MOM BODY PHOTO SHOOT
I Saw this quote and knew this was something I wanted to do. I also am a personal photographer, so I set up a little studio in my front room and made myself a photo shoot.
When I had my first baby I was only 21. I'll be honest, I was really self conscious about my body after having a child. I was shocked by how much my body changed, and I had a hard time accepting my new body. A woman's body goes through so much while carrying a baby and giving birth and it really changes her body structure. On top of this, I had a really rough pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes that we never got under control and I gained a lot of weight. For the next year and a half I struggled with my weight and with loving my body. I would diet and loose weight, and then gain some back, and I never got back to my pre-baby weight. Then I decided I wanted another baby.The beginning of pregnancy is great, when you just have this cute tiny little baby belly, but then you get further into your pregnancy and you gain a bunch of weight and you feel huge and it can cause your insecurities to start creeping up.
After having a rough pregnancy and a premature baby, I worried that it may happen that way again
with my second. I worried that it may be the last time I ever got to experience it, so I tried to soak it all up. I tried to love and cherish every moment, even the the bad moments, as it may be my last time being pregnant. This gave me a new outlook on pregnancy and everything our bodies go through. It's truly a beautiful miracle! I found myself saying HECK YEAH MY BODY IS AMAZING!
I found a new love for my body after giving birth to my second baby, (Who's Pregnancy went a lot smoother, by the way.) Without all my body went through, these two beautiful humans would not be here! Every stretch mark is another day I carried them, nourished them, and kept them safe. My not so flat tummy is where they snuggle and feel comforted and warm. My body may not be magazine worthy, but I think it is pretty amazing!
I feel like women suffer from insecurities and self doubt, we constantly critique ourselves and are always comparing ourselves to someone else. Add to that a pregnancy, add to that giving birth, add to that the stretch marks and the flabby skin, add to that the extra weight gained while focusing on your baby instead of yourself. And on top of that, the magazine covers, the television adds, these super model images that the world around us projects (that are almost always photo shopped) and it can leave a woman feeling pretty down about herself.
I think women should be celebrated, all shapes, all sizes, women with baby bodies, or even women who just don't have that skinny little 18 year old body anymore! Celebrate the life that this body has taken you through! Focus on being healthy and strong, not on what the scale says.
I wanted to do this photo shoot for a few reasons, I wanted to inspire someone who may be feeling down about themselves. I wanted to inspire, challenge, and remind myself that I can still find beauty in this mommy body of mine! I am also about to start my journey into a healthier lifestyle, eating healthier, exercising, and maybe losing a little weight. So I wanted to remind myself of my body after my second baby.
Because I think my body is strong, because I think my body is incredible,
Because I truly think it's beautiful!
