What should I look like?

Today I was told by three people that I didn't look like I had a baby. It's been nearly 20 months, what should I look like? I almost asked if they wanted to see my ab muscle separation that is still there, then would I look like a woman who had given birth. Maybe that is my only outward sign, well except the 20lb ball of energy running crazy around me!

What does someone who has given birth look like? Are women expected to retain all the weight gained during pregnancy and have a belly for the rest of their life after giving birth? Trying hard to stay off my soap box here, but I think this is part of the issue with our society. Women/mothers are given the given the okay to give up on healthy habits once they have a child. I don't know how many times I have heard "I was small until I had a baby" and said baby is no longer a baby. Some days it is difficult to fit in a workout or eat healthy when dealing with the chaos of parenthood (grad school and work) but it is just part of my life. I want to shake people who say they can't eat healthy, can't exercise because they have children. What kind of example is this setting?   

Comments

  1. PiccolaPineConeSeptember 15, 2011 at 7:16 PM

    Totally agree! On la cocotte's second birthday someone commented that I looked like I had lost all the baby weight ( which was funny given i was already in the process of putting on weight with the next one) and, of course, the only thing one can say in response to a comment like that is "thanks" but really, yeah, i agree with you... how long are we "supposed" to carry the baby weight for??

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