The Shape of a Mother

(Lisa)

I have a 6 month old son, first pregnancy. My issue is this- I am over 200lbs. I had gained some weight before I got pregnant (met my now husband and became comfortable with him,slacked off and ate things I usually didn’t). Got pregnant, was so sick the entire time, I ate what I could. [...]

The fat I hate, not the stripes. (Aly)

22 yrs old. 2 pregnancies, 1 birth. Five month old daughter, pp. My story may be everywhere, sorry. I was pregnant before at 18, but never kept the baby. My personal choices led me to having an abortion. I am willing to share my reasons why, but if asked through email. I’m not ready to [...]

Struggling With My Body Image (Anonymous)

I was 125 lbs.at 5’9″ pre pregnancy. I am 29 and this is my first child delivered via c-section. I was extremely sick for the first five months of pregnancy. After that i rapidly gained weight. I had severe edema and my doctor wanted me to take off work the last four weeks but with [...]

(Morgan)

Age: (current) 20 (At time of delivery) 19 3 pregnancies, 1 (natural) birth (2 miscarriages during their first trimesters) My daughter, Lauren, is 1 1/2 currently. When she was born she was 9 lbs. 3 oz. 22.75 in. Pre-pregnancy weight: 150 on a bad day Post-pregnancy weight to date: 198 on a bad day 1st [...]

Everyone Tells Me I Look Fine… NOT (Christina)

Age:23 Pregnancies/Births: 1 pregnancy 1 birth Childs Age: 14 months Ok so I was 196lbs in March of 2010. I went on weight watchers and got down to 160lbs. June 8th,2010 I stopped weight watchers and my doctor said I had gotten pregnant that first week of June. So long story short, nine months later, [...]

Ashamed and Unsatisfied (Kristen)

age 20, one pregnancy, one birth, little girl, 7 months postpartum I carried a 100% healthy little girl a little over seven months ago. She was born 1 day after her due date, September 15, 2011. She weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces. I have never been the skinniest girl, nor will I ever be. I’m [...]

Mom of 3 (Amanda W)

I am a Mom of three wonderful children. 2 girls and a boy. i was 20 years old when i conceived my first, and she was born weighing in at 9lbs, 20.5 inches. i grew several cup sizes, and gained about 40 pounds, which i havent lost yet. shes 10 now. my middle child is [...]

Mommy of 4 Boys (Carollee)

Hi, My name is Carollee and I’m from Cleveland, OH. I was 19, 5’4′ and weighed about 130lbs when I got pregnant with my oldest son, Anthony. I gained the least amount of weight with him (about 50lbs) and delivered a happy healthy boy in Jan 2001. I had a typical what you read about [...]

I closed my kanga in the oven door (Britne)

Age-26 1 pregnancy, 1 birth, Zoey, age 16 months. Photos: 1- 15 weeks pregnant, 2. 40 weeks pregnant, 3. Kanga!! (16 months after birth) After being told I would never have a child (due to PCOS) I did the impossible; I conceived naturally and quite by surprise. Now, my bright and beautiful 16-month-old daughter lives [...]

Mother of One (Anonymous)

Age 21; Pregnancies 1; Births 1. I had to have my son by c-section after 16 1/2 hours of labor and never dialating past 1 cm. I was 18 when I become pregnant with my son and 19 when I had him. He is about a year and a half now and he is my [...]

Learning Acceptance (Anonymous)

Pregnancies/Children: 1 7 weeks Postpartum Growing up I had self esteem issues and I struggled with an eating disorder up until I found out I was pregnant. When I found out I was pregnant everything changed, I knew I needed to care for myself for my child. My mother didn’t do a very good job [...]

I Want My Body Back (Anonymous)

~Age: 22 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1/1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 5.5 month old ds/5.5 months pp As long as I can remember, I have struggled with body image issues. All throughout my school years, I was always the big/fat/chunky/chubby/amazon woman or what have you. I was [...]

No bikini for me… (MotherOfOne)

This site is so wonderful! A big thanks to the creator.. These stories have made me feel a lot better about my situation.. Knowing I’m not alone. These photos are 11 months postpartum. I got pregnant with my first, a beautiful baby boy, at age 21. Being young, I assumed my body would bounce right [...]

My belly used to be happy, now it’s sad. (Claire)

AGE 24 Pregnancies 2 Little boys 3YRS AND 2YRS Natural births As a 24 year old woman i have never really remembered a time when i looked in the mirror and thought i look really good and been 100% happy with my body. I remember being 16 years old at school and hating my weight [...]

Proud Mother of Four (Anonymous)

Growing up I was always the “skinny pretty” girl and was this without having to try. I ate what I wanted and never exercised a day in my life! Although I was involved in extra curricular activities, none of those were sports! I became pregnant at 17 and had my first son at 18. He [...]

The Stranger in the Mirror (Miserable)

Before my first pregnancy in 2008 I was relatively slim: 9 stone 7 lbs ( 133 pounds in American money!) although I don’t think I carried it well as I’m short: 5′ 3″, and I’ve always had a big bottom and wide hips, but even so I was in fairly good shape. I was a [...]

13 Years and Still Have Body Issues (Anonymous)

I am 39 going to 40 in 3 weeks. I have been pregnant 5 times and have 3 wonderful children, son 18, daughter 14, and daughter 13. I was in the Army for 8 years. (I got out when pregnant with my 3rd child). I joined the army at 18. I was 22 when my [...]

Overcoming PPD & Learning to Accept My Body (Anonymous)

Number of pregnancies: 4, number of live births: 2, age of children: 9 & 18 months I would like to start out by saying thank you for your website. What an absolute blessing it was for me to happen across it. I am 28 years old and a proud mom to a 9 year old [...]

Learning to Love (Jill)

It makes me angry how much pressure society puts on women to look perfect at all times, even after bearing a baby. Instead of being proud of growing a life we turn to hate and fail to see the immense beauty that has taken place. Our bodies brought new life into this world and that [...]

Does Your Boob Hang Low? (Amanda)

I had my beautiful baby boy in October 2010, ventouse delivery on his due date! I became absolutely massive as my pregnancy progressed with swelling in every part of my body. I think I was 52 inches around the waist the last time I measured my stomach when pregnant. I gained around 30 kg’s with [...]

18, Overweight, and Pregnant (Trish)

I have always been over weight for as long as i can remember, at 18 i met my fiance and he was 33! he was so fun and it was risky and fun to be with an older guy and i knew my family would hate it. but 4months in i found out i was [...]

Unlovely: Round Three (Mir)

Previous post here. Age: 29 Pregnancies: 3 Births: 2 Children: 4-years-old & 1-year-old I last posted here in August 2009. A lot has happened–that’s how it tends to go in life. I lost a lot of weight but the saggy/baggy tummy I had never went away no matter how more fit and thin I got. [...]

This is Me (Leanne)

23 years old, 1 pregnancy 1 birth, daughter aged 4 I fell pregnant a month after my 18th birthday. It wasn’t planned and came as a total shock, but once the initial shock was over, I was happy. I prepared myself mentally for everything that was to come; except the changes to my body. I [...]

Learning to Move On (Anonymous)

Age 22 2 children – 4 year old and a 6 month old. I came across this site by accident. It came at the right time as the night before I’d opened up to my partner for the first time about my hatred for the way I look. I’ll start from the beginning of my [...]

Loving My Mommy Body (Raven)

My name is Raven, I am 20 years old and I have one son that is now 18 months old. I had him via cesarean section. I had a lot happen to me after I had my son. I had just assumed since having a baby was one of the happiest and greatest things that [...]

Three Years Later (Christina)

Age-31years Number of Pregnancies/Births-2 Children Aged 5 and 3..sooo postpartum 3years. So, I came across this website sometime in the last three years. I have glanced at it over time and read some of the submissions. I have hated my body, been disgusted, even resented my children at times for causing my body such changes. [...]

It’s OK to Feel Beautiful (Jennifer)

age 23 4 pregnancies/ 3 births I am a 23 year old mother of 3 children ages, 6,4 and 2. I gave birth to my oldest at the young age of 17…Even then I was overweight… Not nearly as big as I am now, but chunky none the less… I had given birth vaginally 3 [...]

I’m Not Perfect, But That’s OK With Me (Kate)

I am 25 years old. I have a beautiful 19 month old son. I LOVE this page and visit often. I have always had problems with my body, as I am sure most women do, but I have never hated my body. I have always been curvy and thicker than most girls. I am 5’9″ [...]

My Body is Sexy to Me (MJ)

I’m 25 years young! My kids are 5, 3, and 11 months old! I was 18 when I got pg with my DD delivered her at 41 weeks when I was 19! Got pg again at 21 with DS! He was born on his EDD with a clubbed foot and has some learning delays I [...]

7 Month Update (Shantel)

7 months post 1 pregnancy age 24. So I made a post about 3 months ago it can be found here. It has been tough but I am finally beginning to have hope for my body. My skin is still sagging badly but the abs are coming back together and my tummy is flattening out [...]

5 Months PP and struggling with PPD and body image (MB)

Age: 25 Number of births: 1 Months PP: 5 I am 25 years old and a stay at home mom and wife. I had Hyperemesis during the entirety of my pregnancy and only gained 5 lbs, but seeing as I was already “obese” at 196 lbs when I found out I was expecting my OB [...]

Wishing for a flatter tummy. (Anonymous)

I am a proud mother of 2 handsome boys. My first is 2 years old and my youngest is 7 months. After my having my first son when I was 19 I was very self conscious about my body. I remember looking in the mirror a few days after giving birth and I couldn’t believe [...]

Me & My Body Against The World! (Amber Gallant)

My Name – Amber Gallant of Motherhood, Etc. Age – 23 Pregnancies – 3 Births – 1 – Conor Kaige, 5 years old, via cesarean section. 1 year postpartum, technically. When I was 17 years old, I found out I was pregnant. I was scared but I knew I wanted to be a mother more [...]

(Anonymous)

24 year old mother of three 5 years postpartum I wish i was wiser and did not scratch those itchy stretchmarks being that i was only a child myself, my first pregnancy choices as far as my tummy goes. weren’t the best I Have had all birth’s delivered by c section. I Have forfitted my [...]

My husband loves my body, why can’t I? (Anonymous)

Age-24 Pregnancies/Births-1 Today I am 17 weeks postpartum. Just a little background- I had always had self image problems. I remember puking in middle school until high school were during my junior year I met my now husband.He immediately was putting “meat” on my frail 80lb body. I am 5’2”. So I was really starved [...]

Uncomfortable In My Skin (Amber)

Age: 21, Pregnancies: 1, Births: 1, Children: 1 girl, age 3. I was 17 when I found out I was pregnant, half way through my senior year of High School. I had my daughter one month after my 18th birthday. I conceived my daughter the very first time I had slept with my new boyfriend. [...]

21 With 2 Babies (Anonymous)

I’m 21 years old with 2 beautiful little boys. My oldest is 2 and my youngest is 5 months. That makes me 5 months postpartum. I breastfed my oldest for 9 months and am currently still breast feeding my 5 month old. I am still adjusting to my body there are somedays when I feel [...]

Update: A Year Later and Making Progress (Luisa)

Age-25 2 children 2, 4 After searching ‘bodies after baby’ I came across this site and posted photos of my body (left photos) a month shy of a year ago. Even though I still felt huge, unlike myself and down about my body…the comments that were posted made me feel so much better. Throughout this [...]

A Never-Ending Struggle (Anonymous)

Age: 20 Number of Births: 1 Child: 7 Months Old i’ve posted before, but not on a topic as specific as this. so, no pictures this time– just a story that i’m hoping some other women can relate to. not exactly the happiest, but i’ve found that people find comfort in relating with others, regardless. [...]

Will I ever learn to love my body? (Jen)

32 years old, 3 pregnancies, 2 children, 6 and 4 years old, separated last year I am trying to learn to love my body again. I am mostly still embarrassed by it and feel disgust when I look in the mirror. I am proud of the fact that I have lost almost 70lbs over a [...]

Update (Dee)

Original post here. Age: 18 # of Pregnancies/Births: 1 Age of Child: 17 months It’s been 1 year since my first post and I’m now 17 months postpartum. My body hasn’t changed drastically in that time, but there has been some progress. My once pink stretch marks on my stomach, butt, and hips are now [...]

Face of a Single Prayer (Allyshia)

age: 17. Pregnancies: 2 // births: 1 and 1 on the way! Age of children: 13 months and 9 weeks pregnant I was 15, struggling through anorexia and I was 78 lbs. I was 4’10″ and still am at the moment! I was about 87 lbs at the time I conceived my daughter and my [...]

Great Pregnancy – Nice Body (Rada Bond)

~Age: 29 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 preganancy – 1 birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: my son is 1 year and 4 month old today My name is Rada, I am from Moldova and I am 29 years old. My baby boy – Karim – is 1year [...]

Scared to Look Down (Ana)

age: 24 1 pregnancy mother of 4 yr old princess natural birth you would think that 4 yrs would make it easier to accept the changes in your body.. but its definitely not, for me atleast. i was never the “skinny” girl, and that always bothered me.. and after giving birth the list got longer. [...]

Struggling With the Changes (Anonymous)

I found this website in a moment of weakness I was having with myself over issues with my body and I decided that since reading everyone’s stories and seeing their pictures that I couldn’t resist posting my own photos/story to maybe help someone else. I am 20 and actually planned a pregnancy (with my boyfriend [...]

Second Baby, 9 Pounds 13 Ounces – Update (Anonymous)

Previous entry here. I am now 4 months postpartum, after my second child. I was 1 week overdue when I had him and I knew he would be a big boy. I had terrible pelvic symphysis pain with him. I couldn’t roll over in bed and by the time I was 40 weeks along, I [...]

Trying Really Hard But Losing Hope (Sophya)

Age: 33 Number of pregnancies/birth: 2 Age of children: 6-year-old daughter and 7 months-old son, 7 months post-partum I’ve been visiting SOAM for the last four years since I had my daughter and I wish to thank warmly all those wonderful women who’ve had the courage to post their stories and voice out their fears. [...]

Daring to Bikini (Jen)

-37 years old, two pregnancies, children 5 and 7, divorced last year -also a postpartum doula and freelance writer who spends most of her professional life writing about motherhood and encouraging new moms to be strong, proud, and confident, in both their instincts and their physical changes My children were my lifeline through what turned [...]

A Low Point (Anonymous)

Age: 38 Number of Pregnancies: 3 pregnancies, 3 births Children: 5, 3 and 13 months 13 months post-partum I’ve been reading this website for quite some time and am just gathering the courage to post now. I have always been a fit person- I never had issues with my weight, although I’ve always felt unattractive. [...]

Learning to Accept My Body (Anonymous)

I was 21 when I became pregnant with my first son. It took us almost a year to conceive him and I had developed worries that I might be infertile. When we found out we were pregnant I was so relived and a overjoyed we would be able to have children. I had a beautiful [...]

Taking One Day at a Time (Anonymous)

Previous post here. AGE:23 POSTPARTUM: 24MONTHS PREGNANCIES: 1 Taking one day at a time. This has been the only way I have been able to move forward after giving birth to my daughter, who was stillborn, 24 months ago. Since I last submitted to SOAM things have changed. After issues with my husband and a [...]

Breastfeeding Breasts and Mommy Belly (Anonymous)

My name is Susan I am 32, and have two babies. My daughter is 2 and my son is 10 months. I nursed my daughter for 12 months and I am currently nursing my 10 month old. They were both full term and healthy natural births. Ive always been thin. Iam petite, just 115lbs and [...]

Young and Feeling Hopeless (Amelia)

Hi there, first off I would like to start by saying that when I found this website I was so happy to be able to relate to other real woman who feel the same way that I do. A lot of stories on here have helped me to begin to accept my new body, but [...]

Feeling Myself Again, Even Though I’m So Different (Amanda C)

~Age: 24 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 9 and a half months daughter Sadie… My name is Amanda I am 24 and have had one pregnancy where I gave birth to my daughter May 17 2011. She is almost 10 remember being about [...]

Trying to Accept My Body (Candy)

I am 20 years old, I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant. I was really excited, and my baby is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am a single mom and it TERRIFIES me to look for a relationship because of the stretch marks the pregnancy left on [...]

(Anonymous)

Okay girls I am 25 years old 5’4 and 165 wretched pounds. I have had two beautiful daughters one will be 4 in Aug and the other is 6 months. They are my life along with my amazing husband. He makes it a point to tell me how beautiful I look everyday although I beg [...]

My Battle Scars – Otherwise Known as My Belly (Anonymous)

I am a 37 year old mother of 3 (ages 15, 9 & 7 yrs old). Lets just say I was done family planning by the time I was 30 yrs old. I was always a fit person before having children, working out 3x a week and was a former gymnast and track star. But [...]

I Feel So Insecure (Rebecca)

age: 20 pregnancies: 2 births: 2 children: 2 girls aged 4 and 10 weeks PP: 10 weeks Keywords: second pregnancy, belly, normal delivery, stretch marks,breastfeeding. “My body has changed so much”. Thats the first thing that crosses my mind when i look at my body in the mirror. Nothing will ever make my body the [...]

“I don’t care what I have as long as it’s healthy.” (Shannon)

Previous posts: Missing my baby boy and expecting my second. 5 Weeks PP Second Baby 2.5 Months Postpartum, Second Cesarean in 2.5 Years 6 Months PP Update 15 Months PP Update I Need Some Help Age: 25 Pregnancies & Births: 2 pregnancies and 2 cesareans How far pp: Connor would be 5.5 and Liam is [...]

15 Months to Find That Love (Amanda)

This is an update submission, my original post is here. I feel as though those words cannot be the last thing I say on the matter of my motherly shape. It took me a year to come around to myself and the image if what I ‘should’ look like, to realize, I look how exactly [...]

A New Appreciation (Anonymous)

Age: 21, Pregnancies: 2, Births: 1 11 weeks postpartum I’ve tried writing this entry almost ten times. Some stating how much I admire my body now, some stating how much I hate it. Instead, I’m just going to be honest. I’d love to tell you that I adore my body despite it’s changes, but that [...]

Learning to be Proud of My Body (Rach)

age 21 1 pregnancy\1 birth I am now 21, i have always been over weight i am 5’2 and i am 240, i have always found it hard to love myself but i wear my weight well. (most ppl dont know how much i really weight) when i was 19 i fell in love with [...]

Pregnancy I of III (Sam)

I’m now pregnant with my third child, but I thought I would better start with the first…. so here we go…. I was always curvy, so I didn’t really experience any more stretch marks than the one I already had…. And I must say that the body just got more mature…. from a chubby teen [...]

Hello Again, Friends (Anonymous)

Previous post here. This is my new entry I made a previous entry approximately a year ago describing my issues with body image and trying to love my body. Am I there yet? I wish I could say that I am but it is a long process. I have had my struggles and to be [...]

Scars of Beauty (Anonymous)

I am a 23 yr old mom of 3 ages 4, 1, & 1 month old i am 8 wks pp 3 csections.I had my first @ 18 yrs old my pregnancy in the beginning was tough because I was living in an environment unhealthy to my child and to myself. Aside from the fact [...]

Trying to Find Beauty Among the Stretch Marks (Dani)

Pregnancies/Births: 1/1 Age: 21 My sons age : 1 month I had a beautiful son January 8th, 2012, and on that day, I felt like a new person. All of a sudden, life had a meaning. I look into his eyes and I see his crazy, but amazing personality. And I cannot believe that I [...]

C-Section, Droopy Tummy, & the Bright Side (Anonymous)

Photo 1: PUPPS rash and stretch marks at 7 months pregnant Photo 2: 38 weeks pregnant. 1 week before my delivery Photo 3: 4 months PP boobs and stomach (front view) Photo 4: 4 months PP stomach (side view) Photo 5: Close up of stretch marks Photo 6: Close up of C-Section scar Photo 7: [...]

3 Years and 80 Pounds (Sarah)

Age: 25 4 pregnancies/1 live birth Daughter: age 3 years, 3 months. When I was 21 years old, I found out I was pregnant for the fourth time. I had three miscarriages prior to this pregnancy due to low levels of progesterone. I was told by the doctors that I would not be able to [...]

She Was Worth it All (Amanda)

Age: 22 Number of pregnancies: 3 Number of births: 2 Age of children: 14 months I was 16 years old the first time I got pregnant, and I was petrified. I didn’t know what to do, or who to turn to, and my boyfriend made it quite clear that abortion was the only logical choice. [...]

The Clothes Hide the Ugly (Anonymous)

Age: 19 One child who is 2 years old. Hi, I love this site and love to see real bodies. I just wanted to confess that I have a mommy body. My stomach hangs like a W, I have stretch marks so large and small that cover my breasts, butt, stomach, hips, thighs, and behind [...]

Adjusting to the Changes (mommy2m)

Age: 19 # of pregnancies and births: 1 7 days Postpartum Prepregnancy weight: 155 lbs End of pregnancy weight: 197.8 lbs Current weight: 178 lbs Height: 5’1″ My husband and I have been together since I was 13 and he was 15. We moved in with each other when I was 17 and planned to [...]

Turning Trauma into Triumph (Raashida)

Age: 26 Pregnancies/births: 1/1 1 year post partum I am so glad I found this website! Here is my story: I had a petty easy and uneventful pregnancy. I had few to no pregnancy symptoms. Food craving, a little emotional and hypersensitive sense of smell but that’s about it. I was active duty military when [...]

My Body is Alive and Ever-Changing (Tessa)

Tessa – 21 years old, mother to a 2 year old, and expecting another little boy in April 2012! This is my third entry. Two previous entries, here and here. My last entry I had decided to do something about my unhappiness with my body. I was 16 months post partum and I realized it [...]

4 Months PP, Breastfeeding, and Struggling with Eating Right (Anonymous)

I was 19 and in my sophomore year of college 1000 miles away from home when I found out I was pregnant with my first baby. My boyfriend was in school 800 miles away, and I had gotten pregnant while we were both home for Christmas Break. I was shocked, scared, etc. We moved back [...]

Searching For My Old Self (Kathleen)

I am 30 years old and the proud mother of two sons – a 21 month old and 9 week old. My first son was delivered via c-section and my second was a successful vbac. I am very fond of this website and enjoy reading the many courageous and often inspiring stories. I was forced [...]

3 Years PP, Just Accepting Myself (Anonymous)

Hello ladies! First of all thanks for reading this, and thank god for this site! I am now 3 yrs pp, and I absolutely have to say time DOES heal! At least for me, and I hope it does for you too. I had a very good pregnancy, I gained a lot of weight but [...]

Frustration (Anonymous)

My story is LONG and exhausting, but I like to tell it. I hope that I can be inspiration to other females that find themselves where I was, and where I am now. Previous to my night of conception, I was a vibrant young 20 year old female. I was nearing the end of my [...]

4 Babies in 3 Years (Anonymous)

Hi, I’m 35, mother of 4 beautiful children. My PP weight was in 110-120 range. My first – twin pregnancy my weight went up to 198 lb, I went back to 115 lb 9 month after. 18 after the twins I’ve had my third beautiful baby and my weight was up to 170 lb. Again [...]

Mummy Belly (Catherine)

I got pregnant at the age of 19, I was skinny all throughout my teens until i hit 18 where it started to pile on. Pregnancy made me gain a silly amount of weight. I’ve never exercised and I didn’t want to start whilst pregnant. After having my beautiful daughter I was left with a [...]

Shoot for the Moon (Analisa)

Before I start I just want to say that in all the years I’ve read through “your” stories and seen “your” photos I’ve yet to see an ugly body. I believe our perception of our own body image is the only true “ugly” thing I’ve seen…including my own. My name is Analisa. I am 29 [...]

Resented Before He’s Even Born (Anonymous)

My age – 29 4 pregnancies, 2 early miscarriages, 1 birth, currently pregnant Oldest son is nearly 6, currently 29 weeks pregnant Last entry here. I came a long way since my last submission to SOAM. Back then, I was overweight (around 75kg), pretty miserable, still caught in the throes of Post Natal Depression. In [...]

