You did it, you had a baby! You carried a BABY, in your stomach, for nine-ish months. Spending most of your waking {and maybe sleeping} hours, caring for that little human inside of you. Eating the “right” food and exercising enough, but not too much. And now that the baby is out, you can just return to your pre-baby body, right? WRONG. Go ahead and settle in with that post-baby body. Because it’s not going anywhere quick. Unless of course you’re Gisele Bundchen… 

We all have our things, {you know, those little insecurities that other people think we are crazy for having} and mine is my belly button after having kids. It probably seems pretty silly, and a little vain, to be so concerned with something so frivolous. But in hindsight, it’s not really the belly button that bothers me. It’s the fact that all of a sudden something on my body was different and I wasn’t prepared for it.

I distinctly remember discovering when my “inny” belly button had become an “outy.” It was the summer after I had Thomas and just a few days before one of my best friends bachelorette parties. We had a boating day scheduled, which meant putting on a bathing suit for the first time in front of people, post-baby. I was going to be with all of my closest girlfriends, so it really shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. But I packed a one piece anyway {snagged from my mothers closet}, cracked a few jokes about it with the girls and moved on. Deep down though, it suddenly made me self-conscious.

I hated not feeling good about a part of me that really should have pride written all over it. I’ve carried and birthed two children. My body is never going to be the same as a result of it, and neither is yours!  No matter what size you are, having children changes your body. Maybe you now have a scar, or your cup size is different. Or maybe you weigh less/more than you did before you pregnant. Whatever it may be, it is now a part of you as a result of a really amazing experience. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting you completely let yourself go because you’ve had kids. Take care of your body, but give yourself time and be okay with the things that you can’t change, or are taking longer to get back to normal.

Shortly after this trip, {and probably a hundred “feel good mom” articles later} I decided that instead of wishing for my cute old belly button back, I would find a way to be comfortable with my new one.

First things first. I did an overhaul of my bathing suit collection deciding that it was time to clear out what I had accumulated over the years and splurge on a few really nice suits with more coverage {ha, I just laughed out loud when I typed that}. I mean, you’re practically naked in a bathing suit, so you better be comfortable in it! It’s like wearing lingerie in public. But because it’s made of nylon fabric, it’s acceptable to wear in public. Think about it…

Secondly, I got comfortable in my own skin. Don’t ask me how I did it because I don’t actually know. And trust me, I have my insecurities like everyone else. But at some point in between the boating bachelorette party {which was super fun by the way} and now, I stopped caring about it so much. Maybe it was the fact that I’m too busy to spend time thinking about it. Or maybe like most things over time, you realize it’s really not as big of a deal as you once thought. Either way, I think it’s important as a new mom, and as a human being in general, to be comfortable with your appearances. And the way you dress yourself dictates this.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when searching for a good new mama body bathing suit, and links to the suits that make me feel comfortable:

1. One pieces and high waisted bottoms are your friends! They aren’t just for “old people” and there are some really cute options out there right now. I especially love the one I’m wearing in this post from ASOS. A last minute purchase before my Palm Springs trip last fall-it’s perfect for covering my belly button! I also own this and this. The ruched one from Anthropologie is great for baby bellies-I wore it my entire pregnancy with Katherine!
2. Don’t compare your body. I know I always say this, but just don’t do it.
3. Two piece suits are also your friend! Just be mindful of which ones you choose. String bikinis and toddlers do not go well together. I love this two piece option I found two summers ago-in the black/white option! I’m a huge fan of the extra fabric in the chest area-it leaves little room for accidental exposure. 😉
4. Go for quality over quantity. I’m all about figuring out how less can be more lately with my wardrobe. I got rid of 20+ bathing suits of lesser quality and in turn plan to have 3-5 of better quality, that I really love. Because unless you live on the beach, I’d venture to say you’re not wearing a bathing suit a day.
5. Splurge a little, but be reasonable. I’ve been seriously eyeing this Marysia suit. But just my luck, one of the kids would probably spill mustard on it the first time I wore it. And well, that would be really sad thing to happen to a $300+ bathing suit. Keep it real, mamas.

Well there you have it folks. I just wrote an entire blog post about my silly belly button. {insert laughing/crying emoji here} But seriously. As we head into sunny season, try to remember that it’s not about having a perfect belly button, or a flat tummy. It’s about being comfortable with what you do have. I’ve settled in with the idea that my stomach is always going to have Thomas and Katherine written all over it, outy belly button and all. So rock that body, mama. Wear the cute bathing suit that you feel good in. And be proud of it!

Big thanks to my sweet friend, Emily, for taking these fun photos in Palm Springs last fall. If you haven’t checked out her blog, Isn’t That Charming, you should! She’s pretty amazing at everything she does.