I don’t look like your stereotypical pregnant woman, you know the ones, with the beautiful hair, amazing bodies, perfect bumps and everything just pops back into place after baby arrives. You won’t see pregnant women like me in your newsfeed, or in catalogues or shared all over social media, because this is not what is society has shown us is a beautiful pregnant woman. But just like we all come in different shapes and sizes so does a pregnant body. This body has been stretched in more ways than physically possible, my stomach muscles are separated, my mentality has been tested time and time again and my heart has continued to grow and blossom over the past thirteen years, being a mum. There was a time not so long ago, when I couldn’t look in the mirror without hating myself. For so long I’ve been searching for acceptance of others without ever truly accepting myself. I have always had body issues and in my first pregnancy I gained around 45kgs. No matter how much weight I’ve lost since then, every time I see a pregnant photo of myself I am immediately transported back to that time and I lose sight of the fact, of how truly amazing my body is. This body, has bought four beautiful people into the world. It continues to magically grow our fifth baby due in about six weeks. This body has provided love, comfort, compassion and nourishment for all of our children and continues to do so. This body has been blessed numerous times to be able to grow and birth new life. It’s taken me 13 years to truly see the beauty that lives beneath this skin and I don’t ever want to feel unworthy of anything ever again. It took so much courage and strength for me to be able to shoot like this, but I felt it was something I needed to do to break down all those layers that have been holding me back. To truly see the beauty in myself that everyone continues to tell me they see. I know that for many of us women we lose parts of ourselves as we become mothers. Motherhood can force us to add layers and strip us completely bare. It can be the most beautiful and difficult time of our lives. It brings enrichment we never even dreamed possible and we focus on putting everyone else’s needs before our own. When we look in the mirror, we will not see the girl or woman who stood before us, sometimes this can be hard to bare. We may not like who we see anymore, unhappy with the stretch marks, cellulite and body shape that never existed before this moment. We see all the things wrong with us and forget to be truly grateful for the magnificence we are. We are not defined by our bodies, and whilst motherhood may have left us with skin we no longer feel comfortable in we are all still equally, if not more beautiful. As a mother of four girls and a woman who works with pregnant and postpartum women, I want you to know your worth. I don’t want you to be sad when you look in a mirror and don’t like what you see. I don’t want you to think that you are not beautiful, blessed and loved. I want you to know that even in your loneliest of moments, there is another Mama out there craving companionship, who also feels everything you are feeling. When we rise together in our beliefs, our self worth & our values, we help to pave the way for others. For our friends, our family and our children. It’s not important that we don’t look like we once did, because our journeys into motherhood have made us stronger, resilient and tougher than we ever imagined we could be. It doesn’t matter the number on the scale, whether your clothes won’t ever fit quite the same way or that you have marks that completely cover your tummy. Love and appreciate your body for all of your days because you know that magic happened here. There will never be any greater gift than the light that your children have bought into your world. Do not be ashamed of how your body has grown, nurtured and guided them here. You are truly blessed and beautiful, inside and out, beautiful Mama reading this. Please know that you are beautiful even when you feel you are not, wanted, loved and will always be the best thing in your children’s lives. All my love from this Mama’s heart to yours! xx Photos captured by the amazing Hayley Wernicke : www.hadasimages.com
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