enough but not too sexy.
Wear make up but not too much.
Be strong but don’t look too strong.
Be curvy but you better just be curvy enough.
It’s sickening.
And exhausting.
And after three pregnancies and years of seeing women experience this emotional roller coaster through motherhood, I’m here to tell you....STOP. Don’t let society rob you of your amazing motherhood experience.
Don’t let a man (or woman’s) perspective of you determine your value.
Don’t spend your first year after baby (whether it’s your first or not) trying so hard to “get your body back” (it will never be back the same way by the way) that you miss the beauty of being a new mom.
To some, you will never be enough.
To some, you will always have some unattainable standard you should be working towards.
It’s too much.
You created life. An entire life. An entire beautiful human that will go in to the world and be someone.
Your body will look different. Forever. And that’s beautiful.
xoxo
-Madeline