My Post-Pregnancy Body
Oct. 15th, 2008 06:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pantryslutIt's a definite advantage to be a nearly-forty fat chick when it comes to the aftermath of pregnancy.
There's a lot of anxiety expressed about the changes that pregnancy works on a woman's body, and a lot of words written or said in reassurance, a lot of creams and exercise advice sold, and so on, and so on.
Women worry that they'll be fat. Well, I am already fat.*
They worry about stretch marks. I already have stretch marks.
They worry about sagging breasts. Guess what? Already there, too.
Post-pregnancy, so far, I feel a little softer around the middle, it's true. And I think I may end up a bit more curvy-looking than I was before (now I have hips!). My clothes (and shoes) may not fit right any more, although I haven't really checked yet.
I'm OK with all of that. I'm not at war with my body, not trying to engage in any holding actions or anything. Being a middle-aged fat chick means I'm more psychologically prepared to take what comes. I have less to lose, I suppose. That's one way of looking at it. Or, more tools to take what comes on its own terms, is another.
* I was very disappointed when my breastfeeding class opened with the very good question, "we know the advantages of breastfeeding for children; what are some advantages for the mother?" And the first answer from the peanut gallery was a perky shout of "weight loss!"
Of course, as noted earlier today, it's also true, if you consider weight loss an advantage. I consider it just another fact. Actually, I'm kind of glad at the moment that I come with extra padding to begin with -- I can afford to lose some more, if things continue to go that way. I have a built-in margin of error. That's kind of reassuring at the moment.
There's a lot of anxiety expressed about the changes that pregnancy works on a woman's body, and a lot of words written or said in reassurance, a lot of creams and exercise advice sold, and so on, and so on.
Women worry that they'll be fat. Well, I am already fat.*
They worry about stretch marks. I already have stretch marks.
They worry about sagging breasts. Guess what? Already there, too.
Post-pregnancy, so far, I feel a little softer around the middle, it's true. And I think I may end up a bit more curvy-looking than I was before (now I have hips!). My clothes (and shoes) may not fit right any more, although I haven't really checked yet.
I'm OK with all of that. I'm not at war with my body, not trying to engage in any holding actions or anything. Being a middle-aged fat chick means I'm more psychologically prepared to take what comes. I have less to lose, I suppose. That's one way of looking at it. Or, more tools to take what comes on its own terms, is another.
* I was very disappointed when my breastfeeding class opened with the very good question, "we know the advantages of breastfeeding for children; what are some advantages for the mother?" And the first answer from the peanut gallery was a perky shout of "weight loss!"
Of course, as noted earlier today, it's also true, if you consider weight loss an advantage. I consider it just another fact. Actually, I'm kind of glad at the moment that I come with extra padding to begin with -- I can afford to lose some more, if things continue to go that way. I have a built-in margin of error. That's kind of reassuring at the moment.
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no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 06:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 09:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 08:50 pm (UTC)And according to the nutrition training at work, I should be eating 3,500 calories a day for the amount of exercise I do (as opposed to the 2,000 they tend to recommend for women).