My daughter is now 7 months old and I still have a mummy tummy. For the past seven months, I have felt bad about it. But they say that misery loves company, and I obviously have lots of it. According to a survey of 7,000 mothers by BabyCenter.com (a leading source of information for new and expectant mothers), 87% of mothers who’s youngest child is between 1 and 2 years old say that their tummy is not back to “normal:”
You may weigh the same or less after your pregnancy, but your clothes will fit differently!” lamented one mom in our survey. “I weigh less now, but I wear a larger size.” If you’ve been surprised by the way pregnancy has reconfigured your body, you’re hardly alone.
More than half of our moms said their breasts are different now, and more than a third said they have wider hips. But the post-baby tummy — “my mommy fluff,” as one woman put it; “this bulbous tire around my middle,” another complained — is what really seems to blow most moms away. One to two years after having their baby, 87 percent of women say their stomach still hasn’t returned to normal.
When I lament about this, I invariably get the “Oh, but you have done the most important job in the world!” But I am not, and I suspect most women are not, immune to the beauty standards of today. And as a closest fashionista, having a mummy tummy does not really work with today’s fashions. But unfortunately,
On the down side, muscle tone is not the same as skin tone. Some women are genetically vulnerable to stretch marks and saggy skin. These may look better over time, but they may not go away completely. Skin will also lose some elasticity after each birth — and with age. So if you had your kids later in life, it will be that much harder to restore your tummy to its former firmness.
“Some women” include me. But there are some baby-body upsides to other “challenged” areas:
Still, not all changes are unwelcome. As one new mom noted, “I have boobs now — and I didn’t have to pay for them!”
I know that there are some people reading who are going to tsk, tsk my concern with the shape and look of my body. Is it anti-feminist to care about what your body looks like?
Filed under: being a grad mommy, health | Tagged: feminism, mummy tummy
I have the skin elasticity issue. After I gave birth, I worked to get back to my original size and found that the skin around my belly got all wrinkly and saggy and stuff. Then I gained some weight, and my belly skin is smoother.
So it’s a trade-off.
I highly recommend bellydancing. It changes your body some, but more important is that it changes your body image.
belly dancing is great!
as for the body image comment, anomie is right on target. bellydancing speaks to feminist thinking on body image by embracing all body sizes, types, and so on.
Hey Singin Gees!
I found this comment the most alarming:
“So if you had your kids later in life, it will be that much harder to restore your tummy to its former firmness.”
I mean I’m still only celebrating the 2nd anniversary of my 25th birthday but they’re making me think I need to get a move on.
I miss you terribly!
Sorry to read about your family member.