Mommy body...

I am not a big girl, never have been, but I got fairly large during my pregnancy. I gained 55 pounds and when you start out at just over 120 that is a fairly significant weight gain. I didn't retain water and swell...I just got the biggest belly and thoroughly enjoyed it. For some reason society has a tendency to want to squash the enjoyment of pregnancy. I had so many people tell me that I would never be small again and I was never going to look the same. Well, I am slightly smaller now then I was before Connor, and I find myself wanting to be in better shape than I ever was to prove the point that moms can look good too! A week ago I ran my first ever 10km race and although I didn't have a fantastic time (1 hour and 3 mins), I made my goal of completing it without ever stopping to walk. I'm very proud of myself!!! (Oh, and I did it in funky underwear to raise money for below the belt cancers...felt incredibly self conscious, but I did it!!) My goal is to keep running and stay fit so that I can do all these kinds of things with Connor as he gets older. During my maternity leave I did a stroller class and a mom and baby boot camp to kick start the process and I found it an amazing way to spend the last few months of my maternity leave. It gave me quality time with Connor and improved my self esteem. It also got me out with other moms with kids around the same age and gave me the chance to talk about any issues I was having and hear about other moms issues...which is always a good thing so that you don't feel ostracised. A really fun class to look into is mom and baby salsa. Connor loved it. He would snuggle into the carrier and sleep through the class. And if you are like me and have two left feet, your partner doesn't care! To all those beautiful pregos...don't stress and enjoy your pregnancy...join some classes and have fun with your baby to get back into shape. It makes the maternity leave so much fun!!