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Mom: New Body and Wellness

"...I've always wanted to be a mom. All I know about raising kids is to take them to fun activities, and how to change their diapers. I had no idea about how difficult it can be to adapt to a new body and wellness as a new mom."

By KaSandra MadrigalPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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 Templates by picmonkey.com, Created by KaSandra Madrigal

In my early 20s, it popped up in my mind that I've always wanted to be a mom. All I know about raising kids is to take them to fun activities, and how to change their diapers. I had no idea about how difficult it can be to adapt to body and wellness changes as a new mom. Once I became a mom, I learned a lot, and I'm still learning today. I enjoy being a mom, in good and bad moments, with my own children. Also, I struggle to adapt to my new body and lifestyle. So I'll talk about how it's affecting my self-esteem.

As a high school student, I was free-spirited, fun, and healthy. I was very athletic. I was in girls' basketball, track and field, and volleyball. My main sport was cheerleading, and it was my passion. As I remember it, I loved my mind, body, and spirit–I loved everything about myself. I never felt ashamed. So, when I graduated in 2010 and went off to Central Oregon Community College (COCC) in Bend, Oregon, at some point, I became less active... next to nothing. I focused on college and living my life–parties, hangovers in the morning, 10 minutes late to class. All that, you know how it goes! One summer, I went to the Oregon Country Fair (OCF) in Veneta, Oregon, and it was an amazing vivid fantasy festival. I bumped into a guy who was my best friend from high school, and we began a serious relationship for two years. In May 2013 he proposed marriage and I said, yes. At that moment I felt so happy, but it was not enough. I still didn't know what I wanted to do for a career. I was still naïve about where my life would go. The only thing that popped up in my mind was that I've always dreamt of becoming a mom, raising kids, enjoying fun activities, and changing dirty diapers. Therefore, I told my fiancé that I want to start a family.

At 21 years old I found out that I was going to be a mom, and it was a blessing! During and after my pregnancy, my body changed in some good ways... but not all. After my firstborn daughter, I did not have a few stretch marks, and I rebounded to my original weight. At first, I felt good about it. But then, many friends of mine who were mothers were jealous of me (no stretch marks and rebounding to my original weight). It made me feel sad, because I wanted to be one of them; the majority of mothers do have stretch marks during, and/or after, pregnancy. Oftentimes, when I meet new people and tell them that I am a mom, they didn't believe me. I had to show pictures of my daughter, and/or tell the story of giving birth to my daughter. Until I had my last baby, I finally had several stretch marks and got chubby; it made me so happy. But also, I learned that my daughters don't care about how I take care of my new body, or if I have stretch marks, or if I'm chubby or anything else; the most important is that I nurture and give them love.

Evolved from High School Student to Mom

On the other hand, I also had challenges with mental, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness. A sign of insecurities, comparing myself to others, anxiety, and PPD. All those symptoms vary over time, range, and my environment. I remember feeling so overwhelmed when I had a mental and emotional breakdown–it scared me. I thought that I was not a good enough mom. But my family and friends supported me through my struggles. I had to seek counseling, doctors, church, and moms' groups. I stayed strong, and went through every battle with my wellness and I am eternally grateful for them. It was hard for me to talk about my wellness; I felt ashamed for struggling with my wellness. After I joined the moms group, I had seen many mothers who struggled as I did, and I felt better than I wasn't alone. They taught me a lot about how to cope with my wellness. Now I know it's okay to ask for help. I even talk about my wellness, and support other mothers. It might never be easy, but it's better to support others, and get support for myself–it helps me to be a better person, and a better mom.

The point is that all mothers struggle with their health and wellness, you are not alone. No one deserves to suffer like that. Talk to someone you know and seek help. It is not easy, but be patient, and listen to what you need. I know how important it is for you or someone you love to be a healthy mom. I really hope that my experience can be comforting and helpful. It's never too late.

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About the Creator

KaSandra Madrigal

Raised in NWP, I am a fianceé & being a deaf mother to two beautiful girls and full time mom stay at home. Here I am, writing about my life where I can share about anything, I know and I learn. Play hard, stay humble & faith in me.

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