The Shadow Fear Casts is Often Bigger Than the Fear Itself (Anonymous)

My husband told me that I was beautiful every day of my pregnancy, including while I was in the hospital in labor. From day one, I was deathly afraid of the changes that my body would undergo. My mind was filled with all of the horror stories that I had heard about pregnancy and the [...]

22 With 3, Starting to Slowly Accept and Change my Body (Anonymous)

Previous post here. When I was 6 1/2 months pregnant with my 3rd, my kids father left me and I in turn fell into a depression for pretty much the rest of my pregnancy. By the end of my pregnancy I had only gained 13lbs, and when my daughter was born at 39wks, she only [...]

Hating My Body (Shantel)

age 23 1 pregnancy 3.5 post partum. I have always loved my body for the most part, I’ve always been attractive and confident. It is very difficult to see myself the way I look after I had my son because this isn’t the me that I see when I think about myself. I honestly think [...]

I Love My Body (Gwen)

I have been so thankful to have found this site; it helped me through a period in my life where the physical changes of my body were difficult to keep up with. My self-image and esteem were in a young, and unstable place when I got pregnant. As much as I have always been thankful [...]

Something I Cannot Fix (Marissa)

Age:19 One daughter (Lily), one birth/pregnancy. I gave birth at the age of 16. Big life change after that moment. I have done great as a mother and as a student. I tried to be perfect in every way and love my daughter to the fullest! She makes my day. =) But many obstacles have [...]

Amazing Stretching Skin (Ann)

When I found out I was pregnant, post-baby changes were one of the more minor things on my mind. That said, I was very careful to eat extremely healthy during my entire pregnancy and ended up gaining about 30 pounds. My daughter was a waterbirth with a midwife, born at 39 weeks. She weighed 6lbs. [...]

Mother of Four (Jerrika)

My name is Jerrika. I am 24, I have 4 children between the ages of 2 and 6. I gave birth to my oldest son in 2005, I was 18 year old, and felt like I had lost my body before I have even had one. I soon had my 2nd son at 20, and [...]

B/G Twins, 4 1/2 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

2 pregnancies 2 c-sections 3 kids 2 1/2 yr old girl 4 1/2 month B/G twins My age: 30 I am 30 years old. I had my first daughter at age 27. She was 8 1/2 lbs, born by c-section due to my hips being narrow and the risk of her getting stuck. I chose [...]

Almost 7 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

~Age: 27 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1/1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 7 months ~pre-pregnancy weight: 160. Final pregnancy weight: 230 ~gave birth to 9 lb baby girl I have a ridiculously beautiful baby girl. I had a lot of support from moms on an online message board [...]

The Before, During, and After of My Belly (Anonymous)

age 28 number pregnancies: 1 pregnant 25 weeks with next I have always been pretty active and fit, I was 26 when I got pregnant with my son, it was unexpected and my husband and I had only been together for 6 months at the time. I tried and tried to avoid the stretch marks [...]

Third Pregnancy After Eating Disorder (Anonymous)

I’ve struggled with an eating disorder for about 15 years, now. It started when I was 13. I’ve given birth to 2 beautiful girls, who are 5 and 4 now, and am pregnant again. I reached my lowest weight so far, this past spring, when I dropped to about 110 lbs. I should be 135-150. [...]

Miscarriage after giving my son up for adoption 20 years ago. (Anonymous)

I am a 37 year old mother I have a son whom I gave up for adoption at the age of 16 giving him a better life. Struggling with the thought of if I did the right thing all those years fighting suicide and many heartaches including cancer I managed to happily become pregnant last [...]

30 Years in the Making (Anonymous)

My journey from hating myself to, well, not hating myself as much. Age: 30 Pregnancies: 1 Births: 1 via C-Section on 4/26/2011 Stay at home mom I am almost 8 months PP and think I am finally becoming more comfortable with myself after being insecure for most of my life. I gave birth to a [...]

Postpartum Psychosis Survivor (Pinay Mom NYC)

Hearing things that weren’t there was bad; keeping silent about it was worse. For months after my daughter was born via C-section, I felt miserable and pathetic. I had been so independent prior to giving birth at 31; then I saw myself as this needy, ugly thing, financially dependent on a husband who was suffering [...]

No Comparison (Anonymous)

We hear so often that celebrities aren’t comparable to real people because they have things we regular mortals can only dream of: trainers, laser treatments, personal chefs, plastic surgeons on site, maternity fashion stylists, spa treatments, etc. And I guess all of that’s true. And I guess I can accept that and not compare myself [...]

Mommy to Three Boys (Anonymous)

Pregnancies: 3 Age: 20 Months PP: 5 months I was just barely 16 when I got pregnant with my first son. I was 100 pounds when I got pregnant with him, and gained 50 pounds. My A cups went to C cups and I got stretch marks on my breasts. I had no stretch marks [...]

Postpartum Hair Loss (Samantha)

~Age: 22 ~Number of pregnancies and births: one ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 13 months I spent most of my childhood battling alopecia. I went to some of the top doctors, including Johns Hopkins, and they still couldn’t figure out a reason for my hair loss. By the time [...]

Don’t Buy the One-Piece Swimsuit (Kyla)

I am 23 years old, my daughters are 18 months and 3 1/2 months. I was very lucky to have two, as my midwife said, ‘boring’ pregnancies without any complications or issues. I gained just under 20 lbs in each pregnancy, and it was all baby-weight and I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight very [...]

Update (Elivert)

Original post here. PP: 9 MONTHS AGE: 21 After my first post I have had many changes in my life, I have a beautiful baby I love and a wonderful husband that every day brings more smiles and joy in my life and supports me unconditionally with my new body and outlook on life , [...]

My Body After 4 Pregnancies With Cesarean (Anonymous)

I am 34 years old, and this is my belly during and after my 4th pregnancy. All my children are born with a caeserean. The postpartum pics are 5 months after birth.

Feel alone, but trying to stay positive. (Sophia)

Its been 4 months since i had my baby boy , hes my everything my whole world, But i cant help feeling so upset about my body now and could really use somone to talk to, Im 18 years old and had my boy by c section its left me whole body in a state [...]

Irish twins and a body that will never be the same (Anonymous)

Age: 24 Number of Pregnancies: 2, Births 2 I have always been very skinny, being a gymnast I basically lived in a gym. I did gymnastics in college, which is were I met my husband. I got pregnant with my first child my jr year of college. She was a surprise as I had an [...]

Growth (Anonymous)

Previous post here. Age: 32 Number of pregnancies and births: Three pregnancies. Two births. Number of Children: Two children. Ages 4.5 and 1.5 All photos have been taken 16 months after the birth of my second child. I feel compelled to post here again because of how the site has grown. Because of how I [...]

What Makes Me Valuable? (Ginni)

I’m much more superficial than I care to admit, even to myself. I’ve always talked a lot about how looks don’t matter, but it’s easy to say that when you’re skinny without even trying to be. When my husband and I started trying to have a baby, I was thrilled, but I secretly freaked out. [...]

Finally Coming to Terms with My Body (TMB)

Growing up, I was always the skinny girl. As a teenager, I was 5’7″ and weighed 114 lbs. I never worked for it, I was just always skinny. I was a late bloomer so when I finally got curves and boobs, I loved wearing tight clothes and nothing made me happier than being able to [...]

Moving On (Anonymous)

Previous post here. 1 Vaginal Birth 1 Pregnancy 20 months PP Age 22 After my first post, I wasn’t going to post again until after having a second child, to see where I was and how I felt about my body after having 2 children. But I feel like I need to share what has [...]

Trapped in a Vicious Cycle (Rachel)

Growing up I was always a skinny kid. I could eat the fattiest, greasy or sugar laden food in excessive quantities and not gain a pound. When puberty hit, I was blessed even more with the genes from my father’s side of the family, and grew big full breasts. Of course with puberty, comes a [...]

Baby Fever is Real (Serenity)

Picture 1 is me and baby #1 at 1 month Picture 2 is me and baby #2 at 6 months Picture 3 is me and both boys baby #2 is 1 wk (not a great picture, but one I am proud of) and finally Picture 4 is an old family picture. Good morning. I am [...]

4 Years Later… I Am Still Afraid of Showing My Body (Natalie G)

Age 26 Number of pregnancies : 2 preg. 1 birth Child: 4 years old. 48 months 1 week PP Four years and 1 week ago (as of 11/08/11) I gave birth to the most amazing kid in the world. My son Jacob, who is the sweetest little boy ever, weighed in at 9lbs 11 oz [...]

Sad Moments (Myeia)

Previous post here. Hello SOAM I nvr thought id be writing soi soon, but I’ve been having some real sad moments the past few weeks, where I’ve come real close to giving up hope, with thoughts of me never regaining the confidence I once had. I’m 2 months post partum and felt better when I [...]

My Angel (Shanna)

Age: 32 3 pregnancies, 2 Cesareans, 1 Abortion Children aged 10 & 8 I had my children in 2001 and 2003. Both of my children are boys and they are the best things that have ever happened to me. I was a single mom for the majority of their lives as their Fathers wanted nothing [...]

Getting There Finally! (Heidi)

Previous post here. 19 years old 1 pregnancy, 1 birth 9.5 months PP When I first wrote back in May, I was really in a rough spot with my weight and self-esteem issues. I still don’t feel I’m at my “ideal” weight, but I do feel a lot better about myself. My Stats as of [...]

Learning (Trying Really Hard) to Accept and Love Myself (Rebecca)

i am 21 and i have had 2 pregnancies and one birth. this is my body 1 year post pregnancy/c section. i was a self harmer before baby, so i have some scars mainly to my thighs, i had almost come to accept them when i got pregnant. the babys father left when i was [...]

Proud Mother of 3 (Ash)

age 24 3 pregnancies 3 births ages 3,1,and 4 months 4 months pp I was married at 19 to my husband who was 17 a year later we had our first then a year after that my second child, then 3 months after giving birth to her I got pregnant with my third who I [...]

Surprise Pregnancy & 3 Weeks Post Partum (Anonymous)

Age: 21 Pregnancies and Births: 1 Child: 3 weeks old January 2011 Plans are moving along, Just ordered my wedding dress and invites, had a wonderful weekend away with my fiance. Next week, got confimation that everything was ordered. End of the week I didnt feel right. (Let the fun start) I took a pregnancy [...]

14 Months Postpartum After Second Birth (R)

Previous post here. Name: R. Age: 29 Number of births and pregnancies: 2 pregnancies, 2 births (both natural, vaginal) Postpartum: 14 months since the youngest’s birth I had my first child 2 1/2 years ago. I had laproscopic gall bladder removal surgery at 6 weeks postpartum. At 11 months postpartum, I got pregnant with my [...]

I Just Don’t Feel Good Anymore (Tawnya)

Age: 20 Number of births: 1 Age of child: 1 year My name is Tawnya, I just turned 20 and I’m a mother of a beautiful 1 yr old girl. I was 120lbs before I got pregnant, I was in a size 3. I gained 80lbs during my pregnancy. I’m just struggling with the way [...]

Update – Uterine Prolapse (Tosha)

Previous post here. 23 years old 2 pregnancies 2 births (boys 2 &4) 2 years postpartum I have finally learned to accept my body as it is. It has brought 2 healthy happy little boys into my life & I wouldn’t trade them for the best body in the world. I’m tired of wasting my [...]

Bulimic and Breastfeeding (Linda)

First off I want to say that I am overjoyed that I found this website, it has already helped me to start the healing process. Secondly, please forgive me as I have a lot to say and this post may be all over the place, hopefully at the end I can tie it all together. [...]

An Everyday Battle (Grace)

Age: 21 Postpartum: 21 months Number of pregnancies: 1 Everyday my mind changes about my body. One day I will be fine and the next day I’m angry. I have a beautiful baby girl whose 21 months old. Shes happy, healthy, and she knows her momma loves her. I gave birth Jan 4th 2010, via [...]

Apparently Delusional (Megan)

I am a 28 year old mother of two. I had my second daughter a year ago and my other daughter is 7 years old. I feel so horrible about myself and my body. I am 5’6″ and supposed to be 150 pounds and a size 4-6. I’m still a size 9/10 about 175 pounds [...]

My Story (Amber)

I am Amber. I just turned 24 years old. I have been pregnant, and given birth three times. I had a midwife with all three pregnancies. I Now have three little boys. Gabriel, Isaac and Levi -ages (a few days away from) 5, 3 1/2 and just turned 2. That makes me 25 months PP. [...]

I’m sexier now as a mom of two! (Ana Nelson)

my names Ana I’m 21 years old. At 16 I had my first daughter and being that I was so young all my “friends” did not have stretch marks, had perky breasts and did not have well undereye circles. So I felt ugly. I remember before my 1st pregnancy I was 135 pounds. At 5’3″. [...]

Update (Amber)

Previous post here. My third child is now 18 months old and is finally weaned and my breasts have shrunk down to their new size from here on out. Before my pregnancies, my weight was 155 lbs, after my 2nd child weaned my weight was 135 lbs, after the 3rd child weaned, my weight is [...]

My Body After Twins (Anonymous)

Everyone told me when I was pregnant that I would never be able to wear a bikini again because being pregnant with twins destroys your stomach. I want to tell you that that is not always the case. People also said that if your mom has stretch marks you will too. My Mom has stretch [...]

Really trying to be positive about my body. (Mia)

Im 5ft 7 and have always been a very slim girls to the point where other girls were unkind at school with regards to my weight. My pre-pregnancy weight was under 8 stone. I fell in love at 17 and we moved in together, got engaged at 18 at was married at 19. Shortly to [...]

Three Boys (Ashley)

I’m a 26 yr old mother too soon to be three boys. I weighted 96lbs before I got pregnant at 19 and I’m 4’11. I gained 55lbs with my first son Corbyn who is 6 now and he weighted 7lbs 9 oz and was 20 3/4 in long. After him it took a year but [...]

Defeat and Angels (Anonymous)

Age: 22 Pregnancies/Births: 1/1 Age of child/how far pp: 3 months I was 21 when I found out I was pregnant, and though it was not planned we could not have been happier. I had always wanted a baby, and now I was going to be a mother! The pregnancy was very easy and I [...]

My Story (Anonymous)

Pregnancies : 1 Age:19. I had a beautiful baby girl almost three months ago and I am so happy with my life besides one thing…my body. P re-pregnancy I weighed 130 pounds but it looked more like 120 and I am 5’3 I had very toned abs smaller hips and a 34 C bra size. [...]

Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful (Sia)

Most recent post here. age: 18 months pp: 15 months (WOW time sure does fly!) weight: 96 pounds Hello again lovely ladies! This is my last update on SOAM, again I would like to say how much this website has helped me through my struggles with my pp body! All of you woman are amazing [...]

Sad But Not Giving Up Hope (Myeia)

Hi, I’m Myeia (Mya), I’m writing to you all the from Jamaica. I’m 23 years old and 3 weeks 1 day postpartum. Maybe its too early for me to submit my story since I’ve not yet healed properly, but I just wna share my story. Also, I must say that I read the stories of [...]

The beauty of my twin shaped body. (Stephanie M)

This was my first pregnancy and I was 19. I had complication after complication. First I ended up in the hospital at 8 weeks because they thought I was miscarrying, only to find out I had been blessed with not one baby, but two! Now before 19, I was a runner and in shape. I [...]

I Feel Like a Woman Now, 20lbs Heavier (Ashley)

I have always been a rather thin girl. Perhaps bordering pre-pubescent. I was never one to be hit on or even complimented. Instead I got the, “omg do you need help. Lets get her to a clinic right away.” Standing 5’7″, I was 130 lbs pre-pregnancy and wore a size 7. I had a fairly [...]

The Best Thing About My Pregnancy is That it’s Over (I.L.)

Age: 30 Pregnancies and births: 1/1, my toddler is now 22 months old. I got pregnant a few weeks before my 28th birthday. Pregnancy and birth have not changed my body that much on the outside. I have a hypertrophic-but-fading lower segment cesarean scar on my belly right above the pubic bone, a few stretch [...]

Body Image Issues, Husband Not Helping (Anonymous)

Age: 23 Number of births: 1 Age of Child: 2 months Currently 2 months post par tum My story goes back all the way to elementary school when I started struggling with body image issues. I had precocious puberty which is basically going through puberty way too early. I started my period at age 8 [...]

Obsessed with this jelly belly (B.J.)

I’ve struggled with my weight since I was 9.At one point in time I even became anorexic. I’ve always been one to exercise and diet to stay in shape. In high school I had a really nice body, and for once I was kind of proud of it. But at the age of 16 I [...]

How can I love my new body? (Anonymous)

~Age:17 ~Number of pregnancies and births:1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 4 monnths PP I got pregnant at 16 with a beautiful baby boy. hes my world.. before getting pregnant I weighed 115 pounds and I am 5″6. wasnt fat looking just normal size. After i had my son [...]

Comfortable in a new body? (Anonymous)

I never thought I’d be posting on a website like this. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mean that in a bad way I just assumed I would be one of those lucky few women who bounced right back after having a baby. You know no stretchmarks, toned and taut tummy less than 6 months [...]

24 Year Old Mom of Two Boys (Anonymous)

Age: 24 Number of births: 2 2 boys, Age 2 & a half & 3 months. This is my body 3 months after having my SECOND son. Both births I experienced were vaginal & natural. My first son weighed 7lbs 10oz. Second weighed 8lbs 9oz. I gained about 60lbs during both pregnancies. I weighed about [...]

How could my beautiful babies leave me looking like this? (Anber)

I am 27 years old, and the proud mother of 4 beautiful boys! I was 15, and weighed 120,130 when I got pregnant for the first time, I was 150 after delivery and couldn’t lose it! Two years later I had my second son, up to 180!! Three years later third son, 205. Got pregnant [...]

The Real Teen Mother (Katelyn)

I’m tired of only seeing the prom queen that just happens to have a baby, pop a bottle in their mouth, and go out to party in their size 0 miniskirt a week later… it’s like I’m supposed to be like that. but I’m not… I was 15 years old (2wks shy of my 16th [...]

My New Perspective (Amy)

~Age: 28 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: Baby #1: 2 years. Baby #2: 6 months Here I am. Almost six months after the birth of my second daughter. Complete with stretch marks, sagging skin, extra weight, and everything just…misplaced, for lack of a [...]

Stretch Marks and All (limiwa)

Age: 27 Pregnancies: 3 (miscarried 2nd pregnancy at 10 weeks) Births: 2 Children: boy 8 years, girl 3 years I just found this site a few weeks ago, and have found such comfort in the stories and pictures I have read and seen so far. Every woman has a story to tell, each as important [...]

Pride and Struggle with Self Image (Heather)

Age: 22 Hello. My name is Heather. I am a very proud mommy of 3 beautiful kids. My children are 2 1/2, 17 months and 6 months. I have been pregnant 5 times in the past three years, but have lost 3 angel babies. One pregnancy was twins. I first got pregnant at 19..on my [...]

Empowered (Anonymous)

Previous posts start here. After 4 years. 3 posts. and alot of sweat and tears. I DID IT. lol. i wore a 2 piece confidently this summer! I dont think i EVER would have without this website. THANK YOU. im still not confident the way i would hope i would be, i still get insecure, [...]

If only I loved myself as much as I love my life… (Miss Meliss)

I really do have a wonderful life. I have a beautiful son, a loving husband, a supportive mother, a best friend of almost 30 years. I am a student-nurse. I live in a nice, modern home. I drive a decent car. I have a dog, 2 cats and some fish. I laugh often, I love [...]

They Say it Takes Nine Months (Marz)

Previous posts start here. 23 years old one pregnancy, one birth (an adorable son) I’m now 9 months postpartum. I have a few dresses: size 6, size 8, size 9. I have several jeans: size 8, size 9, size 10, size 13. I have shirts: S, M, L. I am between an A cup and [...]

Jealous of Your Breast Complaints, Terrified of Post-Pregnancy Body (Wren)

pictures: -4.5 months pregnant (closest I have to pre-pregnancy) -6 months -last three are me at 7 months Age: 20 Number of pregnancies: 1 (8 months along) I couldn’t wait until after birth to post something because every time I come to this website I ache to share my own story. I’m not generally an [...]

(Misty)

Age: 29 # of pregnancies: 3 Age of children: 10, 6, 4 There are a few things I have learned these past 10 years about motherhood: #1. Creating life is the one experience that brings us the closest to God yet can make a women feel the most disconnected from herself. #2. Things don’t always [...]

My body has changed, but I feel better with myself. (Silvia)

Age: 27 Nr. of pregnancies and births: 1-1 Age of my baby girl: 3 months When I learned I was pregnant, I tried a mix of emotions, fear, happiness, surprise … I thought it was a miracle, because I thought I could not get pregnant due to some problems. I was frightened by the thought [...]

Not Comfortable in My Skin AT ALL! (Nat)

~Age: 26 ~Number of pregnancies and births:2 pregnancies 2 births ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: oldest is a 7 year old boy youngest a 3 year old daughter I came upon your site last night as I was watching a documentary on Discovery home and health channel about moms [...]

Learning to Be (Anonymous)

My story starts in high school when I first started (unknowingly) with anorexia for a couple years. Fast forward to age 21. I got pregnant with my first. I was a healthy weight and honestly didn’t think about weight at that point in my life. I had a healthy baby girl that I had at [...]

I Hate My Belly (Anonymous)

I stumbled across this website by luck. I was trying to search the internet for any type of helpful suggestions on how to “fix” my post baby belly and came across an article that mentioned this website. I’m 24 years old and just had my second baby 8 weeks ago. I have a son who [...]

4 Years Later and Still Insecure (Amanda)

I have always been thin. I know this now. I can look back at pictures of of me and see it but at the time (and even now sometimes) I forget and all the anxiety comes back. I have always had self image issues to the point of crazy water diets and just plain not [...]

Genetics is Everything (Anonymous)

I am 31 years old, my little one was born about 15 month ago, in May, 2010. Before my pregnancy my belly was absolutely flat, I was so proud of it. Although we needed c-section, because my baby’s head did not find its way out and my doctor did not want to risk anything after [...]

Update, 15 Year Old Mother (Terressa)

Previous entry here. This is an update from my first submission here on SOAM. When I first typed this I had this whole long story about what I’ve been through the past year, but I realized it would be a VERY long story. So here’s a summary of my first year of motherhood (although it’s [...]

3 Months After 3rd Child (Kristin)

Previous entries here, here and here. I have posted here after i had my first child and again after my second. I have since then had another baby. I am going to be 24 in a few months, My first is my son who is 3.5 years old now, My daughter is 2 years old [...]

Worth it All (Anonymous)

24 years old, first baby, 4 months old at the time of this picture. Took 20 months and a miscarriage to get to where we are now. These are what I jokingly refer to as my “tiger stripes”. They do make me sad sometimes, but I try to think of them as a natural form [...]

2 Boys, 1 Stretchy Belly (Becky)

Age: 25 Kids: 2 Boys, aged 4.5 and 2.5 I am not going to get into a huge, long story. Many other women have been through a lot more, and deserve to be heard. I just want to say…I LOVE MY BODY! It took me 5 years total to get to this point, and I [...]

Suddenly Androgynous! (Jan)

1 Pregnancy 1 Child, eight months old My name is Jan. I am 25 years old and I am currently eight months postpartum. Before my husband and I even started trying to get pregnant, I was concerned about what might happen to my body. I had always been slim, my tummy flat, and my breasts [...]

My Amazing Weird Body (Anonymous)

Hi! Your website is so wonderful- thank you for encouraging moms to appreciate and accept the bodies God gave them and their amazing ability to give birth to His precious children! I am the proud mommy to four beautiful boys! I’m posting today becasue I’ve not yet seen anyone on the site that has my [...]

