Reclaiming my body after babies

Ten years after having my children, I still didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin.

I had nearly accepted the idea that I would never be happy with my body again.

That I would never again feel beautiful.
Or attractive.
Or youthful.

That I would simply have to make peace with the physical changes that fertility treatments, pregnancy, and menopause handed to me.

So many women experience this after childbirth.

More than 90% of women report concern about their weight after pregnancy, and over 60% say they feel unhappy with their body size.

Only one in four women returns to her pre-pregnancy weight within a year. Some women never regain their pre-baby form.

The changes aren’t limited to weight alone.
Bodies change shape.
Skin stretches and doesn’t fully rebound.
Muscle tone shifts.
Hormones redistribute tissue in ways that diet and exercise can’t reverse.

These are not failures of discipline. They are the physiological realities of motherhood.

And for women like me who have children later in life—who move from fertility treatments and pregnancy immediately into perimenopause or menopause—those body changes compound.

The emotional weight is heavy.

About 60% of postpartum women report reduced self-confidence related to body changes, and 40% say these feelings interfere with social or intimate relationships.

Even a year or more after childbirth, negative body image remains elevated for many mothers.

This isn’t a “phase.”

It’s a long-term emotional burden that women carry.

And if the internal criticism weren’t enough, society piles on more pressure.

Nearly three-quarters of women report feeling judged about their post-baby bodies, and 72% feel intense cultural pressure to “bounce back” physically after giving birth.

I was one of those women.

I felt the judgment—internal and external.
I scrutinized myself.
I made comparisons.
I self-medicated out of sadness and shame.

Then one day, I realized something.

If I continued to feel inadequate and self-conscious about my body, I would never fully show up for the hopeful mothers I want to help.

That’s a ripple effect I would not accept.

So I made a decision. I was done hiding.

I would reclaim my body, and my confidence, using all available means: diet, exercise, weight training, medication, and cosmetic procedures.

Because I wanted, once again, to feel connected to the woman I saw looking back at me.

I’m in the middle of that transformation now. I’ll share more later this week.

But here’s the message I want other mothers to hear:

You deserve peace when you look in the mirror.

Your worth is not defined by your body, but you are allowed to make changes to feel proud of your appearance after having babies.

And no one has the right to judge you for choosing the tools that help you return to yourself.

Reclaiming your body after motherhood isn’t vanity.

It’s an act of self-respect and love.

#bodyafterbaby
#reclaimingyourbody