My Postpartum Body {A Poem}

April 7, 2013

Once upon a time,
My skin was smooth.post partum belly
Unscarred.
It stretched trimly
Over firm muscles
And created soft dips down between bones.
My hips were tight and narrow.
My breasts were small and neat.

But with the energy of new life,
Every cell in my body was changed
And forgot the old ways of being.

Things became displaced…
My skin stretched over growing life.
It tore under the power and energy of my baby.
My hips moved apart to enable birth,
Creating a passage to travel.
My breasts grew, and the skin tore there too.

I birthed twice.

My body was scarred from two knivespost partum belly and babyThat created new passages for my baby to travel.
Once across my abdomen.
Once across my perineum.

I birthed twice.
And now I am a mother.
And I am softer. And I have more give,
In my mind and in my body.

My skin is loose,
As it reaches over my body.
Marks from stretching create
Deep crevices and silvery trails.
Like a road map showing the journey
My baby and I trekked to get to where we are today.

My breasts continue the work of my body.
Protecting.
Full of life. Full of love.
Flowing with energy.
Creating a bond impossible to replicate.

I have two scars.
Two marks from when I birthed; my birthmarks.
They were touched by new life.
Within them is a memory:
Those scars tell of the final times my babies were within me.
They tell the story of birth,
and the moments my babies existed in two worlds.

My hips are wider.
They have held the weight of my children.
They have held my whole world.

I created life.
If I was a scientist, I’d get a nobel prize.
But I am a woman, which is infinitely better.
My prize knowing that I made my girls
From two single cells.
I grew them.
My body grew them.
And for that, my body deserves grace.
Respect. Admiration.
Love.
It created life.
It created pure perfection.
And because of that
My body is perfect.
And my body deserves to be loved.

My body deserves to be loved.

My body deserves my love.

candj

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14 Comments

  • Mama Bice

    April 8, 2013 at 1:22 pm Reply

    Tears are flowing. Such a beautiful testament to this things we do as women. This crazy journey of pregnancy and birth and motherhood.

  • Adrianna

    May 1, 2013 at 5:29 pm Reply

    Wondering if Ms. January or someone from BWF admin could contact me about this poem. I just have a question for the author. Thanks so much.
    Adrianna

  • Michelle

    March 20, 2014 at 6:32 am Reply

    Tears streamed down my face as I finished reading this poem. Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem that reminded of so many beautiful reasons for these stretch marks that cover my belly. I was so disappointed during my pregnancy when my stretch marks appeared. Why do we only see these gorgeous belly that are free from imperfections in the media? We need to celebrate every woman that carries a precious life in their womb. I know I’m not perfect but I made a person. It is astonishing to me every day that I made a person whole and completely with my body. (With some help of course from my hubby 😉 ) these stretch marks are the mark of a beautiful time that my baby spent in my belly. I enjoyed my pregnancy so much. I will also mention that in the last few weeks I was miserable and uncomfortable. But I had a great support system that helped me feel as comfortable as possible. My husband was rock through every moment. I have had to come to the realization that my body will never be the same and that’s ok.

  • Kristy

    July 19, 2015 at 11:45 pm Reply

    Gosh that helped. I felt beyond overwhelmed as a new mom including my body feeling really weird. And this just took it and made it beautiful. Thank you.

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