So, here I am again, this is my second post, my first is here.
Now that I’m 13 months post partum I feel the need to share with you all something that has been amazing for my body…
I didn’t say too much about my body in my first most so I will give you a bit of an overview now.
I grew up very very skinny till I hit 16, things suddenly popped out!! you know how that goes I’m sure:) and being the shy, self conscious girl that I was I fell into a downward spiral of bulimia/anorexia for the next 7 years, either starving for months on crazy diets or bingeing and purging all day long.
When I met my now husband (he was hitching a ride!!) I had finally come to a healthy happy balance and was basically a veggie loving mungbean worshipper!!
3 months later I was wondering why my boobs were getting bigger… haha! we were surprised and happy though, it was all happening so fast, we were living together out in the rainforest and about a month earlier I had asked him to marry me! some things are just meant to be.
I was constantly nauseous and tired for the first 3 months, a never ending hangover. I went from health nut to having ice-cream for breakfast. My weight started at about 52kg/114 lbs, I’m 5’5 tall, and I went up to 58kg/128 lbs in the first 3 months.. I was very curvy:)
We married when I was 12 weeks along and about a 2 week later we moved across the country to be with my family for support.
Slowly my appetite disappeared as my last few months of pregnancy were in the height of summer, I weighed 63 kg/139 lbs at 41 weeks.
So, as I wrote in my first post, I had a magnificent home water birth, completely drug free despite excruciating back labour due to having a sway back.. I still feel so proud that I birthed my baby myself, I took him from the water and absorbed every last drop of beauty in that experience.
In the last few months of pregnancy I did a lot of research on natural birth etc and happened to stumble across a whole new view of parenting, part of which is wearing your baby… so, I bought a ring sling and a stretchy hemp wrap and oh how I love them! I have never used a pram, I don’t use playpens or things that hold, swing or bounce… instead I carry my baby boy where ever we go, shopping, bush walking,hanging washing, dancing, vacuuming, doing dishes, cooking, in the shower etc etc… he is always with me viewing the world from my perspective, he is involved in my interactions, learning language, gesture and movement and I have the pleasure of observing him grow..
Not only is it wonderful for him but the changes I have seen in my body are amazing!! I have never been so strong before, as my son grew so did my strength, I am now 46kg/101 lbs and my son is 12kg/26.5 lbs, so you can imagine what kind of a workout I get when I go for a 4km walk:)
The idea that you need to leave your precious one in the care of someone else or at child care so you can trudge of the the gym is, in my view, ridiculous! Seriously, put your bub in a sling, wrap, mei tai, whatever and go for a walk, better yet, dance around the house! you will feel it, trust me and your little one will LOVE it!
I’m not saying this will change stretch marks or bounce our boobs back to their former position, what I am saying is keep your baby where they belong, in your arms, and create a strong body while doing it.. think about it, how could it not have a positive impact on your body?
I honestly believe this is how nature intended it to be, just like breast feeding contracts your uterus, it just makes sense, don’t you think?
Now, I know there are going to be those who are defensive about what I have written here, just as many were about a previous post about flat bellied mums, I have posted this only to give a new perspective as I haven’t read any other posts about the positive effects of wearing your baby and well, I feel so strongly about it that I just had to share…
The proof is in the pudding, so to speak… so here are some pic’s of me.
12 months pp swimming with my son
13 months pp sitting under a tree
13 months pp strong arms
