#motherhood Archives » Page 2 of 2

11 Tips on How to Feel Confident With Your New Mom Bod

by Nicole | Jan 13, 2020 | Motherhood

Written by Ivana Davies

I know, I know… As if listening to old wives tales about pregnancy and pregnancy itself weren’t challenging, now you have to face its remains. Mom belly definitely isn’t helping this whole process, but that’s just what it is – it’s a process and we all go through it.

Don’t hate it, don’t feel bad about it and please don’t beat yourself up because you have a mom belly. It’s your scar that is telling the world “Look how amazing I am, I brought life to this planet! Hey world, this is my contribution to you!”

If you wish to lose it, there are ways to do so and until you reach your destination, I have a few tips that helped me and I hope will be of use to you as well on how to ‘cover it up’.

1. Shirts

The first tip is to make sure that you are wearing shirts that have prints on it. This is because when you are wearing a top with a print on it instead of wearing a solid color, then they are going to help to draw the attention away from your middle section that might be bulging.

You just need to make sure that you don’t have a flower centered on your belly button because people will notice your belly even more.

2. Jeans

The second tip is to wear mom jeans. They are not going to be as bad as you might think. This is because the mom jeans are going to fit over the belly button so that you will be able to suck in your belly. Therefore, you are not going to have to suck it in yourself. They are even going to have a little panel inside of them that will help to tighten up the belly. Plus, these jeans are not going to cost you a lot of money especially if you can find them on sale.

3. Flowy

The third tip is to wear shirts or dresses that are flowy. They are going to be very comfortable. During the winter months, you will be able to wear a thick pair of leggings or tights under them so that you will be able to stay warm.

This is especially true if you pair them up with some boots. The skirts should have an elastic waistline so that they will not cut off your circulation if you have a little bit of a belly. Plus, if you lose weight, you will still be able to wear these skirts and dresses.

4. Loose

The fourth tip is to wear loose blouses. After you have had a baby, then you will need to put the skin tight attire behind you. This is especially true if you have had a lot of problems losing and gaining weight.

It is very important that you don’t wear clothing that is going to hug your belly fat. If you are trying to hide a belly that might be protruding, then you will need to wear a loose blouse that is attractive.

5. Black

The fifth tip is to make sure that you have a lot of black inside of your closet. This is going to be a very slimming color to you when you are trying to lose some of your baby weight.

It is definitely need to be an essential in your closet after you have had a baby.

6. Gaucho Pants

The sixth tip is to wear gaucho pants. Even though they might not be in style anymore but if you are comfortable in them, then it should not matter. A lot of people are going to want to wear these types of pants while they are pregnant because of how comfortable they are going to be as your belly changes.

There are going to be some days after you have had the baby where you are still going to look like you might be pregnant. You want to make sure that you are not wearing any clothing that you make it like you were hiding it. Therefore, if you can find these types of pants anywhere, they are definitely going to be worth the money.

7. Jewelry

The seventh tip is to make sure that you wear some trendy jewelry. There are a lot of people who are going to wear the same jewelry no matter what clothes that they are wearing.

This might even include the same clothes and shoes that you have been wearing for years. Make sure that you are not too cheap to buy more or buying jewelry that looks cheap.

This is because when you are wearing a nice piece of jewelry, people’s eyes will be directed to your face instead of your middle section that you don’t feel comfortable showing.

8. Belly band

The eighth tip is to wear a belly band or splint. You are not going to have to spend a lot of money in order to get a belly band. Plus, it is going to be well worth all of the money that you are planning on spending on it.

Most of the time, you will be able to find them at a wellness store. The belly band can help to minimize your tummy after the baby, but it can also help to pull together any of the extra skin that you might have once you have delivered the baby.

This is also true of the diastasis that will need to heal properly. If not, it can have a very negative impact on your health.

9. Sling

The ninth tip is to wear your baby inside a baby carrier or sling. Not only is this going to be good for bonding with your baby but it is also going to be convenient.

Just think when you are holding your body on your mom belly, no one is going to notice the belly because all they are going to be looking at is the baby.

10. Maternity Clothes

The tenth tip is to continue to wear your maternity clothes even after you have had the baby. It might not be the ideal thing to do but you want to be comfortable when you are taking care of the baby.

Plus, you know that they are going to fit you for a little while after the baby is born. It is going to help to hide some of the things that don’t feel comfortable showing.

11. Shapewear

The last tip is to wear some type of shapewear. There is a good chance that you are going to get too hot in the tight bodysuit but it is better to wear the high waisted shaping briefs. Most of the time, if you have had a c-section, then you are going to feel a little bit of pressure on the scars that can be tender. The shaping briefs help to hold the loose skin and protect the scars.

That’s it. I hope my experience with mom clothes will be of use to you. But I also want to add something for all of you struggling to accept your post-baby body – what you did is amazing and you should love your body for everything it endured.

Love the miracle you made and thank your body for being strong to make it happen.

