We’re continuing Women’s Health Week and talking about a tougher, but necessary topic this week:

Body Image

Hey guys, it’s Courtney, if you haven’t met me yet – I am one of the massage therapists here at Moment of Truth PT. I have 2 beautiful kiddos that are 10 and 5. It has been a while since I have had my babies, but I still am passionate about helping mamas during pregnancy and post partum.

I recently went on a lovely 4 day trip exploring with some friends up in Utah around Arches and Canyonlands area. A national parks officer was giving a couple of us a tour on an off-trail hike and he explained that the reason why the arches form is because it was shaped by water that used to flow through there, and also by the heavy winds and rain, it gradually over time carved the rocks into what they are today, and they will continue to change as time goes on. It made me think of how that is so true of our bodies/life as well. Our journey of life, but especially during the journey of pregnancy and postpartum – how it shapes us physically, mentally, spiritually….and we will continue to change and be formed into other amazing things as time goes on. Notice how some of these holes/arches are just beginning to take shape, and how different it will look in the next however many years. I am hoping we can start to use this perspective about our own bodies, to see the beauty in those changes. It’s ok to have the emotions about it still, the feelings are lonely and confusing, and it’s ok to have them….but just please remember you are not alone. We’re all turning into beautiful arches whether you see it or not, friend!

I wanted to share a little excerpt from my blog post on Body Image and Self Love:

*Trigger Warning*

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

After my oldest Joshua (9 years old) was born, I struggled with not feeling like “my old self”. I grieved that process of who I was becoming. It was difficult to see through the fog of sleep deprivation, grieving, healing, and guilt from the C-Section I didn’t want. My poor nipples were traumatized from nursing a tongue and lip-tied baby. I was told by some doctors and others to just quit, but no one could tell me if they would even heal and function correctly if I did quit. Plastic surgery was mentioned at one point if the healing wouldn’t happen…Of course I also worried what they would look like when they did heal, what would my husband think of me/them…..just so many things. I felt SO confused, alone, and like no one could understand me. I didn’t understand why some people could just tell me to quit just like that, without a second thought. Yes, I was in so much pain, but the thought of weaning him without knowing the consequences, and the emotional aspect and connection we had with nursing felt more MORE painful to me. We did figure it out, it took 5 months to heal, and I nursed for another 2 years! By the time I weaned, I went down to pretty much a -A cup. I clearly remember trying to go shopping for bras for the first time and crying in the dressing room. Nothing seemed to fit right, I felt like I had no shape, I was basically buying bras to give me a little shape and help my self esteem. Spoiler alert, it didn’t. It was so strange having so much love for breastfeeding and knowing I would totally do it again if I needed to, but also how it drained me – mind, body, and soul and really was blind to how amazing that was, and I was! ….continue reading at https://www.momentoftruthpt.com/body-image-self-love/