No matter what shape or size your body was before you had children, you develop new areas of interest. You stare at these new areas hoping they will change, disappear or transform, but they don’t. After your last child hits kindergarten, you realize they’re here to stay. Look familiar?
The Muffin Top Area
This is the area just below your belly button that looks like you put too much batter in your muffin tin and it baked over. This flap of skin cannot be firmed by weights, sit ups or praying. It adds a bulge in your pants and tankinis and Spanx become your new best friends.
Area 51
This is the area each woman has that she swears aliens did something to but she can’t prove it. Each woman has a different Area 51. For some it’s the forest of hairs growing on her chin, for others the dark patches of skin that look like landing patterns of spaceships. These areas are classified and usually hidden from cameras or other recording devices.
The Growth Spurt Area
Your shoe size hasn’t changed since junior high. However, after kids and your feet have a growth spurt. Feet grow a little longer and a little wider. Perhaps to balance you during nursing a newborn while cooking dinner or maybe to help you withstand 90 minute soccer matches of your 10 year old on a Saturday morning. Being a mother requires a strong foundation and maybe your feet knew what they were doing.
The Saggy Boob Area
Whether yours pointed up, straight across or different ways; after kids they both hang a little looser. They are more laid back now, just like you are after realizing spilled milk, missed appointments, lack of showers and not having all the answers are OK.
The Road Map Area
Whether your stretch marks resemble a map New York City or the quiet country roads of Oklahoma; they are the marks of giving life. Embrace them, they help you know where you’ve been.
The Crooked Hip Area
Your hip becomes crooked after walking around with an infant or toddler perched on it. What once was a perch now becomes a shelf for the laundry basket and the occasional “hand on hip” maneuver to get your teenager to clean their room.
Under Arm Flap
Whether your under arm flaps are a 787 or a propeller plane wing type; look at them as your wings to take you to new heights.
These areas as markers of a beautiful body that created life. Each woman has her own “special areas”. What are yours?
Urgh! So true.
In from SITs.
I remember fretting over how pregnancy would wreck my body before I had my son. And in some ways it did: the stretch marks the sagging and dropping this or that. I was pretty shocked to realize none of it really bothered me that much after I had my boy. I notice it, but my former self would’ve imagined long nights of crying about my newly flappy arms. I just never felt that devastated by the change. Maybe that’s the grace of motherhood: we’re too busy and happy to pay much mind to the muffin top.
Saggy boobs, & Area 51 here!! I’d also claim flabby arms but that just runs in my family, no birth required. Oh man birthing babies certainly changes us in a lot of ways!!
Happy SITS Day!!
All. Of. The. Above. Lol! Happy SITS Day!
Happy SITS Day! 🙂
Yeah, I’ve the Road Map definitely, after 2kids. Besides the under arm flap, skin underneath my chin is saggy too 🙁
This is so sad…lol…and, so true. The “joys” of pregnancy and the lethal aftermath. Happy SITS Day!
I seem to have emerged relatively unscathed after having a baby, and I had her at almost 32. But this makes me wonder, should I quit while I’m ahead? I’m only half joking.
About “baby-hip”: chiropractors are wonderful. I was having a lot of pain in my hips, shoulders and neck from lugging my toddler around (before she started walking) and I feel great now. I can’t praise chiropractors enough. Even if you’re nervous about adjustments, most do really amazing soft-tissue work.
Happy SITS day!
What do we call these areas if you have not had children?? Happy SITS day!
Mine is definitely the muffin top area. My girls are now 16 & 22 and that muffin top is still hanging around 🙁
Happy SITS Day!
Ugh … I guess I’m glad that I’m not alone, but … ugh. 🙂 I do hate my muffin top.
Enjoy your SITS day!
Everyone likes muffin tops! They even make pans that are just muffin tops!
OMG – my mom’s feet grew two sizes between carrying me and my sister. I’m already a size 9 in shoe so this terrifies me! 🙂
-Sarah
http://www.sweetandsavorylife.com
http://www.facebook.com/sweetandsavorylife
Sadly, so so true. Area 51 is hilarious. Happy SITS day!
I think I have an area 52 as well. Top secret!
This is precious! I definitely have these areas. I like what you said about stretch marks 🙂 They help you remember where you have been. Precious. Happy SITS day.
Thank you for stopping by!
Oh yes… every. single. one. of. these. is. correct!!!! A mother’s body is always changed and rearranged! 🙂 Visiting from SITS!!
The muffin top is what ails me the most. Oh and you forgot about how “down there” is never, ever the same again either.
I have a FEW Area 51’s! *sigh*
I try and find beauty in my stretch marks but my twins did a number on me! LOL Hope you had a great SITS day!
ha! this is great. my aera 51 is my hair…I have always had thick, super-frizzy hair, but I swear it is 10x worse since having the baby. to make matters worse, I lost a TON of hair during the post-partum months, and now I’ve got like a lion’s mane of 3″ long hairs as it grows back. heinous!
My “special area” seems to be without a doubt…back fat. I have so many “da farquardt??” moments when I spot it in the mirror, that I can’t count them anymore. I wonder where the heck it came from and WHY it won’t go away. I used to swim a mile a day…I didn’t have back fat then lol… When I was pregnant with my son I swam like that until I was 7.5 months and belly/water displacement made it too hard to swim properly. With this pregnancy…psssh…I haven’t worked out one iota. My husband still kisses me, he still flirts with me and my son loves me just the same. So…I find myself blowing it off pretty quickly. But it is still a case for the Bloodhound Gang if ever I had one to offer!!
Happy SITS Day! =)
Yep! Sounds about right. Happy SITS day, late.
These are great!! Kids gave me a billion stretch marks among other things I’d rather not have. I totally wish I had appreciated my prepregnancy body before.