For Ava (Anonymous)

Age: 23
Number of pregnancies: 1, Births 1
4 Weeks postpartum

I am 23 years old and had my beautiful daughter 4 weeks ago. When I found out I was pregnant, I weighed 126 pounds, the day I delivered my daughter Ava, I weighed 186. I gained 60 pounds!! I am 5’7 and have always been very thin. My main issue with my body is NOT the weight gain, it is the horrible stretch marks. A week after giving birth via c-section, I had lost 20 pounds. I have since lost a total of 30 pounds. I used to have a GREAT body, now when I look in the mirror I am so disgusted by what I see. I have massive stretch marks on my stomach, thighs, inner thighs, back of my legs, back of my knees, my waist, breasts and my butt. I did not use any lotion during pregnancy because I heard that it doesn’t matter how much lotion you use, if you are going to get stretch marks, then you will get them. I am so depressed by the way my body looks, it is summer and I cannot wear a bikini. I am now trying to find a tank tini so it will at least partially cover these hideous things. Nobody I know has stretch marks as bad as mine and that makes me feel horrible. My husband tries to encourage me and say ” they will go away” or “they will get lighter” but it doesn’t matter, until, then I am disgusted. Even though I feel disgusting, I am soooo grateful for my sweet baby girl and would do it all over again. In time I will learn to accept my new body and maybe they will get lighter or some may even go away.

17 thoughts on “For Ava (Anonymous)

  • Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 7:43 am
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    Hello body twin! Your only 4 weeks out and you look awesome! Yea stretch marks suck… but they do get better and you are still an emotional roller-coaster right now. In a year they wont bother you as much and there are tons of women that have ones just like you, you probably do not notice them as much because we are our own worst critic. It gets better mama, just enjoy that sweet baby!

  • Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 8:42 am
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    your ONLY 4 weeks PP!!! those stretchmarks will fade and that tummy will reside… you look great 4 weeks pp i still looked 8 months pregnant… honey i have TONS of NASTY stretch marks ( i posted blessed and tortured check for yourself) it took me 4 years to grow to accept them, now i wear a bikini and before long you will toO!

  • Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 9:07 am
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    i agree ur my body twin as well.. i just had #3 8 weeks ago and totally understand im5’8 n way 189 at 24 years old im still uncomfortable with parts of my body but for the most part dont care bout the stretch marks any more just the weight.. i had my first at 19 and ive just now excepted my body you will to it just might take awhile!! good luck you look amazing only 4 weeks out!! P.S. i use a derma roller and tons of vitamin lotion n my stretch marks have lightened and smoothed out a lot!!! congrats on motherhood!!

  • Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 9:16 am
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    You are only 4 weeks pp! Give yourself a break. Your skin looks tight even though you have stretch marks. I have stretch marks too. My most recent post was “we create beauty, we are beauty” Maybe reading that will cheer you up a bit. :)

    Wear your stretch marks proudly. You grew a beautiful life inside that tummy of yours. Without that belly you have you wouldn’t have her. So, embrace your beautiful momminess. I know it is hard…I posted on here for the first time when I was just a few weeks pp. I was so depressed and down on myself. But now, I am okay with my body. I am learning, slowly, to accept it and love it. Screw anyone that thinks stretch marks are gross. They are not! Who says? They are beautiful to me and every other mother out there. We all know how hard you worked to get to the point your are at. And like Mary said, you are still very emotional. Heck! I am 13 weeks pp and I am STILL emotional. Having a baby makes you a little coo-coo from all the hormones and sleep deprivation. It all gets better and they WILL fade. Mine are already starting to. :) I think going to the pool in my BIKINI has helped them fade. Maybe you should try it :)

  • Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 9:50 am
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    You look great, especially at 4 weeks PP! I got marks like yours, probably more in fact and it took me years to accept them. I used lotions and they did nothing. They will fade and hopefully you will grow to accept them in time.

  • Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 9:59 am
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    USE MEDERMA STRETCH MARK THERAPY!!! Your stretch marks are still fresh and that’s when it works best. I gave birth to my daughter almost 8 months ago and my stretch marks weren’t as bad as yours, but they were definitely there- All around my navel and down my lower stomach, on my butt cheeks, and hips. I’m only 17 and was sooo upset. I used cocoa butter 3 times a day through the entire duration of my pregnancy and still got them. After pregnancy I switched to Bio Oil will no visible results. At about 4 months postpartum I decided to start using Mederma, even though it is more expensive ($40 for a bottle that’s supposed to last 4 weeks. Results are best when used for 12 weeks for a total of $120), but it was completely worth it. Now, I’m not telling you that this is some magic cream that will make them disappear, but in my experience, they got so much lighter and smoother and some of them did disappear unless I’m in just the right light at just the right angle. I am extremely happy with my results and have been rockin’ a bikini all summer, which before I started using it I didn’t think I’d be doing. It’s made me so much more confident and I’m okay with the fact that I have them now because I’m the only one who notices!

    With all that said, I think you’re beautiful anyways. You have motherhood written on your skin and that’s not a bad thing. The best of luck to you and congrats on your little princess.

  • Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 10:08 am
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    its only been 4 weeks, hey at least you dindt get varicose veins, i got TONS of them, no stretch marks but i got those instead…oh well…belly baring shirts are not in style anyways, lol…wait a year, its only been wieeks girl!!!

  • Friday, July 8, 2011 at 7:10 am
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    I had my first son at 22 and I gained 60 lbs also. I got stretch marks on my legs, belly, boobs, love handles, and butt. They do fade but don’t go away and you get use to them. Your belly will go back down too I promise. I remember right after having my first I looked at my belly and was in shock that I looked like I was still pregnant. Just remember your husband loves you and thinks you’re beautiful. Also you’re not alone!!! Many of us look just like that under our clothes.