45 pounds up, 40 pounds down. learning to love my new body… saggy skin and all! (Ruth)

25 years old, first (and only) pregnancy, cesarean, baby boy Pre-pregnancy weight: 110 lbs. (best shape of my life!) Weight gained in pregnancy: 45 lbs. Current Weight at one year postpartum: 115 lbs (5 lbs to go!) Before baby, I was working out sometimes 2 hours a day (don’t worry, I ate a lot to [...]

Learning to Surrender (Anonymous)

30 years old, two pregnancies one birth. Currently 8 months pregnant. 15 month old daughter. I used to be a dancer and circus performer and suffered with eating disorders, self harmed and abused alcohol for many many years. By the time I reached 25 I had recovered and was able to maintain a normal and [...]

Loving My Mommy Marks (Izzy)

Age-20 1 birth baby will be 2 in September Hello beautiful moms!! its been well over a year since I last posted. But I have been a daily visitor for the past 3 years. In my last submission I was 6 weeks pp with my little man, he will be two in September time sure [...]

Site Newbie, 2 Years PP (Lisa J)

My Age: 38 Number of pregnancies and births: 3 Pregnancies, 3 Births The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 8, 5, and 2. Hi everyone, I’m a newbie to the site. After reading many of your amazing stories, I feel compelled to introduce myself and share my story. My name is [...]

Same Weight, Different Body (Anonymous)

-Age 24, 1 child -5 months PP My pregnancy was awful. Since college, I’ve been a pretty healthy person at 5’1 and 145 but I’ve slowly crept up in weight from 120-145 but I feel comfortable at 135. Well, when I graduated from college last year, I discovered that I was pregnant–my boyfriend whom had [...]

My Body (Stephanie)

I have a love hate relationship with my body. I was obese or morbidly obese pretty much all my life, since the time I was 11. At least my mother kept telling me I was fat from that point on. I just lived up to her expectations I guess. I took surgical measures to finally [...]

Perfectly Imperfect (Blondiebroken)

I am a teen mother, I got pregnant my first time having sex at the age of 17. I am now 19 years old and my son is 19 months old. When I was pregnant I had gained around 70-80 pounds and now that I am 19 months P.P. I still have 20 or 25 [...]

Follow Up, A Year After Childbirth (Ann)

Previous post here. When I read over my previous submission from a year ago, my stomach clenches and my chest feels tight. I sounded so sad and hopeless, like pregnancy was an entry into a beauty contest that I had already lost. I have almost zero pictures of me and my baby when she was [...]

Base Kennedy (Jessica)

I was always very skinny pre-pregnancy, now I’m thicker but the same weight. Just padded everywhere. ~Age: 18 years old. ~Number of pregnancies and births: One. ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 7 months and almost 3 weeks postpartum

Hating My Body (Anonymous)

2 Births 6 weeks Postpartum Hey everyone. First of all let me just say I LOVE this website. It helps to see everyone else is struggling with their body image and acceptance just like I am. I have had 2 awesome kids. I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter and now a 6 week [...]

I feel like a stranger in my own skin! (Anonymous)

I am 24, and I really dislike my body! I don’t feel like the same person,I feel like a stranger in my own skin! It is always on my mind. Its my saggy breasts that feel “deflated!”and my striped jelly belly. I hide my belly, my butt, my thighs, almost everything from my husband and [...]

(Un)expected Miracle (Proudmama)

Previous entries here and here. Age: 31 Number of pregnancy and birth: 1 Age of child/months postpartum: 20 months I’ve been meaning to post an update for a while. I realized the other day that the reason I hadn’t was because I was waiting for a miracle. I kept waiting for that day where I [...]

I Got My Second Miracle (Michelle)

Original entry here. Age: 26 Number of pregnancies: 5 Number of births: 2 Ages of children: 3.5 years, 2 months Right around 9 months ago I posted my story… I was 6 weeks pregnant and scared as hell of losing another baby. I am happy to report that our second beautiful princess was born may [...]

Momma of Twin Girls (Danica)

First off I’d like to state that the first picture posted is of me at 37 weeks & 2 days pregnant… it is also the day right before I gave birth to my twins so it gives you a nice glimpse as to how large my belly was. The second picture is of myself 7 [...]

1 Pregnancy, 1 Birth (Anonymous)

I was 16 when I got pregnant. I was just starting to live out my life after years of being shy and to myself. I had met the father of the baby about a year before I got pregnant. Luckily the father of my daughter is really good to me, loves our daughter and where [...]

Bearing It (Christina Plant)

My last entry was about where my heart is and how our physical flaws should not prevent us from celebrating who we are on the inside. I showed photos of myself from a couple of different races and my shorts fit so that the stretched hanging skin was not visible. When I wrote that entry, [...]

It’s the Journey (Anonymous)

“It’s the journey” is what I tell myself. I’m 27 years old and feel so…old. I have a four year old and a 15 month old and have been breastfeeding for a total of four years now. When I was a young girl, middle school age, I remember women telling me (lots of women) to [...]

My Story (Anonymous)

23yrs old –postpartum 8 months. Angel Jae born to heaven, mum of girl and boy, step mum of girl and boy. I found myself thinking back as I watched my sick child in deep slumber in the early hours of this morning. I couldn’t remember the life I had before one, then three, then four [...]

Hard to Feel Good (Chelsea)

Hey there, I’m a 22 year old first time mother of a 7 month old beautiful little girl. While pregnant with my daughter I gained 80Lbs making my weight a whopping 220. At my age I feel like being a mom has certain expectations, one of them being that you shoudn’t look like you just [...]

Mommy Belly (Sarah)

I’m 26 with 3 pregnancies, 2 births. I have a 4 year old son and 5 months and 2 week old daughter. I was 21 when I had my first child and I weighed 150 pre pregnancy, I wasn’t the skinniest I have ever been but I liked the way my body looked. I wore [...]

Why Me? (Rachel)

Age~18 (17 when pregnant) Number of pregnancies/births~1 Age of children/PP~8 weeks I was 17 and had just started my senior year when I first found out I was pregnant. As you would have guessed I was very scared and cried lots over the subject. Loads of thoughts soared through my head, but instantly I knew [...]

Summer Lovin’ (Kayla)

Previous posts here and here. My daughter will be 3 months old on the 4th of July. That is coming way too fast for me. I really thought 6 weeks after birth I would be back to pre-pregnancy…Seems like every girl I know bounces right back. I lost 35 pounds in the hospital after I [...]

Mom of Two (Kirsty)

Number of pregnancies -2 Number of births- 2 Births Age of my children- 8 & 5 Age- 31 I have visited this site numerous times over the years and shared it with many moms. I love seeing all the different stories and struggles because it makes you feel somewhat normal. I gave birth to my [...]

Liberation from my Mommy Body (Lauren)

Age: 27 3 pregnancies/3 live births Children Ages: 8yrs, 3yrs and 7mos. 7 months postpartum I told myself when I decided to sit down and write this that I would be honest……..not only with myself but my readers as well. I’ve always struggled with my body image and self-esteem. Seeing my body as something beautiful [...]

Update – The Shape that Love Built (Amanda)

Original entry here. Age: 24 (had a birthday since posting my last article lol) Number of Births: 3 Ages of Children: 5 years old, 23 Months old, and 4 months old. Hello again!! I just thought that I’d update on my post “The Shape That Love Built”. I still feel the way I did in [...]

Is My Weight Loss on Track?? (Krissy)

Hi other moms! Well I guess the best way to start is always at the begginning… When I was 20 I got pregnant with my first child. My prepregnancy weight was 125 and was a barely even A cup… when i went in to have our daughter i was 206 pds. (I carried 4 weeks [...]

I Control My Body, My Body Does Not Control Me! (Danielle)

My age: 35 Number of children: 2 – Daughter 3yrs, Son 5 months No one ever told me anything about what happens after pregnancy – the fatigue, depression, mood swings, bleeding for weeks, body changes – the list goes on. I was prepared for my baby, but not prepared for what pregnancy did to me. [...]

I Feel Hideous (Anonymous)

age: 22 pregnancies:2 births: 2 age of children: 2 and 1 (on june 29th) I’ve been reading stories here on TSOAM for awhile now. And I have finally gotten the courage to write the self-image struggle I am going through right now. I was raised by a materialistic mother where looks, glamour, and fashion were [...]

I was supposed to be happy… (Anonymous)

~Age: 23 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 3 Pregnancies, 2 births ~Children: Two sons, 3.5 and 10 Weeks My oldest son is three and a half years old. I got pregnant and married right off the bat at 18, and he was born when I was 19. He was an 8 Pound 10 oz miracle, [...]

2 Babies, Body Unscathed (Anonymous)

I wish to submit these photos to share to give some women hope and prove that pregnancy doesn’t “ruin” your body – I am in no way trying to “brag.” These pictures are of me 3 years after two babies, 6 years apart. I was 24 with first baby and 30 with the 2nd. So, [...]

Will Anyone Love this Body Again? (Rebecca)

In December of 2007 I got pregnant with my son, I was 23 years old. My then husband deployed when I was 17 weeks pregnant and I went back to live with my parents for 4 months. I didn’t have a job, I was sad because my husband was gone, I was lonely and completely [...]

Gaining More Confidence (Apryl)

Previous entry here. Pregnancies – 4 or 5 Births – 3 18 months post-partum Even in my original post, I tried to make myself sound a lot more confident than I really am. But I am gaining a lot more. As of right now, I am about 90 pounds lighter than I was prior to [...]

Closure and Acceptance (Melissa)

Previous post here. Age: 23 Number of Pregnancies: 1 Number of Births: 1 PP: 8 months today I have been keeping up with the readings here, and honestly I do not know what I would have done without this website. Reading your stories, seeing real pictures, have been an eye opener, and an equalizer in [...]

I want myself back. (Anonymous)

I have a gorgeous 16 month old son. I am 21, myself. I feel terrible about my body. I don’t feel like the same person, I literally look at pictures of myself before giving birth and think to myself how I miss that very faraway strange person. it never leaves my mind. If I am [...]

Goodbye beautiful body, hello beautiful daughter. (Elivert)

I have 21 years old. For a long time my body had taken care of no gain, of stretch marks,always look my beautiful belly. Until I met my lovely husband, who has supported me and always wanted, we wanted very much a baby in our lives. Until a year ago gave us the news of [...]

My Story (Korin)

Hi, My name is Korin. Im 24 years old. Mother of 3. I used to be tiny, athletic, and very in tuned with my weight before I had children. Before I got pregnant with my Birthdaughter, I was 5’5″, 130lbs, very muscular as I was in dance all through High School. I was 16 when [...]

SOAM Changed Me (Corinne)

Age 33 3 Children; 12 years old, 20 months old and 8 days old. 3 Pregnancies, 8 days PP Previous posts here and here. I still remember the sick feeling I felt when I saw that my post had appeared on SOAM. I very nearly emailed Bonnie straight away to ask her to take it [...]

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 [...]

Surfin’ Mama (Gia)

Age: 39 2 boys ages 5 years and 10 months 10 months post partum I have a scar on my calf. It is thin and whitened with age, and every year that passes it fades just a little bit more. That makes me sad, because I love this scar. I loved it even more when [...]

This Crazy Thing Called Motherhood (Maya)

~Age 34 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 4 pregnancies, 2 births ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 4.5 years, 7 months I thought I was either going to jump out my second story window or smash all the plates in my house. I was just crazy with grief. Imagine finding [...]

I Finally Feel Sexy Again (Babs)

Original entries here, here, here and here. This was my fourth pregnancy and birth, and both were extremely difficult. I suffered with moderate hyperemesis gravaridum throughout (helpHER.org), lost a significant amount of weight, muscle and nutrients and was on the edge of hospitalization and IV feeds throughout (even with extensive medicating). I also suffer with [...]

Mother of 3 (Misty)

Age: 31 3 pregnancies. 3 live births. Children ages: 14, 12, 10 (All girls) I am 10yrs postpartum I am 31yrs old, and the mother of three girls, ages 14, 12, and 10. My first two daughters were born natural, and my last daughter was born by cesarean. I had my first daughter when I [...]

Picture Me (Lady Tea)

Age: 34 1 pregnancy, 1 child (5 years old) Originally posted at Lady Tea’s blog. This photo is quintessential me: sunglasses on my head, always a sweater handy (layers, you see, are a very important defense against schizophrenic Delaware weather), sandals (not quite as good as barefoot, but close), hanging out in nature with my [...]

Update (Anonymous)

Previous entries here and here. im 24 in july – my amazing son will be 4. I have posted 2 times previous to this… i still have my days where i get down on myself, but overall i know im beautiful as well as my shape of a mother I started using trilastin stretch mark [...]

Be Strong and Courageous (Anonymous)

My first daughter came when I was only 20 years old. I was newly married, working part time, and going to college full time. I gained 57 lbs. And it showed. My ballet body expanded everywhere it could. My legs, my hips, my breasts, and my stomach. I could not understand how people made it [...]

My Twin Skin (Anonymous)

I’m trying to come to terms with my twin skin. Before I got pregnant I was a little over my prefered weight at about 125 lbs. I gained almost 70 lbs during the pregancy, but most of it was swelling and of course two babies weight a lot too. After my boys were born I [...]

Finny and the ‘Broids (Mel)

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a little vain. It’s definitely not a quality I embrace, but still, it’s there. As long as I can remember I have had body issues. Even when I was a scrawny, adolescent little girl, I remember wearing sweats or shorts over my leotard to my gymnastics classes. I [...]

The Thoughts that Plague (Elizabeth Ashby)

age 22 2 pregnancies and children aged 3 1/2 and 10mnths I had split up with my boyfriend 2 weeks before I found out I was 8 weeks pregnant with my first daughter. Before the pregnancy I had never been over 50kg in my life (I am 5ft 1in). I smoked 50cigarrettes a day, smoked [...]

The Ups and Downs (Anonymous)

Pregnancies:6 Births: 4 PP: 130 Full Term: 196 Postpardum: 130 Divorce: 164 Well, I am a proud mom of four kids. I have one girl 11, and three boys 9,7,3. I was able to lose the weight with each kid and after my fourth I was able to get back to my PP weight. However, [...]

Happy… This is Who I Am (Bryana)

Previous posts here, here, and here. I’ve written on here many times before. Each time a progress report or a pep talk. Each time has been therapeutic and refreshing; taking a few minutes to reflect solely on myself and my feelings of myself. It’s not often we take time to acknowledge ourselves as women, not [...]

Tired of Feeling Ashamed (Elizabeth)

Previous post here. I have submitted entries to shape of a mother from my 3rd and 4th pregnancies. Today I felt I need to do this again. I feel horrible about my body today. Yesterday I got into an argument with my youngest child’s father. this is part of an e-mail he sent me; “Did [...]

Want Another Baby, But Worried About Body Image After (Laura)

Age 28 Pregnancies: 2 Births: 2 ages 8 and 6 I had both my kids by the time i was 21 years old. My son is 8 and my daughter is 6. After having my daughter I was so worried about getting pregnant again and I hated the way my body looked with all my [...]

Save the Mom Jeans (Jenna Moffit)

Age 24; Pregnancies 2; Births 1; 8 months post partum There are too many days I wake up to my 8 month old daughter talking to herself in her pack and play at 5 am. When I look in, she sees me and her face lights up with joy; I can’t help but pick her [...]

Want What You Don’t Have; Hate What You Do (Amanda Romero)

Age: 26 Number of Pregnancies and Births: One Pregnancy, One Birth Postpartum: Three and a Half Months I have been through the entire gambit of physical appearance. I was born a healthy baby. I was in the 90′s as far as my percentile was concerned both in weight and height. By age four I became [...]

First Child, Deployed Husband (Jessi)

I’m Jessi. I will soon be turning 21 and my baby girl is 3 months 1 week and 2 days old. She is my pride and joy and I thank God for her every day for allowing me to have her while my husband is off serving our country. When we first found out I [...]

What a Mother of Six Really Looks Like (Erykah)

After I had my son in 1999 I felt ruined. I had never witnessed a postpartum stomach that looked like mine and being that I was only 21 years old, I was sure that I was beyond repair unless I had a tummy tuck. And then I had twins and my sense of “ruined” hit [...]

What I feel on the inside doesn’t match the outside… (Anonymous)

I am 16 months pp and have slowly lost a few pounds here and there. It’s not the weight that gets me down, but how my body has become so misshapen. My breasts are so saggy and the one is double the size of the other. My back side is just a blob of fat. [...]

For Chanel (Dalena)

~ Age: 25 ~ 1 pregnancy 1 birth ~ 5 weeks postpartum I stopped taking my birth control pills at the end of May 2010. I found out I was pregnant on July 17th, 2010. I would say my pregnancy was normal. There weren’t any complications. I gained a total of 45lbs. I was 185lbs [...]

I Found My Beautiful (Jessa)

Previous post here. Age: 23 Number of pregnancies and births: 2, 2 Age of children: 3 (next month) and 10 months I know my previous post had that confident vibe, but most days the confidence and acceptance of my body just isn’t there. The other day I was very discouraged about my shape. It had [...]

Just Me (Anonymous)

I’ve been pregnant twice and have a fantastic “5 and 3/4 year old” daughter. I’m 38, 5’2″, and 140 pounds, which puts me right at the beginning of the overweight BMI category [per World Health Organization]. With my ribcage measuring at 30″ and bust at 39″, my bra size is a preposterous 30-I, or 32-H, [...]

The Shape of Our Hearts (Christina Plant)

age: 35 pregnancies 3 births 3 childrens ages: 14, 12, 9 (all boys!) (this makes me nine plus years postpartum) There is a fire in all of us. Sometimes I only have enough to keep the pilot light on. Sometimes I’m a torch. A bonfire. Sometimes, I am a wildfire- unruly and all-consuming. I’ve been [...]

Finding Myself in My Folds (Haley)

Age: 18 Number of pregnancies/ births: 2 pregnancies, 1 birth Age of child: 14 months Let me begin by saying that in my family being overweight is normal and I’ve always been the odd one out. You would think being the healthiest one would be a good thing, but it wasn’t. I was always different, [...]

We create beauty. We are beauty. (Kayla)

Original entry here. I put a post on here not too long ago. I have come so far the passed few weeks that I thought I would go ahead and post again. I have been thinking a lot about my body and the bodies of women on this site and I am wondering…how in the [...]

Living it Up (Meredith)

Dear SOAM, Oh man. This site has helped me so so much! I read it daily. No joke, after I had my little man (almost 2 years ago now, crazy) I was shocked/ticked with what happened to my body. No one told me what was gonna happen. No one ever talked about the droopy, saggy, [...]

I used to be hopeful. (Tati)

Original entry here. So I use to be hopeful. I use to think I could change my body back to semi-normal or at least into something I could accept. I know differently now. Now I know that with out surgery I will be miserable forever…. Ok maybe that’s a tad bit dramatic. What I know [...]

3 Years Later (Anonymous)

I’m coming up on my daughter’s third birthday and it was sort of a shock to realize that this was also (obviously) the three-year anniversary of my c-section. I hadn’t planned on a c-section and was pretty upset that I ended up having one. I had figured that my body would be different after pregnancy [...]

I Love My Body…With Clothes ON! (Anonymous)

I found out I was pregnant with my first child when I was 19 years old. I was extremely excited but of course I was scared about what was to come. I was actually anxious to start to show…that didn’t happen until I was 6 months. Then I exploded like a hot air balloon. In [...]

My New Self (Dee)

~Age: 17 ~Number of Pregnancies and Births: 1 ~Age of Child/Postpartum: Almost 6 months I tried to make this short, but failed miserably. I saw this website when looking for something to help with my stretch marks. I think this site is absolutely wonderful and I am very excited to post. If you’re a mom [...]

Underneath it All (Heidi)

19 years old 1 pregnancy, 1 birth 3 1/2 months PP In March of 2010, I met the man who would give me our beautiful son. I was the epitome of the typical (stereotyped) 18 year old, I stopped going to school to party all night and sleep all day. All I cared for was [...]

I Rock, Size 00 or Not (Katy)

I rock, size 00 or not I had a special photo shoot done with Gretchen McFarland Photography for a surprise birthday present for the Pilot. Family members may not want to look. I have always been a pretty confident person. I also don’t have a lot of shame and for the most part could care [...]

C(section) You in Heaven, My Dear (Krystal)

My third, and what I was hoping to be my final, pregnancy was beautiful in every way. I was always an active Preggo momma and continued this through my third pregnancy with walking, riding bikes and yoga. My first 2 pregnancies were also active and easy, leaving my body in pretty good shape and with [...]

My Belly Has Stripes Like a Zebra’s (Stephanie)

Every day I see in the magazines, and on TV all of these women/mothers that are perfect 6 weeks after having a baby (if not sooner) and after reading this site, and everyone’s stories it made me realize, we are taught to think so badly of our stretch marks and our pooches because we don’t [...]

Two Blessings, My Sister and My Problem (Anonymous)

I am 37 and have had 6 pregnancies and 2 live births. My first born is 3 year and 3 months and my second is 13 months old. I became a plus size after my first pregnancy and I still am. I don’t like my body and from time to time I wish I could [...]

Twice Blessed (mommy2twincesses)

After suffering the heart breaking loss of a miscarriage, my husband and I were beyond elated to find that shortly after we were expecting twins. From that amazing discovery at just 7 weeks, I slathered myself religiously with any and every tummy/stretch mark cream I could get my hands on. By the time I was [...]

My Story (Anonymous)

At 19 I found out I was pregnant. My boyfriend (now husband) and I were scared and shocked but we knew we wanted our little Angel. I worked for the first 7 months of my pregnancy as a Driver at a plumbing company. This kept my body in great shape and know one could even [...]

Still Coping After Almost Five Years (Lora)

My name is Lora. This is my story. I was 18 yrs old when I found out I was pregnant the first time, and I found out by having a miscarriage. When I had made it to the doctor’s they told me I was four months along. I had no idea that I was pregnant. [...]

Five Years Later and Still 20lbs Heavier and Loving It – Confessions of a Skinny Girl (Anonymous)

I love what pregnancy has done to my body, beforehand I was skinny as a rail and super self-conscious of my body. People used to say that they were afraid to hug me because they thought I would break. I wore long sleeve shirts and pants my entire life to hide my “chicken arms and [...]

I am Blessed with One (Cassandra)

Pregnancies: 6 Births: 1 Age:19 Postpartum: 4 months and counting. This is very hard for me to write. I had my first miscarriage at 15. I was 9 weeks pregnant, it was very hard, no one knew I was pregnant it had to be kept a secret. I had to mourn my loss on my [...]

After But Before (Colleen)

My previous submissions are here: (oh no I’m becoming a serial poster!) One Year After a Cesarean Ode to my Scar Coming to Grips With a Cesarean My age: 27 One pregnancy, one birth My daughter is 21 months old. I have to apologize; I like to take a few days to tweak my entries [...]

Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now (Kayla)

Number of pregnancies and births: 1 3 weeks pp- 2 weeks pp in photos. I am 21 years old and had a baby 3 weeks ago today. I have always had issues with my body. I was anorexic in middle school and part of high school. Now looking back…I can’t figure out why! How crazy [...]

Almost a Year Post C-Section (Anonymous)

Pregnancies/Births:1/1 11 and 1/2 months pp I have posted a couple times on here, and each time has shown a more positive outlook and attitude! Partly,, thanks to this site!! I encourage every mother to FIND/MAKE at least 2 hours a week to do something active that you really enjoy! Doesn’t have to be all [...]

On How I Bought My Baby (Elizabeth)

Originally posted on Elizabeth’s blog, Queen E The Third. I’m just going to come right out and say it. Before having kids? I was a hot piece of ass. Of course I didn’t see it then, but boy, do I see it now. I would give my first born to have the body of 19 [...]

Anonymous

My boyfriend and I weren’t together long when I found out about our first daughter. We were young, scared yet estatic about the news. I was 145 lbs when I first found out I was pregnant. I’m 5’5, so I wasn’t super thin, but I was happy with how I looked. I was diagnosed with [...]

