With a 7-month-old at home, Lauren Conrad is still a new mom—but has the wisdom of someone who has been at it much longer, especially when it comes to embracing the changes in her postpartum body.

“I’ve realized that my body will never go back to what it was,” the fashion designer tells Shape. “It’s interesting because it’s something I was actually kind of worried about before getting pregnant—I thought it was going to be very difficult for me to adjust to my new body, because I obviously didn’t just expect to bounce back.”

Even though Conrad says her weight is roughly back to where it was pre-pregnancy, her figure is still a bit foreign to her. But she’s at peace with that. “Even though I look a little different, I’m just so in awe of the fact that I was able to make a person,” Conrad says. “So I’m proud of my body in that way.”

It’s a process that every mama goes through—and it’s totally natural to have different feelings about your body at different times. What matters is also recognizing how amazing it is. After all, look at these little people we helped create, nourish and raise!

This doesn’t mean pretending those stretch marks don’t exist or that your jeans fit exactly like they used to. You’re human, so it’s only natural to acknowledge those changes.

The key is remembering why those changes happened and what you gained in the process. As Conrad says, “I’m not so critical of my flaws because, big picture, it was a very small price to pay. I was much kinder to myself than I expected to be.”

Motherhood has also caused Conrad to rethink what she wants to get out of exercise. “If I’m going to work out, I always do it with a girlfriend because if I’m able to catch up with a friend, and get in that time while also being active, that’s always a win,” she says.

She also prioritizes time for herself, either by some alone-time in the car or a nightly bath. Taking moments like those allow her to recharge and give her all when she is with her son—and, clearly, they are also giving her great clarity on what really matters in life.