We all say what a wonderful thing pregnancy and childbirth is, and how amazing the female body is - and yes, it’s all true - but having gone through it twice, I realised that you cannot avoid the self loathing of the new body that you now have. It is a harsh reality that many new moms experience when we look in the mirror and not recognize ourselves or feel as if we need to now ‘mourn’ the pre-baby you that was full of strength, energy, and confidence.
There is immense frustration in feeling like you do not look the way you want to or the way you used to, and disappointment in how slow the process of rebuilding your confidence in your new body seems to be. Social media is a big part of this discrepancy between what we think we should look like and how quickly we should ‘bounce back’, versus the reality for most women.
For me, Reformer Pilates truly gave me back my love and confidence in my body, and it wasn’t as much as you think… only 2 classes per week, and I was feeling better about myself in just a month. Within 2 months I was falling back in love with my body, and feeling confident and strong in my own skin, which translated to my relationship with my partner and my children.
Many of these improvements may not have even initially been visible from the outside, but it was the changes that Pilates helped me make within myself that propelled my love and appreciation for my new body and encouraged me to continually strive to achieve more. Walking away from a Reformer session, I would feel proud and satisfied with what my body had just achieved, and honestly, I would walk away taller and leaner too (or at least that’s how I felt and really that’s what matters).
Whilst this blog isn’t about the shape of my body, it’s about the relationship I have with my new post-baby body and to embrace that selfcare is not selfish! Pouring time (even just a few minutes per day) into taking care of my body and building my strength through Pilates has allowed me to prioritise self care both mentally and physically, ultimately helping me to become the best version of myself that I can be - for me and my kids.
My appreciation for and consistency with my Pilates routine has allowed me to achieve a body far stronger and leaner than it ever was before kids, and as a result, I can say I have fallen back in love with this new and improved version of myself.
Written by: Emma Stallworthy, Your Reformer Founder