I hate that the term “mom bod” is negative. This is a body that carried a life for months. This is a body that now feeds her child so it can thrive. This is a body that still works full time, while growing a living being inside of her. This is a body that wakes up, throws up, and then heads out the door to run errands because the world isn’t going to stop for her. This is a body that craved ice cream during her pregnancy and damnit, deserved every calorie. This is a body that can’t find time to go to the gym every morning because she’s taking her sick child to their doctor appointments.
Not too long ago, many women would die during birth (which a lot of WOC still do. Yeah, go ahead and research the numbers on that one. It’s going to piss you off). This is a body that is now strong enough and has medical advances so that she can live to see her newborn baby. This is a body that we should be waking up and celebrating every damn day. This is a body that’s lucky enough to be able to get pregnant. This is a body healthy enough to carry a baby to term. This is a body strong enough to hold itself up after being in the NICU for months with her premature baby (after giving birth, mind you). This is a body that went through a c-section.
This is the body that did something only women can do.
Women, you know better than to shame other women.
Men, do better. Women are capable of something you’ll never be able to. While it’s great to encourage your partner to be healthy, give her the time and space she needs.
Why do we have this standard that we need to “snap our bodies back into shape.” How about spending those months with your baby that you’ll never get back. I definitely think it’s important to take care of yourself and be healthy, but that looks completely different for everyone. Give yourself grace. You’re a damn WARRIOR.
Can we please start a movement where “Mom Bod” means QUEEN BOD?
I have an even better idea…
HOW ABOUT WE STOP COMMENTING ON WOMEN’S BODIES ALL TOGETHER.
Okay, now on to the incredible Olivia.
What Olivia wrote bellow is what inspired this blog post. It’s so powerful. It is how so many women feel and it’s vile. She shouldn’t have to have those thoughts in the back of her mind when she is a powerhouse of a woman. Olivia is one of those people who you just want to surround yourself with all of the time. She’s so witty and warm. She can turn the worst situation into something you can both laugh about. I knew this was going to be a special session because Olivia reached out for a very specific type of session. I had posted a few months back that I wanted to do do an all b&w film boudoir session. Olivia reached out to me and told me that she had been wanting to do one of these sessions for a while, but when I posted about the all b&w she knew that was it!
Olivia drove in from Orlando, left her two sons with her husband, and explored DuBois Park , in Jupiter Beach, with me at sunrise. It was such a neat challenge because I would find myself saying, “Oh, the colors in the water!” or “The sky looks so beautiful with that pink and purple floating through the clouds.” Then, I would remember that I didn’t have color film in my camera. I had to rely solely on focusing on Olivia and her emotions. It was such a beautiful moment.
I asked Olivia to share her thoughts about this session and WHY now:
“When Shannon posted about wanting to do an all black and white boudoir session, I immediately knew that’s what I wanted to do for my 30th birthday present to myself. Women hear so much about ‘getting their bodies back’ after having a baby. After having two babies in less than two years, I loathed the saying. This body was the same body that went through cancer, infertility, and two c-sections. This body simultaneously nursed one child, while growing another. This body was with me when I lost my best friend and brother at 19, and was with me on my wedding day and when I saw my boys’ faces for the first time. I knew Shannon the only person I wanted and trusted with this, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for these images.”
Thank you for taking a chance on this session Olivia. Thank you for believing that we could create magic together.
