Let's get real about the post-partum body, shall we? We don't all look like this:Jessica Alba, 3 months post-partumOr even better, like this:Rebecca Romijn, 6 weeks post-partum after TWINSIn fact, very many of us new moms - I would guess the majority - look more like this:me, 2 weeks post-partumI remember after Elan was born I was a bit shocked by the belly that remained. The same shape as what it had been, just shrunken down, empty and slack. The skin was soft and brown, and I completely identified with how Anne Lamott described her belly three weeks after her son was born in Operating Instructions:

"Oh, but my stomach, she is like a waterbed covered with flannel now. When I lie on my side in bed, my stomach lies politely beside me, like a puppy."

This time I was prepared for my puppy-belly, and grateful to discover that, despite the tremendous growth at the end of my pregnancy, the stretch marks below my belly button were fairly minimal and already a worn-out silvery color. This time, I am a proud of my post-baby belly. After all, I ... more