This was in my Facebook memories recently… 23 year old Katie, just eight weeks postpartum and eight years deep into disordered eating cycles. Pre-any sort of mental health treatment.
(She got a lot of comments on that post, praising her success. Ugh.)
I wish I could go back and comment on it. Tell her that it doesn’t matter. Tell her that there is no prize for fitting into her old jeans. Tell her that one day she will have had three whole babies and every time her body will be a little different than before because it is supposed to be.
I would tell her that instead of counting calories she should be vigilant of her mental health. She should make sure she’s getting enough rest and sustenance.
I would tell her that one day people will be speaking truth on the internet about motherhood, body image, and mental health and she’ll feel so much less alone.
I just wish I could hug her, but I can’t. So I’ll keep hoping my words reach the next round of women and mothers, flailing around, desperately attempting to meet impossible expectations WHILE raising the next generation.
What would you tell her?
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