Accepting...

...this postpartum body is easier than I remember it being. Although, I find myself utterly annoyed by the extra skin congregating around my midsection, and the extra 'breastfeeding fat stores' hanging out on my thighs, and my shirts not fitting because...well we discussed that in another post. I am much more accepting and much more appreciative of my body than I've ever been before.

Maybe that's because it has bore me 3 healthy, gorgeous children, but maybe it's because I just don't care anymore. I'm going with the first option. Since I get to choose if I'm happy or not...the first option seems 'happier'.

I feel strange saying that I'm okay with the extra poundage, but I truly am. My body tends to hold on to extra weight while I'm nursing.

Isaiah breastfed 7 months. Then he quit on his own, and I lost the baby weight by the time he was a year old.

With Jayme, when we got home from the hospital I weighed nearly 20 pounds less than I do right now. It's hard to believe, and I really don't think being that thin was good. Looking back at pictures, I looked pretty unhealthy. She quit nursing at 3 months old due to me being heavily medicated from a kidney infection that nearly shut down my kidneys. Not fun...and nursing was a battle with her anyway.

So this time, I am determined to not be bothered by the extra weight because I know it's helping with the whole breastfeeding success . And my goal is to breastfeed this kiddo until she is at least 18 months old...maybe even longer.

This doesn't give me an excuse to eat whatever I want, and to not exercise. No, it sure does not. I'm doing body weight exercises, and yoga. I'm eating gluten free, and mostly dairy and sugar free. It's tough sometimes, but I find myself wanting less and less dairy and sugar...gluten is easy because it makes me want to die most of the time. And dairy is usually easy because Madalynne throws up what looks like whole containers of cottage cheese when I eat dairy. Nasty. Sugar on the other hand...ugh. Sugar. I made fudge last night and it's amazing!! Anyway...

Here we sit, 12 pounds from my goal weight, with 22 pounds lost...well not lost, because I don't ever want to find them again. So 22 pounds gone. For good. I'm losing weight slowly...so slowly it's almost annoying. But again...Madalynne has made it SO far in this nursing expedition. It makes my heart happy...and there is a pride that comes with being the only one that has nourished my child for so long.

Anyway...I'll gladly wear different shirts, and buy a larger size of jeans. These beautiful children, and all the joy they bring me is so far past worth it I can't even begin to tell you.