We’re tired, we’re trying to cram a million things into our days, and all we want is to throw on a pair of mom leggings and a jean jacket to run to Target and grab our Starbucks, without someone looking at us in judgment.
Dear Mom-Legging Judgers,
I can honestly say, leggings saved me after having my second child. And I think I speak for all new moms when I say that, as I’m almost certain I’m speaking everyone’s truth right here. It’s not easy pushing a tiny human out of our bodies or having a c-section, and these leggings give us the freedom to move, be comfortable, and be ourselves after our bodies went through so much. This seemingly unimportant piece of clothing has become a wardrobe staple because of their functionality, breathability, and ability to hide the parts of my body that I’m still adjusting to.
So: stop judging my mom leggings.
It’s been eight months since I’ve given birth to my second baby, and things were a little bit more difficult for me this time around. When I had my first child, I was younger and able to bounce back quicker. I wanted to wear my pre-pregnancy clothes in a more urgent way than now. With the birth of my daughter, and being a little older, I wanted to take thing slow this time. I knew that I needed to give my body time and that I needed to be kinder to it than ever before. So I stocked up on what many people call “mom leggings,” and they have been there for me like an old friend.
For whatever reason, there’s such pressure on moms nowadays to look flawless wherever they go, and that really needs to go away.
Every morning, I wake up and am still adjusting to things postpartum (it doesn’t happen overnight). I still have extra weight in areas that I never had before, but more than that — I don’t yet feel strong the way I did before. I mean, I feel like supermom every single day #becausebabies. And I feel strong mentally, sure.
But my muscles are still weak where my belly grew for forty weeks. My body has changed, and that’s okay. But putting leggings on every morning makes me feel like I can take over the world. They are some magical pants, in my opinion.
And most days, I’m home, so I want to be comfortable. For whatever reason, there’s such pressure on moms nowadays to look flawless wherever they go, and that really needs to go away.
We’re tired, we’re trying to cram a million things into our days, and all we want is to throw on a pair of mom leggings and a jean jacket to run to Target and grab our Starbucks, without someone looking at us in judgment. Is that too much to ask? I think not.
The last thing that a new mom wants to be thinking about whenever she’s out and about is how she looks, or how you think she looks. Believe me, we are dealing with enough worrying on the inside being a new mom and are constantly self-conscious about the decisions we make: how our kids are dressed, what our kids are eating, etc. The last thing to cross our minds should be worry about what we’re wearing. But we make room for it in our tired mom brains because that we know wherever we go, we have to deal with these unwanted pressures of society and unattainable levels of perfection forced upon us.
So whenever you see a mom rocking her “mom-leggings,” and you judge or shame her, I beg you to take an effing step back, get off your high horse and take a second to understand that she’s just been through a lot and these leggings are giving her life. They are making her feel wonderful, and there’s not a damn thing wrong with that.
I dare you to walk a day in our shoes. See what it’s like to be a mom, someone who just birthed a human. And I promise, you’ll never say anything negative about mom leggings again.
Sincerely,
A new mom who might wear mom leggings until her kids graduate college
