5 Things Every Woman Needs to Know About Her Body by Sophia Smith

Every mom knows that loving others starts with loving yourself: that’s how you’ve given birth to a brand-new little earthling, by cherishing your own body, occasionally giving in to those weird cravings, and keeping an eye on all the changes you’ve gone through. Mastering the art of loving yourself even more requires embracing the learning curve. 

In your teens, your greatest concern might have been to battle the occasional painful zit, and as you hit your twenties, you started looking for first fine lines, and the trip to the gynecologist became the new annual norm. Today, you might be well into your thirties, or still enjoying the youthful energy of your twenties as a young mom, but either way, your body is constantly changing. 

Get to know your body to love it even more. Let’s tackle a few of the most essential treasure troves your body grants every mom, to learn, cherish, and keep a watchful eye on, much like you will with your little bundle of joy!

Spotting all the faces of stress

The unparalleled exhilaration of having a baby cannot trump the inevitable stress related to momhood. The sooner you start recognizing when stress is making you feel spent, fatigued, and miserable, the easier it will be to prevent long-term harm to your physical and emotional health. Hence the need to genuinely listen to your body, and spot some of the most common stress symptoms:

●     Headaches

●     Changes on your skin such as acne, redness, and irritation

●     Immune system weakness, so you find yourself constantly sick

●     Fatigue or insomnia

●     Changes in your appetite

●     Excessive sweating and increased heart rate 

Too much stress leads to chemical changes in your body, such as producing too much cortisol over other hormones. That is why relaxing activities aren’t a luxury, especially for a new mama, but a self-care necessity.

Prevention in the form of nourishment

Unless you’ve figured out how to transform yourself into a land-dwelling octopus, you’re likely having trouble allocating your precious energy to all the things you want to do in a single day. In addition to bonding with your tiny nugget, changing diapers, breastfeeding, cleaning, and cooking, you also need to find some zeal to exercise. In order to have the stamina and endurance for a jog around the block or a bodyweight HIIT session, you need to nourish your body properly.

Start with planning out your meals to keep yourself filled with those essential macro and micronutrients. Rev up your nutrition with a little help from an energy-boosting high stim preworkout supplement to make sure your workouts are effective and your body can recover with ease. That way, you’ll be able to keep up with your weekly workout sessions, preserve your energy, and prevent a wide array of health issues with mama-friendly nutrition and exercise. 

Ladies, touch yourselves!

Although we don’t mean that kind of touching this time (also super healthy, mamas!), self-examination should be part of your self-care routine to make sure you can spot any changes in your body in time. Learn your way around your boobs and perform the self-examination regularly – in case you notice a new lump or an irregularity that’s not a natural part of your breast anatomy, it’s time to make an appointment to conduct more thorough checks. 

The same applies to your vagina – you can conduct a check with the help of a mirror, and if you notice anything unusual in terms of texture, color, or sensitivity, you can talk to your doctor. This is by no means a reason to skip your annual checkups, merely an additional way to get to know your body and recognize any changes early on.

Age-proof your posture and bone health

If not even your toddler’s energy levels can bring you down, you’re on the right track. But many mamas need to brace themselves for the possibility of osteoporosis, a common bone health issue that strikes in your silver years. Statistics say that one in three women over 50 will experience osteoporosis-related fractures. 

To reduce your risk and prevent osteoporosis altogether, you need to keep building and preserving your bone density and lean muscle tissue through regular exercise. Not only will you enjoy a firm tush, but your posture will benefit from hours spent at the gym for decades on end! 

Tune in with your thoughts 

How many mamas in your own circle talk openly about postpartum depression or any other form of anxiety or mental disorder? Chances are that none of them do, and it’s time to break the stigma cycle and embrace your inner emotional life. Take a moment to listen to your thoughts and notice negative, self-destructive patterns. 

Perhaps it’s time to speak to a professional, or merely taking a nature walk will help. Your assessment in these situations means the difference between sinking into negativity or finding help and relief.

Health is a relative term. You might have the most voluptuous mane, 20/20 eyesight, and you haven’t seen your dentist in a while, but the occasional tightness in your chest, or weakness in your lumbar spine could start with a nagging, almost imperceptible sensation that you cannot afford to ignore today for the sake of your lifelong wellbeing. 

This is where prevention steps in to save the day and arming yourself with knowledge and a self-care arsenal of strategies will help you in the years to come. Think of it like this: you are now modeling correct, self-loving patterns for your kids, so that they, too, will be mindful of their own health no matter where they are in life.