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At this particular moment in time -- four months after the birth of my daughter -- I have a closetful of jeans in a variety of sizes, none of which fit. My breasts are so saggy that when I look in the mirror I see Maxine, the old lady on those Hallmark cards who's always cracking jokes about tucking her boobs into her waistband. And I'm shedding more hair than my golden retriever. In other words, I'm not feeling especially hot. The last thing I needed to see was Heidi Klum on television talking about how she walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show just eight weeks after giving birth.

You and I know we shouldn't let this kind of crap take a swing at our self-confidence. We also know (caution: sappy stuff ahead) that our bodies just accomplished a miracle, and it was totally worth it. But it's still hard to resist those crazy headlines about how Angie and Nicole and Halle shed their postpartum pounds with marathon workouts that commenced ten minutes after the epidural wore off and a diet of bananas and raisins. It makes you wonder: Do they have wet nurses along with their personal trainers because we all know making breast milk requires a healthy, if not hefty, diet.

"These airbrushed images of celebrities after they have their babies make women feel like it's possible -- and even preferable -- to go through the experience without any physical change, but we know from many thousands of years of procreation that that's just not realistic," says Ovidio Bermudez, M.D., a specialist in eating disorders in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

What is realistic? Yearning for the days when you didn't have a guide to the star signs on your tummy. Wanting to feel like the hot mama you know you can be. But also understanding that dropping pounds freakishly fast is no good for you or your bambino. Which is why we're launching our second annual, three-month Love Your New-Mom Body series. Up first, a better body image. Next month we'll show you a real-world workout that doesn't require a pricey gym membership or a babysitter. And in our June/July issue, we'll help you eat your way slim. Best of all, because we know how difficult it can be to do anything for yourself when there's a baby in the house, we won't be telling you to overhaul your lifestyle. Our program is about making small changes -- no advanced calorie counting or sweatfests involved. But let's be clear: The goal isn't just to whittle yourself into a teensier size. It's also about getting your groove back even if you haven't ditched those last pounds. Ready to get started?

here and connect with other participants on our Love Your New-Mom Body message boards.

Stop mind-reading. After you have a baby, it's easy to think that everyone you encounter, from your mother-in-law to the grocery clerk, is checking you out to see whether you've lost the weight. Banish that "they must think I'm so fat" mind-set starting now. Most people are so caught up in their own stuff that they probably hardly notice you. And when somebody says that you look great, resist launching into a litany of complaints about your battle-worn body!

Give yourself time. The year after you have a baby is a wacky, whirlwind phase, so ease up on any preconceived notions you had about when you should be back to your prebaby weight, says Carley Knobloch, owner of Mothercraft, a life-coaching company for moms in Los Angeles. The fact is, most moms don't lose their baby weight at warp speed. Breastfeeding will also make you hold on to about five pounds of water weight.

Ban the Baggy Clothes. Loose, comfy ultra-casual clothes are the accepted rule during those early postpartum weeks. But after a while, your sweats and oversize tees can become a crutch. Stop hiding, and pick out clothes that play up your enviable cleavage or curvy hips. "I actually make my patients wear tighter, more revealing clothing so that they recognize that people don't run screaming when they stop covering up their bodies," says Wilhelm.

Silence your Inner Critic. Spending your days mumbling an "I'm so ugly" mantra gets you nowhere. When you catch yourself thinking body-bashing thoughts, stop and write down a counterpoint: "I eat like a pig" becomes "My body needs energy to nurture me and my baby." "I can't believe I got so huge" becomes "I needed to put on weight to bring a healthy baby into the world."

Be a Show-Off. "If you focus on one thing that you like about your appearance, your confidence will improve," says Knobloch. Pick one asset every day and play it up: Wear lipstick on your Target run, blow out your hair (okay, when you can pull it off).

Kill the comparisons. Stop evaluating how your body matches up against other women's. "We tend to pay attention to the body parts that we feel bad about," says Wilhelm. "So if you don't like your belly, you'll fixate on another woman's flat stomach." Instead, make a mental list of the things that Ms. Six-Pack Abs might envy in you: Does she have a husband who cooks? A baby who sleeps all night? A career she loves?

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