I gained a lot of weight during my late thirties pregnancies. I nursed two babies for a combination of 51 months. Both left my body with maps of stretch marks, wider hips and sagging boobs. Did I mention the leg veins? Oh the leg veins.
Feeling particularly down about these changes after a shower, I sulked naked across our family room to grab my clothes out of the bedroom. At seeing me, my three year olds eyes lit up and he exclaimed, “MOMMM! You are beautiful!” His reaction was unprompted and pure. It landed right in my center, softening and shifting how I see my new body. I earned every mark, sag, vein and bulge creating and giving life —how could that be any thing other than beautiful?