How to Overcome Postpartum Body Image Issues

Why Do Women have Postpartum Body Image Issues?

As women, we get enough pressure from the world to look a certain way. There are ads, models and movies that show what the “perfect” body is to make us feel like we are broken and could never love our bodies.

But according to some research, “only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media.” Imagine how much discouragement is created by having such an unachievable model!

After giving birth to children, many of us experience postpartum body image issues because our bodies change so much after having kids. And even though it is amazing that we have helped create life, the world looks down on us and says we aren’t good enough. 

Tips to Overcoming Postpartum Body Image Issues

We don’t have to listen to what the rest of the world thinks of our “imperfect” post-baby bodies. We can learn to love our postpartum bodies exactly as they are. While this is way easier said than done, it is still possible. 

Here are some tips that can help you overcome postpartum body image issues. 

1. Appreciate what your body has accomplished! 

Think about what your body has done. You have created a human! That is pretty impressive. Not everyone can or would do that.

You sacrificed your physical ability, your health, your time, some of your sanity, and the normal function of some of your organs to create your child! (And this sacrifice doesn’t end at giving birth.)

Isn’t your child worth not having the “perfect” body? Now, the rational part of your brain may agree, but the rest of your brain may be wondering: How is it even possible to NOT have body image issues when you are your biggest critic, even if your child is worth it?

It takes a lot of time and patience. Appreciating your body isn’t going to take away your postpartum body image issues in one day. However, if you keep persisting and put in diligent effort, you can make it work! 

Tip for appreciating your postpartum body

If you need help appreciating your body, try the following exercise:

1. Make a list of all the sacrifices that your body has made to bear and raise your child(ren).
2. Go through the list and think about what it be like if you had refused to sacrifice that particular thing? One example is if you hadn’t been willing to sacrifice how my body looked pre-pregnancy, you probably wouldn’t have gotten pregnant in the first place.
3. Now go through the list again and thank yourself for each sacrifice you made so that you could have your child and become a mother. (It is even more empowering if you thank yourself verbally and in front of a mirror.)

2. Accept the parts of your postpartum body you are uncomfortable with.

Instead of trying to ignore or change parts of your body, take steps to accept all of it:

1. Identify the parts of your postpartum body that you are uncomfortable with.
2. Find the beauty and power in that part of your body.
3. Allow that part of your body to be a part of your whole, beautiful, self.

My personal journey having positive pregnancy and postpartum body image:

I hope my personal journey of accepting my pregnant and postpartum body will inspire you to know how to accept your’s.

Before my first pregnancy, I always felt uncomfortable with my belly. I’d never been overweight, but it was still something I always seemed to be self-conscious about. I sometimes wondered if it was even possible for me to have a flat stomach, and secretly envied the girls who did. 

Many women feel more uncomfortable with their bodies during or after pregnancy, but miraculously, I learned to love my body even more than I did before! I learned to appreciate the fact that my body was a shelter and nourishment for my baby. It provided her with all the necessities she needed to grow! 

So even though I was gaining weight, I knew it was for a good reason and learned to love my baby bump. I even accepted the fact that my body (including my belly) would not be the same after I gave birth.

Sure enough, I now have a “mom tummy” with stretch marks and a little flabby skin. But you know what? I am okay with it. I have actually learned to accept this part of my body for what it is instead of for what I want it to be.

Sure, there are days that I look in the mirror and wish my body were a little more this or that, but I feel a lot more confident when I think of what this body has gone through to create life! I also plan on having more children, and I know my body will continue to change. So I might as well accept it, right?

3. Exercise and eat healthy.

Just because you are learning to get rid of body image issues doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to take care of your body. It’s great to try to exercise and eat healthy. The more you care for your body, the more love you show to it.

As long as you are not overly-focused on where you want your body to be, exercise and a healthy diet will help you feel more confident, love your body, be a happier mom, and overcome postpartum body image issues.

If you are looking for a postpartum workout guide, check out Jessica Pumple’s postpartum resources for faster recovery.

4. Recite, listen to, or read positive affirmations.

You could write positive postpartum affirmations to yourself on sticky notes and put them where you will see them regularly. (On the bathroom mirror, on your night stand, on your front door, in your car, etc.) You could also recite positive affirmations to yourself out loud.

One affirmation you could say verbally to yourself in the mirror is, “I am beautiful and God loves me.” Do this on a daily basis.

Even if you don’t believe it, repeating it to yourself aloud will help your brain begin to believe it. And trust me, it is true! Even if you don’t feel beautiful, you are beautiful to God. Don’t believe me? Ask Him yourself! God will tell you.

5. Wear clothes that you feel comfortable and beautiful in.

Sometimes how comfortable you feel in your body may come from the clothes you wear. Postpartum is an awkward stage when it comes to figuring out what to wear. You probably fit in some of but not all your maternity clothes, and some but not all of your regular clothes.

Just like you have maternity clothes, it is okay to have clothes that are specifically for your postpartum body. Yes, your body will continue to change. But you deserve to feel beautiful and comfortable now, not just when your body “gets back to normal.”

Here are some great shirts for postpartum and nursing that are cute and comfortable!

6. See your body as a symbol of love and sacrifice.

I like to think of my postpartum body as a symbol of the sacrifice I made for my daughters to come to this Earth. 

Women’s postpartum bodies are similar to the scars on Jesus’s hands and feet. Even though Jesus is now resurrected and perfected, He still has the scars.

I believe Jesus kept those scars because He wants them to remain as a reminder to Him and to us the sacrifice He made and the love He has for us (3 Nephi 11:14; John 20:27).

Yes, it may be annoying that we still have scars, stretch marks, a little extra weight, and other changes in our bodies after giving birth. However, let’s use these as reminders of the beautiful, sacrificial path of motherhood we chose to take.

It May Take Some Time To Get Rid of Body Image Issues

Remember that learning to love your post-baby body will take some time and effort, and you may have to start over sometimes. So be patient with yourself. But if you put in the effort and make it an important task, you can get rid of your body-image issues. You can be the happy mom that you want to be.