  • Friday, July 8, 2011 at 1:15 pm
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    Hi body twin! I’m not kidding either! (I posted Pouchy Tummy and Lots of Stretch marks) I am almost 9 months PP and have just hit the loss of 35 lbs total, and you’ve lost 30 and your only 4 weeks PP your doing a fantastic job! I gained 55 lbs with my LO, and I had a C-section. The stretchmark patterns that you have are almost identical to mine. Mine were really deep, and looked like I was raked by a tiger, but they have started turning brown. They will go away, the tummy will go down, it’s just a matter of keeping a positive attitude and realize that you accomplished one of the greatest blessings that we as humans can do: Bring life into this world. It is fantastic that you have such a supportive husband. :) Be strong, and every time you worry about the stretchmarks just look at your little girl!

    Oh BTW: I was worried what people would think about my PP body too. Before I was pregnant, I was 160 lbs, at 5’6 curvy in all the right areas, and flat in others. (I’m a bigger build lol) after my LO was born I was disgusted with what I saw, but you know what? No one is critical like yourself. Most people see your body last, and if they like who you are as a person, the last thing they will worry about it your body. Take it from someone who had a terrible relationship with her daughter’s father, broke it off 6 months ago, (he doesn’t get the picture) and once I accepted my body for what it was, started working on getting the results I wanted, and was happy again, I met an absolutely amazing guy, and I couldn’t be happier!

    Bodies change… it’s a fact of life. Love yourself for who you are, and don’t be to rough considering it’s been a month! :)

  • Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 11:39 am
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    Hey there – Stretch marks can come in handy also. A friend of mine once used her stretch marks as ID when she got carded going to a bar :)

  • Monday, July 11, 2011 at 9:41 pm
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    If you want to see how stretch marks fade, email me and I’ll send you pretty much week-by-week pics of mine. They really do start out suck and angry red/purple and will fade entirely in about 2-3 months. I’ll admit, it’s hard to look at yourself when you’re used to seeing someone else in the mirror. But you’re still you.
    I’m 5’7″ too, but I’ve always been very muscular, and I gave birth at 195lbs and dropped down to 160 in about 2 months without trying (although I’ll admit I had other stuff to stress about during that time– my husband was deployed, my grandmother died, I had to travel between three states). It’s easier to try and keep as busy as you can. Wait until your baby girl sleeps through the night and then take a look at what your boy was capable of doing on its own :)
    First month you’ll only lose maybe 15-20lbs, then during the second and third it’ll slowly come off :) my heartgoes out to you hun.

  • Friday, July 15, 2011 at 9:55 pm
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    Thank you for sharing. I saw your pics and thought “finally! Someone else in the world with stretch marks like mine!” I’m so sorry…I know how much it hurts to look down and see those. My skin is very fair and 18 months post partum has NOT brought the fading diminished marks everyone promised. But I keep thinking… if someone approached me 2 years ago and said “you can have the worlds most beautiful baby boy, he will be healthy and smart and smile at you every day- but you have to have scars all over your body to get him.” Well… I’d choose the baby boy….

  • Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 1:52 pm
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    I’m almost 2 years post partum and have been doign p90X and still don’t look that good! You were blessed to only have some stretch marks, and not a loose baggy stomach of loose skin, like I have on top of stretch marks that cover much more area. :p

    You look great!

  • Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 12:10 pm
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    I just want to say that my name is Ava and I gained over 60 lbs with each of 2 pregnancies (both ended up C sections). It was cool reading about you and your baby named Ava.

  • Friday, July 22, 2011 at 10:03 pm
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    Thanks everyone for the nice encouraging comments!I am now 2 months PP and look and feel soooo much better! The stretch marks are fading and my tummy has almost gone all the way down. I currently weigh 138 lbs!! There is hope! There are still days that I look in the mirror and get disgusted, but then I look at my beautiful daughter and know it’s all worth it.

  • Monday, July 25, 2011 at 7:58 pm
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    Aw, hun. I know this is no help, but it’s really not bad at all! You have to give yourself allowance and time. It took 9 months to gain that weight and make those “baby tattoos” and it will take time to get back to normal!

    I weight 125lbs too and just found I’m pregnant and I already know I’m having C-section for medical reasons. Looking at your pictures, I didn’t feel scared anymore, I felt HOPEFUL! I hope that I can look that good only 4 weeks PP.

    I have stretch marks on my belly, legs, hips, from gaining and losing weight so often and so fast in my teen years, and now they are almost invisible. They used to be DARK purple red and I mean dark… worse than the ones I see from most people who had a kid! And now they are thinner, very pale, and barely visible! And I have very poor elasticity in my skin. I have about the same skin tone as you. I think being pale sometimes it just stands out more, but the good thing about is when they fade, they blend in better than if you have a tan. Don’t give up. :) Just keep looking at that beautiful baby and reminding yourself that she is a part of you, and she wouldn’t want you to dislike yourself. Remember right now things are still going to seem overwhelming because your hormones are still in flux too.

    Ok. Long post over, lol.

  • Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 5:05 pm
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    Your stretch marks look almost exactly like mine did. It’s now over 8 years after having my son and they have faded to silver and other than the texture of them, are not that noticable anymore. Don’t worry though, it won’t take 8 years for that to happen! lol. It was about 6 months for me, and I didn’t do a thing to them. With a tan or sunless tanner (and a strategically placed bathing suit) nobody sees them. No doubt you’ll be back to your lovely body soon enough and that’s the only thing people will even notice :)

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