Guest Blog: Ziya Nicole

I found something in this pregnancy. I found much more acceptance for my imperfections. I feel good in my body and don’t mind showing all the stretch marks on my belly, the places that ripple a bit and those that are squishy. I do not have a perfect body according to magazines or media but, something about creating life and holding life within me makes it all seem so beautiful. It has reminded me that the beauty is in the miracles our bodies are capable of and not only in the beauty they can outwardly display. I have this love for what my body is able to do, all of the life it’s lived and the lives it has housed. So, now I am challenging myself to continue to feel this way about my body after babe is born; when all of these filled spaces are empty and this beautiful bump is mushy and sagging. Being a mom is just as beautiful as being pregnant. I hope to wear this body knowing that the job it did was priceless and nothing short of magic. I hope to carry this admiration for its abilities far into the future and remember that it is some version of beautiful despite what media says and despite the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves to be flawless