loving your post-baby body

to love yourself is a gift you give yourself

to love the way you look is the bow on top

we all have beliefs within us that shape the way we see the world and ourselves

possibly outside forces turned into inner thoughts

we repeat again and again

for me the way i look right now is a result of lots of those

lots of hard things 

but my smile and the way i carry myself despite my weight

tells me that despite the hard i choose to focus on the joy

yes i initially wince when i see photos of myself still

but i then i look at the happiness that i see in myself and i try to allow it to outshine the shape of my body

i was so happy to have had a studio full of mamas and babies on my podcast

as we candidly discuss experiences and feelings about body image post-baby 

with a panel of three incredible moms. 

Michelle Petersen from The Mumsy Blog 

fashion blogger Brittany Maddux 

and Roxana Baker of Roxana B Photography 

we openly shared our struggles with the way we view ourselves 

and even moments when we have wondered who that girl is looking back in the mirror 

we dive into what experiences and beliefs have shaped our view of what we should look like 

and how we work on safeguarding our own children from an unhealthy body image 

what we struggle with varies but we each relate the things that have helped us through moments of definite discouragement 

and what we would say to someone struggling with this right now 

and for those still planning on having more children, what they 

(because you know I do not fall in that category) 

would do differently during their next pregnancy to prepare for their post-baby body. 

you are not alone

whether you have given birth to children or not – 

it is something we all struggle with

and we hope our very candid responses help you to feel that

listen to our podcast on The LifeBeats Project here
Winning your battle with your post-baby body image | with Brittany Maddux, Michelle Petersen, and Roxana Baker (TLBP #29)

we were joined by lifestyle blogger Alycia Crowley

for an opportunity to work with Shabby Apple

-the clothing store dedicated to celebrating the beauty in you-

to celebrate and honor our post-baby bodies
with a photo shoot by Roxana B Photography

and you can get in on the celebration too 

with our huge giveaway of five dresses

hop on over to my Instagram @lifebeatsproject for more details today Sept 14 at 10 am MST 

giveaway lasts til Sept 17 at 10 am

for me choosing clothes is tricky

i loved how many options Shabby Apple had available and in a variety of sizes

i choose clothes that have some structure like the seaming on the bodice

and have some illusion of angles like the belt wrap and flare skirt

i love color and love the way it makes me feel when i wear it

check out the other girls' blog posts on their thoughts on self-acceptance, body image, 

and their choice in clothing