Celebrate the Mom Bod

Remember last year when the “dad bod” was all the rage? Let’s take a moment to think about the female version, a.k.a. the “mom bod,” and why it should be celebrated.

After you have a baby you tend to forget that you grew a human being. Maybe it’s some form of blocking the experience from your brain or maybe it’s because you now have a tiny human to keep alive outside the womb. No matter the excuse, we tend to forget that our tiny little humans once survived inside of us.

Not to get all philosophical on you, but as moms, we are keeping the human race alive. That’s a pretty big feat if you ask me. Instead of celebrating what our bodies just accomplished after giving birth, we are bombarded with the pressure of looking put together, losing the baby weight, and acting as though we didn’t just have a baby pushed out or cut out of us.

Celebrating My Mom Bod

Earlier this summer, I went on vacation with my husband and Gray Baby. We went to the beach; you know what that means: bathing suits. I could have packed a flattering tankini or Spanx-like one piece to hide my flaws. Instead I went with two bikinis: a nautical themed striped one and an American flag inspired one. If I was taking a week off of work to go to the beach I wanted as much sun as possible to hit my body. Plus, a bikini top meant easy access for Baby Gray to nurse on the beach.

So what did my mom bod look like? When I looked in the mirror I saw pale skin instead of the bronzed tan I normally had every summer before, stretch marks on my tummy that still hadn’t faded from pregnancy, lopsided boobs thanks to Gray Baby preferring one over the other, and extra fat around my stomach that wasn’t there two years ago. I cursed myself for not eating better and putting extra hours in the gym before my trip. I quickly pushed that guilt away and reminded myself that I was a little preoccupied with working full-time while being a mom and a wife to worry about the gym or my carb count. Things got put on the back burner. My body was one of those things.

I put on my new striped bikini the first day we were at the beach and decided to post a photo that was out of my comfort zone. I took a photo of myself in my bikini, added a filter (everyone loves a good filter), and posted it to my social media pages.

My caption read:

Hey y’all. If you pushed out a baby anytime in your lifetime, love your body. If you haven’t pushed out a baby, love your body. Wear whatever you want and have fun. I’m celebrating my mom bod today. And the beach. PS: Grayson is so excited about 24/7 boob access on the beach.

I decided to do that because before taking the photo I remembered that I grew a child who inhabited my body for 36 weeks and six days. I made life. Why should I be ashamed of that? Other moms I know shouldn’t be ashamed of that either.

The responses I got from friends and acquaintances were incredible. Some people called me beautiful. Some called me a hot mama. Every single comment was positive. I was reminded that my mom bod was beautiful to other people. Posting that photo taught me that I have to believe I’m beautiful before I can actually believe others think the same.

I encourage you to love your body; appreciate the body that brought life into this world. I’m not saying that you have to post a bathing suit photo today or ever. Practice positive affirmations. Ignore the rude thoughts you might have when you look in the mirror. Make a list of all the amazing things your body can do. Cut out judgment of other moms who might be struggling with their confidence or even those that you think might be a little too confident. Build each other up. I’m just asking that you take time today to appreciate your mom bod and be proud what it has accomplished!

Celebrate Your Mom Bod!