On my blog and social media, I love to share the frilly things - travel, foodie finds, and more. But I also would like to start sharing my postpartum journey. I finally feel like I’m in a good place to talk about a few topics.
First up.
I am getting rid of my first pair of jeans I bought post having my last baby. That might seem like a random bit of information, but for me it’s way deeper.
Like many moms, I didn’t feel like my body snapped back immediately after having my third baby.
I told myself once I lost all of my baby weight, I would then shop for new clothes.
I shared this with my husband and he said, “Why would you wait to shop until you lose weight? What will you wear now? Don’t you want to look and feel good in clothes now? There’s no need to delay joy. You can shop again later when you lose the weight you want.”
I thought about it but still wasn’t completely sure I would shop. It’s not that I thought it was a waste of money. It was more about me reaching my goal first before shopping. And then shopping postpartum can feel sad and a bit overwhelming. Things don’t fit like they did before and more than likely you’ve gone up a few clothing sizes. Then at one point during the pandemic, shopping dressing rooms were closed, which meant I ended up buying multiple sizes of clothes and trying them on at home and then taking things back that didn’t fit. It was such a sad feeling.
I then hired a wellness coach, which was life changing in many ways (you can check out the blog post here). She reinforced a lot of the things my husband said.
She said don’t delay joy and feeling good about yourself and your body now. And that waiting to shop until you reach a certain size is punishment. She asked, what if it takes you a year to lose the weight? Will you just wear random stuff you don't feel good in for a whole year? Or longer?
I decided to take their advice and begin shopping for clothes for my current size. As time went on I learned to shop for my body and what worked well and what didn’t. I then began falling in love with shopping again! I always liked to shop when I was younger and with one child. But as I had more kids, moved up in my career, and my businesses grew, I didn’t have as much time as before. Going to the mall started to feel more like a chore.
Image: Saying goodbye to these jeans! They were skin tight when I bought then. They are now really loose. Way bigger than they look in this picture. Yay for losing inches and pounds over these past months.
I then did research and started a capsule collection. A capsule collection is a tailored wardrobe to include only pieces that you love and feel good in, in your current body. It’s so easy to have a closet full of stuff that doesn’t fit post baby, which can lead to more negative emotions. You may feel chubby and everything else when you have a closet full of stuff that doesn't fit. When in reality, those clothes just don't fit your current body. You deserve to open your closet and see clothes you can fit and feel good in.
I got rid of most of my pre-baby clothes. The ones I wanted to keep, I put in a tub in the closet. Out of sight, out of mind. It felt so good to go in my closet and only see pieces that fit me well.
Image: Shopping postpartum. This was a few months after embracing my body changes and enjoying shopping again.
The first pair of jeans I bought are being given away today. It’s slightly emotional because it reminds me of all the work I’ve done to get to this point.
A year later after giving birth and I'm taking a moment to celebrate all of the mental and physical shifts I've made.
I remember how I felt sad shopping postpartum initially and how these jeans were skin tight. And now months later they are too big. And how I’ve fallen in love with shopping again.
Image: Saying goodbye to these jeans. Giving them away because they're still in great condition.
If you’re a mom, I encourage you to take the advice I received. Shop for your body now! Don’t delay feeling and looking good until you reach a weight goal.
Wishing you love, confidence, and light on your journey.
xoxo,
Jay
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