Personal trainer honestly says mumtum makes her 'feel so self-conscious'
"I feel sad clutching loose skin that was once tight..."
It’s inevitable, really, that once you give birth your life and body will change forever.
Not only will you have a bundle of joy to take care of 24/7 (for joy bundles, they sure do cry a lot…) but you’ll also have a new post-pregnancy figure.
Some mums are more than happy to embrace their new bodies, like Sophie Ellis-Bextor recently proclaimed when she was asked if she was still pregnant 7 months after giving birth.
And we’ll never forget when Giovanna Fletcher had to stand up to body-shamers just 11 days post-baby.
However, other new mums think snapping back into pre-pregnancy shape should be a top priority, and that’s fine too.
But it’s very rare you hear from someone who’s slap bang in the middle ground of those two opinions.
Personal trainer and mum-of-one Revie Jane Schulz took to Instagram to (rather bravely, we think) admit that 6 weeks after the birth of her daughter, she wasn’t 100% happy with the changes in her figure - namely, her mumtum.
She even shared a side-by-side of her baby and post-baby stomach bumps along with a message that we think many new mums will be able to empathise with.
Revie Jane wrote on Instagram:
"It's been 6 weeks since I had my little Lexington and without contest, it has been my biggest blessing in life.
"I post... daily about how much I adore her and how happy I am, but there are other sides to becoming a mother that I think are really important to speak out about.
"I've found myself several times looking down at my belly. I caught myself feeling sad when clutching the loose skin that was once tight, unmarked and toned.
"I tried to embrace and remind myself what it was all for but am left feeling so self-conscious. I kept telling myself 'you knew it wouldn't be back to normal straight away, give it time,' but it was still a shock and I do get upset about it. And that is perfectly okay.
"Being in my profession, I used to live in a sports bra and shorts, I wondered 'Will I ever have the confidence to do that again?' I was confused because I felt like I was being ungrateful and vain.
"But how is suppressing feelings of sadness and insecurity going to work out for me? Trying to undermine those feelings can cause big problems in the future."
She also revealed that upon speaking to new mum friends, many of them could really get behind what she was saying, and were glad that they weren’t alone in not being super duper confident about their new bodies.
"So, yes I have never been happier and yes I have a healthy, beautiful baby but that shouldn't mean I bottle up these feelings.
"Will my body ever be the same? No it probably won't be and I've learnt it will be better in other ways.
"We've all made our sacrifices and each of us are entitled to feel. The best bit of advice.”
We reckon Revie Jane’s Instagram post needs a HUGE round of applause ???
Dealing with the challenges being a new mum brings is hard enough without the pressure we put on ourselves to look a certain way, or pressure to feel a certain way about not looking how we want to.
But we do admit – it’s nice to know that even the super-fit among us can feel this way, too.
Our bodies have been through so much after giving birth… so we think it's OK give ourselves a break and just feel whatever it is we want to feel, when we feel it.
You don't have to love your post-baby body all the time, if you don't want to.
?
Images: Instagram/Revie Jane Schulz
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