by Joanna Venditti posted in Life

Discovering my new body after having babies has been a journey. This delightful, difficult, frustrating and triumphal quest while losing baby weight has been one of the most important times in my life. It has forced me to examine how I see myself on a much deeper level than I ever have before.

The day I arrived home after having my twins
Because of this period of self-reflection and self-care, I've been able to peel back layers of self-destruction that I didn?t even realize were there before.
Although I think this journey will never be over-- and truthfully, I don?t want it to be-- being where I am has changed my entire outlook on life.

I like to use the term ?discovering my new body after babies? because while I was pregnant with my twins, (which were my third and fourth babies), and I watched my body miraculously grow and incubate two people, I had to disassociate my body from my mind as it expanded and took a physical toll on me, and think of my body as a vessel. It was during this time that I vowed to thank my body after carrying these two babies, by making it strong again, and appreciating it, and loving it more than ever before.
Instead of just focusing on a number on the scale, I would also focus on regaining strength lost, building my endurance, finding beauty in my new shape, and making sure that I didn?t give up on myself, nor settle, regardless of how long this journey would take.

Two and a half years after giving birth to...