I am an 18 year old mommy of a beautiful baby girl. I got pregnant when I was 17 and weighed about 140 pounds. I didn’t really gain any weight until right at the end and gained a total of 35 pounds. I always thought that it would be easy for me to get back to my pre-pregnancy shape after Zoey was born because I have always had such a fast metabolism, but she is now 6 months old and I weigh about 168. It’s really hard for me knowing that there are so many gorgeous girls out there that are my age and have great bodies. Thankfully, I have my husband, the father of my baby, here by my side. He is always trying to make me feel better about my body, but it is just so hard, when for 17 years, I’m used to something completely different. Reading all your stories on this website has helped me realize that even though I look way different than I did before, I have something more special than any of those “other girls” do…a beautiful, happy family. It’s also helped me realize that I am not some kind of weirdo for having stretch marks and extra skin. It is a part of life, and everyday I try to remember that I am beautiful, whether it shows on the outside or not. I just want to thank everyone for sharing because it has given me the confidence to do the same…The first couple of pictures show the stretch marks I have on my hips and breasts and I also have some on my back as you can see in the other picture. It doesn’t look like much but I have a ton of marks on my thighs that I didn’t include pictures of. Also I just would like to include a poem I wrote about a month and a half ago. It’s entitled, I am ME.
I am ME
I may not be the most beautiful woman on the outside,
but I try to be on the inside.
I may not have the slimmest tummy,
the perfect breasts,
the most toned legs,
or the greatest butt,
but I do have a BIG heart.
I may not wear the most fashionable clothes or even the best fitting clothes for that matter,
and I may not have the most gorgeous hair,
but I am beautiful when I wear my daughter on my hip.
I may have stretch marks, fat and extra skin,
but these are my battle scars.
They show my strength, my courage, and my faith.
Without them I would be nothing compared to what I am today.
I am ME.
You are a very beautiful girl! As for the changes, they are difficult at any age. I’m a 32 year-old mommy to a 10 month-old girl, and I struggled immensely as I worked to get my body back in shape. Fact is, at 14 years my junior you’ve got a much more mature and positive attitude than I! Your little girl is lucky. I also wanted to mention that some women don’t lose weight while breastfeeding, due to a hormone that is released which stimulates the appetite. While breastfeeding does burn about 500 calories a day, while I was nursing it seemed that I took in way more additional calories than that! Also nursing hormones will cause your body to hang on to an average 7-10lbs of fat in the hip region to support milk production, and that really does just go away when you’ve finished. Remember, I’m NOT trying to discourage breastfeeding, as I believe it’s one of the most important things you can do for your child — these are just a couple of things to keep in mind that I wish someone had shared with me during my own body struggles! Take care. :)
I just had to say that you are beautiful your body looks great and you have the prettiest face :) I became a mother for the first time at 19 so I know it’s hard but you are right you now have a beautiful baby girl to show for it!
Wow…your body looks very similar to mine and I am 13 months postpartum! And your body IS beautiful!!! Perhaps not by American societal standards, but those standards are unnatural and confining. You are so strong for handling mommy-hood so young. Your family looks so happy! Congratulations!
Well being a teen mom myself, I know how hard it is to accept that our bodies are forever changed. But it is a beautiful change, and girl you look fantastic! I really mean that, you should be a proud mama. =]
I think you are beautiful on the inside AND outside. Your daughter is a cutie, and I love the picture of her gazing at your husband. I was especially touched by the line in your poem where you said “I am beautiful when I wear my daughter on my hip.”
You are soooo pretty!!! as well as your daugther… You all three are just cute! give your daugther a kiss for me =D
What a gorgeous family!! Congratulations, guys
Mama you’re really pretty
You are absolutely gorgeous and so is your baby girl. Most gorgeous of all is the love you and your husband obvoiusly have for her. Thank you for sharing.
Hello!
I am so happy that you’re developing a happy, healthy attitude to your body now. You’re right … you do have something that those other girls don’t have … and part of what you have is maturity. I have had stretchmark / body issues since I was 14. Now, being 33 and just having my first child … and living through more body changes, I have realized how much time I wasted worrying and fretting about the way my body looked.
After having my daughter, I am more settled and peaceful with my body. The changes are not an issue. I hope that the changes in your body will soon become a non issue with you too.
Your husband doesn’t seem to be bothered (most loving husbands couldn’t care less about stretchmarks etc.). You are really pretty and look like you have a fun personality. Very cool, cute family! God bless you all and all the best for the future!
I just wanted to say that you are very beautiful. A few stretch marks doesn’t define you- You define YOU! I love your poem. Thanks for sharing your story with us:)
the stretch marks fade and she will be there stronger everyday! you both are beautiful.
You are gorgeous, im 22 so i know what you mean about all the girls our age that dont have kids who look so fit but they only really look pre-baby. your daughter is beautiful!!! You are blessed. The weight will come down, just make a healthy food choice whenever you can, and be happy with yourself!
Wow. You’re poem made me cry.
I got pregnant at 16 and had my son at 17. I went through the same body image issues, only I didn’t have a man to love me and tell me I was beautiful (now I do, thank God). You are very lucky and extremely beautiful and you’re daughter is a cutie pie. Such a gorgeous family.
All I can say is that you look wonderful. Its helping me cope with my own body image because I notice my stomach looks similar to yours and yours looks fine!
