As if sleep deprivation and hourly diaper blow-outs aren't enough, dressing her post-baby body can reduce a new mother to a weeping mess. After months of wearing polyester smocks, trying to shove your now-unfamiliar shape into your old size 10 jeans is agonizing.

Most new moms feel ambivalent at best about their bodies. Yes, it is a miracle machine, creating a brand-new person. I mean, wow -- your body made a human being from scratch. Amazing! But the process wreaks havoc on your abdomen and bottom.

In fact, a survey of 7,000 new mothers revealed that more than half of that number felt their body image worsened after becoming a mom. To make matters worse, high expectations make it even harder to cope with the postpartum bod -- 65 percent of mothers expected to be back to their fighting weight by the baby's first birthday, but a poll of mothers of 1- and 2-year-olds showed that more than half of them were still carrying extra pounds.

OK, so there's a little more junk in the trunk than there used to be. A girl still has to get dressed.

My problem is that I always tell myself I'll wait, and buy new clothes when I lose the weight. Ha! Lose the weight! So I'll be buying new clothes when my son is, what, 18? This time, I vowed not to pretend that I'll lose 20 pounds in two months.

The first step to dressing your new body is honesty. I'm not a size 10 anymore. And my hours and hours of watching What Not To Wear during nocturnal feedings helped me realize that size, in this case, doesn't matter. Do the clothes fit you? Then ignore the number. Another great tip is to buy shirts with an Empire waistline, which fits the smallest part of your body while floating away from your tummy area. Pair a vibrantly colored top with a sharp, fitted jacket and wide-leg jeans, and you have the perfect on-the-go outfit.

Yoga pants are great, and they have their place. But don't resort to the ones you wore in your ninth month. Quality athletic wear can easily go from home to preschool pick-up. Paired with a fitted T and cute tennis shoes, and you can get ready in about five minutes flat.

Finding pants to fit my new hips has been my biggest challenge. However, I long ago became friends with my tailor. Buy a pair of pants that fits the widest part of your body, and have them tailored. It is well worth the extra money to have trousers that fit like they were custom made.

Last but not least -- remember the phrase "quality over quantity?" If you have $50 to spend, buy one great pair of jeans, not 10 cheap T-shirts.

Lest you think I'm preachy, I practice, too. Just this week I went shopping (and I HIGHLY recommend leaving the kids at home, GOSH ALMIGHTY), and blew a $150 gift card on a great jacket and three tops. Next up? A pair of jeans in a dark wash and some funky flats.

So what's your go-to postpartum fashion tip? Spill it! I have more gift cards setting my pants on fire.