The Shape of a Mother is Beautiful

December 24, 2004: Eight months pregnant with Makayla


I happened upon this website yesterday. It was comforting to know that my new mommy body was perfectly normal. Like many women, I have struggled with poor body image. Even today, I struggle not to utter negative statements about my body in front of my daughter; I do not want her to inherit my many hang-ups about my body. Surprisingly, becoming a mother made me more accepting of my body: after all, it housed my precious daughter as she grew from a mere cluster of cells into a full-term baby. How can I hate my body when it helped to create, grow and give life to another human being? It is wonderfully made by God and capable of wonderful things. Yes, I may not have a flat stomach anymore and the shape of my breasts may have changed from 18 months of breastfeeding but my body is beautiful because it is a mother's body.