Hi everyone,
First of all I just want to say thank you to all the women that have posted on this page, I have learned a lot from reading your stories and looking at your pictures. I think this webpage is so important.
My story goes like this: I became pregnant for the first time when I was 21. It wasn’t planned. I tried to make it work with the father, but it was just a horrible relationship, I was abused physically (not to mention emotionally), so when my son was about one year old I finally pulled my self together and left him for good. Up until then I hadn’t really thought too much about how my body had changed from being pregnant and breastfeeding; I just had too many problems to even care. I mean; not that it was too much to worry about, really. I pretty much bounced back. But at this moment I had to kinda reshape my life; I had to make a new start, figuring out who I wanted to bee. Needless to say my self-esteem was low at this point in my life. As I said before; I had pretty much bounced back, my stomach was flat and with no stretch marks. I had gotten some stretch marks on my butt and hips, but they never really bothered me at all. My BREASTS is another story though. They were just filled with stretch marks. Up until I stopped breastfeeding (about a year after- around the same time that I left the father) it wasn’t too bad because they were full. But then I stopped breastfeeding and all of a sudden I had these boobs that looked like they belonged to an 80-year old lady! I got so self-conscious about them. I hated how they just hang there, a couple of loose and floppy skin-bags. I hated the fact that I could never go anywhere without tucking them into a bra first to somewhat have them under control. And the problem with finding bikini-tops that they wouldn’t fall right out of whenever I bended over! This was really a huge issue for me for a long time. And being a single mom, I kept thinking that no man would ever think I looked good with my clothes off.
Luckily though, I found a man who did. Or he found me, I don’t know. At 25, I became pregnant with my second child; also a boy, who is now 9 months old. From my second pregnancy I got two tiny stretch marks on my stomach and my belly-button looks weird now, I think. But it is no big deal. My breasts became big and full during the pregnancy, not to mention three days pp, when I was almost afraid they were going to explode. I enjoyed having full breasts for a while there, but now they are back to the floppy skin-bags they were before. I try to laugh about it and most of the time it is ok. I am proud that my body has grown and breastfed two beautiful healthy boys.
Posting these pictures of my breasts is a huge step for me, because I have been so embarrassed about them for a long time. I see the fact that I am able to do this now as a sign that I am making progress in the process to love my body as it is now- breasts included.
In the pictures I am pregnant with number 2 at 41 weeks and nine months pp after number 2
September 18th, 2009 at 11:50 am
You have a beautiful body, boobs included. Have confidence in yourself! Real men love real women, and you are a real woman! Plus you have two miracles to show for your experience. I hope the experience of posting here is the breakthrough you need to help bolster your self confidence!
September 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Reading your post I was expecting something very differnt in your pictures. Dang! You have nice breasts … enjoy them!
September 18th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
You honestly look great! Congrats on getting you life on track and finding a good guy! I’m glad you’re happy now! Great job breastfeeding both you boys too!
September 18th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
I can completely understand your frustration with your breasts,my original post has pictures so you can see how mine lack the fullness on top as well. Its titled “2 years postpartum and I still can’t come to terms”.
http://theshapeofamother.com/blog/2-years-postpartum-and-still-cant-come-to-terms-anonymous/
You already know this but your stomach looks phenomenal for 2 kids! I think what makes accepting our breast difficult is our age, we see other women in their mid twenties and we look at our breasts and wonder what went wrong with ours? Well honey we gave life to children and we fed them (even if it was only shortly in my case) but if you get any satisfaction from this site know that you are not alone in the way you feel. I know its hard to look in the mirror, I know its difficult to be intimate because they hang over, and how impossible it feels to find bikini tops that work. But for now they are yours and you need to work with them not against them. Instead of triangle tops which don’t help us, try tops that have a slight coverage (so they won’t fall out) and slight padding on the sides to add fullness. Lets work with what we have and be proud that our amazing bodies grew beautiful healthy babies. Good Luck to you on your journey to acceptance, I’l be here working on it too.
September 19th, 2009 at 4:17 am
come on!
you should stand up straight and tall not the way you are posing!!! of course your boobs will look saggy if you are not standing up straight actually anyone’s posture will reflect on every single boday part dear! Cheer up and take it easy you look great
September 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
oh wow I think you look great! your breasts do look very nice when full, so why not keep em that way? you just need a hungry mouth to keep them full…
September 21st, 2009 at 7:27 pm
I agree with B.C. Reading your post I was expecting something very differnt in your pictures, but your breasts are nice!! And you look gorgeous all over, can’t believe that you’ve had 2 kids!
September 26th, 2009 at 11:54 am
THANK YOU everyone! Your comments mean so much to me.
Rima: I think you´re rigth, my posing could have been better.. haha, I didn´t even notice it until I saw the photo here on the website. Actually, I think it might have more to do with the camera angle.. oh well, regardless, I know my boobs sag no matter what I do, and that is what I am trying to come to terms with.
Anonymous: thank you for your kind words. I saw your pictures and I think your boobs are beautiful, so that makes me think, maybe mine aren´t bad either… I mean, what I see in your pictures and the other pictures on this site is a different beauty than what our social norms and the media/hollywod hype/whatever tells us we should think is beautiful. But as Jeff says, we are real women (thank you Jeff!) and that is a beauty that is just as worthy (worthier) than the airbrushed beauty of magazines. Good luck to you too. You are beautiful.
October 7th, 2009 at 6:40 am
Astrid….it is all in your head….you look wonderful. Unfortunately there are way too many Astrid’s in the world today questioning how they look after childbirth and even before….sheeesh
October 9th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
You look wonderful. I have major breast issues. I hate my breasts. They were perfect before i got pregnant. I have the same problem with bras and swimsuits. They always fall out of them. Its like the loose skin creeps out of the cups when I bend over or whatever. They I have to constantly tuck my empty deflated sacs back in. Its so damn annoying.
October 17th, 2009 at 12:22 am
You look beautiful. Don’t worry about your breasts they look gorgeous!
November 5th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I feel you on the breast issue. Even though I’m married and my husband doesn’t mind, I am still EXTREMELY self conscious about how saggy they are. You have such a nice body though! I can’t see a single stretch mark! I am COVERED in them. It helps to know though that through it all we can still be confident & strong women. You are amazing.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:32 am
I’m 18 and have a 7month ld son. I have the same problem. Before I got pregnant, I was in many sports and had a nice athletic body and I loved my boobs! But now after breastfeeding my boobs just became like lifeless ballons. I went from a 34DD to a 34G it was horrible! and not to mention my body decided to get stretch marks every were, but i guess thats how life is, but your boobs and body looks fine, I would trade with you =) and don’t worry you bf probably loves you and your body to death.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Oh, I hate floppy boobs–I mean, I don’t hate yours, but mine are also floppy and it bugs me. I also have stretch marks everywhere (even under my arms!) from my first and only pregnancy. Keep up with the good attitude!
January 8th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
I really understand were u are coming from. I have 3 kids and my breast still look pretty good but my stomach well that’s another story and it dont help that I’m really thin so the stretch marks show and I hate that to the point I won’t even get undress in front of my man if there is any light. In my opinion u look great I’d take ur breast over my stomach any day