A woman’s body is a truly magnificent organic machine.  The conception and birth of our offspring and the adaptations  our bodies make to ensure our little ones are protected and nourished are nothing short of miraculous.   Even women who suffer from extreme physical discomfort during their pregnancies can’t help but be in awe of their own role in helping bring life into the world.

However, because motherhood is such an amazing and beautiful part of our lives many women feel guilty when they look at their body’s changes with fear or dismay.  These fears can’t be ignored or brushed off.   In fact, it is normal to have misgivings about the changes that are occurring physically, emotionally, and mentally during and after pregnancy.  Motherhood isn’t just an event, it is a rite of passage.  No woman can experience it without being altered at the most fundamental level.

Despite the incredible demands that a baby brings for a new mom, she doesn’t cease to be a friend, a partner, and her own woman. It is absolutely not selfish to want to regain your figure, resume doing things you enjoyed before you got pregnant, or spending time away from your baby to rejuvenate yourself.

The bottom line is that you’re never going to be the exact same person you were before you had children.  But that doesn’t mean you have lost yourself completely.  YES! You can get your body back.  You can go out with your friends again.  You will be able to work and handle a baby.  You can go to school, change careers, start a business, run a marathon, learn to salsa dance, write a novel…almost anything you want to do after having your baby.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that the changes you experience from motherhood will make your success in any endeavor even more likely.  Motherhood has taught me greater degrees of self-discipline, time management, creative problem-solving, and diplomacy than I ever knew before.

Fear of change is natural.  But so is overcoming that fear.  As the great Benjamin Franklin once said, “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”  Motherhood is just one of many changes you’ll experience throughout your life.  Embrace it and let it change you for the better.