It’s been a long time coming, but I finally did it. I got rid of the things that have been holding me back in motherhood. And by things, I mean clothes. Clothes that no longer serve the body I currently have. The body that has brought five beautiful babies into this world.

There is no denying that my body has changed through the process of growing, birthing, and feeding babies for the past nine years. How could I expect it to go back to what it was before all of this happened?

I hung onto a wardrobe from my pre-baby years thinking I would come back to these clothes again. But having a closet full of clothes that don’t fit anymore has been taking up way too much space—both in my closet and in my head.

Getting dressed could be a negative trigger for the rest of my day—especially when my choices were between those clothes that didn’t quite fit or the leggings I’ve been wearing for the past week. Talk about a blow to my body image and self-esteem every day.

When I finally parted ways, I never felt freer.

Free to play with my kids in clothes that actually fit well—not just on my body, but in this season of life.

Free to spend more time focusing on being a mom rather than having negative thoughts about my body.

Free to celebrate the body I’m in now; the body that changed to grow us a family.

This simple step meant being proactive about raising my children in an environment of respect. It’s a boost of confidence to myself and an empowering act of kindness toward my body that has enabled me to live the best version of who I am—for myself and my kids.

Embracing where you are now does not mean you are somehow letting yourself go. It means making space for yourself to live life on your terms, not based on the number on your clothing tags.

It means choosing to respect who you are and showing gratitude toward your body for all that it has brought you through and done for you.

I want my kids to know that they are free to be who they are and learn from a mama who is confident in her own skin. Not because I tell them to but because I show them how from loving myself well.

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