Author’s bio:

My name is Ivana Davies and I’m an educator turned stay-at-home mom to a beautiful 7 year old girl and a playful 5 year old boy. Since I didn’t have a clue about raising kids, I had to learn it all in a hard way. I managed to find so much information online, and that inspired me to turn to blogging to share my experiences and struggles as a mom. Being a mom is not easy. In fact, in can sometimes be pretty isolating. My blog, Find Your Mom Tribe, is here to help you connect with other moms, as well as to share mom hacks, information, and tools to help you on this parenting journey. You can catch up with us on Facebook and Pinterest.

How to Easily Transition From Christmas to Winter Decor By Keeping What You Already Have Out

by Nicole | Dec 30, 2019 | Home Decor

I may be outnumbered on this, but I like to take all of my Christmas decor down the day after Christmas. I know, I know how “Grinch” of me, but as a working mom I have no idea when I will have the time to get to it. I also get the post holiday blues pretty bad so best way I handle it is by getting my house back in order as soon as possible.

This does not mean I put everything away, I try to make my transition to Christmas to winter decor fairly easy.

My number one tip? Put away all the ornaments and anything red. You can keep your bases, such as garland and mini trees as long as they are bare.

Stick to neutral colors as much as possible, and you can keep some of your lights as long as they are tiny and white.

Find these customized stamped books here.

Some things that I keep out are my mason jars. I like to fill them with whatever I have such as smudge sticks, dried citrus or something rustic.

You might have received some jars with cookies in them or you might have had them filled with red ornaments, but if you do not have any check out your local thrift stores or here.

I take my big Christmas trees down, but any mini ones I will keep especially if they are flocked. Winter means snow so a frosted white touch is a great addition to your home.

You can check out my DIY flocked tree from Dollar Tree here or you can find some great deals right now on pre-made ones. Check this one out!

Garland throughout your home is great for winter decor. If there are pine cones even better. Check out these great holiday garlands you can keep out all winter long.

House candle lanterns aren’t just great for the holidays. When you add a tealight to them you instantly get the cozy feeling right in your living room. Add them with your flocked trees or garland and you have a winter scene glowing in your home. Find some similar ones to mine here.

Received another pair of mittens for Christmas? Put them to use but not how you are thinking. Use them as decorations! I am in love with this mitten banner you can keep up all winter.

Candles are always a great way to keep your home warm during the cold weather. If you can, stay away from bright color candles and stick to white and neutral. Check out some great candles here.

Either you are a letter board person or you are not. If you are, you definitely had a cute quote on it this holiday season. Keep the puns alive by switching it to something related to the New Year, winter or snow.

Post holiday blues are real so don’t let them ruin the rest of the winter season. These little touches around your home will help keep your spirit alive long after Christmas is over!

I may earn a small commission from this post due to affiliate links. This helps support my work in bringing you real life tips for the everyday mom.

One Simple Act of Kindness that Will Make you Feel Amazing + Free Printable

by Nicole | Aug 8, 2019 | Motherhood

Motherhood is hard, we all know that. I don’t know about you, but I am always seeking validation that I am doing something right whether it is relating to a meme or blog post. Let me tell you, nothing beats a good old “you’re doing a great job” especially from a stranger that sees you from the other side of the window.

..That stranger that sees you struggling to try and grocery shop while taming a screaming child.

..That stranger who is watching you sing Baby Shark for the 746th time with your little one in the car.

..That stranger who sees you arguing with your toddler that it is time to leave the playground after being there for 6 hours.

..That stranger that sees you trying to cover up in a public place just so you can breastfeed your baby.

Last summer after I picked my son up from daycare, I came back to my car with a note on my windshield. What I read made my blood boil.

Let me set the scene for you, I was in the daycare parking lot that had construction going on and all parents had no choice but to parallel park all along the side. We also had to walk quite a way to the daycare to get pick up our children, and on a 95-degree day it wasn’t the most pleasant stroll. Pick up time can be a little hectic and parking was limited but I managed to parallel park my Subaru sedan between two SUVs. After convincing Franco that it was finally time to go home and saying goodbye to the same people 17 times, we made it to the car.

I take the note off my windshield and it read:

“Next time don’t park so close to me! I couldn’t get my double stroller out of the trunk!”

I couldn’t believe what I read. A fellow mother whose child that goes to the same daycare as mine left this note on my car. She left this note even though there was construction going on in the parking lot and parking was difficult to begin with. She left this note knowing we will cross paths again since we drop off and pick up our kids the same time every day.

I was so hurt and felt so defeated. Did leaving this note on my car make this mother feel better about herself? Maybe she was having a bad day too and she had to take out her frustration on someone?

We are all mothers though and motherhood is hard.

After this experience I thought long and hard how to make a positive change out of this situation.

Instead of leaving nasty notes on our car, why don’t we leave positive messages?

I made compliment cards and I randomly leave them in places where mothers will find them. I leave them on restaurant tables, in a library book, on windshields, in a Target shopping basket, a picnic table at the playground, the list goes on! Not only does it make the person who is receiving them feel good, but it makes me feel amazing. Little acts of kindness can go such a long way, especially when we are navigating motherhood.