The following is an excerpt from "You've Got This, Mama: Journal Prompts for All Mamakind" Volume 2.
Whether you deliver your baby vaginally or through C-section, have a surrogate or adopt—being a mom is a physical job. It requires bending, snapping, sweating and sometimes twerking. (Not sure why, but I feel like twerking is inevitable, right?) You will be peed on, spit up on, and even pooped on. With very little sleep (and even less time to take a shower) the physical demands of being a mama to little ones can get real. My body is no longer the same as it was before I brought my first little one into the world ten years ago. It obviously has changed physically, but more than anything it has more purpose and need to function properly than ever before in my life. My health and my daily physical routine affect the life of every single person around me. And that makes me feel so strong! It makes me feel sexy and beautiful for the right reasons. Taking care of my body has become a passion for me because missing my dentist appointments or workouts changes the way I can care for others—and caring for others gives me purpose in a way I had never dreamed of.
Don’t get me wrong—there have been moments of horror when I have had to accept my saggy boobs, stretch marks, and hips that are a few inches wider than they used to be. Sound familiar? And then there’s the pee! Not just my kids peeing on me (which has happened more times than I care to count) but me—peeing my pants all of the time. I am reminded daily of my postpartum body each time I cough, sneeze, laugh or jump. And although I laugh, when I talk about these (more serious) postpartum issues, I want you to know I take them seriously. I have cried, seen doctors, and spent many hours talking to my husband and girlfriends about what my body has been through. Sometimes it feels easier to ignore postpartum complications instead of taking care of them, but life is better when I try my best to put my big girl panties on (and possibly maybe a diaper too?) and face them head on.
You are beautiful, Mama, and I hope you are able to find a way to make caring for yourself physically a priority. Because that naughty mommy body of yours deserves all of the love you have to give it, so it can turn around and give it right back to those little ones who need you.
xx,
—Andrea
—
Check out some more excerpts, like Taking Care of You and You Were Meant for This now!
