Dear New Mama

With all the recent babes arrivals we thought this blog post from our fellow twin mom member Julie ​was perfect timing. Enjoy.

This post is to all the new mama’s out there who are worried about getting their pre-baby body back. You used to workout, eat right, rocked your swimsuit and felt confident in your own skin. Your body just went through 9 months of growing a perfect little human (in my case 2) and now your itching to get your body back. Let me say that again…your body just went through 9 months of growing a perfect little human! Isn’t that AMAZING!?!? PRAISE your body for what it has accomplished and don’t spend another minute fretting over this. Your doctor may or may not have given you the a-ok to lace up those new, cute Nike’s sitting in your closet that you are just DYING to test out on a run. Here is what’s on my heart that I want to share with you.

Having a new baby (or babies) is one of THE MOST precious times of your life. A time that will pass so quickly and only God knows if you will ever get to experience something so special again.  I know it’s constantly on your mind to get back to the “old you” but here is my advice: Don’t worry about it right now! Now I know that’s easy for me to say and not as easy to follow when you’re feeling insecure, but bare with me here. This time when your newborn is little, goes sooooo fast. It’s a time for bonding, for snuggling, for resting and recuperating when they are sleeping, for healing, and for getting to know that little person you brought into the world. You have the REST of your life to get back into shape… Now by no means am I saying to put this off for years, I’m just referring to those first fews months with a newborn. Savor it. Enjoy it. LIVE it. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with that child.

If you’re nursing, your primary purpose right now is to feed your child, not to lose weight.  I get so many questions about “how can I lose weight while nursing my baby?” Well, I guess it IS possible, as producing milk burns a lot of calories, but you can’t restrict calories if you’re trying to produce enough milk. In my case, I was eating about 2,500 calories a day to feed my twins.  I was starving ALL-THE-TIME! So here’s my advice: Eat nutritious meals containing nutrients your child can benefit from.  Such as nuts, fruits, veggies, quality proteins, greek yogurt, potatoes, grains, avocados, and flax or chia seeds. These foods are dense in nutrients for you and your baby, and nature has a great way of portion controlling.  Listen to your body. It’s ok to eat more if you’re still hungry. But before you reach for those cookies and ice cream, make sure your hydrated and ask yourself “what benefit will this give my child?”

Too often, I feel like society pressures us to be perfect and to look like those air-brushed celebrity mom’s who just had babies.  So I wanted to be that girl you need in your life. The one who reminds you that you’re beautiful, you have so much to be grateful for, you have the rest of your life to get back into shape, and to tell you it’s OK to take a break. It doesn’t make you a slacker or mean you don’t care. It simply means that you love and honor your body for it’s accomplishment, and love your newborn more. <3

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