Gaining a positive view of your body and having self-confidence is a lifelong battle. Unless you’ve been taught from a young age that everything about you is exactly how it should be, and even then in some cases, it’s hard not to look at images of slim women and imagine the “what if” lifestyle. “What if” I had toned thighs? “What if” I had a better-defined jaw? “What if” I didn’t have this stomach pouch?
As I’ve been working more and eating healthier, I’ve noticed that my face is looking more defined, that I can better feel my collar bones, and even my thighs look stronger than ever. What I haven’t noticed, however, is any change in my stomach. My ribs and hip bones feel more obvious, but why hasn’t anything been happening in my lower tummy? Why does it continue to sit there? And then an epiphany hit me while I stared curiously in the mirror: Oh! I have a uterus!
Such a simple thought and yet so powerful, I was suddenly aware of the details of my human anatomy. My uterus was sitting right behind the skin, fat, and muscle. It was cradled inside of my body along with other organs waiting patiently for the children I never plan to have. I remembered again my doctor telling me it tilted forward, and it was like the Universe had answered my question. I had a tummy because I had a uterus.
While it typically stands upright within the pelvis, 20% of women experience a tilted uterus and this can have impacts on outward appearance and even how children are carried. A layer of fat is important to keep our insides protected, and even more important when the organ in question is the responsible figure in childbearing. Harboring the dreaded “pooch” isn’t a body death sentence, it’s a testament to evolution. Break the social barrier of a perfect body; it’s only your uterus.