I think even the most narcissistic among us has a period of post-partum apathy toward our appearance. I did, and I am one of those women who hasn't left the house without mascara and lipstick since I turned twelve. Some of us snap out of it and go back to our old primping selves, some of us decide we like the freedom of not worrying about what we look like, and some of us struggle mightily to find some kind of appearance-related happy place.
This article at Cleverparents pretty much nails the reasons why women fall into the frump-trap, but the proffered solutions are, pardon my French, a load of merde. If we've established that none of our cute clothes fit us when we're still Stay-Puft three months after delivering, then obviously "there has to be something in your closet that you can wear" is complete nonsense. There's maternity clothes and there's a bunch of stuff that doesn't fit. What exactly are we supposed to do with that? And if I have to deconstruct why it's not always a foregone conclusion that mothers have time for professional manicures and pedicures, then please let me know. I'll just say that my subconscious is fully aware of my value, and that my value is not equal to paying a sitter thirty bucks for the privilege of allowing me the freedom to pay a pedicurist another thirty to paint my toenails, something I can do for pretty much free all by myself. In the interest of not using words that would upset our advertisers, I will completely ignore the lingerie suggestions.
The real problem isn't that women aren't placing enough importance on their appearance after having children, it's that people, including "experts" like Sara Holliday continue to equate appearance with self-esteem. My daily eyelash-curling doesn't make me a better mother, woman, or human being than another mama's sweats.
