How to fall in love with your body after having children

The reason you're not in love with your body yet after having children is not because you aren't exercising enough or following the right diet.

You may have developed a belly or your breasts are saggier than before or your hips are wider, but let's face it, long cardio-focused work outs and salads are not going to help you, especially in the long run.

And most of the trending exercise programs and diets are created for the male body (think ice baths) and definitely not for new mothers and menstruating bodies.

Instead of focusing on your pre-mother body, you'd benefit way more by focusing on physical and emotional exercises that complement where you are at on your motherhood journey.

Are you a postpartum mama?

For those mamas still in those initial six to eight weeks post birth, that could look like giving your body ample rest and prioritising foods that replenish your body, like bone broth, which contains the right nutrients you need after the blood loss that comes with childbirth.

How you look after your body during those initial weeks and months is said to determine the foundation for a woman's body for the rest of her life.

Do you have older children?

All is not lost if you're a mama with older kids. All mothers can benefit from hypopressive exercises, for example, which strengthen and tone the abdomen and pelvic floor - all of which are vital for staying healthy and strong post menopause.

And for those mamas still menstruating, supporting your body could look like eating anti-inflammatory foods during the luteal phase of menstruation - the time between ovulation and the next period. It could also look like resting during the days leading up and during your period.

All mamas benefit from...

All mamas benefit way more when stress is actively minimised in life, which is becoming increasingly important with all the stimulation we are faced with in modern life.

This could look like addressing your cortisol belly - the accumulation of fat around the abdomen from exposure to chronic stress - through somatic work and guided emotional releases.

And perhaps most in your control is your capacity to turn inward and support your emotional health. This could look like journalling, chatting with your girlfriends and joining a sisterhood like mother's circles.

When you fall back in love

You see, we've been sold a lie that we need to "bounce back" or even return to our maiden bodies at all.

Because when you fall back in love with your body (the same body that grew a tiny human), you reclaim your power for yourself, instead of outsourcing it to external forces.

You'll find you have more energy to be the pillar of support your children need.

And you'll start to model strength, vitality and joy for your children, so that young girls grew up feeling safe in their bodies and young boys know how to celebrate and honour women.