When did you get your "Schzuzz" back?

[whistlingwinds]

Following your first baby, when did you get your "scchzuzz" back? Like, ya know, your sparkle?

I am 6 months pp with DD1 and man I feel frumpy.

Never have time to do hair, makeup etc... I live in sweats... messy bun, dry shampoo, odd socks.... u know the drill, Lol

I ADORE being a mummy and I know I'm doing great at that bit but I feel like I've lost myself somewhat. I used to be so glam and sparkly and sexy...!

When did you feel like you again ? And how?

X

Well dd is now in her teens and I've yet to get the full schzuzz back more like needing the zzzz in schuzz!

I honestly don’t think people get back to themselves until after the toddler years. You are running around, tired and harried and as likely to be even if they’re loving it all! I think people think they’re back before they actually are- my signs was having an interest in listening to music again, reading and wanting to pamper myself. Now I’m out of the more tiring years I definitely see it all differently and can see it in my friends who all have younger children

This is only true if you want it to be.
If you still value your appearance and looking sparkly and glam is part of your identity then you will prioritise it when you are able to.
Parenting gets easier the older they get and you get more time to focus on you.
I couldn't imagine not paying attention to my appearance and dressing nice, hair and make etc even when mine were newborns... but ONLY because I placed importance on it as it made ME feel good.
I would never ever judge anyone who didn't

@SoulCaptain

I'm with this comment 100% but phased slightly differently, don't try and get "it" back.

It's like trying to fit an old jigsaw with missing pieces, just bin the old jigsaw and get a new one!

Rather than looking back at what you were, which you won't achieve as your life has changed, focus forwards on a new version of you and start to love that version, maybe try and love the messy bun and bags under eyes version as well, because that's you right now.

I definitely got my ‘sparkle,’ back just after DD turned 1. I felt great and attractive and sexy again! DH obviously agreed as I was preggo again shortly after.

Second child is 3 now and I’ve officially lost it 😂👎Maybe it depends on the child!

zhuzh

My eldest is nealry 6 and my youngest is 3. I work full time in a stressful job and have no "sparkle". I hate seeing myself in photos.

I'm hoping once the youngest needs less supervision, I'll be able to spend a bit less time sitting in the house with her and she'll also be able to move at more than a snail's pace on walks.

Mine was when I stopped breastfeeding at 18 months. Then the few pounds of baby weight that had been clinging on went and I felt back to my old self again.

Don’t agree with this at all! I was recently at the playground with a friend who looked FANTASTIC and had the zhoozh of which OP speaks, whereas I had my frump on. Both two kids, work same hours, similar life set-up and amount of money, help, etc. The difference was her youngest was just past the age of needing bagfuls of crap to be toted around for her, and fully loo trained. She had a sharp little handbag, with 99% her stuff plus two oat bars for the kids. My youngest is still a baby so needs more hands-on parenting plus nappies, wipes, all the junk that necessitates a big bag and some thought when leaving the house. I definitely had my zhoozh back before the second baby, as soon as DD was independent enough to dress herself etc which bought me time in the morning for makeup, hair, clothes that weren’t slept-in leggings. Snacks needs reduced to just a banana and a swig from my water bottle. No sling or pram or paraphernalia. Life was so simple…

When youngest was 2.5

My first DD was born in March 2020 so my whole maternity leave with her was under lockdown or some form of restrictions... I think my schuzz started to come back a tiny bit when she was around 6/7 months old but didn't really get back to feeling "me" until I went back to work 😬

After DS1, I was much younger (22) so placed a lot of emphasis on getting ‘myself’ back. I had lost all my baby weight and then some by about 5 months pp. I was back to going on nights out and weekends away with friends when he was about 3 month old because I felt I should. This time time round, DS2 is 10 weeks and I am 32 and I am 2 stone heavier than when I got pregnant, my hair is so long and straggly with lots of grey streaks around my face which age me so much. I can’t fit into any of my pre baby clothes so living in leggings and hoodies (didn’t even own a pair of leggings until I had this baby!)

My plan at the moment is to not worry about it whilst we are in the fourth trimester and soak up my baby and the doughnuts and biscuits. But I would like to sort my hair out, lose a stone and get back into my clothes at some point this year 🤣

Emotionally and mentally I have never felt ‘myself’ since my first son. Priorities change but for the good, I am a much, much better person for being a mum. This is my new ‘myself’ I think.

With my first, my sparkle came back about 15m after birth! Yes, I was fatter, but I had good hair, wore heels, socialised a lot and felt great. I lost it after a year as I was pregnant again.

With my second, sparkle returned at birth - and I was out with baby within a few days, wearing heels (not stilettos), nice clothes, straightened hair and make up. Literally, I remember doing hands free pumping, whilst straightening my hair and rocking the Moses basket with my foot, when she was 3 days old 🤣

Then baby sleep declined at about 6m, and I went back to work and I lost my sparkle. Hair scraped back, leggings, no make up. Then Covid and serious illness hit, and now they are 4&6 I'm maybe starting to think about me again. My sparkle isn't back yet, but i think it's finally on its way. I'm not sure I'll ever return to my sparkly postnatal days though.

Everyone has a different journey with kids.

when did you get your "scchzuzz" back?

I used to be so glam and sparkly and sexy...!

I don't really identify with these statements. I don't know what 'scchzuzz' is & I don't think I'd use any of those adjectives about myself, ever!

However, I felt back to myself, looks-wise, fairly immediately. I had reasonably straightforward births, recovered well (on 2 of the 3 births at least), and was back to normal weight quickly. I don't mean that to sound braggy it's just the way it was for me.

But I really prioritised my looks / clothes. I specifically bought a few clothes to see through the first few weeks post-partum, got my hair done & I wore make up every day (as I would have before). I don't think anything of those who don't do this, it just was important to me & so I prioritised it.

My situation is a bit different, my eldest is going to be 4 in July. I was pregnant on her first birthday. So I've got 2 which are 21 months apart. With breasting feeding both individually for a year. And covid. It took a long time. I think it would've been about their first birthdays. But being pregnant again screwed that up

I’m 6 months pp too. Make up and feeling remotely attractive feels like a distant memory 😂 one day perhaps!