Starting to Love My Body Again – Update (Anonymous)

Original entry here. So have been working very hard for the past month and am now actually 5 lbs. lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight!!!! Feeling wonderful and loving the way i look!!! Age: 25 Number of pregnancies/births: 2 pregnancies, 2 births About 20 months postpartum Pic 1&2: about 20 weeks postpartum pic 3&4: about 20 [...]

Pouch Tummy and Tons of Stretch Marks (Melissa)

Age: 23 Number of Pregnancies: 1 Births 1 PP: 6 months So I stumbled across this website by chance looking up different support groups for weight loss and cesarean sections. I have been reading the stories and have found them so compelling and inspiring that I thought I might share mine. I did not really [...]

Beautifully Destroyed (Sia)

Previous entries here and here. age 17 months pp 9 The other day I ran into a girl who I went to school with. She is a little younger than me and has always been kind of rude. She was telling me how she saw pictures of me before I had my daughter and how [...]

Confidant… Most Days (February Mama)

I am so grateful to be able to identify myself as a Mother. My DH and I struggled for 14 months to conceive our first child, Ethan. We tried to get pregnant on our own for many months before turning to a fertility clinic for help. After tons of testing we were diagnosed with “unexplained [...]

Appendix Removal Update (Fiona)

Original entry here. I had my appendix removed when I was fairly far on in pregnancy, and it was a fairly traumatic experience. I have enclosed some photos of how my scar is looking now, and also a little update on me. Some negatives which have come from my experience – 1. Only one big [...]

Will I Ever Feel Comfortable in My Body Again? (Anonymous)

I have two beautiful children who I love with ALL of my heart, but I hate the way my body has changed since having them. I often hear people say, “I love my stretch marks because when I look at them I am reminded of my children” I don’t look at it that way at [...]

My New Body (Ashleigh)

I have been cruel to my new body, berating it, resenting it, and comparing it to my “old” body. Which I yearn for every time my husband looks at me, every time I catch a glimpse of my own reflection. I tend to forget the level of contempt I held for my “old” body when [...]

My Little Fire (Nicholle)

3months PP Age; 21 2 pregnancies, 1 birth O_o REALLY!?!?!? I was a freaking size 5 a size 5!!!!!! I was happy i wasn’t skinny but i wasn’t chunky i was 136 and 5ft 6in the beginning of my pregnancy was anything but easy i had chronic morning sickness for the first 6months , instead [...]

A New Outlook on Life (Kayla)

Before I was pregnant, I was actually 100% happy with my body. If someone would tell me that I’m fat (mean people) or could lose a few pounds before I get too old and can’t lose the weight (my parents), I would let it roll of my back for the most part. I liked my [...]

My New Tattoos (Anonymous)

Age: 31 2 pregnancies/2 c-sections 20 months and 2 months When I made my first submission I was in a great place and had finally accepted my new body. I was pregnant a month later (the first time we had unprotected sex) and enjoyed my second pregnancy just as much as the first – there’s [...]

My Ever-Changing Body (Danelle)

I’m currently 6 weeks postpartum I’m 28 years old and I’ve had a total of 4 c sections. My name is Danelle and my oldest girl is 10 years old I had her when I was 17 exactly one week before my 18th birthday. I went from 195 back to 150 in about 6 months. [...]

Forever Hiding Behind My Clothes (Amanda)

Pregnancies:1 Age: 19 Hello my name is Amanda I am ONE WEEK postpartum from having my beautiful daughter. I had a great pregnancy with no complications up untill I was due I went 4 days over my due date and then I had false labor when I got to the hospital they checked my amniotic [...]

Widowed, But Never Alone (Anonymous)

Age: 22 Number of births: 2 Ages: 4 years and 2 years I had my first son when I was seventeen. It took almost two years before I decided to change anything about myself as I weighed almost fifty pounds more then I had before pregnancy. Shortly after getting my body back I lost my [...]

How do you forgive yourself? (Anonymous)

2 pregnancies 1 birth Age 6 boy 4 years postpartum I am 24 years old I was 17 when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. More excited then ever, I told the father right away but knew deep down my parents would not be happy so I hid it from them. [...]

I am just starting to like myself ever. (Alice)

24 years old. 2 pregnancies 1 live birth 1 abortion My daughter is 5 years old in 2 months. I am almost 5 years pp. I got pregnant with my daughter a week before my 19th birthday. I was in love with a boy who was “out of my league” but it seemed he was [...]

My Body is a Battlefield (Anonymous)

18 months post partum 1 pregnancy 1 birth by C-Section Age:24 First I have to say – THANK YOU so much to the creator of this site and everyone who has participated. You have all made me feel sane and normal when I thought for sure I was losing my mind. Women are real, strong, [...]

Teen Mom (Jessica)

In January of 2010, I had just turned 18 and was just starting to feel really secure with my looks. I had started to loose weight and was very happy with the way things were going. Then I met a boy. One thing led to another and I got pregnant. Before my pregnancy, I weighed [...]

My World Changed When He Entered It (Samantha)

21 years old, 2 1/2 year old son As a teenager I was always very self conscious of my body. I was constantly striving to maintain that “perfect” look. I was modeling and working hard to break into that extremely difficult world. I never had to work out or diet to stay in shape, I [...]

Miracles Happen (SCS)

Previous post here. age 30 number of pregnancies 4 and births 2 age of children 3 ½ and 5 weeks how far pp 5 weeks First I wanna apologize for the long post, I wanted to say a lot. As everyone says, I love this site. I think I’ve read every entry on it. I [...]

Young Mom to Two Gifts (Kathryn)

I had my sons close together my oldest will be 2 in June 6/16/09 3:16pm 6 pounds 6 ounces 21 inches long! My pregnancy with him was horrible I was nauseous from 6 weeks up until I delivered at 39w 2d I threw up frequently but really didn’t loose much weight oddly. I had him [...]

The Rewards of Patience (Amanda)

My husband and I have been together for almost nine years, and married for nearly seven. Having children was one of the first things that we talked about when we first met. I naively assumed that it would be easy, being that both sides of my family are very prolific. How wrong I was. Our [...]

After 4 Babies (Mommyof4)

The photos are of me at 10 weeks postpartum with my 4th child. My weight before I started having kids was about 105-110, and I am just under 5’8”, so I was very thin! I went back to about 110 after my first two kids in my early 20s. My third and fourth babies were [...]

Trying to Adapt to my New Body 4 Months PP (Anonymous)

I have my first baby at the age of 15 and ever since I keep having kids, Now I’m a mother of 6…and even tho sometimes I’m self consius on the way i look I love my body in some ways, every time i have a baby my body get a different shape and form, [...]

6 Months Postpartum and Still Healing (Jillyn)

I am posting my postpartum pictures here of my body after my second pregnancy. My previous post is here. This pregnancy came a bit unexpected for my husband and I. After the birth and death of our first daughter we planned to wait a year before TTC again. But just 6 months postpartum we found [...]

To Love Thyself (Jessa)

Age: 23 Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies, 2 births Age of children: almost 3, 8 months I have never loved my body. I was a skinny child, but I never paid attention to my body at that age. By the time I actually became ‘self-aware’ and started nit-picking about my appearance, I had [...]

Almost 5 Years Later (Anonymous)

I became pregnant at 19 and gave birth 2 months after I turned 20 to a little girl. Didn’t know till I was over 3 months along that I was even pregnant. Had NO symptoms at all. Peeing a lot and vanishing period were normal for me haha, so thought nothing of it, till I [...]

2 Kids and Body Afterwards (Heather)

I had my first son at age 19. I was 115 pounds and a size three. In my pregnancy I went up to 198 pounds. My body never went to normal. For while i stayed at 165 pounds. Stretch marks on my inner legs ouuter upper legs vigina, boobs love handles belly almost every where [...]

Starting to Love My Body Again (Anonymous)

I am 25 years old and have two beautiful little boys. I hated my body after my first child and finally got the weight off when he was about 1 1/2 yrs, only to find out the week that i reached my goal weight that i was pregnant with my second. I was so happy [...]

The Beauty of Natural Childbirth to a First Time Mother (Anonymous)

Age: 22 Number of Births: 1 Age of my child: 8 months The first time I found out I was pregnant I was scared but excited and looking forward to bringing a new addition into the household. Unfortunately, I miscarried in the first trimester. I was completely devastated and for months it was the only [...]

Did you know? (Jill)

Previous posts here, here and here. My baby is 20 months old. My body is 20 months postpartum. We had a natural birth. We breastfed for 13 months. I’m 23. ……………………………………………………………………………………… I didn’t know you could “give it 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, etc” and still not be where you want to be. I [...]

Winter Update (Vi’s Mama)

Hi everyone. I posted an entry here over the summer, but a lot has changed since then. I’ve been continuing to struggle with my body image. I constantly obsess over it, and i don’t want it to rub off on my daughter. Recently i got my belly button pierced and a tattoo designed by my [...]

27 with 2 kids, 1 c-section and dealing with the scar left behind (Marie P.)

I am currently 27 and 3 months and 1 week post c-section. I have 2 children a 5 year old and now a 3 month old. My son was a c-section and needless to say I, like other women have had struggles with my new body and scarring. Our bodies not only change but they [...]

Really Very Bad Timing (Ann)

1 pregnancy, 2 children 14 months postpartum, twins My twin boys were perfect timing. Our fertility doctor had just finished telling us we would never conceive naturally. I had just told him that through the grace of God I believed that we would. 3 weeks later some routine tests came back to tell me I [...]

Tummy Struggles (Anonymous)

~Age: 27 years old ~Number of pregnancies and births: Two ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 3 and 2 years old, both born by c-section. Every day I look in the mirror and feel a wee bit sad, I have a miss-shaped belly button, scaring in my belly button from [...]

Accepting Change (Anonymous)

Age: 26 Number of pregnancies 3, Number of births: 2 Kids ages: 10 and 4 months 4 months postpartum I was 16 when I had my daughter. Before I had gotten pregnant I was 116 lbs. Quickly after I gave birth, I returned to 116 lbs. I got a few stretch marks and dealt with [...]

Whose Body is this Anyway? (Lisa)

I posted this on my blog about a year and a half ago. It was my way to make amends with my body. I didn’t take any photos of myself during that time. I actually hid from the camera by always being the photographer. I was 34 years old when I wrote this (now almost [...]

Disgusting Stomach, But I Was Blessed with a Beautiful Daughter (Jen)

I’m 27, 1 Pregnancy (so far) and 1 Birth, Daughter will be 3 in May I am working on being happy with my body. It was extremely hard for me at first. Pre-pregnancy I was a bikini model and I never had to work on my stomach very hard and I could eat what I [...]

8 Months PP (Renee)

Previous post here. Age 24 ~1 baby boy, 8 months old Pre pregnancy 135lbs, @ Pregnancy 192lbs, After birth 162lbs, 8months PP 150-154lbs. I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone for all there comments and support. It has been about 5 months since I have posted last. I still am not [...]

Loving Myself (Jessica)

Having my son was the best thing that ever happened to me. It changed me in a million ways, but unfortunately it changed my body too. I was slightly overweight when I found out I was pregnant, and I wasn’t happy with my body to begin with. I’ve always struggled with my self esteem and [...]

I Am Beautiful (Julie)

I got pregnant at 18. I had a amaing little boy who weighed 10 pounds, and I myself, gained 98 pounds. I have stretch marks from the back of my legs to my breast. I felt so ugly, so ashamed and ruined. I thought I was a freak and lost who I was as a [...]

Every Little Bird (Hollye Dexter)

This January, I somehow managed to get pregnant again, at forty-seven years old. I felt it, even as I went about my life, travelling, volunteering in my son’s school….but convinced myself it couldn’t be so. Surely I had missed my period because I was at that certain age. Just to assure myself, I finally took [...]

Wondering if I’ll ever be able to wear a bikini again (Anonymous)

I’m 20 years old, almost 21 and I use to be 110 pounds and very confident. I gave birth 10 months ago and I feel quite depressed about my body. I don’t fit into any of my old clothes, I am 20 pounds heavier than what I use to be. I want to enjoy this [...]

On My Way (Ashley)

Will I ever be 100% comfortable with my body? When I was a child I had nicknames like stick. As I got older my woman body started to develop. I got breast and a nice, round bum. I was always so self-conscious about it. It became what I was known for, my bum and I [...]

Hard Work Pays Off (Georgia)

Previous entries here, here and here. Hello there ladies. I wanted to share my update. I have a few others on here. Although I said I wasnt going to have another post until 1 year postpartum, I thought it was time. I am 10 months PP. Total I have lost 50 pounds. I work out [...]

Finding beauty in every imperfection (Jordan)

21 years old 2 pregnancies, 1 birth 13 months pp I want to start off by saying this site is amazing, I love reading all of the posts on here. However, i don’t like seeing that it is such a struggle for some women to love the bodies that their children gave them. I know [...]

Blessed and Tortured – Update (Anonymous)

Previous entry here. I am re posting new pictures, i got alot of compliments on the previous ones, thank you. But i felt they didnt portray the way i see my body acuratly. 4 year old son current weight 136. Updated here.

25 Year Old Mom of 2 (Emma)

Being pregnant is one of the most beautiful experiences a woman can ever experience. I never felt more feminine as I did when I was pregnant and expecting. and, nurturing my child after-wards by breastfeeding, I’m curvier than I was pre-pregnancy (with both) – I had a home birth with my second, and it was [...]

6 Babies, 5 C-Sections, 4 Daughters, 3 TOL’s, 2 Son’s, 1 Love (Stacy)

Previous entries here, here and here. My last posting this past summer was very freeing for me. I loved the photos, and for the first time really saw beauty in my imperfect body. I feel strong, and continue to grow in inner and outer strength. These photos were taken at our local hot springs & [...]

11 Weeks Postpartum (Marz)

Previous entries here, here and here. 23 years old 1 pregnancy 1 birth 11wks postpartum and -30lbs I decided it was time to finally write my postpartum update. I ended up carrying to 41 weeks and giving birth completely naturally on November 28, 2010. And before anyone congratulates me on that, I did not want [...]

15 Year Old Mother (Anonymous)

I just wanted to start off by saying that I have a lot of respect for all of the women who have posted on here. All of you have made me realize that I shouldn’t be ashamed of my new motherly body, even if I’m the only 15 year old I know who has a [...]

I Like Myself (Rosie)

I see a ton of ladies hating on their post-baby bodies, and some very genetically blessed ladies who are rockin’ it. I’m right here in the middle. I gained some weight, and I lost it. I started my pregnancy around 170 lbs. I struggled with hyperemesis in my first trimester and dropped to 145 lbs. [...]

Believing My Husband’s Words (Nikki)

Age: 24 7 pregnancies, 2 births Children age: 4 yrs & 15 months I enjoy coming to Bonnie’s website because I know, if anything, it gives women a place to be open and honest with themselves. Whether or not a woman takes anything constructive from it is individual. I have seen bodies of women who [...]

The Perfect Food, Not Quite the Perfect Packaging (Anonymous)

Age: 30 # of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies, 2 births Ages of children: 3 and 9 months When my first daughter was born she showed a clear preference for my right breast to nurse from. When she began biting ‘lefty’ terribly to the point of bleeding I decided to nurse her exclusively from my [...]

5 Weeks PP, Almost There – Update (Anonymous)

Previous entry here. Ahhh where can I begin? Its been 16 weeks since I welcomed my beautiful baby boy into the world. I feel very happy about the place I’m at. So far since my last update I lost more weight and I’m back into my pre pregnancy jeans once again. My tummy is completely [...]

Two Beautiful Babies, One Beautiful Mommy (Mary V)

Age: 24 Pregnancies/Births: 2/2 Children: 2yrs, 4yrs I have been up and down over the last few years, blogging on this site has helped me so much. This morning I went to the gym, I go 3 days a week for 2 hours each day. As kickboxing was about to begin the instructor and I [...]

Sometimes I like it sometimes I hate it (Anonymous)

~Age: 27 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 6 month This is my first pregnancy and I should admit I was not quite ready emotional to things happened to me. I love my little girl who is 6 month old now but there are [...]

5 yrs Fibro and Autism (Anonymous)

age: 27 number of pregnancies/births : 1/1 age of child: 5.5 I am a plus size mom and wanted to represent more of us bigger moms since it is a little lacking. I am 324lbs at 5yrs postpartum. I am comfortable with my body, I deal with the constant pain of fibromyalgia every day and [...]

Progress, Not Perfection (Anonymous)

First of all, I would just like to say that I love this website, and I have visited it nearly everyday since I found it. It is truly amazing the giant gap between the body images we are fed in the media and the REALITY of what healthy women really look like. But of course, [...]

Here We Go Again (Anonymous)

Previous submission here. My age: 31 Number of Pregnancies: 2 Children: 21 months and 1 month 4 weeks post partum I was surprised to find myself covered in stretch marks at the end of my eighth month of pregnancy. My previous submission shows an almost blemish free belly. Yet I am not upset about them, [...]

Getting used to the new me (Anonymous)

Age-23 Number of pregnancy’s,births- 1 ,1 4 1/2 months Postpartum c-section I have been having a pretty hard time dealing with my new body after having my baby 4 months ago. I am just now starting to be some what ok with how I look. I gained 40 pounds during my pregnancy and have lost [...]

Without my belly, I wouldn’t have hers. (Anonymous)

age-17 7 months pp I posted on this site about two months ago. I have lost a little more weight since then, but all together I am feeling great. I was 93 pounds when I found out I was pregnant with my beautiful daughter. 156 when I gave birth. I am now down to 128 [...]

Not Myself Anymore (Morgan)

Age:18 No. Of Pregnancies and Births: 1 8 Months PP No one realises how hard it is to be a mom. I’ve had so many friends say to me, “I want a baby so bad, you must be so happy!” But it’s not like that. I got pregnant to my ex after one week of [...]

Am I the only one? (Randi)

~Age: 20 ~Number of pregnancies and births: two pregnancies. One still birth at 22 weeks pregnant. One live birth. ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: son Jacob is 15months old. So 15 months pp. I have always wanted to be a mother. Not necessarily get pregnant at a young age [...]

Has it been 4 years already? (Amanda)

Age: 21 Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies, 1 miscarriage, 1 birth Child’s Age: 4 years I can’t believe it’s been 4 years already. My body has done some amazing things! When I got pregnant, I was only 17. Like most 17 year olds, I had a nice cute little perfect body. (Of course [...]

Uterine Prolapse (Tosha)

2 pregnancies 2 births 13 months PP I am a 22 year old wife and mother to a great husband and 2 wonderful little boys. I have never been extremely happy w/ my body even though I’ve always been on the small side it makes me sick to look @ old pics b/f kids when [...]

Pregnancy and postpartum with twin girls (Shelly)

Age: 35 6 pregnancies that included 5 live births, including full term twins. Would be 15.5 yrs old (Passed away sadly), 14 year old, 5 year old, and ten month old twin girls. 10 months postpartum In the pregnancy pic I’m almost 33 wks with twins. (I grew MUCH MORE by 37 wks. when I [...]

Update (Kat)

Original entry here. I switched up my workout (flirty girl and carmen electra got too easy) so now I’m doing hip hop abs. Once I’m done with the 4 week plan for that, I’m going to start p90x. I have started doing modeling jobs(I have a model mayhem account now! under the user girl08er). I [...]

I Hope to Someday Love My Body (Anonymous)

~Age: 16. ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth. ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 4 months. Like most teen girls, I obsessed over the way my body looked. My stomach was never flat enough, and my boobs never seemed to be the shape of those in the [...]

Beautiful Figure From Beautiful Boys (Heather)

I was never very secure with my body. Before I became pregnant, I had a beautiful hourglass figure, but of course at the time, I felt ugly and fat. Looking back, I want to slap myself. Although now I feel as if my body has a different type of beauty. Looking at this picture not [...]

Ode to My Boobs (Miff)

I was directed to this site by a friend of mine after I emailed this “Ode to my boobs” to my closest girlfriends who are also mothers. Before I was pregnant I was a 34 B or C, during my pregnancy I was a 34 DD, and once I started breastfeeding I got up to [...]

My Kids Are What Matters (HayleyK)

I struggled for 5 years to get pregnant in the first place. After two surgeries and 3 rounds of fertility treatments (all the while dealing with my husband’s deployment to Iraq), we got pregnant with our first born. The pregnancy was easy, the birth hard. But we had our miracle. Then miraculously we got blessed [...]

Will I ever have the confidence to show myself? (Anonymous)

Age 20 2 children – 11 months PP Hello! I am 20, I have two children, my eldest is 3 in May, my youngest is 1 in Feb… I have recently split with their dad and it has left me feeling very self consious. I don’t know how any man will ever find me attractive!! [...]

I Need Some Help (Shannon)

Previous entries here: Missing My Baby Boy 5 Weeks PP 2.5 Months PP 6 Months PP 15 Month PP I have posted on here 4 times already…and my last post was just a 1.5 months ago…but I need some help from you fellow Mamas…I feel so horrible about my body. I want to love it [...]

My Striped Tiger Body (Ashley)

~Age: 21 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1st pregnancy and 1 birth Im 21 years old and i feel as tho my body is completely ruined and ill never fit into my old clothes or be happy with my body again. Let me start by saying that i love my daughter with all my heart [...]

Skinny, fat and somewhere in between! (Bex)

I have always struggled with weight, going from Anorexia to Bulimia or having both at the same time. Since I can remember I have hated my body, it has completely consumed my life and thoughts, it’s always been the wrong shape, too fat, my legs too bulky and muscly, my arms too flabby and fat, [...]

8 Months Post C-Section (Anonymous)

I LOVE this website,, and all you wonderful mothers out there! This is my third submission. I had my first child May 2010 via unplanned C section. A wonderful, beautiful, healthy little girl! She brings so much joy to all that she comes into contact with,, ready with a huge grin for everyone! She makes [...]

The Name’s Ashley (Ashley)

im 21 years old 5 months post partum with my first child when I found out I was pregnant I was so extremely happy. being only 21 I was really nervous at first but I had a lot of positive people around me, and my boyfriend is one of them. he was definitely more ready [...]

Beauty = Found! (Anonymous)

Age: 21 # of pregnancies: 1 Weight pre-pregnancy: 110 lbs. Weight gained during pregnancy: 50 lbs. Weight 3 years post partum: don’t know! I stumbled on this website quite by accident but I am SO glad I did! It is so important for women to see images of REAL bodies, especially mothers. My relationship with [...]

My Story (Erin)

I am a 23 year old mother to 5 month old Claire. My journey began with the heartaching realization that at this young age, I have fertility problems. Fighting not only with doctors who would help diagnose and treat a young woman with PCOS (polycystic ovaries) but also fighting with myself, with my body- for [...]

Fire Marks Almost Four Years Later (Cheri)

In two weeks my moon face girl will four years old. I remember being madly in love with her father and asking the Goddess to let us have a child if it were meant to be. 9 months later there she was. I don’t recall the birth much due to a sedative they gave me [...]

My Body the Hand Grenade (Suzi)

Age: 28 Number of pregnancies and births : 1 Age of my child : 14 months Height and weight before pregnancy 1.60 cm tall & 49 kilos. Weight after pregnancy: 45 kilos I found out that I was pregnant in the beginning of Febuary in 2009. It came as a suprise to both me and [...]

16 Months Postpartum (Tessa)

Previous entry here. It is over 6 months later, and since my previous entry I’ve only been able to lose 10 lbs. My husband has had surgeries, I picked up a second job and am working 45 or so hours, 6 days a week. I cannot afford a gym membership, and wouldn’t have the time [...]

Loving Myself (Anonymous)

I had 3 children, close together and it took quite the toll on both my body and my mind. I’ve struggled with depression since my oldest was born. Shes almost 5 now. It has also taken me awhile to embrace myself; my body and see it as a part of my story rather than ugly [...]

