They’ll tell you:

• That “you’ll bounce back”;
• That you’ll lose the “baby weight in no time”;
• That the “baby weight will just fall off”;
• That “by 9 months you should be back to pre-pregnancy weight”.

I’m here to tell you what they won’t:

• They won’t tell you that your stomach will be mushy;
• That you’ll still look pregnant for weeks maybe even months afterward;
• That you’ll have enough extra skin that when you bend over it’ll sag down;
• That you’ll get stretch marks on more than just your tummy.
• That you’ll have cellulite because your body needs to store fat to feed your baby;
• That you’ll have muscle atrophy and rebuilding your strength will feel like you’re starting over;
• That you’ll pee a little when you sneeze or run;
• That your once perky boobs will swell and hurt, then sag and leak.

Maybe your body responds like they say it will, but maybe like me and the majority of other women, it doesn’t. Maybe no matter how much you workout and eat right, your body doesn’t “go back”. Or God forbid, maybe you’d rather spend time with your baby or get an extra hour of sleep versus workout.

I’m so tired of the expectations people have put on my body.

This body is not what it used to be and quite frankly will never truly “go back to what it was” because this body created and carried life. This body used every ounce of strength to push and bring a baby into the world. This body nourished life in and outside of the womb. This body gets less time to recover and rest than it ever has because it prioritizes the life that can’t take care of itself, before it’s own.

• My body has extra skin that no amount of crunches, cardio, or eating right will get rid of;
• My body has cellulite that no amount of hydration, healthy food, or dry brushing will smooth out;
• My body still doesn’t have all of its strength back;
• My body still pees a little when I sneeze or run.

And I’m so thankful for all of it because in the end, my body gave me Owen.

No matter if you did lose all the baby weight and got your tummy, butt, and boobs back, if you’re doing the best you can with working out and eating right because you want to, or if you’re perfectly happy with the body you have now — it’s your body. So wear the swimsuit and get in the pool with your family, eat cake at parties, and for the love of all that is Holy do not feel guilty for skipping a workout to love on that baby.

It all boils down to this – No one should be able to tell you what your body should look like or be able to do because every woman had a different experience and each of our bodies responds differently. You created and carried life. You should be so proud of your body and what you did, regardless of what stage you’re in, where your body is at, or where you’re going.