I grieved for my old figure after giving birth, I have an ‘apron belly’ and wasn’t proud of my mom bod, now I am
A PARENTING blogger wants to remind women that their figures should be celebrated no matter what they look like.
She discussed the tricky relationship new moms have with their bodies after giving birth.
Sarah Nicole Landry (@thebirdspapaya) is a mom-fluencer who gets real with her followers when it comes to body shapes.
Recently, she talked to podcaster Katie Crawford about the insecurities many women face after having a baby.
Noting the common narrative about bouncing back to your pre-baby body, she expressed how hard it is for many to accept their new appearance.
“If you’re proud of your postpartum body because it looks like it did before… you’re allowed to have that moment,” she said.
“But there’s not a lot of people proud of their postpartum body.
“So, it puts you in a sort of identity crisis.”
Unfortunately, women are not taught how to accept their new image and new role, nor taught to grieve their former selves.
“We’re not taught to grieve properly.
“We’re taught to just move forward, but the move forward is all about bouncing back. It’s all about going back to who you were instead of understanding that who you were is actually gone in many ways and has turned into somebody new.”
After one listener called in to say she doesn’t recognize herself because of her new “apron belly,” noting the insecurities that brings, Sarah admitted that she has one too.
As for what an apron belly is, the influencer said it’s very common in women who had a cesarian birth.
“When you’re sewn back together, it causes a fold that can actually hang over.
“Mine is more like half an apron. One side has the flap, but the other side is a little bit smoother. But it’s an overhang of belly.
“It’s incredibly normal but it’s not very much seen. It’s not often a big conversation postpartum.”
Sarah, for her part, was vulnerable and authentic about her mom pooch in an Instagram post.
“I could just show up like this,” she wrote, posing in a bra and underwear.
When the frame changed, however, she lowered her underwear to reveal the apron belly hiding underneath.
“But I choose to show up like this too, because I know how hard it is to only see seemingly one type of stomach and to feel like you’re hiding shame under your clothes.
“So, I like to be that reminder that a lot of different bodies and bellies exist.”
In the podcast, she noted that while she now loves her body, she doesn’t always feel good.
“Love is not butterflies in the belly when you wake up in the morning.
“It comes and goes, sometimes you have those moments.
“[But my body] has never given up. It has been my partner through thick and thin, through so much trauma… I can’t s*** on it anymore.”