Stretch Mark Metaphors Heather Hopson May 14, 2012 Uncategorized 11 Comments Dear Diary, When Beyonce’s bootylicous body bounced back four months after giving birth to Blue Ivy, many moms around the world sucked in their stomachs and pushed up their breasts. Although some of my mommy friends cheered on Bey’s rapid weight loss, several admitted that the superstar’s postpartum success added extra pressure to shed their extra pounds. My friends and I played the numbers game and revealed how our weight fluctuated from pre- to post-pregnancy. We prayed that our magic numbers would once again flash on our scales, and we shared ancient secrets to weight loss. One woman took a water aerobics class and substituted salads for…well, almost everything. Another strapped on her baby and hit the pavement, speed walking through her neighborhood. I told the group how breastfeeding was my new Slim Fast. It was easier than going to the gym, and I never sweated out my hair or spent money on a membership like I did in my before-baby days. But you can’t nurse forever. Then, I interrupted our pity party. I told my friends not to try competing with a woman who has a team whose full-time job is to make her look good. If we had hair stylists, nail technicians, makeup artists, wardrobe assistants, nutritionists, and trainers, we would look like Miss Universe in the carpool lane and at the baby gym! Instead of comparing ourselves to a fantasy, we should stretch our definitions of beauty to include bigger bellies and even stretch marks! I told them how I’m more comfortable in my skin today than I was 15 years ago frolicking in a bikini on the beaches of Montego Bay during Spring Break. Often, I bare my soul to my friends. That day, I decided to take it a step further—I bared my belly. I lifted up my shirt and showed them my stretch marks. When I was pregnant, I managed to go nine months without a mark. I gained 35 pounds total, mostly during the third trimester. Like my mother when she carried me, you couldn’t tell I was pregnant until I was six months along. My stomach was stretch mark free, thanks to a bedtime ritual of slathering on belly butter rich in Vitamin E. On the day my daughter was due, my stomach was still smooth as a baby’s bottom. But Baby C decided not to make her grand entrance into the world when she was supposed to. Two weeks went by. No contractions. But I did feel something squiggly on my stomach. I ran to a mirror. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Say it ain’t so! I said to myself as I stared into the mirror, mad. Yes, stretch marks. Then I willed myself to look beyond the stretch marks on my stomach and to realize that the baby inside my belly was well worth a few flaws. I reminded myself that no one had seen my stomach, other than Baby’s C’s father, in years. It had been that long since I did Montego Bay with my sorority sisters. Oh, the memories! As I thought some more about my new body, I had a beautiful revelation: I was more comfortable in my skin 50 pounds heavier and pregnant than I was sipping pina coladas and flirting with sun tanned boys. While I didn’t suffer from low self-esteem in my twenties, I do recall spending more than an hour getting ready to go out—hey, our looks landed us in the VIP sections at the clubs. More than a decade later, I am in love with my body, stretch marks and all. I feel grown up for the first time in my life. I am responsible for another human being! My pregnancy connects me to my grandmothers, my mom, my sister, my aunts and my cousins. It inducted me into their secret society—a place where you can get into the VIP without being a size six! In a sense, stretch marks stretched my definition of beauty. Now, don’t get me wrong—I would rather have my smooth stomach and, while we’re at it, a flat surface would be nice. I’m just not ashamed to let my stretch marks show. So let’s turn a negative into a positive. Embrace your body and redefine what you think is beautiful from the inside out. Count your blessings, not your burdens. How many metaphors (or similes, if that’s more your thing) can you create about your stretch marks? Here are a few to get your mind moving and your confidence increasing: Stretch Marks are…Love Marks. Stretch Marks are…Battle Scars. Stretch Marks are…Mom Tattoos. Stretch Marks are…Silent Reminders of My Miracle. 