I hope you guys have been enjoying my Real Talk series here on TameraMowry.com. I personally love getting a chance to talk directly about real life struggles and triumphs, inspiration and truths, and hearing your stories in return. Today’s topic is postpartum life, something that I’ve touched on before. The thing is, life after pregnancy is different in so many ways, and we all have unique experiences. But the digital world often makes it seem like what we go through is all the same, and honestly, that it’s a lot more glamorous than it sometimes is! I think we can all relate.
Throwback! My first time around…
As much as I hope to be an inspiration for all mommies on their journeys to getting that pre-pregnancy body back and knowing that you can achieve all your health and fitness goals, I also want to set a realistic example. The truth is that the length and pace of the journey is different for everyone. Nothing happens overnight. For some women, a major struggle post-pregnancy is dropping the weight. For others, there are mental struggles like depression (there are 3 million US cases of postpartum depression each year – and even more undiagnosed) and feelings of isolation or stress. Usually, there are both the mental and physical ups and downs to navigate.
And while it’s important to focus on keeping physically fit and healthy so that we can better meet the needs of our little ones, let’s face it – there are always going to be a million other things to focus on at the same time. Life can throw things at you that deserve more focus than arbitrary weight goals (don’t get me wrong – health is important, but a number on a scale? Not so much). Don’t be afraid to turn your focus on to something else, and even inward at times.
It took time to learn and accept that my journey is and will always be different from the next woman’s. Reading blogs, following those you don’t personally know on social media- these can all be points of inspiration, but they can also be points of comparison. It’s so important to know that what you see is only a carefully thought out version of the story. That’s why it’s become more and more important to me to be authentic – so that people get a genuine look at how I experience motherhood, my work, my home and LIFE! Life is beautiful as is, and if we’re too caught up in the physical parts of it, we can lose sight of the real focus – our loving relationships, our mental health and our happiness and fulfillment as mothers.
No matter what stage of pregnancy or motherhood you are at, I challenge you to give yourself a few words of encouragement each and every day!
What are your feelings on this postpartum journey? Do you have any words of encouragement for other readers?
Xx,
Tamera
Throwback! My first time around…
As much as I hope to be an inspiration for all mommies on their journeys to getting that pre-pregnancy body back and knowing that you can achieve all your health and fitness goals, I also want to set a realistic example. The truth is that the length and pace of the journey is different for everyone. Nothing happens overnight. For some women, a major struggle post-pregnancy is dropping the weight. For others, there are mental struggles like depression (there are 3 million US cases of postpartum depression each year – and even more undiagnosed) and feelings of isolation or stress. Usually, there are both the mental and physical ups and downs to navigate.
And while it’s important to focus on keeping physically fit and healthy so that we can better meet the needs of our little ones, let’s face it – there are always going to be a million other things to focus on at the same time. Life can throw things at you that deserve more focus than arbitrary weight goals (don’t get me wrong – health is important, but a number on a scale? Not so much). Don’t be afraid to turn your focus on to something else, and even inward at times.
It took time to learn and accept that my journey is and will always be different from the next woman’s. Reading blogs, following those you don’t personally know on social media- these can all be points of inspiration, but they can also be points of comparison. It’s so important to know that what you see is only a carefully thought out version of the story. That’s why it’s become more and more important to me to be authentic – so that people get a genuine look at how I experience motherhood, my work, my home and LIFE! Life is beautiful as is, and if we’re too caught up in the physical parts of it, we can lose sight of the real focus – our loving relationships, our mental health and our happiness and fulfillment as mothers.
No matter what stage of pregnancy or motherhood you are at, I challenge you to give yourself a few words of encouragement each and every day!
What are your feelings on this postpartum journey? Do you have any words of encouragement for other readers?
Xx,
Tamera 
23 Responses
Tamera-
I’m a new mom and just over 2 months postpartum and I feel absolutely lovely. From pregnancy to delivery to now…my journey has been quite pleasant. I feel like what you think, will be. I’ve been the kind of person that looks at the beauty and positive in all things because things could be different, not so pleasant and that there is someone else going through more.
I’m busy trying to be the best mom that I can be. I think about how I grew up, what I wished for (like a mother that was present in my life), and what I want for my daughter (everything and more that I did not have).
Despite all that I’ve been through as a child and all that I’ve experienced till this point, I feel like my view on those things creates my present and my destiny. I’m full of positive thoughts and I feel like as a result positive things come about. And when triumph or things don’t go the way I hoped for, I know it’s for a reason. God has a plan. ;-)
Thank you for sharing and for allowing me to share. :)
Ella’s mommy
I am so grafeful for this. I think nowadays in the world of waist trainers, “crunchy” moms, vaccine debates, and model standards, mothers compete and place guilt on themselves instead of being proud of everyday accomplishments. I have admired your postpartum journey for months, and even more so now, after having my second baby. I am struggling now, three months postpartum to lose baby weight that just fell off the first time around. It’s refreshing to hear you talk about LIFE and how important every second is with our children and families. We see celebrities everyday who seem to step out of a delivery room and into a bikini. It creates an unrealistic expectation for most mothers who are also taking care of a household, working fulltime jobs, taking care of other children, and honestly, just caught up in the “survival mode” of having a new baby. Thank you for being REAL and for sharing your journey with others. I’m sure I speak for many in saying you bring a level of comfort in how relatable your life and stories have been.
Tamera, I agree as well. My first is 2yo and 2nd is 6 mos. My stepson AND my parents moved in with us last summer, plus we also bought a house (and moved in when I was 8 mos pregnant with 2nd).
My life is hectic to put it mildly. The struggle to be positive with life is intense sometimes, although I’m actually pretty happy about the wonderful time of life my hubby and I are in. Reminding us to tell ourselves something encouraging daily is a breath of fresh air and something I don’t normally think to do. Thank you.
What a brilliant article. It’s true, these days we can be affected by the warped focus of the world, but family, life and of course our worship to our God has to be a priority.
Dropping the weight after my second was so so hard and it’s got me down sometimes, especially when post part in (post Baka in the UK :)) hit,
But when I was ready mentally my sister encouraged me and I started doing lean in 15, which is a healthy blacked eating lifestyle along with HIIT exercise. No fad diet, healthy, and it leaves me feeling energetic.
I say focus on LIFE! and worry about the little goals we have when we’re mentally ready x
Hi Tamera ! Just want to thank you for the daily inspiration and reminders that life is beautiful ! Your family is beautiful and very happy for you !!!