Ups and Downs (Anonymous)

31 years old kids ages 5 and 3 I am 5’2 and 125 currently.Previous to kids my weight was about 120-125.I am happy with my weight finally after 3 years! My first pregnancy I was all day sick for the first 3 months but after that things went well.Had a 7Ib 12oz baby but vaginal [...]

9 months up, 9 months down (Anonymous)

When I gave birth I weighed 224lbs, nine months postpartum I weigh 244lbs. ~Age:27 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1, 1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 9 months

My Ever-Changing Body (Ashley)

Age 24 3 pregnancies 2 births Children- 4.5 and 16 months It all started when I was 19 years old. I found out I was pregnant with our daughter sometime during the end of August 2005. I was around 140-145 before I got pregnant with her and gained 51 pounds during my pregnancy, she was [...]

My Fiancee Loves My Womanly Body – Update (Anonymous)

Original post here. It has been almost 4 weeks. I am doing much better about tracking my foods and being realistic on what I want vs what I need. It is difficult but empowering when I say no to eating at 10 pm with my fiancé. He has been very supportive though and says he [...]

Five Babies in Eight Years (Anonymous)

Age – 28 Pregnancies – 13 Births – 5 Children’s ages – 9, 6, 3, 2, 1 15 months postpartum I had my first four babies in the hospital with varying degrees of intervention. I was fortunate to avoid a c-section, even though I begged for one when the contractions were right on top of [...]

Breast Envy (Kerry)

1 pregnancy/birth 20 months pp Age 20 34b to 42 D to 34b So I posted at 1 year postpartum and was pretty sure I would not post again until I was pregnant or pp with my second child, (we are going to start trying in the fall!) but I’ve been having some insecurities with [...]

Almost 3 years pp update (Natalia)

Previous entry here. Age: 21 Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies, one birth This is just a quick update from a previous post. I can’t stop visiting this site. It has opened my eyes just as much as my son has. I’m now almost 3 years post partum. I actually gained a little weight [...]

My Mother Shape is Beautiful (Melissa Ann)

My life has been so enriched by my identical twin daughters, but my body… for a long time I thought it had fallen to shreds. Yesterday I challenged myself to find the beauty in the way I’ve been stretched. This photo is my result. ~Age: 26 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 Pregnancy 2 Births [...]

My body has been destroyed, and I’ll have nothing to show for it: Update (Michelle)

Pregnancies/Births: 1 pregnancy/birth Age: 18 7 weeks postpartum If you haven’t read my previous post, please do so, otherwise this one might not make too much sense. I thought after I was no longer pregnant I would be devastated with how my body looked, but now I’m finding that I just don’t flat out care. [...]

22 and 2 Kids Later (Jenny)

My children are definately the best things to ever happen to me. I first got pregnant right before my 19th birthday and had a beautiful 8 lb baby boy. Before i got pregnant i only weighed 97 lbs and ended up 139 lbs when i gave birth. After i had him it didnt take too [...]

One Year and 60 Pounds Down (Jess)

Original entry here. 20 Years Old 1 Year PP Pre Pregnancy 124 End Of Pregnancy 194 Currnetly 135 This has been the fastest year of my life… I’ll be honest… I thought i would be in better shape by now… Some days I think I’m looking pretty good and with a little toning maybe even [...]

Four Months After #2 (Sarah)

Age: 28 Four months post-partum This is my third submission. My first two can be found here and here. It’s now four months after I gave birth to my second wonderful child, but unfortunately I feel like I still look the same as I looked just a couple weeks after giving birth. With my first, [...]

Loving my babies and hating my body (Anonymous)

PREGNANCIES/BIRTHS: 2/2 (currently 10 weeks PP) I have two beautiful kids. My daughter is 19 months and my son is 2.5 months. I love them more than anything else in the world, and I would never trade them for anything. That being said, I absolutely hate my body. I can’t even look in the mirror [...]

Is that a football in your belly? No, it’s just extra skin. (Erin)

My age: 34 # of pregnancies and births: 2, both by c-section Children ages: almost 4 and almost 2 I’m not a tall woman. I stand at only 5′ 1/2″. I feel like I’ve always struggled with my weight. I have always worn C-D bra sizes, so I’ve always been pretty “gifted” in that area. [...]

My bikini days are definitely over! (Stacey)

I’m a 25 year old mother of 2 amazing little boys, and a gorgeous baby girl. I got pregnant at 18, and had my oldest at 19. I was 110lbs when I got pregnant with him, and when I had him was 153. I gained pretty much all in my stomach, and breasts. I have [...]

Blessed and Tortured (Anonymous)

Im 23 years old. I have a 3 year old son. I was 165 before pregnancy. 135 now. I am blessed with an amazingly handsome 3 year old son and an equally amazing husband who I struggle with myself everyday. and hate that my stomach looks like a road map. Since finding this website, i’ve [...]

Two More Photos and an Apology (Anonymous)

Original entry here. Just wanted to add these pics which better show the saggies and stretchmarks. All the pics except the pregnancy one were taken at about 6 months pp from my second child, the two most recent taken when I was lying down. I feel like I have offended people and I want people [...]

Trying Not To Be Sad, But I Just Can’t Help It (Anonymous)

Age:22 1pregnancy/1birth 4 weeks PP I was 21 when I found out I was pregnant. The father & I had only been serious for about 6 months at the time, but he being 6 years older than me was ready to settle down & took the news better than I did. I never had a [...]

My Fiancee Loves My Womanly Body (Anonymous)

Some days I feel like a beautiful Greek statue. I am 5’2″ and 190 lbs. I am afraid to lose wt bc I like being soft but I need to get down to 145 for my health and confidence. I am the mother of Irish twins and they are 10 mos apart. I got stretch [...]

Update Baby #2 (Anonymous)

Previous entries here and here. Since my last entry I have had another baby! My little girl was born 4 days early so that was exciting for us and she weighed 7 lbs 4 oz. With my first pregnancy I gained 55 pounds and found it took alot of hard work to get my body [...]

Why can’t I see myself through his eyes? (Anonymous)

age:17 number of pregnancies and births: 1 postpartum: 5 months I honestly have no idea where to even begin this post. I was always the “skinny girl” growing up. I got alot comments on my weight, and they were not always postitive ones, but I loved my body and who I was. I started dating [...]

10 Years Isn’t Always Enough (Christine-Y)

age – 24 2 pregnancies, 2 births 4 1/2 years, and 2 years. Well, I guess it starts with middle school. My ex-stepfather was an older man who was very manipulative. He mental abused my mom, and treated my brother & I worse. My mom would work 2 jobs, & he would gamble her money [...]

6 Weeks Postppartum, 6 Kids Later (Anonymous)

Age 24 years old Number of pregnancies: 6 I’m 6 weeks postpartum and this is how my body look like 6 kids later prepregnancy weight was 147 now I’m 171 pounds I’m very slowly losing the weight and I’m hoping i can go back to use my prepregnancy jeans and feel better about my body, [...]

5 Weeks Postpartum and I No Longer Believe in Genetic Destiny (Kat)

Age: 21 Number of pregnancies/births: 2 pregnancies/1 birth Age of baby/how far postpartum: 5 weeks I was born short and fat, and stayed that way for my entire childhood and teen years. I started middle school at 4’10″ and 160lbs. Both of my parents, as well as most of my family in general, are overweight, [...]

Sady

AGE:25 1 CHILD, 1 BIRTH, 14 MONTHS when i first became pregnant the first thing i worried about was the fetus, as the pregnancy went on i worried about the high dose of vitamin A i was taking, then I worried about the low dose of folic acid i was consuming, then i worried about [...]

The Evolution of a Body (Anonymous)

~Age: 26 ~Weight & Height: 5’2″-ish and 120-ish pounds (I hover) ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 4 years Previous submissions: 5 months postpartum, 1 year postpartum, 2 years postpartum I thought it was important to update my story for a number of reasons. [...]

So Many Scars (Audrey)

I’m finally healing on the inside as well as out. I am 18.5 months postpartum. My daughter Shannon was born via cesarean after 46 hours of labor and it was quite the blow for me. She also had an unknown birth defect (omphalocele) that required surgery the day after her birth. I didn’t hold my [...]

The Guilt of Hating a Body That Birthed an Angel (Amanda)

It has only been three and a half weeks since I gave birth to my beautiful daughter. I should be applauding myself and my body for being able to create such a perfect angel, and yet I am not. Instead I find myself hating the mirror because the mirror shows what I look like now. [...]

16 Weeks Later (Anonymous)

age: 19 1 child this is my first entry. its been 16 weeks since i gave birth and my body hasnt gone back the way i thought it would. my baby was 8lbs and 6 ounces. during my pregnancy i gained about 50 lbs and have almost lost it all but my body is just [...]

Will it ever get better? (Anonymous)

My biggest body-related fear once I became pregnant was stretch marks. I oiled and lotioned my belly as often as I could. I was hopeful that I’d escape stretch marks altogether because my mother never got one throughout her six pregnancies. And I almost made it. Around 37 weeks they started to appear. A few [...]

Cognitive Dissonance (Eden)

age 33 one birth, 32 months ago I love this photo because it’s a hot girl in a bikini and also shows my loose belly skin. I’m surprised by how unselfconscious I feel about that part of me – I’m more inclined to touch it absentmindedly and enjoy how soft it is than to lament [...]

How my life has changed (Anonymous)

Age: 27 Children: 1 I found this site about 3 years ago while having a hard time with my postpartum body. I had always been thin and weighed about 103 lbs before pregnancy. During my pregnancy I gained about 50 lbs and also developed gestational diabetes. At 33 weeks I developed a rash referred to [...]

Struggling With My New Body (Alexandra)

age: 19 2 pregnancies 1 birth 4 weeks postpartum pre-pregnancy 142 lbs delivery aprox 200 lbs current 170 lbs In October of ’09 my then boyfriend and I found out we were expecting. He proposed, and we planned the wedding for 2 weeks later. On Halloween I was at work and started spotting. I panicked [...]

2 Kids in 2 Years (Anonymous)

Age: 26 5 months pp Children: 2, 5 months I am having a hard time adjusting to the new “me.” Everyone tells you that you can not imagine how changed your life will be after children, and it is, down to the smallest detail. Suddenly your time is not your own, your identity and worth [...]

I have all the battle scars of carrying a child for 9 months, yet I am a childless mother. (Anonymous)

Age: 22 7 1/2 months postpartum 1 pregnancy I found out i was pregnant on Aug. 5th 2009. I was 20 years old and my husband and I couldnt be anymore excited. Most of my life i had mange to stay skinny even though it was very much a struggle for me. Im 5′ 1″ [...]

You’re Beautiful to Me (Angela)

~Age: 44 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 14 & 11 years old I find it ironic that I appreciate my body now more than I did when it was a relatively tight little thing in high school. I used to curse what I [...]

Will I Ever Be Happy? (Renee)

Original entry here. 25 17 1/2 weeks postpartum 1 pregnancy, 1 birth I am now almost 18 weeks postpartum, and have 7lbs of the 65lbs I gained left to lose. It seem I am stuck. But, I look absolutely nothing like I used to and it makes so depressed. No matter what I’m doing, it [...]

My Story (Anonymous)

My 1st child I am 26 yrs old I had a c section due to my baby heart rate dropping. I am not proud of my body at all. I had a really good doctor deliver my daughter. You cant see my incision. I am 2 1/2 months postpartum but my daughter will be 3 [...]

Admitting It (Anonymous)

I found out I was pregnant on Thanksgiving Day 2009. I just kind of knew, and I took a pregnancy test early that morning. I then ran to the store and took several more — all positive. My emotions were all over the place, as the father was someone I was only casually dating and [...]

5 Weeks PP, Almost There (Anonymous)

I’m a 24 yr old women who just had a beautiful baby boy on october 1st of this year via emergency c section due to fetal distress. My c section was very painful I never been in so much pain and I was a little sad I didn’t deliever vaginal. I’m five weeks pp and [...]

One Day at a Time (Lu Ella)

The hardest part of dealing with my postpartum body? For me is the bipolar-ness of it all. I gained 52 pounds while pregnant with my daughter, and about half the time I am comparing the body I have now to the one I most recently inhabited: one that was 9 months pregnant. During this half [...]

I Wish I Would Have Known (Khanna)

~Your Age: 23 ~Number of pregnancies and births:1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 7 months ~Pre-pregancy weight- 113 pds ~Weight gained during pregnancy- 35 pds ~Post- pregnancy weight- 106 pds I had my twin boys at 38 weeks they were 6 lb 7 oz and 6 lb 2 oz, [...]

Flames (Heather)

I am a 37 yo mama of two children. I have been pregnant 3 times: one miscarriage, one natural birth in the hospital, and one home birth. My children are now 14 and 11 years old. I paint my stretch marks every Halloween as flames to honor the power of my body and the love [...]

Happy on the Outside (DeAnna)

I am the mother of 2 gorgeous children. I am 22 years old. I had my daughter at age 19. I always had a very cute figure so the sudden change my body took after having my daughter left me in a horrible postpartum depression. I had horrible stretch marks covering my stomach. I started [...]

Five Years Postpartum (Stephanie)

age 33 1 pregnancy I really loved this website when I came across it. It is great to see what real moms look like not what the media makes up feel like we should look like. I gained 40 pounds with my son but have since lost all the extra weight but my body will [...]

Accepting My Body After Baby (Sarah)

`Age: 24 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies, 1 birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum are you: 11 months post partum I last posted on here when I was 6months PP. Since my last post, I gained 1.5kg (3.3pounds)… then managed to lose 9kg (19.84pounds) (I lost 6kg )13.2pounds) in [...]

I Feel I Will Never be Satisfied With My Body (Anonymous)

After having my first child at age 16 eventually i got back down to my pre pregnancy weight and had a body i loved and felt beautiful in, but now that i have givin birth 2 more times in the last two years i think i have done permenent damage, i just feel i will [...]

My Story (Anonymous)

Age:23 Number of Births:1 Post Partum: 2 months On August 23rd I delivered a beautiful baby girl. My husband and I had gotten pregnant accidentally, but decided that we would start our family a little earlier than originally planned. I was pregnant during the summer and was absolutely miserable. I hated seeing all the other [...]

11 Months Postpartum/ Mother of Two (Irie Mama)

I got pregnant when I was sixteen and had my first child at the age of 17. I was so unprepared for what pregnancy was going to do to my body! I ended up gaining 50 pounds in a short period of time and I have stretch marks EVERYWHERE! On my stomach, Big ones on [...]

11 Weeks PP (Melissa)

Age: 21 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth 11 weeks PP Emergency cesarean So I am 11 weeks PP and like most women am finding it hard to get used to what I see in the mirror. I don’t hate my body but I’m far from loving it. I had a pretty [...]

Aussie Mum of One! (Anonymous)

Age: 23 Pregnancies: 1 abortion Births: 1 beautiful boy Postpartum: 22 months Growing up, I was always a tiny build. People always assumed I had an eating disorder because I was so little but I guess I was just lucky, I could eat anything I wanted and my body couldn’t seem to store it. When [...]

I CAN Love Me, Finally (E)

This is a story about love,loss,,discovery and my young body’s journey through motherhood. I guess you can say my journey to motherhood has not been the easiest, but I wouldnt trade the expeirences I’ve had at my young age for anything. I found out I was pregnant with my first child a week before my [...]

I Love My Boys, I HATE My Body! (Christina)

Age: 20 # of pregnancies/births/cesareans: 2 Age of children: 2 1/2(born:2008) and 13months(born:2009) Postpartum: 13months as of 10/10 I got pregnant for the first time at 17, before then i had always worried about my weight and at 5’6″ 147lbs i wasn’t over weight. Now i am 286lbs and i cant stop thinking about it. [...]

8 Months Postpartum (Pamela)

8 months postpartum. 20 years old 1 pregnancy and 1 birth. My daughter is eight months one week and one day. I’ve been having a lot of issues with my body. I still have dark pink stretch marks all over my stomach, hips, lower back, inner thighs and breasts. they’ve lightened some since delivery. but [...]

Scarred for Life (Judith)

In 1991, my then 73-year-old mother visited me in Paris for my 36th birthday. She’d made the long journey from the Dutch countryside by train, and while brewing a cup of tea, I drew her a bath. Unable to get out of the tub she called for help. While I’d often seen NIta in the [...]

Was it All Worth it? (Emily)

Age-20 Number of pregnancies-2, One birth, One abortion Post Partum 4 years My story starts at the age of 15. I met my first love at my sophomore Homecoming Dance. I was dancing with a guy friend of his when he came up and starting talking to us. I immediately thought he was cute. He [...]

It’s Not Luck (Ashley)

age: 22 2 pregnancies/2births 23 months and 4 weeks Hi. My name is Ashley and I’m 22 with 2 beautiful girls. Before I got pregnant with my first daughter I was working out regularly and at my heaviest (in my life) had weighed 145 at 5’5. I was closer to 140 when I got pregnant [...]

Update – I Had My Baby! (Anonymous)

~Age: 24 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 3 pregnancies, 1 birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 2 1/2 weeks postpartum My previous entry is here – Since then, I’ve had my baby! The day that I turned 36 weeks my water broke. It was about 6 am. We had [...]

Your First Home (Proudmama)

Previous entry here. I didn’t intend on updating so soon, but something happened that I wanted to share. First of all I come here regularly because I feel like I’m a part of something when I read your stories. Some of your stories I relate to more than others, some stories make me want to [...]

Stretch Marks 101 (Anonymous)

Number of pregnancies – 1 Pre preg weight – 118 Height – 5 7 Ending weight – 160 post preg – one year and a month I have payed soooo much money to get rid of the hideous stretchmarks. Im talking thousands. no FRACTIONAL laser has worked for me…. trust me im living proof ive [...]

Motherhood Shaped Me (Joni E.)

~Age: 36 years old ~Pregnancies: 5 pregnancies/4 living children (one fetal demise at 21 weeks) ~Childrens ages: 15, 12, 10 and 5 weeks Highest non-pregnant weight: 183 Weight 3 months prior to pregnancy (lowest adult weight): 125 (I put on 20 lbs before becoming pregnant at my husbands request) Weight just prior to pregnancy: 144 [...]

Tied to the Past (Anonymous)

~Age: 25 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 4 years I’ve only had one child,only one, she may be the most amazing little girl I’ve ever seen but where did I go? I gained 40 lb.s with her birth and then kept gaining after [...]

I Was Afraid (Susan)

I Was Afraid, Susan Age: 36 Pregnancies: 6 Births: 3 Children: Nicholas 7, Ella 5, Jack 3 I took these pictures for my blog. I took them to show the world, well the blog world, my post babies belly. I contemplated for literally an hour. I should, I shouldn’t. Ok I am, no no I [...]

The Nonexistant Dating and Sex Life of a Single Mom (Anonymous)

Age: 23 Pregnancies: 1 Births:1 My Daughters Age: 3 I had my daughter at the age of 19 a month away from my 20th so I guess I should say I had her as a “Teen” Her dad and my relationship was a rocky one but I stuck it out because I didn’t want my [...]

Final Update (Jeanne)

Previous entries here and here. My daughter is now 18 months and I never thought I would feel the way I do about my body as I do now. I love my body now more than before I had a child. I love the way my hips have widened…I just feel more feminine and like [...]

Hoping for a Miracle (Michelle)

Age: 25 Pregnancies: 5 (3 miscarriages, 1 a set of twins) Births: 1 Age of children: almost three, 6 weeks pregnant Growing up I was never sure if I wanted children. I was not sure if I had the patience. I met my husband my freshman year of college. We dated for about 7 months [...]

Finding a Body that I Love (Quila)

I was very excited when I ran into this website while surfing the web at work! I’m having a very bad experience with my post baby body. I’m 21 years of age, a full-time student, and I work a full-time job(life). I was never a “skinny girl”, but I have also never been at the [...]

Post C-Section Belly at 7 Months (Shaunna)

I am a 25 year old woman, who had her first baby delivered back in March via c-section. After 12 hours in labor and a dropping fetal heart rate, the doctors decided c-section was the way to go. Since the c-section, I have had the hardest time trying to get my stomach back to where [...]

Being a Super Mom (Bree K)

Pregnancies: 6 Births: 3 Children: Twins 3 & a baby 2 months I know there are many women on here. You come from all walks of life. However there are two things we have in common… we are unhappy or saddened by our bodies and we love our children. Being a mother at a young [...]

Unsatisfied (Renee)

#1 pregnancy 3 months Postpartum First of I am glued to this site. I love this site. I am so happy to have a baby boy. He is the cutest baby ever. I got pregnant when I was 23 and Had my baby when I was 24 on July 4, 2010. He was a healthy [...]

Melissa’s Story (Melissa)

Hi fellow mommies. I recently was looking on the internet and came across this wonderful site. I kinda felt like I was the only woman in the world that had two babies and had a body like mine. My belly seems to sag and I just cant seem to cope with that. My husband is [...]

4 Weeks PP (Heather)

Pregnancies and births: 1 1 month old son Gabriel Hello SOAM. This is my first entry. My name is Heather and I am 4 weeks pp. All in all I had a very smooth ride with my pregnancy and labor and delivery. I was in early labor for 3 days.The night before I had my [...]

Getting Back the Old Me (Victoria)

I was terrified of what could happen to my body when I was pregnant. I was put on bedrest at 27 weeks and was not kind to my body gaining 50 pounds. I have finally lost most of my pregnancy weight now at almost 2 years postpartum and am so thankful that I have relatively [...]

Update (Bryana)

For Cairo Sofia Age: 23 # of Pregnancies: 3 # of Births: 2 How Far Postpartum: 15 Months Today, September 23, 2010 Previous entries: 2 Babies Later Update Second Update Love Yourself, Mama Thank you, Babies Today I am officially 15 months postpartum. I cannot believe it has been over a year since my beautiful [...]

I Love My Son, But I HATE My Body (Anonymous)

Age: 20 1 pregnancy, 1 birth 8 months postpartum I was so glad i found this site, and see that there are many other women like me out there. Well to start off i’ll start my story in the few months pre-pregnancy… i was 18 turning 19 in a few weeks, my boyfriend (husband now) [...]

I Feel Deformed (Sarah)

Age- 29 Number of Pregnancies – 3 Number of Births- 2 Daughter 3 years, son 1 year I can’t quite remember what I thought my post pregnancy body would look like…. but I can remember not thinking it would look like this. I gave birth to my daughter On September 1st 2007 by emergency c-section. [...]

It’s Hard Not to Notice the Changes (Mary, Mother of Samson)

age: 22 Pregnancies:1 Births :1 My Son Samson is 7 months old Delivered C-Section First of all I love being a mother and would not change it for the world! My son is a blessing and I take these scars with pride…most days. Samson was 9lbs 5 oz when delivered, and I am 5 2′. [...]

Update (Babs)

Previous entries here, here and here. When my first son died, shortly after birth, I found too late that the only prints I’d been given from the hospital staff were barely worth calling prints… they didn’t even try to unfold his fingers before taking them, and even inked his knuckles rather than take the extra [...]

Unhappy With Body!! (Anonymous)

23 years old 1st pregnancy miscarried at 10 weeks. currently 32 weeks with 2nd pregnancy First off I found this site somehow when I was researching information on stretchmarks and I am soooo glad that I did. But anyway I don’t want to sound like I am complaining because I am so happy and blessed [...]

It’s Not the Same Body, But it’s Fine By Me (Anonymous)

Pre-pregnancy weight: 107 Labor weight: 160 Post-pregnancy weight: 104 I am posting because this site helped me so much. I came here mourning the body I used to have and wondering if I’d ever get it back. The answer is: it’s not the same body, but in some ways it’s better. I first came here [...]

Update: 7 Weeks Postpartum, 7 Pounds to Go (Anonymous)

Previous entry here. Well I am now 7 months postpartum and have managed to get ride of the last 7 pounds. I am now realizing that I am lucky to have lost all of my pregnancy weight so quickly and to have gotten most of my old body back. Breastfeeding has certainly taken a toll [...]

