loving change ll brittney shares

I started be.coming January 1st of this year. I’m now 19 weeks pregnant with my 3rd baby. With my first two pregnancies, I struggled so much with gaining weight and body image that I absolutely hated watching my body grow and change in the worst way. I had a very difficult time connecting my with babies while carrying them and had a little resentment towards them due to all the changes they were causing my body. Not only how my body looked, but how I felt as well. I never wanted to leave my house because I couldn’t stand getting dressed with larger clothes and how swollen my face had gotten and the thought of people looking at me – that way was unbearable. I remember crying every time I would get ready and my husband just reminding me that I’m growing a baby and I’m supposed to grow too! Plus all the back pain, sciatica and the fluid retention in my wrists caused me to unable to grip anything. 

This time around, with the support of the become project community, I’m able to embrace my growing my body and love it. I’m also taking care of my body, so I’m having less aches and pains! I appreciate that I’m able to grow and make room for my growing baby. I love myself and respect myself because I am strong and amazing. And it really feels amazing to be able to feel that way about myself and this body I’m so lucky to have!

Having two children that are 4 and 2 years old and watching me, I make a conscious decision to not say anything bad about my growing belly, thighs, arms, everything. However I must admit that with be.come in my life, a lot of my negative self-talk has gone away, just those random few thoughts that creep up in the back of mind, but I no longer let them control me. 

With my busy mom life and work life I usually be.come at night after I get the kids to sleep. My be.come time is my me time! It’s relaxing to my mind yet challenging to my body: it’s my self-care. I enjoy it so much and it makes me feel good from the inside out. I can not imagine my life without this release and joy in it. I hope that any other humans, mamas or not, can feel the empowerment that the be.come project has to offer. They can learn to love and embrace the changes as their bodies grow and change: know that you should and CAN love and respect your amazing body during every stage!