Who says you can’t get your sexy back after a baby?
I gave birth to my second child, “Baby Lala” on January 6, 2012. The midwife placed her on my stomach and I watched in amazement as she scooted towards my breasts. Lala bobbed her head around the nipple for a short time before I gave her some support to secure a good latch. After latching onto my breast, she suckled for about 35 minutes. I could feel my uterus contracting painfully with each suck. She nursed many more times before leaving the birthing center the following day. And each time she nursed, I felt my uterus working to tighten up.
A couple of weeks later, while sitting at home, I updated my Facebook status, writing “I need a trip to Bath and Body Works. I’m on a mission to get my fly back #Swag”. My younger cousin Kendra commented, “Your fly never left you. Even flyer now with two beautiful heartbreakers in training lol.” I laid there smiling with my daughter attached to my heart and my breast. Kendra’s comment had given me the boost of confidence that I needed after a long pregnancy.
As the months passed, I added exercise, continued exclusively breastfeeding my nursling and found myself fifty pounds slimmer by Memorial Day weekend. I was proud of my weight loss. So, I decided to share a picture from my “Pamper Me Birthday Party” in my Facebook photo album. The caption read, “#I’mBringingSexyBack.” I was ten pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight and feeling damn good about myself.
And that wasn’t all. Let’s count…
- quicker weight loss
- more sleep
- reduced cancer risk for Lala and me
- a time saver
- no urgent doctor’s visits
- reduced childhood illnesses
After five months of exclusively breastfeeding and an additional three months of breastfeeding with complimentary solids, I continue to nurse my darling daughter.
I also continue my mission as founding director of Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association (BMBFA) to increase the awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding in the African American community. Because helping moms feel better through the bonds of breastfeeding and enjoying the body benefits of breastfeeding is sexy. Making sure that your baby has the best first food possible along with the preventative health benefits that only breast milk can provide is super sexy. And helping to reverse the high infant mortality rates in the African American community while reducing the incidences of upper respiratory infections, ear infections, asthma and childhood obesity is damn sexy.
Recently, Healthy Child Healthy World and Best for Babes recognized my work in the community and nominated me as Mom on a Mission for 2012. My mission is to eradicate the racial disparity in breastfeeding rates among African American women. For over 40 years, the black women have had a significantly lower breastfeeding rate than our white counterparts. The health impact on our women and infants cannot be ignored–black babies are twice as likely to die before their first birthday than white babies. The CDC says that increased breastfeeding alone among black women could help close that gap. My mission is to make that happen.
I started in in my hometown, Detroit, Michigan and I’m working to build a breastfeeding nation by creating a cultural shift. Please join me and support this important work with your one-click at www.healthychild.org/mission.
Originally posted at BestForBabes.org in September, 2012.