• If you’ve had a baby, or are currently pregnant, then you won’t be surprised about your body’s miraculous transformation. It’s easy to panic when you think about all the changes you have gone through to bring that special little person (or people) into your life. The good news is that not all of the changes are permanent!  Plus your body has the incredible capacity to bounce back.

    Your weight for example, is completely fixable. Just keep in mind the old saying. It takes nine months to pack it on; it should take nine months to take it off (See our Playdate article “KeepingFit“). If you’re like me, your feet grew (my sensitive husband referred to them as “hot dog feet” because of the swelling). Mine grew one whole size each pregnancy. I started off with an average size 8, and I am currently a size 11. I’m told that my feet will go back to normal, but I am beginning to lose hope. If they do return to their normal size it could take up to three years post pregnancy!

    The good news is that not all of the changes are permanent!

    Have you ever heard of “child bearing hips?” Our hips do widen to allow babies an easier passage, but the good news (greatest news ever!) is that your hips can actually go to their pre-pregnancy place! To help them along, do some core strengthening exercises. Which I know you’re already doing to help your stomach (and uterus) find it’s way back to it’s original place right? Even if you have had a c-section, you can get your stomach back to normal too. No muscles are harmed during the procedure, so as long as you follow your health care providers restrictions and heal up nicely you can start working on those abs to help them find their way back to you.

    When I got pregnant the first time I was excited to see my breast and their magnificent transformation. I’m sad to inform you that they do not go back to their original state, and they do not stay huge either (sorry guys). They can actually shrink! However, that may not happen to everyone. And of course, let’s not forget those stretch marks that will probably stay with me forever. I can admit though, that my first round or stretch marks look much better today than they did five years ago. They are fading, but I can still see and count each one even after trying different preventative lotions.

    So there you have it, my blatant and brutally honest depiction of my body after having kids. Luckily there is some good news mixed in with the bad and to tell you the truth, I would do it all over again.