There are at least two exceptional things a postpartum body is able to do: first, nourish a child through breastfeeding, and second, help a mom develop a new relationship with her body.

You see, after a mother gives birth, her body will feel different, if not entirely foreign. Not only will her physical strength be stripped away from her, but also her full control on what her body used to look like.

However, there’s no better time for her to love her body than when she’s carrying her child in her womb and when she’s breastfeeding – for they do promote positive body image among moms and women in general. Here’s how:

Traditional standards of beauty celebrates form over function. Women are told to fit a specific mold for her to be considered beautiful.

This sends a misleading message to many, including moms who just gave birth, to go back to their pre-pregnancy body as soon as they can.

However, breastfeeding is a strong reminder to moms that function is priority over form. Yes, her body may not look like how it used to, and her breasts may look lopsided and uneven, but these are only signs that a little human being is nurtured and protected.

This is a deeply-rooted standard of beauty breastfeeding moms are called to embrace.

Perceptions of beauty are often associated with time. There is an age or a deadline that determines what a woman should look like at a set time.

It is absolutely okay for postpartum moms to wish to get back to their pre-pregnancy shape, but breastfeeding gives them a strong reason to not be in a hurry.

It reminds them that positive body image is never about who gets her desired shape back at the soonest possible time, but about genuinely connecting with the body they are in, and really recognizing its needs at the present time.

But this is not to say moms are allowed to eat anything and everything as an excuse. Even if they are supposed to eat more for the extra nutrition and energy needed to produce milk, they are encouraged to be more mindful of what consume.

Note that moms who just gave birth are at risk for postpartum obesity, so they are also encouraged to move, take light and gentle exercises upon doctor’s advise, and take regular and proper weigh scale reading and recording only for health reasons.

Clothing retail stores change their displays according to trends and seasons. When shopping for clothes, a breastfeeding mom considers her season first, then the world’s season next.

For what use will it be for a mom to look stylish and trendy, when her little one finds it hard to access her breasts for feeding?

No, breastfeeding does not dismiss the heat or cold a mom may feel from a specific season. It does, however, encourage her to be creative in both expressing herself and protecting herself through clothes without compromising her body’s primary function during her breastfeeding season.

Nowadays, many physical and online clothing store retails stylish nursing clothes for moms to wear all year round.

Moms enter their breastfeeding season clueless about what the journey looks like for them.

Thankfully, many of their experiences may have been encountered by those who came before them. Because of this, they will surely find people to talk to about their aches and pains unashamed.

In turn, they become a guiding light for moms who struggle to find beauty in their breastfeeding season.

Ultimately, they create and embrace healthy definitions of beauty and positive body image women all over the world should begin to support too.