Tiger stripes

So my other half tickled me the other day and my top rode up. He said innocently ”oh stretch marks ” and I said ”no tiger strips”.

If you haven’t heard the term before it was coined for the marks on our bodies left by our babies. And I wear them loud and proud. As you may have read in another blog , I have been having a love hate relationship with my body and the marks left by others from my pregnancy. Everyone but my baby !   I love what she has left me with, a permanent reminder of her time inside. She is my only pregnancy so I love that I can look down and see how my body accommodated her, feel the silky silvery lines on my hips where the skin stretched to allow her to grow.

Finding inner harmony with outer discord

My c section scar ( at the moment) is a negative reminder of a club that I did not want membership of , so  I am trying to balance out that with the positive signs of motherhood on my body. To be proud of that moment in time. Those nine months I did something really wonderful.  Now if I could just feel so positive about the mummy tummy that seems to want to stay ?  What is it with that , my little joey pouch or ponch . Don’t get me wrong I am proud of what and who that represents as well ( see above )  but it’s a pain in the arse or tummy as such , clothes don’t fit, its just kinda in the way. Its just jelly. But I guess I can learn to love it too. I grew her and that should be honoured.

Living and loving the lines

If you want to celebrate the lines and look after your body , there are many lotions and potions available to make them all your own. From coconut oil, bio oil, to soften the stretch, to wonderful elasticised bands that you wear to help the fluids be reabsorbed and muscle to knit back together. I went and had a Mummy Mot and a body massage where the Mot put my inner bits and pieces back in place, the massage lady showed me how to manipulate the areas to allow elasticity to return to my skin. Now my tiger strips have gone from red ripples to soft brown wonky lines that I do wear with pride. Plus once everyone and their dog ( it feels like ) has poked and prodded and had a look for both health and noisiness purposes, I have got the point of not really caring what other think of my tummy area. My daughter loves my bouncy tummy, she actually falls asleep on it, I wee reminder of when she was inside it. She doesn’t care one itoa about my wiggles and jiggles and she thinks I’m beautiful. Im going with her, as I hope to teach her to see herself as perfectly formed too

Hear me roar.

 So when I am on the beach , or my top rides up and someone sees those physical markers of my motherhood journey. I won’t mind , I will wear them , with pride.  Im a mother hear me roar……………