All my posts lately have been kid updates. It's time for a mama update.
I am now living with the reality of a body that has undergone two natural (as in, out my vagina, not drug free) childbirths. That takes a number on someone. I spent the first month after kidlet number 2 was born with a prolapsed bladder, needing to lean way forward to pee, and constantly feeling like I had a bladder infection coming on. Kegal exercises have improved that. I also had pain from the 2nd degree tear I got this time that only really let up at all yesterday.
They say to take it easy and not really exercise for 6 weeks after childbirth. That's so that the uterus can shrink back to normal size and the abs can get back into position. So I'm at 6 weeks and can now wrangle both of my children with ease. Scott no longer feels like he weighs a million pounds and when he's all squirmy I can still carry him without issue. But I'm still fat. Ok, not fat, just big bellied. Well, big assed too. I'm still smaller than I was after Scott's birth, basically everywhere. But my big fat girl pants that I wore when I returned to work after Scott are tight in the belly.
I'd like to say that I have the discipline to clean up my diet, give up alcohol mostly and start losing the weight, but I don't. I watch 2 kids all day and finding fast, easy, healthy snacks has never been my strong suite. And although I can't drink much (not really more than a drink in a night), after abstaining for 18 out of the last 28 months, I like the freedom of being able to have a glass of wine all the time. I know if I'd just give up sugar and alcohol I'd be able to lose the 12 lbs I am up since I got pregnant this time fairly easily, but it's hard. On the other hand, I've spent about 24 of the last 28 months in some state of large belly, so I'd also like the freedom to wear most of my pre-any pregnancy clothing again. It's a toss up which I'd rather have, wine or a smaller waist.
My hair hasn't started to fall out, I should have another month or two before that happens (because it stops falling out while pregnant, it has to fall out eventually, it kinda happens all at once 3-6 months after giving birth). I have noticed that I have a LOT more gray hair now.
And my belly is super covered in stretch marks. Not the worst example I've seen, and I'm curious to see what they look like when I do eventually lose the 10 or so inches I need to lose in the waist, but they're not my favorite souvenir of motherhood.
My boobs are, predictably, very saggy, but I think they regained some of their former height when I stopped nursing Scott and went back to supportive bras, so I'm just giving up on thinking about that for the next yearish.
I'm not trying to scare anyone off, just recording my current state of frustration with my post-pregnancy issues.
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