Preggo bellies - eww, right??

I'm going to share a photo with you. I've shown it to no-one apart from my other half because, well....it shows a PREGNANT BELLY!

Ew, right?

Actually, rather conversely to many ladies who happen to be up the duff, I loved my pregnant body. Even with the varicose veins, the stretch marks, the hairy belly, the itchy skin. Even with all that, it still felt proper brilliant! Empowering, even (hence the rather cheesy, strongman pose - I've covered up my attempt at a 'game face' for all our sakes).

I'm eight weeks postpartum right now, and I really miss that belly. I'm going to get all hippy and soppy, but it's completely magical how your body adapts to house a tiny person, and how the skin doesn't even split apart when they judo - attack your womb at 38 weeks.

My current belly is rather worn out looking. Bit saggy, leathery and wibbly, with a wrinkly belly button that looks like an inside out prune. But I'm not massively bothered. I'm past the age of crop tops and bikinis, and once it's wrapped up in clothes you can't tell anyway (I hope!).  My post - pregnancy body philosophy has always been, 'If it all snaps back, take advantage and have another! If it all to goes shit, you're ruined anyway, so have another! Yay!'

Back to the photo. I was just about to teach my evening's dance classes that day. I was getting changed in the loo and I stopped to look in the mirror - something I manage roughly once a week.

So many of my friends have hated their pregnant bodies, but I saw my reflection and felt frigging awesome. Here I am, going about my daily business, bouncing about to like a loon to chart music in a church hall (as energetically as my old lady hips would allow) and my 26 week old baby is carefully nestled in my little round bump, snoozing away.

I took this to remember how ace I felt that day, and to remind myself later on of how my body has changed so much over the past 11 months.

Plus even though it's looking a tad battered at the minute, my body will change yet again over the coming months as everything heals properly. But it takes time. 'Patience is a virtue, darling', as I would say to four year old Child 1 (which is a synopsis of what I would actually say: 'I've only got two hands and one of them is currently holding your baby brother because today he can't be happy unless I'm constantly jigging. I'm doing your breakfast RIGHT NOW. You've asked me 11 times if it's ready over the past minute and a half - DO NOT ask again, or I will launch the Ready Brek into the paddling pool!')

It also made me realise that I actually feel more body confident now than I did five years ago before I was pregnant with Child 1. How on earth does that work?! I had many less wobbly bits, and I didn't have a skin shelf from being hacked at during two c sections.

Maybe, it's because I know what my body is capable of now. And that makes it chuffing amazing!

Ay up!

So. I've started a blog. Something that lots of mums seem to do these days.

I mean, why not? I've got an over abundance of thoughts and unwanted opinions that no bugger listens to, so I may as well launch them carelessly into the ether of the Internet. Also, not working is genuinely turning my brain into mashed potato.

The deal is that I'm currently on maternity leave with a two month old bundle of joy and my soon-to-be-starting-school four year old. Despite the nightly wakenings, recovering from being sliced open for the birth, and trying not to lose my rag answering roughly 542 non-sensical questions each day, it's like a blimmin' holiday compared to my usual schedule.

During a normal week, I work full time hours squidged into four days and then work as a dance teacher on an evening. On my 'days off' I attempt to keep the house in some kind of order and try not to be a shit mum, not to mention trying to grab six hours sleep here and there, and exchanging a few words with the other half, in lieu of an actual meaningful conversation.

That's all on the back - burner for now while I lounge in the 'land of mum' for a wee bit longer. And frankly, it's bloody bliss. We're going to be brasso for a fair few months but it's absolutely worth it.

Although at the rate Child 1 is growing, I may have to send him down the pits to pay for new trousers #newblog #maternityleave #keepingthegreymattergoing