Your poem was great, thank you for sharing! Not to mention your daughter is beauiful just like her mommy!
you are beautiful the way you are!! you created a life inside you and that is more beautiful than anyone. you and your daughter are so beautiful! what a gorgeous family. god bless.
your whole family is beautiful, you should be proud! you guys look like you’re so happy to be parents!!! I LOVE IT
You are beautiful! I had my first child when I was 16 yrs old…I just gave birth to my 3rd child but first daughter last week! I love the poem that you included in your story as well!
I think u look great!
I was 17 with my first, and looked very similar. Itis nice to see that we’re not alone
Awww you and your family are beautiful! And it is hard not being able to be the image you are so used to being…but you wont be like that forever…i promise…once she gets too walking and running around…that wieght will disappear..i gained 70 lbs with my baby girl and i was only about 130-135 before i had her…so when i came home weighing 185!!! Shes 2 years old now and i just lost it all…im finally back ddown to my normal wieght…finally i can wear my clothes that i used to…and i find out im ppreggo again…lol..s it tok my 2 years to lose all that weight only to find out im gunna gain it all back..lol…sucks!! but i get another beautiful baby out of it so i cant complain!! andneither should you…youre gorgeous and so is your baby girl!!!
your story is beautiful and inspiring.
the words at the bottom brought tears to their eyes.
I am 18, and I am expecting my son this december.
I an so inspired by your courage.
I feel the same way! i got pregnant at 16 and had my baby boy at 17. it sucks knowing i cant look the way i did before in a short time.
I look just like you, at 14 months post-partum. You are beautiful. I love that poem. It explains exactly how I feel all the time.
I had my daughter at 16 and hated my body for years. I was still in high school and all my girlfriends had such beautiful bodies. After I met my now husband I felt so much better about myself. The first time he saw me naked he told me how beautiful my body was. I’m 27 weeks pregnant with my second baby and I still love the way my husband looks at me. I know he is seeing my body for the hard work and sacrifices it made for the sake of my baby. Your body is lovely and so is your baby. It is wonderful that your husband is so supportive. Love your body for what it is: A shapely gift from God to bring new life in this world. How much more beautiful can something be?
You are so pretty! And your baby is adorable. You all look very happy. :)
You are so beautiful. I know so many girls out there who would give up their tight skinny bodies just to have a face like yours. Your body is wonderful, too, but your face is just gorgeous. Your daughter looks like she might get some of that, too.
you are beautiful. your face, your body, everything. your daughter is just precious! you have such a great acceptance of yourself and your body, it makes me so happy to hear!
i got pregnant at 17 and had my oldest son at 18. i, too, started out at around 140 pounds and i gained 50 with him and only lost about 20 pounds after. i have 4 sons now, and i’m 28. my baby is 4. my belly sags and folds over itself, my breasts droop, and i have stretch marks from my breasts to my knees. but i have 4 beautiful boys and they are worth every stretch mark and droop and sag!
I just wanted to say that you do look absolutely beautiful. Realize that you are not the only young parent. I am 17 and 30 weeks pregnant. I have gotten stretch marks on my sides so far, but none under my belly. I’m hoping to god I can avoid them, but we’ll see. The one thing that makes me feel so much better about being pregnant, and getting stretch marks now is that I will be past all of this when all of those beautiful unstretched woman in high school finaly get pregnant. I will already have had a son, I will know how to raise and be better prepared for the future, as well as being back to my old body again.
I was the kind of girl who weighed 115 before I got pregnant, I am 4’11, and so far, at 30 weeks, i’ve gained 22 pounds. Unfortunately, I do not have much of a belly, and maternity clothes are too big for me, but I imagine in the next couple of weeks my stomache will explode with stretch marks. My mother had them terrible, my aunt has them terrible, I have them ALL Over my boobs, and across my thighs, and I fought for 5 years to get them off, and their coming back with a vengeance! I’ve always compared myself to others. Never skinny enough, too many imperfections, but, I must say, getting pregnant has been a saint for my personality. I do not compare myself to anyone anymore, because what is there to compare to? I am gaining a healthy weight that my little boy needs to be healthy himself. Who am I trying to impress, anyways? My son will love me no matter how mingled or floppy my stomache may become. He will not think twice about loving every bit of me, and that is all I need.
I will not gain more than the recomended amount. I have been tracking my weight religiously. I am not so worried about stretch marks anymore. They are inevitable and will not be seen through the kind of clothes that i’ve always enjoyed wearing in the first place. It is only the flab and the weight I want to lose, and be sure that one way or another, through tummy tuck or whatever, I will get it.
I also have the daddy around. He’s more support to me about my body than anyone or thing. I believe he thinks it’s sexy that I can healthily reproduce. I do not have many pictures of my body before I got pregnant. But I will post some of after and during some time.
You look absolutely beautiful. I hope I look just like you after my son is born. If I looked in the mirror and saw that right this moment, I would be the happiest woman in the world.
Hi I just waned to say this like everyone else you are beatiful and mos of all it counts the beauty insdie and your baby girl looks so cute adorable , I am 18 and half weeks pregnant and my dew date is the end fo the march I got weight allot but I dont care I use to be super skiny and very good but you know what I have littel baby insdie growing on me so that dont bother me and dont worry you will get that wegiht off soon, becasue I knwo this this is my second pregancy and I use to be big on my first but went back after that tot he same weight so dont you worry be happy enjoy the time with your littel angel girl. Good luck and may God bless you and your family
my gosh! you are such a beautiful girl! the last part of your words made me cry. so beautiful and so true.
You look beautiful an dso does your little one :]
omg your body now looks exactly like mine before I got pregnant. no fair. lol