The “dad bod” has gotten a lot of hype lately. But did you know about the “mom bod”? No? You’ve never heard of it? Well, you may know that women’s bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Each one is different, and each one is beautiful. But there are a few characteristics that mothers with “mom bod” have in common:
Mom bods are strong
Mommies carry a heavy load, and we have the muscles to show for it! Lifting infants in car seats and carrying babies and children (sometimes many at once) give us strong arms and backs. Legs are strengthened while chasing kiddos around the playground or from bouncing babies on our knees. I “fly” my daughter on my shins, doing a sit-up every time I bring her face to mine to kiss her cheeks. Workouts come in the form of everyday activities, and our homes become our gyms.
Mom bods are dexterous
Women have a great ability to multitask, but that ability is increased exponentially when one becomes a mom. I can now eat just as easily with my left hand as with my right — and sometimes I don’t even need my hands at all! At the playground, I lift my daughter into the swings or up to the monkey bars with my infant strapped to my chest. I put on everyone’s shoes at the same time! And I manage to twist my body so far to the side that I can drink my coffee while I’m holding my baby and not have her yank the mug right out of my hand.
Mom bods are resilient
The mom bod’s ability to bounce back is evident right from the beginning; we give birth, and our previously huge bellies shrink back (more or less) to their regular size. But they are resilient in other ways. We can go for weeks, months, years (?) without a full night’s sleep and continue to take care of our families. Scratches from the uncut nails of an infant heal in a few days. An accidental head-butt from a toddler smarts for a few minutes, but then we forget it happened. (Though that may be the concussion…) My daughter kicked me in the chest when she didn’t want to get in her car seat, and it hurt my heart more than it hurt my body.
Mom bods have keen senses
Moms can see in the dark, making their way to their sleeping babies for feedings once, twice, and even three times per night. We hear just the slightest whimper, and we’re up and out of our beds before our husbands even stir. Our noses wrinkle the instant that poop appears in a diaper. Fingers tell us when bathwater or bottles are too hot.
Faster than a speeding toddler, more powerful than a Thomas the Train locomotive, able to leap over Lego cities in a single bound. That’s a mom bod. Women are often made to feel bad about their bodies, especially after having a baby. But a mom is a superhero in many ways, and her body is one of the primary reasons she can do what she does. Love and appreciate your mom bod for all that it does. Your kids certainly do!