The tummy is the last to go...

..when it comes to pregnancy and the postpartum body. It is the tummy that is the last confirmation that you are pregnant and then it stubbornly hangs onto your figure after delivery for an obscene amount of time. My tummy has definitely outstayed its welcome. I was ready to be rid of it months ago! I've done Pilates, walked miles and miles, and still it hangs on. The question is, will my body ever completely get "back in shape"? Do childless women have a fundamental advantage over mothers? I know that my uterus will never be the same, as with the rest of my reproductive organs. But, does the rest of my body permanently change as well? This is something they never warn you about in those cutesy pink mother-to-be books. Even the Girlfriend's Guide doesn't fully warn you about the extent of the postpartum "getting-back-my-old-body" period. It seems like it is taking an unreasonable length of time to get back to "normal". And it's not just my tummy. My metabolism is functioning differently and my sleep patterns have definitely changed. My digestive track seems to be beating a new path as well. I frequent the ladies' more often than I wish, and points south just feel different. For the first time in my life I cannot, I repeat cannot, take a nap. Nor can I go back to sleep once I'm awake in the morning (tired or not). Will this stop at some point? I mean shouldn't I be used to motherhood after 8 months? At least the middle of the night run for the toity has ceased.
All expectant and hopeful mothers-to-be beware, if you do not religiously do your Kegels postpartum...life is going to be very frustrating. Believe your childbirth class instructor/gynecologist/girlfriend when she tells you that without doing your daily Kegels your love life and your relationship to the ladies' room will see a dramatic change for the worse. As for the tummy, is there a regimen for exercising that area to get it to flatten out nicely? Anything that will speed it's return to normal? I understand that the skin will take a while to get back to the right size, but surely the underlying muscle can be encouraged to move back faster?
As for the cute little number that the scale says in the morning, does that automatically go up after having a baby? Is it reasonable to expect that number to return to your pre-pregnancy number or would that be forcing too much? I am the first to say that the number on the scale does not tell the whole story about one's health or physical fitness. However, I do want to avoid copping out on the battle of the bulge. Do I accept a higher number because that's what my body should be doing, or is that giving up because the going happens to be tough?
When I anticipated motherhood there were two things that I did not want to happen to me. First was I did not want to become one of those mothers who added weight along with each child (that is, her waist and hip lines increases with each increase in her family size). Second, I do not want to be one of those mothers who lets her mind turn to mush because all she puts into it is baby talk, children's television programs, and the books that she reads to her kids. My mind must stay active and my learning must continue beyond where it was pre-baby. There should be no going backwards in mind growth. My intellectually horizons should be expanding, and having children is no excuse to let it recede. Both of these things are challenging me right now, but I am determined not to give up the fight. These things matter to me, and all full-time moms everywhere ought to care to continue this struggle as well. We cannot let ultra-feminists accurately describe us as fat and stupid. And that's my thoughts for today, more ruminations later!