In Better Shape – Update (Anonymous)

Previous entry here. Age :31 1 pregnancy/1birth a Baby girl,, 4 mo pp I posted on here for the first time a month ago,, grateful for this site,, but a mite obsessed with getting back into shape as quickly as possible. And even though im still not where i want to be physically,, the condition [...]

Upset With My Body at 21 (Anonymous)

Hello everyone!! Im so glad I found this site where I can post pictures of my body and no one will be negative about it. After 9 long months I reached 38 weeks and nothing…No contractions, Cervix was closed, So on my 40th week appoiment My doctor gave me and iduction date. However a few [...]

Don’t Call Me “Lucky” (Anonymous)

I am 10 months postpartum from my second daughter’s birth. She was a c-section after I had complications following a (successful) home birth with my first daughter. I am happy with my postpartum body but it frustrates me to no end that people assume that I just got lucky with my postpartum body, as if [...]

Let Me Out of Here (Angele)

Hi everyone, this is my third entry; my first 2 can be seen here and here. A little recap. I am 29 years old and I have 2 daughters, ages 8 and 4. I recenlty gave birth to a third daughter in April 2010; but she was not mine to keep, I was a surrogate! [...]

Lost and sad (Anonymous)

Age: 20 Number of children: one I am 13 months post postpartum. Hello, currently i am struggling with body image. I had my child 13 months ago, and my body has slightly improved since then. I am 5 ft 4 and weigh 130 lbs. I gained 96 lbs during my pregnancy and had pre-clampsia. I [...]

Mother of 6: Story and Photos UPDATE (Stacy)

Previous entries here and here. ~Age: 29 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 6 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 11, 7, 5, 4, 2, 18 months I have come along way in my acceptance of myself as a vibrant, powerful human with a purpose. I have discovered that purpose is [...]

(Anonymous)

im a 29 old mother of 2 boys.my first one is 4 years and second is 12 weeks.first pregnancy started at 63 kg,i put on 30 kg and by the time my son was 1 year old i lost all the weight(brestefeeding for 6 months and cambridge diet after that) skin on my tummy remain [...]

Take 3: Getting There (Anonymous)

Previous entries here and here. 1 Pregancy & 1 birth 9 months postpartum I’ve purposely left it till today to do this post; I’m exactly 9 months post-partum. Don’t they all tell you, it takes you 9 months to put it on and 9 months to lose it??!!! Well I’ve lost it all, in fact [...]

Trying to Deal With This New Body (Nicole)

I have known my childs father for as long as i can remember it seems. Ive never been a person that loved kids. I was the one in the family people knew not to call me because of how i was with children. I was 20 when i found out i was pregnant so i [...]

I love my children, I hate my body. (Anonymous)

I had my first child, the day before I turned 15. I didn’t have my mom around, so had never known about stretch marks before. I still remember being 6 months pregnant, walking past the mirror on my way to the shower in the bathroom & seeing this great wide purple scar under my belly. [...]

The Sacrifice of a Mom (Cat)

~Number of pregnancies and births: Four Pregnancies, Two Births ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: My oldest turned 3 on Aug 27 and my youngest turned 10 months on Aug 29. So, 10 months. When I was 18 years old, I found myself pregnant with my first child. My pregnancy [...]

I Think I’ve Always Wanted to Pose Nude (K. Marie)

When most little girls were dreaming of marrying prince charming, or planning their weddings and the names of their future children, I had one goal in mind: I wanted to be physically supernatural, beautiful and virtually unbreakable. I didn’t play school or dress-up or house. I pretended I was a cartoon character: Cheetara, from the [...]

New Found Respect for My Body (Proudmama)

Age: 31 Number of pregnancies and birth: 1 Age of my child: 10 months old Cesarean birth Almost 10 months ago I finally realized my biggest dream: to be a mom. Most kids grow up wanting to be rock stars or doctors, I wanted to be a mother. From the moment I met my husband [...]

Learning to Love it Again (Anonymous)

I used to love me body, I loved it pre-pregnancy and throughout the entire nine months I was pregnant I felt beautiful. I have never felt more sexy than I did while I was pregnant. (Blame it on the hormones, I guess) Because I was only in my mid-twenties when I delivered (via c-section) I [...]

My Self-Esteem is Shattered (Ann)

Age: 26 1 Pregnancy, 1 Birth 4 weeks postpartum (post partum pictures taken at 2 weeks) I have always been a thin girl without trying, my weight was a complete non-issue and I have always been very confident. When I found out I was pregnant I wasn’t worried about gaining weight, I thought it would [...]

I Hate Myself, My Body (Anonymous)

Age:22 Number of pregnancies:1 It has been a year now..since I had my little one…he is so cute and I love him to death ..but behind this smile is an unhappy person…I’m so unhappy with my body…I never weigh myself because I’m scared of what I will see…I work out..eat right..but it just won’t help..I [...]

The Life of My Belly (Anonymous)

I’m 31 and have had 2 abortions and 1 miscarriage – no children. All years apart and all for the best…. and still I find myself looking at my belly, that carried the life I was expecting to meet, someone I already loved. I wonder if it’s strange that it’s two years later, and I [...]

Can I Get a Do-Over? (Megan)

One pregnancy, one baby, 13 months old. I’m currently 22, 13 months postpartum. If I could go back and do my pregnancy over, KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW, I’d do so much differently: * I’d keep working out daily, just like I had been doing up until the moment I peed on the stick. * [...]

Two Weeks after #2 (Sarah)

Age: 28 Two weeks post-partum I submitted some pictures a few months ago while I was still pregnant. That entry is here. I loved all of your comments so much I decided that I should submit another entry now that I’ve had my beautiful little girl. I’m currently two weeks post-partum. I gained a lot [...]

Is there hope or am I going to be in these shoes forever? (Emily)

I am 19 years old/ 18 when pregnant/ 19 when i gave birth. number of children:1 born july 8th 2010. birth: c sec. pre pregnancy weight:105 Wheight right before birth: 175 Wheight now: 144 Weeks pp: 7 Hello. I started this entry knowing exactly what I wanted to say but suddenly…I dont know where I [...]

Learning to Love It (Anonymous)

Age-21 Pregnancies and Births- 1 Months PP- 5 months postpartum I have ALWAYS wanted to have kids. So when I married my husband, I knew someday they would follow. We figured 4 or 5 years, so I was on birth control. 4 months after we got married, I felt pregnant, took a HPT and all [...]

Why Can’t I Love My Body? (Ileana)

I am a 21 year old mother of 3. I got pregnant at the age of 15 and had a wonderful little boy when i turned 19 i had my second little boy and at the age of 21 I had my little girl. Last year i met the love of my life it was [...]

Learning to Love the Body I’ve Gained (Gwen)

Pregnancies: 1 Births: 1 beautiful boy! Postpartum: 19 months I submitted an entry a number of months ago but never saved the link to it, so my pics from around 12 months PP are lost somewhere. The pictures I submitted were before I gave up pumping through my work day, which I did at 12 [...]

Young and Free (Melissa)

It’s hard some times to look around at the girls my age. This summer most are still following the latest fashion trends, wearing bikinis, and sporting tans. I was 18 when I got married, and had my first child a year later. Now I’m 21 with two kids. This is a beautiful thing. I don’t [...]

Do I have Postpartum depression? (Autumn W)

Age- 30 Number of Pregnancies – 2 Number of Births- 2 Daughters- 8 years and 2 months I have always been told that if you have postpartum depression, you feel resentment towards your baby but I do not resent my baby in any way what-so-ever! I love and adore her but I hate myself! After [...]

I Don’t Think I Will Ever Come to Love this Body (Carrie)

~Age: 23 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 3 pregnancies and 3 births. ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 6 1/2 year old daughter, 4 year old daughter, and 2 year old son. So, where do I start? I found out I was pregnant at the very young age of 15. [...]

Six Children (Erika)

I am 43, 5′ 4-1/2″, 200 lbs., size 12, and I’ve had six pregnancies, six births. My first child was born 26 years ago and my last, 6 years ago. The last child really seemed to zonk my thyroid and I’ve had a hard time losing weight since his birth. I used to feel very [...]

Update (Anonymous)

Your Age: 20 ~Number of pregnancies and births:1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 1 boy, 2 years and 2 months. ? Hello again shape of a mother! Its been 19 months since my last entry. You can find it here. I’ve meant to do some updates here and there [...]

Getting Used to Me (Ashley)

2 pregnancies, 1 miscarriage long ago, 1 C-section birth 10 months PP, still breastfeeding Age: 26 I always wanted to be a mother. I never expected to be a single mother. I had been dating my child’s father for only about a month when I found out I was pregnant. I considered abortion and adoption, [...]

Second Update (Anonymous)

age: 25 pregnancies: 1 births: 1 age of child: 2 1/2 Previous entries here and here. My daughter will be three in December, which I cannot believe lol. I am finally almost back to my pre-baby weight. I now weight 168 (158) before baby. I am so happy to getting close to my old self. [...]

Bittersweet (Anonymous)

Age: 31 3 Pregnancies and 3 Csections Ages of Children: 7, 4, and almost 3 years. I call my story “Bittersweet” because my journey has often felt that way. I’ve struggled with my weight all my life. I was very active when I was younger and didn’t really gain a lot until college and marriage. [...]

Starting to Get Used to my Post-Baby Body (Charlotte)

I feel so sorry for my husband Andrew.Hes brilliant though at reassuring me.We’d not long came back from our honeymoon in August 2009 when I found out I was pregant,I was so happy as we’d wanted kids for ages and didnt think we’d get pregnant so quick!!I loved watching my stomach get bigger and know [...]

Fanny Pack (Anonymous)

Im 21 and had 3 childern in 2 years.After having my son I got stretchmarks below my belly button and there was slight sagging. I dieted and exercised for a year untill someone said how far along are you. I went bulimic and got down to 98 lbs then recovered and went to my pre [...]

I Still Can’t Believe It (Lucia)

20 yrs old 1 pregnancy 1 birth 8 weeks pp My story is short, I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant, my boyfriend noticed before I did. I had a rather easy pregnancy, no nausea but lots of heartburn, I started swelling after week 31 and for some reason I had a [...]

Happier Now (K’s Mom)

I used to be self conscious. I always thought that being skinny was the most important thing in the world. When I was younger, I only weight between 114 to 120 pounds. I was even asked to model before because I was tall and skinny. As I got older, I found it harder and harder [...]

A Few Years On, Another Long Post (Jo)

~Age: 40 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies and 2 births ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: Age 4 and 2 (almost 2 years post-partum) It has taken me a while to come up with the courage to post this, but it marks the beginning of the new me [...]

First Time Mom at 31 (Anonymous)

I have NEVER found myself attractive. I always thought,, once i accept the fact that I’m an unattractive person,,I would feel much better about myself and not worry about it so much. For some reason though, I got a decent amount of attention from boys,, I was the funny girl, but was too shy to [...]

Almost Satisfied (Shahida)

I first got pregnant at 18 and I weighed about 135 lbs. I guess I gained around 30lbs but was lucky enough to lose the weight pretty fast. When I was 21 I got pregnant with my son I was about 155-160 because of the Mirena IUD =(. I gained about 38-43lb and was 198 [...]

A Crushing Journey (Amy)

Age: 26 2 Pregnancies 1 Birth Baby Girl lived to be 2 ½ days old I am currently 5 months PP I come on this website often. Just to look at all you wonderful ladies and listen of the journeys that you have had. My journey has been a hard one of recent. Losing a [...]

One Year After a Cesarean–Update (Colleen)

Previous posts here and here. ~Age: 26 ~Number of pregnancies and births:one pregnancy, one birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 1 year post-partum When I did my first post at 3 weeks postpartum, I figured I’d wait to do another when my daughter was a year old and I [...]

7 weeks PP (Anonymous)

Age: 28 Number of pregnancies: 2 Children: 2 – son, 22 months & daughter, 7 weeks How far postpartum: 7 weeks I am 5″ 1′ and weighed 130 before I got pregnant this time – I gained 35 pounds which was a lot better then the almost 50 pounds I gained with my first pregnancy! [...]

Written on my heart (Anonymous)

Previous entry here. ~Age: 22 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 2 year old and 4 months old Sometimes I feel like I am the only one who has a changed body from pregnancy. I thought that because I was young when I had [...]

7 1/2 Months Later and Still Struggling (Jess)

I met my sons father when i was 17 years old. We met at a small little party and were together pretty much nonstop afterwards. Within 2 months we already had an apartment together. One night he had had a few drinks and we were just sitting around having a somewhat deep converstaion about how [...]

Wow, Our Bodies Go Through a Lot! (Rhianna)

age:23 Births: 1 daughter now age 3 via c-section I went through alot before I was pregnant. I was using drugs, drinking,smoking, and had 8 years of history dealing with Anorexia/Bulemia to a very full extent. When I got pregnant I quit them all cold turkey. Started out 110lbs give or take… and on teh [...]

This body made one gorgeous little boy.. (Anonymous)

I am 21 years old, and married to my wonderful husband who is in the Navy. We have known each other since I was a little girl, and we started dating when I was about 17. When I was 19 I moved down to Virginia Beach with him where he was stationed. A few months [...]

Not sure if I’ll ever be satisfied with my body (Anonymous)

Age: 22 1 pregnancy/1 birth almost 4 months postpartum I had always been thin and I took pride in being in shape and attractive. My weight was fluctuating in 2009- from 112 lbs in January to about 130 lbs in July (the heaviest I had ever been). I saw the “+” on a pregnancy test [...]

Story of a Teen Mother (Anonymous)

Your Age: 19 Number of pregnancies and births: 3 pregnancies 1 birth. The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 4 years postpartum I was 15 when I found out I was pregnant,I was scared and did not know what to do. My boyfriend was very supportive and together we decided to [...]

The Shape of a Great-Grandmother (Dora, interviewed by Holly)

Dora Age: 90 Number of Pregnancies: 2 Children: DD1 – 71; DD2 – died at 64 years old. (would be 69 today) Saturday morning. Bath day. Clothes gently stripped and placed aside, laundry for another day. I grip her elbow and guide her slowly into the shower, and onto her seat. And for the first [...]

Finally, Confidence! (Autumn)

~Age: 22 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: He’s 4, will be 5 years on September 22nd I’ve posted here numerous times, my previous entries: Autumn Stretch Marked Legs Happy With My Body Breasts, Acceptance This update is to show how my body has [...]

Blessing In Disguise (Tiffany)

Age: 28 1 pregnancy, 3 births The babies are currently 18 months. My husband and I had been trying for a year when we decided to seek help. Several tests later I’m fertile and his hormones suggest a pituitary tumor. A MRI concluded that he indeed had the tumor. Luckily we caught it early enough [...]

Finding beauty in every imperfection (Jordan)

Age: 20 Number of pregnancies and births: 2,1 6.5 months pp I’m going to start off by saying, this site is amazing, i absolutely love it and visit at least twice a week. I’ve posted once before at four months pp and here i go again. I am now six and a half months pp [...]

Learning to Be Kind to Myself (Rebekah)

My age: 29 2 pregnancies, 1 miscarriage, 1 birth 10 months postpartum First I want to say thank you to all the brave women who have posted their stories and photos here. You have helped me to heal. I also want to say to any women out there who are struggling right now: Your thoughts [...]

Another Update (Dolly)

Previous posts here and here. After a few years we have decided to try again. In April 2010 (6 weeks) I found out that I was pregnant again. The same day I went in to get my IUD removed I started to miscarry, I again became pregnant June 2010 (again at 6 weeks)and miscarried again [...]

Getting Used to My New Body (Katie)

I was 20 years old when I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I were very excited because the month before I find out was the month we decided to start TTC so we were excited and shocked that it happened so quick! Well i started noticing my stretch marks when I was [...]

Why Can’t I See What He Sees? (GG)

26 years old 1 pregnancy 2 babies (twins) boy and girl. My husband is such a wonderful man. He sees in me the most beautiful and sexy woman alive. Why can’t I see that?? All I see is fat here and there and everywhere! I see imperfections and that is it. My stomach is ugly [...]

4 Babies – 3 Years (Malissa)

I am a mother to 4 beautiful little girls: 2 year old fraternal twins, 15 month old, and a 3 month old. All were carried to term and born vaginally. Pre babies I weighed about 140 and was in pretty descent shape and now post partum I weigh 174. My story started three years ago [...]

Like a Road Map (Heather)

Age: 34 Pregnancies: 7 Births: 4 Kids’ Ages: 16,13,11,8 ALL girls 8 Years Post Partum “What happened?” said the young boy, “Did your baby scratch you?” This is the moment I discovered the awful truth that would impact the rest of my life. I had stretch marks. Back story: I was a 5’10″ model who [...]

Update! Slowly learning to love my new body! (Anonymous)

I had posted 10 months ago about how much I hated my body and how much I envied all of the thin girls I see day in and day out. I am proud to say (although I have not lost a single pound) I am now slowly learning to love my body and be proud [...]

A Healthier Lifestyle (Georgia)

Previous entries here and here. Age: 25 Pregnancies: 1 Births: 1 Weeks PP – 13 I thought I would give another update on how things are going. Im 13 weeks post partum. Loving every minute of being a mommy. I have lost all of my pregnancy weight, plus 8 pounds more. I have been doing, [...]

My Story of Childbirth (Anonymous)

i had just left school,starting college when i found out i was pregnant, at the start i didnt know what to do. i was so scared and alone. i was in a relationship with a man i loved for 6months but knew for a long time before,but the last thing i thought of was being [...]

Not happy with the new me. (B’s Mommy)

Age: 22 1 Pregnancy, 1 Birth Via C-section 6 months PP Six months ago I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy. I was in labor for nearly 30 hrs, I pushed for 3 and then had to have a c-section. My little man weighed 9 lbs 7 oz! This was my first pregnancy and [...]

My husband calls me beautiful (Alyssa)

Age: 20 Pregnancies and Births: 1 pregnancy and 1 birth The age of your child: A terrible two year old I was married at 16, pregnant at 17 and gave birth to my handsome little 9lb 10oz baby boy when I was 18. Here I am now 20 years old, still happily married to the [...]

It is what it is! (Nina)

I am 31, and I have two babies. The first one was born in August 2005, the second born in July 2007, so I’m 3 years pp since my last baby. I’ve been pregnant two more times, on top of that, but they both left my body before the 3 month mark. Two years before [...]

Only 9 days postpartum, but discouraged… (Renee)

I gained 65 pounds with my son. It’s not that I was overeating; quite the opposite was true. I started uncontrollably gaining weight (sometimes 7-9 lbs a week) and finally the doctor caught on. I had pre-eclampsia. Needless to say, all that extra water stretch my skin out something bad. On July 12, I gave [...]

It’s Gonna Take Time (Jessy)

Age: 20 Number or Pregnancies and births: 1 How far postpartum: 5 1/2 months I am 5’10″ and was 159 lbs when I found out I was pregnant. I was already unhappy with how much I weighed. During those 41 weeks i had gained a whopping 50 pounds. I had my daugher Jocee Grace Feb. [...]

Katherina

My name is Katherina and I am a mother of three beautiful children, ages 7, 4 and 3. All my births were natural and I breast-fed all three of my babies. Like most women, I intended to gain the recommended 25- 30 pounds with each pregnancy, but I ended up gaining 50+ pounds each time. [...]

No Longer Hiding (vsmama)

Age: 27 Previous entries here and here. 1 pregnancy; 1 birth 3 years 1.5 months postpartum I made it a goal to feel sexier when my son reached 3 years of age and I wore a dress! A short dress at that! lol Everyone commented on how beautiful I looked and oddly, for awhile there [...]

Getting Back (Selena)

Age: 24 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 Age of children and how far postpartum: 9 month old daughter and 9 months postpartum When the thought came into my head that I wanted to start a family I, like many women, did not think about what my body would look like afterwards. I had not [...]

Anonymous

I am 33 years old, these pictures are taken 5 years post-partum. I’ve had 2 pregnancies (first one at 13), and given birth once. My body has changed. My butt has flattned, my waist windned. Due to a number of reasons, my weight has fluctuated greatly. From 170 at pre-pregnacny, to 163 one month post [...]

Continued Hatred of a “Beautiful Thing” (Anonymous)

Age: 19 Number of Pregnancies: 1 Number of Births: 1 amazing baby boy (Almost) 6 months Postpartum Let me start out by saying that I am so thankful to have found this website. I no longer feel completely alone in the way I look. Although I do still have my self-confidence issue, I know that [...]

15 Months PP Update (Shannon)

Previous entries: Missing my baby boy and expecting my second. 5 Weeks PP Second Baby 2.5 Months PP – Second Cesarean in 2.5 Years 6 Months PP Update Age: 24 Pregnancies: 2 Births: 2 via cesarean PP: 4 years in September and 15 months So, I am now 15 months pp with Liam. Wow, this [...]

3 weeks PP and in the Navy (Anonymous)

Age: 21 Number of pregnancies/births: 1/1 Age of children: 3 week old baby boy I joined the Navy when I was 18. Went to bootcamp in Great Lakes Illinois two weeks after I graduated from High School on July 3, 2007 and graduated August 31, 2007. I ended up being stationed at NAS Oceana in [...]

Trying to come to terms with my new body. (Vi’s Mama)

I had my daughter when i was sixteen. Before my pregnancy i was a mere 95 Ibs. I wore a size 32 B. I didn’t appreciate my body at all. During my pregnancy i used lotion, vitamin E oil, Shea Butter…I bought pretty much every “stretch mark” cream available, but none of it seemed to [...]

My Story is Long (Anonymous)

38 years old 5 pregnancies/4 live births/2 miscarriages 7.5 year old daughter, 6 year old son, 2.5 year old boy/girl twins 30 months postpartum My story is long. It spans more than a decade. When my husband and I got married we didn’t mind if we got pregnant right away. Well, 5 months into our [...]

From Girl to Woman (Anonymous)

28 ten months post body i posted just only today also talking about my belli and my job . i wanted to share this amazing transformation with you mummas i am absoluty amazed at how the body grows and changes , i mean really the pic speak for them selfs !!!!! i am learning to [...]

21 pregnant with # 3 (Anonymous)

I got pregnant with my first child when I was 16yrs. old I honestly thought I would be one of the girls who didn’t gain much weight, or would be all baby but I was so wrong. I’m 5’2 and when I got pregnant with my daughter I was 135 but by the end of [...]

I Can’t Stand to Look in the Mirror (Anonymous)

~Age: 20 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies 2 births ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 22 months and 3 months I had my first baby at 18 and my second at 20. Before I fell pregnant I had a fantastic body – although I never appreciated it. Now, [...]

Mother of One Little Girl (Sade)

I had my daughter Harmony six months ago. It was a scary experience because I was only 21 when I found out and it was a one night stand. The father lived in another state. I was going to abort my child but I decided to keep her and get in contact with the father. [...]

Australian Ex-Professional Dancer Battles with Post Baby Body (Anonymous)

28 one child ten months post body 65-kg before pregnancy 95 peak pregnancy 75-kg to date, i use to dance professionally in burlesque and cabaret-bars , having my whole job revolve around my body and my own sense of sexuality i was always great shape , having to keep toned by having a active and [...]

Mommy to a Flower (Meghan)

Age: 18 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 6 months pp, 6 months old I was 180lbs when I found out I was pregnant . I was trying to lose weight, but having a hard time . Throughout my pregnancy I gained 40lbs and [...]

Happy in My Skin (Ziona)

I have given birth twice so far, once by c-section, and once vaginally. My youngest is 10 months old now, and I’m finally starting to feel happier in my new skin. I have stretch marks, cellulite, sagging breasts, bags under my eyes, and the c-section “flap”. I will probably start a dance exercise program (Zumba [...]

Almost There! (Anonymous)

Original entry here. Hi again everyone, at the time of my first submission I was about 146 lbs and just hating life altogether. I am now 130 lbs and a bit happier but still have a long way to go. I am still having trouble facing myself in the mirror and it sometimes prevents me [...]

