The Fourth Trimester

by Kimberly Ann Johnson

The features that are inherent to giving birth are contrary to what we are taught to believe is beautiful.

If we look outside ourselves to define beauty, most of us can’t win.

Indeed, almost everything is stacked against us inhabiting our full magnificence, whatever our shape or size is.

Therefore, it is a radical revolutionary, personal and political act to live in harmony with our female bodies.

The changing nature of a pregnant and post birth body is an invitation into a new or deepening relationship with loving kindness and impermanence.

When we go within, with curiosity, there is a ripening treasure trove of wisdom to be gained by accompanying the changes and learning to love ourselves just as we are.

The first step is to move away from comparing ourselves to how we used to be or how we want to be unsteady ourselves in the present moment.

Our body and its form is in continuous evolution throughout our lives.

It is just more noticeable and dramatic than ever, after giving birth. to approach this process, with patience, and kindness is to offer ourselves the possibility of delighting in the changes, however odd, unexpected and possibly even unwelcome.

Rather than simply bearing them. After the momentous event of carrying life and giving birth. The body takes time, almost universally as longer than we’d like it to be to reassemble itself into its new shape.

Comparing ourselves to actresses that are back to work three weeks postpartum, or to our friends who got back into their pre pregnancy jeans in two months only causes us to suffer. We are once again called to have long term vision and perspective, so that we are not tempted to abuse ourselves by crash dieting, or over exercising in an attempt to manage anxiety.