Friday, July 25, 2008

The Mama Shape


Conversations amongst my fellow AL bloggers (my Baby Ladies!) often turn to post baby body talk. It's something that seems to weigh on the mind, even if lightly, of even the most down to earth of us.
I am in awe of my body. It grew into a beautiful shape while developing crazy powers inside. It truly is a temple- housing, knitting, birthing, nourishing three healthy humans relatively effortlessly.

It's still hard not to balk at the changes that hit so fast as we enter Motherhood. I'm back to my before children weight again but no longer will I slide into those butt-cleavage jeans without a hearty muffin top lapping over. No longer can I slip off my bra to be greeted by perkiness- they almost groan as they settle, weighted by milk and motherhood. My thighs could kill a man and pink ribbons adorn my hips.

Biologically it makes sense. We have no need for a flawless body to attract a mate anymore. We do need milk bags, hearty baby lugging limbs and that handy pooch to sit that clinging child on.
Truly beautiful. And hard to remember. As I strive for perfection I often lose the meaning in the process. In my mind I see my 20 year old body as ideal. But how ignorant that body was- of housing, of knitting, of birthing, of nourishing.

Tell us your thoughts on the Mama Figure!

3 comments:

Aisling said...

You need to check out & link to www.theshapeofamother.com, by an MDC mama, of course.

Sara said...

Right on! It's important to see things like scars and stretch marks as evidence of what you have endured and accomplished, not flaws and detractions. I'm still happy I can see my linea negra at 6 mo pp!

To-Fu said...

Shape of a Mother blew my mind the first time I saw it. Some of the photos terrified me; I admit to being in shock at first, seeing those angry ribbons fingering their way down hips and across tummies.

But now that I'm on the other side of pregnancy, it seems familiar and good. My body, my home. Stretch marks: Nature's tattoos. ;)