“The Post-Pregnancy Anti-Glow”

You always hear about “the pregnancy glow”. It refers to the beautiful skin, thick hair, and general appealing appearance of a woman expecting. I too experienced the “pregnancy glow”. That’s not to say that I felt gorgeous during pregnancy, but there were some noticeable pluses. My hair was thicker and grew faster. My skin was clear and soft and hydrated. And while the belly wasn’t exactly attractive in my opinion, the rest of me felt pretty hot.

No one ever tells you what happens AFTER.

Let me stop to make an embarrassing admission. I used to be somewhat judgmental towards women who become mothers and then stop taking care of themselves. I swore I would not become a mommy who lives in her sweats and stops wearing makeup and doesn’t shave for weeks. I know. I’m so behind the times. I just feel better about myself when I take the time to look presentable. I never used to even consider going to the grocery store without makeup on.

So let’s talk about my downward spiral into frumpiness. As the initial joy and excitement of waking up in the middle of the night to feed your little one wears off, so too does the pregnant glow. Gone is the clear radiant skin and the thick lustrous hair. Now you have dark circles under your eyes and your hair is falling out in handfuls. Gone is the sparkle in your eyes and the time to shower every morning. Now you have acne like you are a teenager again and it’s a good day if you get to bathe.

Oh yeah, and the reason that mommies wear sweats is this:

#1 None of their old clothes fit but they can’t bring themselves to buy new ones because they still hope that someday soon they can slip into their old jeans. A daily ritual ensues of trying on multiple outfits hoping they fit now (even thought they were still too small yesterday), then getting frustrated staring at the pile of clothes on the bed that still don’t fit, and finally throwing on a pair of sweats and calling it a day.

#2 What’s the point of getting dressed anyways? Most of the time your outfit for the day gets spit up on, pooed on, or sprayed with baby food.

#3 For the most part no one sees you anyways. You might as well be comfortable!

Since Reese was born it’s been a gradual descent into ugly for me, but last week sealed the deal. Last week I threw out my back, got my first cold sore EVER, realized that I would indeed have to buy a new pair of larger jeans, and pretty much stopped looking in the mirror altogether. Oh wait! And if that’s not bad enough-my teenage acne has reared it’s ugly head once again. So basically I was walking around my house hunched over like an old woman, with greasy hair from not showering for 2 days, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt with some of Reese’s drool on it, and no makeup on my face because really-what’s the point? There was a moment of clarity when I realized that I had sunk to an all time low, and it was not pretty.

So I decided to take control. I needed to feel like a woman once more and not so much like a dead mommy.

Today I left Reese with the hubs and took myself to a spa, a place I had forgotten existed. Now let’s be honest-I like to pamper myself as much as the next woman, but I consider pampering the occasional pedicure in the summertime, and a massage once in a blue moon-usually when someone has given me a gift certificate for one. I have never gotten a facial, and lucky me-one of my mom friends had given me a gift certificate for just such an experience. My skin has been so dry and troublesome lately I was ecstatic hoping that this would rectify the situation. I was more excited for the results than for the actual facial.

The verdict? I cried it was so good. I wanted to hug the aesthetician when it was over it was so good. She started with a foot massage, then began massaging various creams and lotions onto my face. Between each new product she would wipe my face clean with a warm towel. She massaged my aching shoulders and neck, she rubbed my arms and hands until they tingled. The whole while there was soft music floating though the dim room and I was tucked under a warm blanket half asleep. It was HEAVEN! A whole hour of complete bliss. Worth every penny, even though the pennies paying weren’t mine. I feel refreshed and rejuvenated and almost like a woman again.

The moral of the story is this-If you do happen to find yourself on a downward spiral into “the post-pregnant anti-glow” you are not alone. Pamper yourself! We as mothers take so much time caring for the people around us that every once and awhile I find it completely justifiable to have someone take care of us. Will I continue to wear sweats most days? Pretty much. But I resolve to make more of an effort to not allow myself to become a complete mess just because I’m now a mom.

I have a feeling that there will be spas in heaven:)