Thursday, September 09, 2010

Body after baby

Quick nonsensical post! After my very serious posts on my mommy blog, I figured we can talk about something a little less serious (but still important!)--body image.

The week after I gave birth was hard not just because I was adjusting to life with a newborn but also because every time I looked at the mirror, I saw a body that still looked pregnant but was much flabbier and with all these horrible discolorations and stretch marks. I looked absolutely awful and that mirrored how I felt. I was very afraid I'd never be attractive to my husband ever again. Of course, Vince assured me I'd always be hot to him but he did ask when can we start on a fitness regimen!

Well, I shouldn't have been so fearful. Because I'm exclusively breastfeeding, I lost all the pregnancy weight in just 2 weeks. Two weeks, people! Yep. I'm now back to 110 lbs. No diet, no exercise. Actually, I'm eating a LOT. Breastfeeding makes you really hungry. As in, kain karpintero. I have to eat a lot and take vitamins because I'm feeding another person and so when the scale says I'm losing weight, I don't see that as a good thing. So eat eat eat I go.

Just another day in the life of a new mom. One week, you worry you'll never lose weight, the next week, you worry about losing too much weight! Well, my body image is now controlled by how it affects the people I love. All I care about now is being attractive to my husband and also being a good source of nutrition for my child. Health is now my top priority, if I haven't spelled that out clearly enough. Geez, for the first time in my life, I care about my body's health. I am old, people. I am old!

5 comments:

  1. lucky lucky you.. it took me almost half a year to regain my prepreg bod. must be the genes? breastfeeding really helps, too.

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  2. Breastfeeding is a blessing! But be careful if you decide to stop in no time, make sure that you will lessen eating too much as well. I have a friend who maintained her eating habits after she decided to stop breastfeeding, and she is now HUGE! hehe
    And no you are not getting old, your priorities are changing for the better...

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  3. Told ya you'll be eating like you haven't eaten in ages ;) I'd wake up in the middle of the night just to eat :o Glad you're back to your pre-pregnancy weight. Galing! I went back to mine when little J was close to 10 months na. Don't worry too much about the discoloration, they'll fade away in time :) And no, we're not old despite being very health conscious haha ;)

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  4. Reminds me of one of my favorite lines in Glee when Quinn said "you're relationship with food changes when you start eating for someone else." pertaining to her child. Great to hear you didn't have problem losing weight, lucky you! Stay healthy, Frances. =)

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  5. It's funny how being healthy is almost always the first to fall off our priority lists but it's actually one of the things that should be up there because it is the one thing that dramatically improves our quality of life. So happy it's up there on your list Frances! I do agree that when you get older and your body starts creaking up, you realize just how important it is!

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