It can be difficult to escape our society's obsession with the "post-baby body" — and as a fitness trainer, Massy Arias says that she was no exception.
Arias told People in an interview that she initially had a hard time accepting the changes that her body went through after she gave birth to her daughter in February.
"It took me a while to get comfortable looking at the different changes happening in my body," she told People. "Just like any woman would tell you, changes can be emotional as much as they are physical, and I had a hard time in the beginning."
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But as time went on, she said, she began to realize what was more important to her.
"After giving birth and seeing how all the changes I was experiencing were for a great reason, I started becoming more loving of my new body and what it was doing — feeding and protecting my baby girl," she said. "I knew I had the tools to get my mind and body right later on, but my focus needed to be enjoying this new person."
"My body just went through a marathon and I needed to appreciate the miracle of life," she added. "The stretch marks, the cellulite, the discoloration of the skin, and even the hair loss were all worth it once I had her in my arms."
It can be difficult to adjust to all the changes that come with pregnancy and giving birth, but Massy's strategy for post-baby body image is pretty stellar: not thinking about her body for a while.
After all, your body is working hard to adjust after the monumental event of giving birth, and then there's a baby in the picture — "bouncing back" shouldn't be a priority.
Welcome to Mothership: Parenting stories you actually want to read, whether you're thinking about or passing on kids, from egg-freezing to taking home baby and beyond. Because motherhood is a big if — not when — and it's time we talked about it that way.
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