Do I look pregnant? (Anonymous)

Hi Im really confused at this point and just want some honest opinions. I believe in “intuition” so somebody go there if you will. Im a mother of 3..I had a tubal ligation in 1997 and I became pregnant again in 1999, it was ectopic and ended in surgery. I have not been worried about [...]

Will I ever feel beautiful? (Catherine’s Mommy)

Age: 21 # Pregnancies/ Births: 1/1 Catherine is 2 1/2 months old. I’ve read some wonderful stories about finding yourself beautiful AGAIN. But what do you do if you’ve never felt beautiful. I started feeling terrible about the way I looked at age 5. My father who was very mentally and physically abusive always said, [...]

The Life of an Ugly Teenage Mother (Kelly)

age:20 numberof kids:2 I wanted to first start out and say that i recently found your site when i was looking for pictures of tummys like mine after pregnancy.. i am so glad i did find it bc i know now i am not alone. Thank you so much you are all beautiful I am [...]

7 weeks postpartum with twin boys (Ash)

Age: 25 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy 2 births The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 7 weeks I had my twin boys at 38 weeks 1 day they were 6 lb 2 oz and 5 lb 5 oz, and perfectly healthy. I gained about 35 lbs with the [...]

The P90X Experiment (Mary)

Original post here. Website: http://slowthisridedown.blogspot.com/ When I wrote “Mirror, Mirror on the wall….Who’s the Most Damaged Mother of them All?” last year I thought that was the end of my journey in accepting my body…little did I know it was just the beginning! I submitted my article to SOAM in February and it was posted [...]

Cesarean and then a VBAC!! (Catherine S)

Previous post here. Age: 32 Pregnancies and births: 2 & 2 Children: 2 sons, 21 months and 19 days I am trying to get this finished while both of my boys are sleeping, so it will be short:) I had my first son via cesarean for a placental abruption in September of 2008, and knew, [...]

Labor Story and Accepting My New Body (Anonymous)

This is my story, just to get it out there for others to share. My EDD was October 29th 2009 October 29th came along, and passed. I was miserable, I felt huge, and I was tired of having my sciatic nerve pinched to the point I couldn’t move. I can’t count the number of times [...]

She Changed My Life (Anonymous)

28 years old/ 1 pregnancy/1 birth/12 months postpartum First off, I would like to say that I appreciate this site and the support that it offers to mothers. I have been visiting it ever since I was about 7 months pregnant, and it has been cathartic to me and my struggle with my body. Here [...]

This is Your Fault (Anonymous)

I am 22 years old and I have been pregnant once. I have one child,a 16month old son. The day I found out for sure I was pregnant was one of the hardest days of my life. I was in a bad relationship with a man who was a lot older than me. We had [...]

One of the “lucky ones” (Lxnn)

age 28 one pregnancy one birth my son is now 2 ½ years old I say “lucky” because in reality I do not have many stretch marks and the ones I do have are light. I have returned to my pre-pregnacy weight but that does not mean I am at my pre-pregnacy shape. I gained [...]

The Day After (Maddy)

This is a photo of the day after I had my daughter, Abby. My husband took the photo to show me how much my belly had shrunken so quickly, and at the time, I was so pleased that I was so much smaller than I was before. A few months later, I looked at this [...]

Young Mom of 2 (Anonymous)

i am 22. my husband an i were blessed with two amazing little men. i went into labor naturally at midnight on both of their due dates. my first was born at 1:48 pm. 7 pounds 10 ounces 19 and a half inches long perfectly healthy. he surprised us pretty good. they told me at [...]

5 week PP, hating my body (Anonymous)

Pre-pregnancy weight: 169 Labor Weight: 210 Weight now: 200 I have been struggling with my weight since I was a kid. I was 240 in my sophmore year of high school and just last year I got down to my weight of 157. I wasn’t too happy there, but I was content and felt like [...]

Behind Enemy Lines (SMS)

Age 30 1st pregnancy, 1 year postpartum My body has always been the enemy. This shape which outlines the whole of who I am, encapsulating the parts of me both seen and unseen. Somehow, with time and age, it had come to represent me, a personal definition of who I am, carefully crafted for the [...]

Coming to terms… (Anonymous)

Age: 30 Births: 2 Kids: age 2 and 4 I remember seeing pregnant woman and thinking how perfect, sexy, gorgeous, powerful and voluptuous they are. Pure WOMAN. I was in awe. I was even excited to be that perfectly sexy gorgeous powerful voluptuous WOMAN when I became pregnant with my first child…until the weight came. [...]

Still Working At It – Update (Anonymous)

Original entry here. Age 21 1 child, 10 months postpartum It feels like forever since I posted my last entry here, even though it has only been nine months! I must admit that I’m not feeling nearly as confident now as I did at a month postpartum, I guess because the adrenaline of giving birth [...]

Any confidence I had (which was minimal) is GONE! (Anonymous)

I have always had insecurities about my body, which eventually led to an eating disorder. I got down to almost 85 lbs (I am 5′ 3″). Fortunately, I was able to stop. I slowly gained weight back, and wasn’t exactly happy, but I dealt with it and had the support of my husband. Then, I [...]

Belly Flop (Jill)

Previous entries here and here. Back for round three! I figured I’d submit one each postpartum “trimester.” Well, my little man will be one way too soon, this has been the fastest year of my life. We’re planning a birthday party, gearing up for summer, and enjoying every minute of it. Here are my most [...]

A Stomach Like a Deflated Balloon (Sarah)

~Age: 24 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies, 1 birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 6 months post partum Up until 4years ago I had never had body issues. I’d always been slim and fit, but after one termitated pregnancy at 19 I had implanon inserted as a [...]

My Story – I Have a Long Way to Go (Anonymous)

Age: 30 2 Pregnancies, 2 Births Children 9yrs & 7.5yrs When I was a kid I was skinny/average, like most kids were back then. When I hit 10 or so I started to gain some weight. I lived on a farm so I had to do hard work and because of that my weight fluctuated [...]

Proud Momma (Van)

When I got pregnant at 19 I was 140lbs and happy with how I looked for the most part (who doesn’t have little qualms about how they look.?) Now at 2 years post partum I am 195lbs, which is more than I was fully pregnant with my little girl. I feel mixed emotions about my [...]

New Mummy, New body to accept (Kelly)

~Age: 22 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: Kara is 4 weeks old My partner Matt and I are both young, I’m 22, he is 20. We had Kara 4 weeks ago, I had to have an emergency c-section as I [...]

Twins and a Toddler…not sure who “I am” anymore (Anonymous)

Who am I? I’m a…Mom….who is unsatisfied. Grateful in a lot of respects, but one who feels guilty I’m so unhappy. I can’t believe I’m writing this. Maybe I’ll get some peace with after doing so…doubtful. I must have taken a half dozen pictures of my belly and kept deleting them saying…”nah, it’s not that [...]

Accepting my NEW “mother” body (Lizz)

This is my Labor Story and I would like to share it. My EDD was Nov. 23rd, 2009 Nov 24th, 2009 I went in at 8AM for a regular check up. Dr. Wong stripped my membranes and 5 minutes later I started cramping. I told her about how I have been itchy for a few [...]

A letter to my body 1 yr PP (Emily)

Age: 23 1 pregnancy, son is 12 months old, 1 yr PP Dear body, Thank you for all that you have given me and others. I am sorry for what I used to think of you, I was wrong you are beautiful. I promise to never be ashamed of my body anymore. I promise to [...]

This one’s for my daughters! (Sarah)

After years of believing that my belly had to be flat and washboard perfect, I finally came to terms with the fact that washboard isn’t normal. It’s not normal for women to look like that, especially after they’ve had children. Bodies during and after pregnancy are beautiful! Embracing the Goddess Within has been a long [...]

Mommy Boobs (Amy)

Age: 36 Number of pregnancies and birth: 3/2 Age of children and how far postpartum: 6 years and 9 weeks I love this site. I have two children, one six years old and one 9 weeks old. I am one of those ladies that gets my stomach back quickly but my babies have done a [...]

Love Yourself Mama, Then Love Everything Else (Bryana)

Why is it, that as women, when we are at our best, we look into ourselves and label it the “worst”? We never seem to realize how great we are until we fall below that bar that we have set so ridiculously high for ourselves! It is sad to see, hear, and live. And all [...]

Skinny, But Strong… My Way (Skye)

So, here I am again, this is my second post, my first is here. Now that I’m 13 months post partum I feel the need to share with you all something that has been amazing for my body… I didn’t say too much about my body in my first most so I will give you [...]

I Absolutely Loathe My Stomach (Toby)

I have been trying to come to terms with my pp tummy for 5 years. I am only 24 but I feel like I am trapped in the body of an 80 year old woman. I am 5’7 and 150 lbs. I have two beautiful children ages 5 and 1. I work out at the [...]

Anonymous

~Your Age: 22 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 3 weeks pp I am a 22 year old mother of 2 girls. The oldest is turning 2 in June and the younger is 3 weeks old. My body changed a lot with both pregnancies. [...]

Trying to Accept It (Anonymous)

~Age: 25 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 3 pregnancies ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 3 children…2 1/2 months post partum Honestly, if I knew what my body would look like after having kids, I never would have had any. I had my first when I was 18. For some [...]

Hard Work 14 Months PP (Elissa)

Original entries here and here. 24 years old 1 Child-14 months old C-Section Gained-61 Pounds Weight before pregnancy-137 Weight at the end of pregnancy-198 Weight 14 months PP-139 Clothing size before pregnancy Pants size 9 Shirts-Medium Bra size 36 C…Sometimes D After pregnancy Pants size 3 and 5′s Shirts medium Bra size 36 D… I [...]

Plus Sized Mummu

2pregnancies, 2 births, 2 boys. 13 months pp. 22 yrs old. I was told from about 16 that I would never fall pregnant, due to scarring on my uterus and falopian tubes from PCOS. Id had my period since I was 13, and was producing 3-4 eggs per month, but none of them would implant, [...]

The Curves of My Road (Anonymous)

~Age: 24 ~Number of pregnancies and births 1/1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are 11 months postpartum Ever since I can remember the shape of my body has been on my mind. Memories from childhood echo with self-consciousness, fear of being different, and separation. From the outside I grew up [...]

19 years old, 5 months post partum (Ashley)

Before I got pregnant I was a slim 135 pounds, at 5’7″. I felt my greatest and was so happy that I could shop and wear just about anything, all the way down to a bikini in the summer. I got pregnant in March and gained a total for 55 pounds! I got so many [...]

Confidence?.. what’s that? (Suzanne)

I became pregnant with my eldest when i was 19, before i had her i had a great figure (i couldn’t see it at the time but now i do!) i was slim but had curves, my breasts were always small but they were perfect, round, firm and wonderful. Since having my second daughter 8 [...]

5 weeks post-partum after second child (Anonymous)

Previous entries here and here. For the first time in my life I feel no need or desire to malign or discredit my body, or to qualify it with any explanation for why it is the way it is. I am five weeks post-partum with my second child. He was 11 lbs, which was quite [...]

Finally ok with the Battle Scars! (April M)

Age 22 Four pregnancies, one birth One daughter, age 2 1/2 I guess I just wanted to show people that, no matter if youre over weight or under weight, we all have issues with our bodies after our babies come into our lives. I have hated my stretch marks since I was 7 months pregnant. [...]

Working to reverse 8 years of negative body image (Anonymous)

age-23 births 1, children 1 beautiful girl 4 months PP I’ve always been athletic and worked hard to stay in shape. In highschool I took it to the next level and restricted myself to 1000, then 900, then 600, then 500 calories a day, this started a slippery slope of anorexia, bulimia, exercise purging that [...]

Loving my body after baby (Jo)

Age: 20 2 Pregnancies, 1 Birth 16 weeks postpartum My name is Jordan, I found out i was pregnant with My son Colin a few months after miscarrying my first pregnancy, I was 19 years old.. young, i know but i was still Very happy about conceiving again so shortly after the loss. Through nearly [...]

Struggling with PCOS (Nicole)

Age: 25 Pregnancies: 3 Births: 2 Ages: Son = 5 years old, Daughter = 3 months old Post-Partum: 3 months I have always struggled with my weight. I’ve been on diets, exercise regimes, and even pills. When I was 17, I was so disgusted with my weight that I turned to anorexia. I refused to [...]

Grateful for My Blessings (Tsi K.)

Previous entries here and here. Age: 34 Age of children: 4yr old little girl and 8 month old little boy Hello beautiful women, This is my third entry on this site. My most recent was about two years ago after the birth of my daughter via c-section, and I’ve since had another baby so I [...]

Loving My Mommy Body (Georgia)

Original entry here. So here is my update, I am 12 days postpartum. I had my son on his due date which was really great! He weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 20 inches long. I had a few hours of tough back labor then had the epidural. Best experience of my life. So [...]

Mom of 3 boys -1 set of twins (Anonymous)

I wanted to submit this picture as a way of affirming to myself that my body is fine and I don’t need to listen to what others think. I have been going through a difficult time with my husband (soon to be ex) and one of the things he told me as a reason for [...]

I Remember… (Mary)

~Age: 27 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth by c-section ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 5 months I remember being 4 and 5 years old and looking down at myself in the bathtub and thinking I was fat. I remember being in 2nd grade and looking [...]

Struggling to accept this new body and dealing w/ hypothyroidism (Anonymous)

Age: 29 Number of pregnancies: 2 Number of births: 1 Age of baby: 18 months My story is a very familiar one. My baby was born 18 months ago via C-section due to “maternal exhaustion.” I was pushing for going on 3 hours when, after hours of nothing to eat or sleeping, I just couldn’t [...]

Stretched, Marked, & Saggy at 18! (Kelsey)

Hi, My Name is Kelsey.. I was 16 when I found out I was pregnant.. This came as a big shock to my boyfriend and I. At The time we hadn’t been dating long, and we we’re just in high school after all! We decided to carry on with the pregnancy and Keep our son..Now [...]

Take 2 – Still haven’t accepted my new body! (Anonymous)

I originally posted here when I was 6 weeks post-partum! I’m now 21 weeks postpartum and my feelings are still pretty simillar! I have better days than others, very rarely, but they do occur! I just can’t accept that this is the body that I have to live with for the rest of my life! [...]

Update (vsmama)

Original entry here. Hi! I have a goal to feel my sexiest before my son reaches three! And he does in a little over three weeks but I’m already in such a positive state of mind. I’m very confident and excited for my continuing progress. I have such a supportive partner who is putting all [...]

This is me now! (Dadama)

I got married to the perfect man when i was 19 (young I know) soon after I got pregnant . my son was 6 months when I started working and he spend a lot of hours in a daycare luckily my husband got a better job and I stopped working when my son was almost [...]

6 years after…I still feel a bit unconfident (Anonymous)

Age: 36 Number of pregnancies and births: 3 (sons) Age of my children: 12 1/2 , almost 11 and 6 As you can read above I´m a mother of three. I received my first child at the age of 23, the second one at 25 and the little one when I was 30 years old. [...]

Loving Myself (Tarah)

I am 31 3 wonderful daughters! I had my first child when I was 19. Always overweight and insecure with myself, my first pregnancy did not help. I gained quite a bit more weight. The father of my child would abuse me regularly. Never leaving bruises on the outside, just on my heart. I was [...]

Skinny Moms, I have a Problem with You (Amanda)

Okay, let me get more specific here. Skinny moms that tell other women that you have a flat belly a month or two after giving birth to your second child because you have to chase child number 1 around. I have a problem with you. Big time. Can you please just be honest with the [...]

So insecure about my body! Trying to accept it, but it’s not easy! (Anonymous)

Age:23 4 months postpartum 4 pregnancies, 3 births(1 miscarriage) (I have a 5 year old, a 3 year old and a 4 month old) I was 17 when I became pregnant with my first child and I weighed 100 pounds. I was tiny. When I delivered him I weighed in at 140 pounds. By the [...]

Bliss: 4 Children in 4 Years (Ami)

Age: 28 Pregnancies: 4 Births: 4 Kids: 7, 6, 5, 3 My husband and I were in the military when we met on a hot summer day during a training exercise and we were both filthy, exhausted, sunburned and peeling; it was love at first sight. I was 19, not quite 20, when I went [...]

My Journey to Motherhood (Amelia’s Momma)

19 1 pregnancy 1 birth 4 1/2 months Motherhood has changed me in so many ways, I start my journey as a young carefree 18 year old kid, and end as a mature young woman. I met my baby’s father when I was eighteen years old. I thought he was cute but of course love [...]

Good Days and Bad Days (Anonymous)

I’ve been working out consistently for the past year. I try to stay on track with a healthy diet most of the time, but I do admit at times I fall off the wagon! When I delivered my son in Oct. 2009 I weighed in at 183. I now bounce between 148 and 152. I [...]

It looks like a frowny face (Kerry)

Previous submissions here and here. Age: 19 First pregnancy/birth: 1 year pp Thats what my 5 year old nephew says about my belly button. It bothered me immensely the first time he said it, then the more I thought of it a little chuckle escaped.. how many people can say it looks like their button [...]

2 Under 2… Every Day’s a Blessing (Anonymous)

I am 22 years old and have 2 children under the age of 2! I got pregnant with my first child when I was 20 years old, other than getting stretchmarks, I had never really though about how having a baby would change my body. I figured I was still young, and everything would bounce [...]

Trouble Accepting My New Body (Aarica)

Age~ 23 Pregnancy/births ~ 1 Pregnancy,1 birth Postpartum- 7 months I had just started dating my little guys dad six months before we found out we were expecting. It was a great moment for me and I’m sure him as well. Before I met his dad I was in a long term relationship for 5 [...]

My Mommy Body – Update (Anonymous)

This is an update to my March 2007 post. I am 25 years old. I got pregnant with my daughter just 2 months after my previous post. My little girl is now 2, and my son is 3. I lost all of the weight from her. I am just 10lbs heavier than before we conceived [...]

My Body After Baby (Tessa)

I became pregnant and the age of 19 years old. Before I was pregnant, I was quite thin. I always had body image insecurities either way. Looking back at those photos, I find myself asking how I could have ever been displeased with my body pre-pregnancy. When I found out I was pregnant, I was [...]

Baby Mama (Anonymous)

Age 23 2 1/2 Years and 6 months postpartum 3 pregnancies 2 births I’ve always struggled with body issues and would sometimes get depressed and sick about it because I wanted to be the “best”. I was always thin and had a nice body even if it wasn’t “perfect”. I always looked forward to pregnancy [...]

You don’t realize what you have, until it’s gone.. so old but so true (Anonymous)

Age : 21 Number of Pregnancies : 1 Births : 1 Time Since giving birth : almost 11 months I have been with my husband for over four years now. I got pregnant while we were still dating in 2009 when I was 20, and we got married shortly me after giving birth. Before I [...]

7 weeks postpartum…7 pounds to go (Anonymous)

23 years old, first birth and first pregnancy baby is now 7 weeks old When I first found out I was pregnant I never thought of the impact a pregnancy could have on my body. I just could not imagine that I would have stretch marks and spider veins at my age…my mom has those [...]

Size 16 Mom of 2 (Jen)

~Your Age: 26 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies, 2 births ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 8 months pp ~Any key words (second pregnancy, plus sized mom, cesarean, etc): cesarean, VBAC, plus sized, second pregnancy, Hypoplasia, IGT I have 2 children. They are 19 months apart. The youngest [...]

My Story With Lily – Update (Marissa)

Original entry here. I have lost 76 pounds, 10 more to go. im right now a 140 lbs, but the new pics are when i was a 144 lbs. I have finally started my period and the weight is coming off quickly. Plus, i eat right and jog. so its been helping alot. i hope [...]

From “Pro-Ana” to Post-Partum (Annie)

Pregnancies-2 Births-2 14 months postpartum 25 yearsold Daughter 3 years old Son 14 months I went from worshiping this to this I suffered… uh.. have been suffering…well.. am struggeling against having.. ugh.. I HAVE an eating disorder. Kinda like … once and Alcoholic always an alcoholic… if im not very carefull I trip and fall [...]

I’m done doing nothing when I could work at being at my best! (vsmama)

Hi! I am a 27 year old mother to a beautiful 2.5 year old boy! I’ve been with my husband since I was 19 and we only found out we were pregnant 2 months short of me turning 25. I never had to exercise and always wore ‘sexy’ but classy outfits. I was about 144 [...]

Living For So Much (Natalia)

Age: 20 Pregnancies/births: 3 pregnancies/ 1 birth Number of children: 1 son, Ronin, age 2 I found out I was pregnant when I was 17, which truly caught me by suprise. I know I wasn’t on birth control, but we used a condom every time. Could it be possible I was the 1% that the [...]

My 4th belly!! (Iraiosc)

Hi again!! I wrote here twice before, you can see here and here. I need to explain my feelings about what i’ve just did. I’ve finally repaired my hernia and diastasis only 20 days ago!! Family are contradicted, they wanted of course I get well quikly (sorry my mistakes please ) but I know they [...]

Loving What Is (Anonymous)

I am a sexual abuse victim. I lost a baby at 16 weeks when I was only 16 years old. I have had many years of self loathing. I can still here the ridiculing comments that were made about my body. I was ugly,dirty,the defect. When I saw what other women looked like I drew [...]

I wish I wasn’t so ashamed of my body (Anonymous)

Age:31 # of pregnancies and birth: 2 pregnancies and 1 birth My child is now 4 years old. I became pregnant and gave birth to a handsome boy at the age of 26. As much as I adore and cherish my son, the scars left on my body haunt me till this day. I’ve always [...]

Hoping to love myself again (Anonymous)

~Age:26 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 3 pregnancies (3 c-sections) ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: Children ages 7, 2 and 8.5 months Some days I look in the mirror and see my reflection somewhat of a positive way. “The stretch marks and skin aren’t that bad after all,” I [...]

My son played a few tricks on me (J.D.)

My story starts in March 2007 when i decided to move to another country and start a new life. I was bored of my life, my job, my city and i felt very lonely and depressed. It was a great choice as i started on a new path with lots of joy and happiness. I [...]

It Has Taken Time (Anonymous)

This is such a wonderful place for mothers to come! I recently stumbled upon this place while I was searching on facebook for different groups, and I am so so glad I did! I have honestly always had body issues… I don’t know if it was learned from my mother, or from the society we [...]

Twin Skin… 4 babies in less than 4years (Jane)

I married a wonderful man and we were excited to start our family relatively quickly. First baby was a healthy, full term girl. I was quite sure that I had done well to stay in a healthy range, after all, I had always been slim and I believed, based on my genetics that pregnancy would [...]

Redemption Baby (Tabitha)

This is a story of redemption. Here’s the story, from the beginning…. I got pregnant for the first time in March of 2005. My first pregnancy was a breeze and we planned to have a home birth with a midwife. I labored for 18 hours at home but due to complications during the pushing phase, [...]

Beauty in the Battle (Kara)

25 3 Pregnancies, 2 Birth Girls ages 6 & 4 Longing for another soon & 1 more shortly after My body looks as though I was attached by wild Tigers, shredded on my breats, abdomen, back, butt & thighs But i find beauty in my Battle Scars, its the beauty of growing precious cargo. However [...]

This is Me (Anonymous)

Age: 23 Numbers of pregnancies and births: 1 Children: 1 awesome daughter, 3 years old This is who I am and unfortunately I’m not too happy with myself. No matter how much weight I lose, my stomach doesn’t seem to shrink. I’m currently 175 pounds and I plan on getting down to 140. I really [...]

The roads that led to motherhood – A stretch mark love story! (Rachael)

Age now: 22 18 months pp. I became a mother at age 21. My son was born at 7lbs 11 ounces and I absolutely do not regret anything I went through in order to bring him into the world safely. Before pregnancy, I loved my body. I loved my complexion, my height, my weight… everything. [...]