11 Responses Stretch Mark Metaphors | Diary of a First Time Mom | How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks May 18, 2012 […] More: Stretch Mark Metaphors | Diary of a First Time Mom […] Reply Lisa June 26, 2012 Stretchmarks are a deflated basketball getting sucked into blackhole Reply DFTM 2012 in Review | Diary of a First Time Mom January 4, 2013 […] Stretch Mark Metaphors: When I was pregnant, I managed to go nine months without a mark. I gained about 30 pounds total, mostly during the third trimester. Then, I noticed squiggly lines on my belly. Did someone draw on my stomach while I slept? I couldn’t believe my eyes! Then I looked beyond the stretch marks on my stomach and realized that the baby inside my belly was well worth a few flaws. Read this post and leave your mark in the comment box. […] Reply Janeane Davis April 14, 2013 I really enjoyed this article. I think we all will be much happier when we accept our bodies as they are post baby. We need to accept ourselves, embrace ourselves and celebrate ourselves. No more apologies for stretch marks and stretched bodies, instead let’s celebrate. Reply newmom0608 April 27, 2013 Yes! We define our beauty. My friend told me the other day that he doesn’t want to be/look like a 21-year-old. He wants to be the best 41-year-old he can be. Reply Sheree April 15, 2013 Great Article!!! I posted a similar pic on Instagram that reminds us all to love our stretch marks. Some women wish they had them! Reply newmom0608 April 27, 2013 Right! That’s what we must remember. The sacrifice of a tight body is well worth it! Reply Sarah Mock April 18, 2013 I am just in awe and reverence that you have a picture of your post baby belly in this post! HUGE kudos to you for doing so. I just don’t have the confidence to do so. BUT beyond my awe of your courage this is a wonderful post that I will come back to. Reply newmom0608 April 27, 2013 Awwww, thanks Sarah. My family couldn’t believe I posted a picture of my post-pregnancy belly! Sometimes I wonder the same thing, but when I get comments like this, I am reminded that I made the right choice to share my story and embrace my body! Reply Chasing Joy April 20, 2013 Body image is hard. I am not a mom and I often struggle. It is a little scary to think about how I will feel after I have a baby. It’s good to hear from mom’s who have been through it. Reply newmom0608 April 27, 2013 Everyone struggles! We are so hard on ourselves, but must turn our flaws into beauty marks. We notice small imperfections. For instance, I always think I should get braces, because leaving my wisdom teeth in longer than I should have pushed my bottom teeth together. I notice it, but no one else does! This week, my dentist asked if I had braces before! 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Stretch Mark Metaphors | Diary of a First Time Mom | How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks May 18, 2012 […] More: Stretch Mark Metaphors | Diary of a First Time Mom […] Reply
DFTM 2012 in Review | Diary of a First Time Mom January 4, 2013 […] Stretch Mark Metaphors: When I was pregnant, I managed to go nine months without a mark. I gained about 30 pounds total, mostly during the third trimester. Then, I noticed squiggly lines on my belly. Did someone draw on my stomach while I slept? I couldn’t believe my eyes! Then I looked beyond the stretch marks on my stomach and realized that the baby inside my belly was well worth a few flaws. Read this post and leave your mark in the comment box. […] Reply
Janeane Davis April 14, 2013 I really enjoyed this article. I think we all will be much happier when we accept our bodies as they are post baby. We need to accept ourselves, embrace ourselves and celebrate ourselves. No more apologies for stretch marks and stretched bodies, instead let’s celebrate. Reply
newmom0608 April 27, 2013 Yes! We define our beauty. My friend told me the other day that he doesn’t want to be/look like a 21-year-old. He wants to be the best 41-year-old he can be. Reply
Sheree April 15, 2013 Great Article!!! I posted a similar pic on Instagram that reminds us all to love our stretch marks. Some women wish they had them! Reply
newmom0608 April 27, 2013 Right! That’s what we must remember. The sacrifice of a tight body is well worth it! Reply
Sarah Mock April 18, 2013 I am just in awe and reverence that you have a picture of your post baby belly in this post! HUGE kudos to you for doing so. I just don’t have the confidence to do so. BUT beyond my awe of your courage this is a wonderful post that I will come back to. Reply
newmom0608 April 27, 2013 Awwww, thanks Sarah. My family couldn’t believe I posted a picture of my post-pregnancy belly! Sometimes I wonder the same thing, but when I get comments like this, I am reminded that I made the right choice to share my story and embrace my body! Reply
Chasing Joy April 20, 2013 Body image is hard. I am not a mom and I often struggle. It is a little scary to think about how I will feel after I have a baby. It’s good to hear from mom’s who have been through it. Reply
newmom0608 April 27, 2013 Everyone struggles! We are so hard on ourselves, but must turn our flaws into beauty marks. We notice small imperfections. For instance, I always think I should get braces, because leaving my wisdom teeth in longer than I should have pushed my bottom teeth together. I notice it, but no one else does! This week, my dentist asked if I had braces before! Reply