Nine Months On, Nine Months Off… Or Reality

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We have all heard it said before: “Nine months on, nine months off…”

But, after nine months with my second baby, the weight is still there. Much to my chagrin it has not magically melted away with breastfeeding. My hips are still a bit too curvy, my belly is far from flat, and those breast feeding boobs are out of control.

Now, do not feel too bad for me because, if I am being honest, I have done absolutely nothing to fix this. In the fall, during my maternity leave, I was walking, running around the yard, and starting to feel great. Then, I went back to work and the holidays and the four month sleep regression (I think we are almost done with that) and blah, blah, blah. The list goes on and on. Life happened.

I often see online those “What’s your excuse?” posts pop up and they infuriate me. Do I have a list of excuses as to why I do not eat healthy? YES! Do I need to work on this stat? YES! However, I do not want to justify how I spend my time with anyone.

Getting to the gym is hard for this working mama – I’m sure it is for many different mamas. My day starts at 5 am and often does not end until around 9 pm. This is when I promptly collapse on the couch with my husband and we just stare at each other because we are broken. 

Here’s the thing, though, I cherish my time with my girls after work. I miss them so much during the day and I look forward to my after work cuddles. I rush home to see what new things they picked up while I was gone. This is our time to read, play, eat dinner, occasionally bathe, and get ready for bed.

I am not trying to be a selfless mother here; I look forward to this family time and I am not willing to give it up. In all honesty, by the time the nightly routine is complete and the tornado that hit my house is “organized,” my tank is empty. Add in the very little sleep I am getting and, well, my motivation to work out is nonexistent.

However, like many phases of life, this one is going to pass quickly. I want to be able to enjoy my children now, but also in the future. This means I need to make some changes and show them that healthy is important.  To start, I am skipping bed time one night a week to work out (and Saturday morning too). The next step is to seriously start working on my own nutrition.  If my children can eat healthy, then I should be able to as well.

I may not love my postpartum body, but I do love the life I am living!  So, I am going to work on not being so hard on myself and finding the best way to balance my health and family. 

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Darlene Follett
Darlene is your typical Rhode Islander – she’s never left. She grew up watching Paw Sox games, drinking Dels, and gives directions according to landmarks, most of which no longer exist. She did attend high school in Southeastern Massachusetts, if that counts as leaving, and traveled all the way to South County to attend University of Rhode Island. After four years, she left with degrees in both Elementary Education and English. After college she began teaching and eventually found a home in third grade. Third graders are inquisitive, beginning to exert their own independence, and constantly make her laugh. They put up with her quirky sense of humor and her sobbing throughout read alouds.
Darlene ended up marrying the boy she fell in love with in high school. She and her husband have two daughters, an energetic two year old and the sweetest seven month old. Most days are spent trying to navigate full time jobs, raising two young children, reading, and drinking coffee. She loves to be outdoors and hopes that her girls will love camping, hiking, and kayaking as much as she does.