The Mom Bod - 5 Months after Baby

It is a strange feeling to stand in front of a mirror and not recognize the body reflecting back at you.

That's how I've felt for much of the last year but especially these past five months. There are extra curves, rolls, lumps, jiggles...everywhere it seems. The truth is, I'm still carrying around about 20 pounds more than I did last summer before I became pregnant with Judah. You might not notice it as much, but the mirror and I understand.

Last year, I shared about being a "Not-so-Perfect 10" and right now, I really miss that body. Most of my clothes don't fit right...or at all. My 7 year old daughter likes to note how I look like I'm making another baby and how my thighs are so soft and chubby. Thanks for that.

But after all, I DID just give birth to my THIRD child 5 months ago! Yes, I am cutting myself some slack. And I am not exactly trying hard to lose weight. I still eat like a horse.

I laugh when people say, "Doesn't breast-feeding help you lose weight? I thought it burns a lot of calories."

Yes, it does help your uterus get back in shape. Fortunately, my baby gut did not stay huge for long but it's still very much there. Yes, nursing supposedly burns like 500 extra calories a day. But it makes you want to EAT at least those 500 more calories too!!! I am just as hungry now as I was 8 months pregnant!

I want to exercise. Really, I do. But for some reason.... I struggle to fit that in between a full-time job, mothering 3 young children, feeding my baby, keeping house, and trying to squeeze out some time with my husband.

And silly me, right after Judah was born I signed up to run a big race. A 13.1 mile half-marathon in fact. I'm supposed to do this in October - less than a month away. What was I thinking? That my children would all sleep perfectly through the night, and I'd pop out of bed by 6 a.m. to run 5 miles? Uh huh. Definitely delusional. At this point, it looks like there's going to be a lot of walking, but I still plan to finish that race.

But I know there are many moms who get where I'm coming from. It's interesting to see all the different ways women's bodies respond to childbirth and parenting. As you likely heard, the "Dad Bod" became a thing earlier this year, so here is my break-down of the different types of "Mom Bod":

• Skinny Mom - pops out a baby and within a month or so puts on her pair of size 4 jeans with no problem. She's blessed with some ridiculous metabolism. She is really annoying to the rest of us, but we still love her. Hahaha! 
• Huggable Mom - is a curvy lady and pregnancy just added to them with extra pounds that just won't go away. Baby is a toddler now. Or maybe a high school senior. The battle with weight loss has been real but it's okay because her family loves her comforting hugs. Hopefully, she embraces the beauty in the woman she is now.
• Super-Fit Mom - carries her baby and holds onto baby weight for a few months. Then, she kicks into gear with the healthy eating program and work-out routine to get a buff body. We applaud her motivation and just ask that she please be gracious to those of us who don't have as much.
• Everyday Mom - delivered a baby and her body will never be the same. It's softer and more jiggly and covered in freckles or cellulite, but it works just fine. It may not compare to Hollywood's post-baby bodies but that's perfectly okay. 

Hi, it's me. Just another Mom trying to love her babies and her body, no matter how they change.

Know this. No matter what your Mom Bod is, your children love you. Even if they pick on you (Adria). And whether you're curvacious or rail thin, being confident and loving your own body is more important than any number on a scale. 

In truth, I am very thankful for the healthy body that God has given me. And while I do enjoy being active, at this phase in my life that activity is more focused around my children than anything else.

Love yourself today. Whether you're a mom or not, embrace the beauty in the woman that you are. Is that cheesy enough for you? I'm for real, though.

Breastfeeding and Work

Twice a day. Every day at my 9-5 job. I retreat into the basement powder room with a large black bag. About 15 minutes later, I emerge with two little bottles holding 8-10 ounces of freshly pumped Mommy's milk.

That's my life right now. And thousands of Working Pumping Moms worldwide have a similar story.

It's not easy. It's annoying. It's inconvenient. It's awkward and can be embarrassing. It's really a pain in the but to try to squeeze into a busy work day. And it makes you feel more like a cow than you ever thought possible.

(Ok I'm back. It's 5:45 a.m. and my baby boy just awoke and wanted some direct-from-the-source milk!)

So why do we go through all this hassle?

It is the best nourishment we can offer our babies. It is healthy for both mom and baby. It has proven long-term benefits for the life of our child. It allows us to keep up that special nursing bond when we are home.

Today marks the last day of World Breastfeeding Week - yeah, I just realized that's a thing. This year's theme is BREASTFEEDING AND WORK: LET'S MAKE IT WORK!

It's literally a global initiative to support women in combining work and breast-feeding. Shoot, I could be the poster child for this campaign!

With each of my three children, I returned to my full-time profession outside the home when they were about 10 weeks old. My 14 week old son has had nothing but Mommy's milk to date. I pumped for and nursed both my 3 and 6 year old daughters most of the first year of their lives.

My handsome little 3 month old.

And I have to admit, I love that my boobies are able to provide my children life-sustaining food. It's one of the amazing miracles of life that I don't fully understand. My baby cries and "Poof!" my chest is suddenly 2 pounds heavier and full of milk. Seriously, how does that happen?

But don't get me wrong, nursing is no walk in the park. No one can prepare you for the pain and rock hard boobs when your milk comes in for the first time a couple days after baby is born. And then there's the latching issue. And the sore nipples. And the leaking milk on your bed sheets at 3 a.m. Am I getting too personal here? Just trying to be real. These are issues that like 99% of nursing moms have endured.

Enduring is what it takes to be a nursing mom, especially a Working Pumping Mom. Three babies later, I continue to believe it's worth it.

When I get home, I give my husband and daughters a kiss then sit down to breastfeed my son. It's a great way to unwind and enjoy quality baby time. And the highlight of my day is quietly rocking him and nursing with bedtime lullabies playing just before I say goodnight.

That said, please don't get too upset if nursing did not work for you or your baby. That's totally fine and I have tons of friends with perfectly healthy formula-fed babies and children. Plus, you should know that I have to start supplementing with formula when baby is 4-5 months old because I can't keep up with the feeding demands.

I just want to encourage mommies who are maybe struggling with nursing, especially early on, to stick with it because it will get easier. And yes, you can work full-time and successfully breastfeed your baby.

If you do return to work and become a pumping mom...just be prepared for lots and lots of bottle cleaning and maybe a few awkward encounters in the office.

Just to dispel the mystery, here's the Black Bag after use.
Lovely, isn't it...