life in the not as skinny lane
Don’t you hate those mothers who come out of hospital wearing the same jeans they were wearing the day that discovered they were pregnant? New baby in arms all smiles because when they sit down, their guts do not spill over their waistband like some kind of half risen dough.
I am not one of those mothers.
I had a cesarean and I am sure that my doctor (bless) cut out my lower abdominal muscles and forgot to put them back inside! Such is my waistline (well that is actually a lie, so is the area that used to be called my waistline). Ok sure. When I was pregnant I did indulge in more than one muffin a day and perhaps a block of chocolate and possibly fake cheese spread stuff about an inch thick on toast – but do I deserve this post-baby body? Yeah – ok just read that back and maybe I do.
I tell you all this though. I was told in no uncertain terms that everything that I put on in pregnancy would fall off once I started breast feeding. And true – I guess it did initially. Well, that was the illusion. Slowly my stomach (which still looked as though I was 7 months pregnant) began to flatten (I use that term loosely), and sure I was loosing around a centimeter a day (initially). WAS. That soon stopped. I gained 17kg whilst pregnant and I assumed that this was an ok total. Sure I had read that you are recommended to gain somewhere between 10 and 15kgs so really 17 ain’t bad. Huh. Yeah right.
Oh – and at this point I have a great story to tell. I was in the hospital visiting my very good friend who also had a baby a week after mine and her friends dumb ass husband commented to me (without a word of a lie) – “hey I thought you had already had the baby! What’s with the fat belly?”. Words escape me.
Anyway. So the reason why I am harping on about the weight issue is this: I have not received a pay packet for 3 months now. I have NO MONEY to go and splurge on a new wardrobe to encompass my new size 12 ass and 10F breasts. No. So I am limited to all the things I bought whilst pregnant. Things that I no longer wish to wear seeing as I am now POST pregnant. All the while all my size 8 pre-pregnancy garments taunt me taking up all the space in my drawers so that when I reach in for the one pair of jeans that I DO fit I accidentally pull out my lovely skinny stretch size 8 jeans. Sob.
Exercise you say? Yes. I am no stranger to exercise. Before I fell pregnant I was a regular at the gym with a personal trainer and had previously competed in a body sculpting competition. I am familiar with exercise. But I am paranoid (that word again) of doing too much and having my milk dry up!
Yes – the biggest drawback to exercising – a starving baby.
And really – who can be bothered with exercise after the baby is born? At this age you have just got them past the crying-every-time-you-put-them-down phase and are comfortably sitting in the making-cute-noises-most-of-the-time phase. Who wants to miss out on that? That and also at this stage you discover you can put baby to bed for naps when your favorite daytime soap is on – and who could miss out on that?
I guess I have developed a domestic laziness. Grunt. Well. As I do every week I decide that tomorrow, tomorrow I am going to go for a one hour walk while bubs is sleeping peacefully in the Mountain Buggy. I am going to get a sweat on and I am going to do this every day at the same time. That way I can form a habit and it won’t be a chore. But of course I have to take bubs to the doctor tomorrow and I won’t get time. Amazing how a 30 minute appointment can ruin a whole day? Perhaps I should have abstained from those tempting chocolate treats and said NO to the muffins at the cafe… Perhaps I should hold true to my promise and get out of the house with the buggy and WALK my way to a waist.
Or perhaps I can just sit here and remain bitter with all those mums and their flat stomachs. Yes. I think that is far more healthy (and let’s face it, far easier). Cows!
April 1st, 2008 at 12:56 am
Hiya. Just thought i’d let you know that someone is reading your blog. I can relate too.