This Chunky Postpartum Body is Stressful

All right, let’s get real for a moment here, if you are uncomfortable talking about postpartum or women’s bodies, or extra skin, or weight, then just feel free to scroll on.

So for those that are still here, let’s just talk about postpartum bodies really quick. I just had such a discouraging encounter at Target tonight. I went to get a bra or two that are not nursing bras or pumping bras because I’m officially done with that and I don’t know any that fit me. I added in a few pairs of pants, because I actually have only one pair of jeans that fit me and I’m pretty sure that the knees are going to give out at any moment the next time I kneel down. So I grabbed two different sizes even like grab some bigger ones just thinking like well, “I don’t really know what’s going to fit.”

I go to the changing room to try them on and not one of them fit me. Most of them I couldn’t even do up because I’m still carrying quite a bit of weight around my midsection.

Having three babies in less than a year has definitely changed my body. And tonight I had a really hard time. Wrapping my mind around the fact that my body is different. My hips, it a little bit differently, my stomach saggier than it used to be and it’s still tender if I wear pants that hit right at my C-section scar. So tonight I tried on no less than eight pairs of pants and walked away with zero.

I texted my husband and I told him how discouraging that was And his response was perfect. He told me that I’m beautiful. He reminded me what my body has done in the last 8 1/2 years.

It’s easy when you’re in the changing room by yourself, to look in the mirror, and not necessarily recognize the body that’s in front of you. It might be a little bit different shape or have more stretch marks.

So as I left target with no fitting pants, and as I’m driving home, I am reminding myself that I am beautiful. I am beautiful because of whose image I was made in, I am beautiful because of the way that I choose to love those around me and seek Jesus and hopefully bring people back to Jesus. I am beautiful not by what my body looks like, but rather by the life that I am pursuing.