Stripes: J. Crew Factory (only $14.50 right now!)
Shoes: old, similar here
Despite everything that women say about it, the weeks postpartum are kind of like labor: nothing can really prepare you for it. I hit the rut that people talk about this week; the scale decided to stay at a standstill, I'm still just barely squeezing into my pants, and a look in the mirror shows flab where I never had it before and the little squiggly red lines that appeared on the sides of my stomach at 39 weeks pregnant.
It's funny because any time I've mentioned how awful labor was (I'm working on my birth story by the way - just not quite satisfied enough with it to share just yet) or how discouraging the postpartum body changes are, people always respond "Oh, but it's worth it, right?!" Of course it was worth it, 1000 times over. But that doesn't mean that labor wasn't horrible, or that postpartum body changes are more disconcerting than I thought they would be.
Anyways, I was more than thrilled to find this skirt in my closet from last summer which actually fits - thanks to the elastic waist, but I'll take it. Speaking of elastic waists, I just discovered that pull-on (a.k.a. elastic waist) shorts are totally in this summer. Perfect timing for the newly postpartum...I ordered these and these on sale to try, and I also found these from Old Navy.
And this is what Stephen Gabriel and I wore to mass yesterday, so we're linking up with FL&P.
Ugh agreed...it's terribly hot & humid in Nebraska, so I've basically had to buy an entire new wardrobe to get me through this postpartum stuff until my body gets a little more back to normal. And agreed, love that elastic waist shorts are in! I found some cute printed ones at Target that are super comfy.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't squeeze into my pants for 3.5 months!! So you are ahead of the curve in my mind. But I know just how you feel. I was like AHHH I just want to wear my clothes. Good transition pieces are the key!
ReplyDeleteI wore leggings for about 3 months postpartum! Lucky for me, the leggings and tunic look was in this fall/winter. Nursing friendly, forgiving to the body and kind of fashionable, even when I didn't feel that way. And I second Theresa, good transition pieces are the best thing for your sanity :)
ReplyDeleteI had my first baby at 18 so... none of my peers had gone through it and I had absolutely nothing to prepare me for going from my perky little size 5 to a matronly size 12. I was horrified by my body and honestly, it never quite got back to where it once was. Was it worth it? Sure, one hundred percent, I'd do it over and over just to have the wonderful men that I gave birth to but it's still an adjustment. I'm a big fan of skirts and dresses because they're so forgiving. I'm particularly loving maxi skirts this Summer.
ReplyDeleteI've been tracking my calories and exercising seriously for about 1 month (my son is almost 3 months old) and I've lost a whopping 1.5 lbs since then (about 16 lbs to go). So I SO feel you. I'm in between my bigger wardrobe pre-weightloss after my daughter, and my smaller wardrobe from post-weightloss before I became pregnant with my son.
ReplyDeleteSo basically I have a closet full of clothes, but nothing is quite right right now.
Of course he's worth it, my family is always worth it. But it is hard.
Amen, Erika. After I had my first I was definitely not prepared for how much my body changed. Getting dressed was a frustrating endeavor! I'd heard the generic "the weight won't come off right away" and "After a baby your body changes" comments, but I just had no idea how much my shape would change- more than just gaining some weight! And (like you said) although all the pregnancy/labor/postpartum time is worth it, it doesn't magically erase the difficulty of labor or turn the postpartum struggles into sunshine and rainbows (not to sound so dour!). Anyways, you look great, and hooray for good clothes that fit. :)
ReplyDeleteAh, what a sweet little peanut! And hang in there... you're totally right that sometimes it's kinda annoying to hear the "it's worth it line" because that's obvious - but that doesn't mean some of it isn't hard to deal with physically or emotionally! Way to make use of the trends though - I've seen lots of cute elastic waist shorts options :)
ReplyDeletetotally agree with you.... of course, my babes make the pregnancy, labor and postpartum changes all worth it. But that does not mean we stop wanting to get rid of the love handles... I am still battling all things "hanging" and their emotional repercussions. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteMD mommas unite. :)
I love your mix of prints! You seriously look great :) Elastic waistbands are where it's at!
ReplyDeleteI've been feeling this way but about pregnancy lately. I can imagine I'll still have similar feelings postpartum as well. The good thing is that it's only temporary and like you said, it is totally worth it!
I've been eying those shorts from Old Navy! They look so comfy!
ReplyDeleteNew reader here! My fiance just started a fellowship in pain management. It's so nice to connect with other bloggers in medicine! Looking forward to more posts from you, Erika!
Jen
witsicle - a life & style blog
You look gorgeous and I hope Rochester is treating you well!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Erika! And I have the ON shorts in blue, and I'm tempted to wear them everyday. So I should provably get more pairs :)
ReplyDelete