You Can be a Hot Mama

This can apply to all women, but for the purposes of what I am writing, it is about actual mamas.  You just had a baby and you can’t wait to get back your pre-pregnancy body.  I don’t know about you, but where I live everywhere you look are nice and fit mothers pushing about their new babies in jogger strollers.  They look like having a child was just a little blip in the weight department and everyone just pops right back to being 120 pounds and toned – adorable baby in tow.  I am not one of those mamas.  So, what am I supposed to do? 

Having a baby is a big deal.  Your body goes through changes that are just unbelievable and then recovers only to possibly do it again in the near future.  On average, most women will gain 25-35 pounds during a normal pregnancy.  When I was pregnant, I got so frustrated hearing others telling me that I was “eating for 2” when all I was thinking about was how to eat healthy.  In fact, when pregnant, you only need an additional 100-300 calories a day.  That equals the equivalent of an apple, a handful of crackers, or 1 cup of cottage cheese.  That does not equal the equivalent of a cheeseburger and fries in the middle of the day after you have had a healthy lunch.  If you are considered “overweight” than you should only gain 15-25 pounds.  Guess what, most of us are considered “overweight”.

I meticulously watched my weight while I was pregnant, not because I have a fear of being overweight; I had just spent 3 months loosing lots of weight.   After I had my baby, I was so excited to see the change on the scale.  I was then informed that it is normal to drop 30 pounds.  Here is the breakdown:

Baby = 8 pounds (average)

Placenta = 3 pounds

Amniotic fluid = 2-3 pounds

Breast tissue = 2-3 pounds

Blood supply = 4 pounds

Fat stores for delivery and breastfeeding = 5-9 pounds

Uterus increase = 2-5 pounds

Total that up and you get 25-35 pounds!

So I dropped 30 pounds, and am still 20-30 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight.  Don’t be concerned, it is going to go away, but it will take some time.  It is normal for the rest of the weight to take a couple months to melt away.  That is if you want to loose the weight and are taking action on making that weight go away – it’s not just going to disappear.

Let’s face it, you aren’t going to look like Angelina Jolie after giving birth to twins and you wont unless you have a personal trainer and a dietician at your beck and call.  Giving birth is an amazing thing and a special opportunity to have a re-birth with your body in a way.  Don’t be so hard on yourself; take a moment to accept yourself for who you are.

I will admit that I spend time each day working out and I do because it makes me feel good.  I want to be strong and healthy for myself and for my new baby.  I also would like to have my husband still want to see me naked no mater how many stretch marks I have.  The most important thing I realized is that I want to be a hot mama for myself – and that I have the power to be a hot mama.  It isn’t about how my body looks; it is about how my mind works.  Instead of constantly finding fault in myself, I spend the same amount of time focusing on the positive on me.  I think my ankles and feet are pretty decent, so I made the time to get a pedicure.  Now, I have hot feet.  That makes me a hot mama!  I think I have nice eyes, so I spent some time the other day while baby was napping learning how to apply eye shadow to create a good smoky eye and felt pretty smoldering!  I am a hot mama!

You can spend hours working out, eating lettuce, and get back to 120 pounds – or you can learn how to love yourself for who you are and how you look NOW.  If you feel good about yourself, it shows on the outside.  You have the power to be a hot mama!  Give yourself a break and concentrate on the parts of your body that you like and do something to make that part feel good, smell good, or look better!  It will transform you into a HOT MAMA!  I guarantee you will feel better and walk taller.  I know I do.