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Dear Belly, Every morning my little one pulls up my shirt, kisses you, and says “I came from there!” You are fleshy now, stretched. I feel warmth and softness when I touch you. Mother. You hang over my jeans a bit. My sagging muffin top. I try not to mentally airbrush you out of pictures- the little traces of shame that still linger, the empire cut shirts, even though I haven’t been pregnant for five years. Twenty years ago disgust for you filled my world. And crushed my spi

I never thought I’d look like this on my daughter’s first birthday, but there you have it. I don’t know what I expected really. Sure, it would take a few months to look like ‘me’ again, 6-8 months tops. Now that it’s been a year, I finally realize that I’m a mom for life, this is me now, and I should embrace it. It can be hard when I remember what I looked like pre-baby but then I remind myself that I wasn’t a mom back then. I would never trade places with the girl I was

What has been your biggest struggle with your postpartum body? I have actually had a very difficult time trusting my body again after having my son. We struggled to get pregnant and experienced two miscarriages before we conceived our son. I also had a very difficult birth which ended in an unplanned C-section and had an extremely difficult time breastfeeding. I was under the impression that getting pregnant, being pregnant, and breastfeeding were all easy things and my bo

As a first time mama in 2007, I was ecstatic with the entire process. I was both mentally and physically in shape. I felt the strength of my body moving toward birth. I knew it would be a beautiful transition, moving our baby from the inner to the outside world. Our first son was born into the water, my partner lifted him out of the tub for his first breath and my only stretch mark was near my belly-piercing. I felt I had conquered it all and now the power of parenthood prope

I am a proud 38-year-old father of four amazing children and husband to my equally amazing wife, Angie. Throughout my life, I have been surrounded by women with alarmingly negative self body images. Ranging from family members, friends, an ex-girlfriend, students I’ve worked with, and to my own life partner. As a feminist, partner, high school teacher, friend, brother, and father, it is time for me to dedicate energy and creativity towards a movement that will work to end

Having been one of those people that had looked upon pregnant women as almost mythical creatures, I was elated that I had finally joined the ranks! I watched in wonder as my body began to change and grow and reveled in the expansion of my breasts, belly, and hips. I was a late bloomer and had spent plenty of time wishing that things about my body would change, but all in all was relatively pleased with it and gave it little thought prior. Becoming pregnant was truly the first