Always Have A Plan B

screenshot from Plan B commercial

 

Right at the precise moment I was sharing with a friend that I really am not looking forward to being pregnant and there are things that I have to take care of first before I do and there's only one person who I would even think long and hard about considering having a baby with IF that were to happen, that Plan B, AKA The morning after pill commercial (see above) came on hulu. I took a pic of it to send to my friend to show her the universe was screaming at me -- there's no need to be thinking about having no babies, 'specially not with him. As this commercial eloquently pointed out there was an option for when the condom breaks or if we lose common sense in the heat of the moment.

 

Pregnancy, Exercise and Beyoncé

The above showed up on my Tumblr timeline this week. The reblogs and likes included comments like, "I can't believe she just had a baby!", "How can she look like that after giving birth!", "My goal is to look like Beyoncé", "Told you she was never pregnant!"


Why is it expected that a woman will look like a shell of her former self after giving birth? Yes, there will be changes in her body after pregnancy and childbirth but it's unusual for her to be "in shape" or "look good"? The way the body handles the changes (and trauma) of pregnancy varies from woman to woman. One factor that makes the "recovery" easier (and apparently, astonishing to some) is exercise.


Beyoncé was in great shape before she became pregnant. She joined the Let's Move! Initiative which encourages physical activity and educates on the importance of exercise. I'm assuming she remained active during and that exercise (dance, weights, yoga, whatever) will be a part of her life now that she's a mother. I hung out with a friend about 2 weeks after she gave birth and it didn't strike me as odd that she looked like she did before she got pregnant. Genetics do play a role, but activity is a huge part of it. She exercised on a regular basis for years before becoming a mother.