Twin Tummy After Two Years (Anonymous)

Age: 34 1 pregnancy, 2 children I have recently discovered this website and am so glad I did as the stories have inspired me and helped me accept my post pregnancy body. I generally keep my thoughts on my body to myself as I don’t like drawing attention to it and I never imagined I [...]

My Journey Into Motherhood (Anonymous)

I’ve struggled with food for a few years now. My struggle was mostly a secret and began two and a half years ago when I decided I wanted to lose weight for my wedding. I wasn’t overweight, but I wanted to look good. Long story short, I became obsessed, gained the weight back and then [...]

3 years and 3 months later… (Anonymous)

I had my first son in October 2007 by emergency cesarian and my daughter 17 months later by elective cesairan. I have now given up breastfeeding for one month and although I miss it I am pleased to have my body to myself. I fed each baby for over a year and had been continually [...]

The Ever-Elusive Belly Button (Lulu)

When me and my husband first got married, everyone incessantly pestered us about when we were going to have kids. We told them, quite firmly, that we were going to wait at least five years… by then we’d be good and ready. My mother would always laugh at this, and told us bluntly that she’d [...]

Big Tee & Little Tee (Tee)

Age: 26 Pregnancies/births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth Age of child: 5 I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant and I was scared to death. I was a junior in college, my boyfriend (now husband) was stationed in another state and neither of us knew anything about babies. We had tons of support [...]

Update (Kayla)

Previous entries here, here and here. 21 years old 1 pregnancy, 1 birth son is 16 months old current weight: 165lbs I am now 16 months pp as of yesterday (March 22, 2010). I have GAINED weight in the past month or so and it is so frustrating. I have to say, alot of it [...]

Worth Every Pound and Every Mark (Apryl)

First of all, I would like to applaud this site. It is wonderful to see you celebrating the real beauty n a mother instead of criticizing the perceived flaws that so many of us think we have because we don’t match the air-brushed photos of the celebrity moms that have a personal trainer, personal chef, [...]

The aftermath of sexual violence + the beginning of healing, part 2 (Anonymous)

About a year ago, six weeks after giving birth to my son, I posted my first entry. It’s been a tough and fun year and yet again my body has changed a lot. I am still breastfeeding and that has helped me lose all my pregnancy weight, without any effort on my part. That was [...]

Uneven Breasts (Proud Mom)

My baby boy is 7 months tomorrow, and I’m a 23 year old all proud battle scared mom… I’ve been 1 of the lucky ladies to not develop strech marks, but a single one right on top of my belly button, the problem I’ve had is that at least 4 months ago my baby won’t [...]

Third Child, 3 Months PP (Anonymous)

I am 29 years old and had baby number three, three months ago. I gained 40-45 lbs. with each pregnancy, a lot of it going on my stomach. People always asked me if I was sure I wasn’t having twins. But I loved my big pregnant belly. I felt so full of life, even though [...]

Update (Jeanne)

Original entry here. Since my initial submission I feel like I’ve been able to focus on the important thing- finished college, got a job, spend my time with my daughter and have dated here and there. I’ve accepted my body and while I don’t love it- I like it for it’s flaws and have been [...]

I Hate My Stomach (Emma)

I never liked my body before I got pregnant at 18, but after going through a very rough pregnancy, I wish I had appreciated it more when I could. My pregnancy was unplanned, and I spent much of it wondering if I was making the right decision. It was also rough on me physically – [...]

Brave enough (Anonymous)

I have a secret……I am brave enough to strut for my husband, brave enough to let him touch any place on my body, brave enough to call myself sexy and actually KNOW that I am. I am brave enough to not second guess my husband when he says I am the most beautiful, I am [...]

A Deeper Beauty (Jessica)

Age: 23 Number of Pregnancies and Births: 1/1 How far postpartum : 7 months I have been reading the stories of these lovely ladies since I stumbled upon it at a few weeks post partum. Looking for other women who looked like myself that I could relate to not only physically but emotionally. I was [...]

A Map Where He Lived (Kace)

Kace, age 31 3 children, aged 7 and 5 The irony of my being able to find beauty in the natural shape of a mom’s form postpartum is not lost on me. I served a year in the military and was sexually assaulted. As a byproduct of the sexual assaults I rejected the female form. [...]

10.5 months postpartum:how body change after each child (Kristin)

Number of Pregnancy/children: 3 pregnancy’s , 2 children(one ended in miscarriage) How many months postpartum: 10.5months (as of March 16) First entry. Second entry. Third entry. I wrote here other times telling you all my story and how i was not happy about my body after 2 children but how much my beautiful children are [...]

Rachael

Hello, My Name is Rachael. I am 22, I live in Bunbury, Western Australia. I had my baby boy “Traye” on the 21st of February 2010… so that makes me 3 and a half weeks “PP”. I knew i was going to have a bad stomach because of how quickly my stretch marks came up.. [...]

Teen Mum of One (Anonymous)

I’m 19 years old. Found out I was pregnant when I was 18 and turned 19 during my pregnancy. I felt really terrible about myself from 6 months pregnant on. I felt I looked so huge and disgusting and cried about it alot. My body after having my baby turned out not to be much [...]

Regarding the OC Register Article (Anonymous)

“Stretching the Truth” seemed a very appropriate title for the article in today’s newspaper! I have heard so many women say that their children ruined their bodies. I know that is not the case with me! I have two beautiful girls. One is over 30 years old and the other just started college. My first [...]

Update 3 years PP..Bio Oil made a difference! (Anonymous)

Age: 26 Age of child :3 years old This is an update from my previous submission. I haven’t really changed my eating habits, I eat as best I can and I still cant motivate myself to exercise on a regular basis..actually I gained some weight since the last entry. When the entry was written I [...]

You’ll Never Be Beautiful Again (Anonymous)

Age:23 Number of Pregnancies:1 Child: 1 unbelievably beautiful son, 8 months I would love to share the name of my son or a before photo of myself or even a full picture of myself, but I can not bare the thought of someone I know reading this. I have this fear that must come from [...]

Irelynd

Irelynd Age: 22 Number of Pregnancies’ Age of Irelynd: 5 weeks 2 days I was 21 when I got pregnant with Irelynd, at first I cried I was told I couldn’t get pregnant since I have some genetic diseases that made it near impossible to carry a child. My mom wanted me to get an [...]

2 1/2 Years Later- Anonymous

Age: 21 A couple months after I turned 18 I found out I was pregnant. Since my boyfriend lived in California and I was so young, I was very nervous. Having my daughter changed my entire life around. I become responsible, mature and learned how to put my daughter’s needs in front of my own. [...]

Just gotta keep plugging away at it (Tara)

Age 29 Pregnancies 3 Births 1 Cesarean 5 months PP This is a great site, I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s stories and seeing pictures of other women PP and their beautiful babies. I have a 5 month old son, he was born by cesarean. I am still trying to get used to the scar, [...]

My thoughts, fears, and joys of being a mother (Stacy)

Age: 26 # of pregnancies and births: 5 pregnancies (currently pregnant), 2 births My children are 6 and 2, and I am 10 weeks pregnant with my third child I became pregnant for the first time at 19 years old. It seemed like the MOST horrible time for it to happen. I was not in [...]

Saggy Baggy Mama (Anonymous)

I never expected to want to be a mother. I never expected to enjoy being a mother. I never expected that I could love anyone so much. I never expected to describe myself as uncooked dough that had been mauled by a bear. I did want to be a mother, I do enjoy being a [...]

It helps to know I’m not the only one (Anonymous)

I will never ever get “my” body back. If I had the money to get a tummy tuck, I’d do it in a heartbeat! My stomach is the thing I’m most self concious of, but I have plenty of stretch marks all over my breasts, thighs and butt too. I’m 5’2” and currently weigh 134, [...]

My body has definitely changed for the worse but my little girl was worth it! (Sienna)

Age: 22 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 Pregnancy, 1 Birth I am 8 weeks postpartum I became pregnant when I was 21 after only 1 month of trying and was absolutely delighted! I loved my body just before getting pregnant – I had just lost a bit of weight and was feeling very confident! [...]

For the love of the fight (Dani)

Age: 24 Number of pregnancies/births: 3/1 Age of child: 10.5 months I struggled with infertility for years. I suffered 2 miscarriages and finally, in August of 2008, I got pregnant again for the 3rd time. I was afraid, but confident. I carried the pregnancy to term and now have a beautiful daughter. When I saw [...]

VBAC Mom of 3 (Anonymous)

29 yrs old 4 pregnancies, 3 children picture is from 31 weeks during pregnancy #4 First pregnancy was a c-section while the second and third births were home births.

Pregnancy and Firefighting (Heather)

24 years old 1 pregnancy & 1 birth 6 weeks PP I am 24 years old and am very short and not proportional. I have always had large thighs, large boobs (36DD), and wide hips for only being 5 foot tall (size 9). I have never really had any big problems with my body. My [...]

Ugly is irrelevant (Alicia)

Age: 21 Pregnancies: 1 Births: 1 Children: One beautiful girl that will be three April 13th 2010. About two years ago, when I would step out of the shower and see my naked body standing there I would cringe. I would try to get out of there as fast as I could so I wouldn’t [...]

I want to look better. (Sue)

~Age: 22 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 ~The age of your children: 16 months First of all I want to apologize for mistakes, English is not my language, I’m from Poland. I’m just 22 and I’m not happy about new look of my body… I’m not hating it only because of my boyfriend who [...]

First Time Mama (Anonymous)

I found out I was pregnant in April of last year. My husband and I were very, very surprised but excited none the less! I delivered my baby on Thanksgiving day. We had planned a birth center natural birth but when our sweet little one was a face presentation all plans changed. This was the [...]

Loving the new me, sags, stretchies and more. (Christina)

I got pregnant when I was sixteen. But from the moment I knew what was going on with my body I loved it. I saw past the new milk filled boobs, that I loved at first; as food for my growing child. I saw past my ever growing rear end, and the dark mark making [...]

Learning to Love My New Body (Anonymous)

I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant and had my first baby. I wasn’t too happy when I found out because it was unplanned. I have been with my boyfriend for 4 years and he is a great father. I have such a hard time accepting my new body. It is basically [...]

My Story (Holly)

My name is Holly. I am 25 years old and have one daughter, a two year old named Lillian. She was an unplanned pregnancy, conceived at what I used to think was the peak of my physical beauty. I was 23, single, and a dancer with perfect abs, lol. My whole life I have been [...]

Blessing and A Curse (Paige)

My whole life I was in sports. I started gymnastics at 3 years old and didnt stop until I went away to college. I started running track and playing football in the 7th grade and continued until college. While in college I modeled. I was 20 when I became pregnant with my first child by [...]

Different Body, Same Girl (Leah)

22 years old 3 pregnancies, 2 births. Justin 4, Tanner 2 I am in love. I love my body. I love my babies. I love my life. This body is NOT the body I am familiar with, but I am grateful. I have too much to be thankful for to focus on my exterior. In [...]

Second Update (Bryana)

Original entries here and here. Children: #1) Rayden Wolfgang: Dec 12, 2005 #2) Cairo Sofia: June 23, 2009 Age: 22 I guess this submission isn’t really about me. I have posted twice before because I think this website is nothing short of amazing. It has inspired me to love my body, it’s “flaws” and all. [...]

You’re really lovely, underneath it all (Amber)

Being an only child, the first things I was told by my mother when I told her I was first pregnant were the horror stories of how her pregnancy was so horrible and that is why she only had one. When I developed stretch marks, she blamed me for not using enough lotion because she [...]

Mother of a precious 18mth old boy, learning to appreciate my battle scars!!! (Jessica)

This site is such an amazing inspiration. I have battled with issues with my weight since I was very young and the present is no exception. I have one child who is turning 18mths old this week. He is my world and brings such a joy to my life, but I can’t help feeling a [...]

Update (Anonymous)

Age: 25 Number of Pregnancies and births: 1 Age of child: 2 Hello, I absolutely love this site and have been a fan of it for years! I am doing this as a update post, here is my older post from last July. I really don’t look that different. I have tried everything this past [...]

When happily ever after comes crashing down… (Anonymous)

Age: 21 Pregnancies: 2 Births: 1 boy, now two years old. Well, the past year has been a year of serious soul searching for me. I went from being a stay at home mom to being a full time college student AND working on top of it. We have been trying to get pregnant for [...]

Pregnant with #2! (Kylie)

I got pregnant by accident with my first child, perfect pregnancy, nothing went wrong. Was in labor for 14 hours, pushed for two. Had a beautiful baby boy, all NATURAL…NOT ONE drug on January 25th, 2009. Up until about 6 months postpartum I didn’t loose but 20 pounds after giving birth, and that was from [...]

My Story with Lily (Marissa)

my age is 17 and my name is Marissa one pregnancy, one birth my daughter, Lily, is 7 months Hi, my name is Marissa and i am 7 months pp with my first child, Lily. I am a teen mother and the past year has been a life changing experience! I met her dad during [...]

Overcoming (Brittany)

Age: 20 Number of births and pregnancies: 1 birth and pregnancy 4 months postpartum My name is Brittany. I am a proud mother to a 4 month old little girl and wife to a wonderful and patient husband. I have been struggling to accept the way my new body looks since I was pregnant. I [...]

My Horizontal Bellybutton (A.C.)

Motherhood has drastically changed me in every conceivable way. I think, sleep, eat and shower differently, and I also have a body that is incomparable to the one I used to inhabit. My baby was born two weeks later than expected, and, during that time, my skin developed deep stretch marks. I will always vividly [...]

Mirror, Mirror on the wall….who’s the most damaged mother of them all? (Mary)

“Look at those ugly stretch marks!” the mirror sneers as I hurriedly change my clothes. No matter how hard I try, my eyes always seem to wander to my disappointing reflection staring back at me, “You’re disfigured and they’ll never go away you know. Never.” Tears pool in my eyes as I try to shut [...]

In The Home Stretch 235 lbs to 160 lbs (Anonymous)

Age: 25 Number of Pregnancies and births: 1 Age of child/PP: 29 months Pre-Pregnancy I was 235 lbs (I’m 5’7) I was considered Obese my BMI was over 35!!! When I got pregnant I had really bad morning sickness for the first 20 weeks. I was on Phenergan and Zofran. I lost 10 lbs my [...]

My Baby Tattoos (Hilary)

I was completely overjoyed when I gave birth to the apple of my eye when I was just 21 years old. I weighed 110 pounds before I had him and reached a shocking 180 when I gave birth. Needless to say, he behind some baby tattoos. My heart doubled in size when I got pregnant [...]

Natural Beauty (Anonymous)

Feeling down about my not so picture perfect body I decided to take some pictures of myself. Not from flattering angles, not sucking in, not standing up. This is me, with my belly hanging out, my stretch marks, my soft bottom and legs, and less than perky breasts from feeding my child (and still am). [...]

Krystle

Age: 23 Number of Pregnancies/Births: 1 Almost 13 weeks postpartum Keywords: postpartum, pregnancy, 1st time mom, vaginal birth After trying for months to conceive unsuccessfully, my husband and I visited a new OB who prescribed clomid. I believed that I was not ovulating, however he thought everything was fine. I got pregnant on the first [...]

5 months PP and doing ok (Amy)

Age: 21 Number of Pregnancies: 1 Number of Children: 1 PP: 5 months Hi my name is Amy and I am 21 years old. Here’s my story. I have been married to my husband for about a year and a half now and we are very happy together. He shops and does the cooking, he [...]

6 Months PP Update (Shannon)

Previous entries: First Second Third Age: 23 Children: 2 children Births: 2 cesareans PP: 3.5 years pp, and 10 months pp I am now 10 months pp (these pictures are from 6 months pp, but my body hasn’t changed much since these). I got up to 177 with Liam (I am 5’2”),and I am now [...]

1 month after twins, born at 35 weeks 3 days (Jacoba)

I had my son in 2008, and shortly after decided that I would pursue my dream of helping an infertile couple have a child. I met a wonderful couple in November, and by March 2009 we had contracts signed, and were moving ahead to transfer day! We transferred two embryo’s in May, (not my genetics) [...]

A Hard Road, but Worth Every Second (Anonymous)

I have struggled with an eating disorder in various forms since I was 15, and cannot remember a time when I didn’t feel fat. During a period of relative sanity I had my son, at 19 (maybe that’s not very sane, in retrospect). The pregnancy was great and he is a wonderful nearly-8-year-old, but after… [...]

Feeling Confident (Jill)

Age: 32 2 pregnancies Children aged 5 years & 8 years I had my first child at 24. Before becoming pregnant I weighed about 140 lbs. I gained 67 lbs. during that pregnancy. Before my second birth (27 years old) I had lost all of the weight plus some and got down to 136 lbs. [...]

Mother of 4….soon to be 5! (Amy)

I am a young mother of many. I am currently pregnant with my 5th child, though this is my 6th pregnancy. My oldest child is only 6 years old, so in the last roughly 7 years my body has been through a lot. However, my body makes me so proud, because I have 4 beautiful [...]

Hating my new body, but loving my daughter. Teen mom. (Lindsey)

Age- 17 First pregnancy and first birth to my daughter. Cesarean (couldn’t dialate past a 6) Hey everyone, my name is Lindsey. First off I want to say I love this website, and everyone on it who shared their stories… I had to debate if I wanted to post my story on here because I [...]

28, and still coming to grips with my new body (M)

My pre-birth weight was about 140, and I am 5′ 9″. I am a former athlete that was used to a typical body weight of 160-165, so the loss of almost 20 lbs in muscle mass was a huge loss in dress sizes as well as curves. I was pretty used to be a little [...]

My Body Take 3 (Emma)

I don’t think I have much to say, I am 22 years old and have three gorgeous sons, Jacob age 5 years, Benjamin age 3 years and Arthur who is 8 days old Here I am with the youngest at 8 days post-partum. I felt incredibly empowered and attractive when I took these photos, and [...]

Starting to Accept My New Body (Anonymous)

~Age: 24 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 3 pregnancies, 1 birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 4 months post partum After two miscarriages I finally have my beautiful baby! Throughout pregnancy I loved my new body and was amazed watching it grow. I was lucky, I didn’t have stretch [...]

New Baby, Same Body (Kyra)

Age: 27 Months Postpartum: 5 I’ve been planning on this post for over a year. I visited this site frequently, before, during and after my pregnancy. I love reading all your stories. There is something I can relate to in each one. I think us women should remember that we are more alike than we [...]

This is beautiful??? (Anonymous)

I don’t understand how many of you ladies can consider this as still being beautiful. I can’t stand the sight of my stomach…it is a stomach of a 90 year old woman on a 30 year old body. I am not overweight, I am happy with the rest of my body, but I just hate [...]

My Twin Mom Body @ 1 Year Postpartum (Anonymous)

I delivered twin boys via c-section in January ’09 at age 38. Now I am 39 (40 later this year). For many years pre-pregnancy, I worked out frequently and intensely. I am 5’5″ tall, and at the time I got pregnant (my first and only pregnancy), I was very fit and weighed about 120 pounds. [...]

Loose Skin, Severe Stretch Marks and Optimistic! (Nicole)

Age: 24 Number of Pregnancies: 1 9 months Postpartum I never in a million years ever thought my beautiful belly would be tarnished the way that it is now. Maybe it was naive of me, but I didn’t realize it was even possible to look like this just from having a baby. I found this [...]

Overcome with Emotion (Liz)

I had a baby boy by c section in July of 2003 and I was overjoyed. I gained 65 pounds with the pregnancy, and lost a small portion of it slowly over 6 years. In February 2009, I wasn’t happy at all with the way I looked and it showed in my marraige. I felt [...]

Mum of three babies after 2 pregnancies -Twins (Natasha)

I had my first daughter at 19. I had a healthy, uneventful pregnancy and a beautiful natural birth. I carried small, and my body returned to normal very soon after Anna was born. At the time I thought it was so different, and struggled for a short time to come to terms with those changes. [...]

Triplet Mom + One – Update (Tabitha)

Original entry here. 23years old 2pregnancies Riley(g) Aiden(b) Chloe(g) age 2 1/2 Brennan 11months This is an update, i had GGB triplets in 07 and then a singleton boy in 09. I was a mother to 4 before i turned 23. The stress my body underwent was amazing! I had a gap in my ab [...]

A Belly I Don’t Know (Shaunda)

Age: 27 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth Age of my child: 17 weeks (4 months, 1 week) I have always wanted to post something on this amazing site, but just never had the courage. I looked at this site religiously throughout my entire pregnancy, knowing that I would have a hard [...]

An Update to my Story (Jen)

27 3 pregnancies, soon to be 3 births (all c-sections) 5, 3 and due in 4 weeks I originally posted this in December of 2006. To recap, we were in a serious car accident when I was 24 weeks pregnant with our second child, and it left me with pelvic injuries, and depression. I read [...]

My Submission (Jeanne)

I had an unplanned pregnancy at 21. I was scared, I was doing it alone without my daughter’s father in the picture. Throughout my pregnancy I was afraid of what changes might happen to my body. I used to love my body and now I am still learning to accept the changes. I hit my [...]

Ce la Vie (Anonymous)

Age: 23 Number of Births and Pregnancies: 1 Age of Baby and Months Postpartum: 6 months My story begins in March of 2008 when I had an abdominal myomectomy to remove a 3 1/2 lb fibroid leaving me with an scar that was much larger than a c-section scar. Then six short months later I [...]

Belly (Kelley)

My name is Kelley and I have a 7 month old son. He is my only child. I was around 135 lbs when I got pregnant at the age of 21. I was a bellydancer with an amazing stomach. During my pregnancy I ate all the wrong things and I am paying for it now. [...]

Just a few degrees south (Anonymous)

I had my first two children when I was 21 and 23. The pregnancies themselves were perfectly normal and healthy, but I was pretty depressed because the father wanted nothing to do with them. He tried to convince me to abort both times right up until the third trimester. I left him when our second [...]

My Body 6 Weeks Postpartum (Angela)

23 years old 6 weeks postpartum, 1st baby 225lbs My name is Angela. Ive been a yoyo dieter all my life. Ive had plus sized years, and normal weight years… (about 130-160 lbs) Ive struggled all my life with it though. My mother would always criticize me about my weight starting from about 12 years [...]

13 mos PP, and 18 lbs to go… (Anonymous)

Age: 28 Pregnancies: 3 Births:2 PP: 13 months Well, I just figured I would share with you a pic of my belly, since I have looked at most of yours. I am looking for some honest feedback about my body. With both of my pregnancies I gained a lot of wait in my 6- 7th [...]

New Body – Courtesy of Two Miracles (Danni)

Both of my pregnancies were an up and down battle. My pre-pregnancy weight before my first daughter was a beautiful 140 pounds that I was very proud of being only 5’5″. I thought I was beautiful and had curves in all of the right places. A little younger than 18 when I found out I [...]

Update (Anonymous)

Age: 22 How many kids: 2 babies one age 8 months and one 3 years old Hello to all the beautiful mommies . I first would like to say that i love this site and it has helped get through some rough times about my body image. it has shown me that there’s many women [...]

Healing Takes Time But I’m On My Way (F)

1 pregnancy, 1 birth. 5 months postpartum. I finally am ready to share my story and photos. I have been reading other women’s stories on Shape of a Mother since I was 6 months pregnant or so. They really helped to change my views of my own and other women’s bodies. I now believe that [...]

My Beautiful/Crazy Motherhood (Nichole)

~Age:23 ~Number of pregnancies and births:3 & 3 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: ages 7, 5, 2 Well this site just made me feel 100% better! Let me start from the beginning! I was 15 when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I am 5’2″ [...]

Almost 2 ½ years later and still unhappy (Anonymous)

I got pregnant at the age of eighteen and gave birth by nineteen, I am now twenty one. My beautiful baby girl is two and three months old. I love my baby girl but I hate my body. I’ve always had problems with my weight, one minute I would be overweight and the next I [...]

2 Weeks PP – Update (Berni)

I originally posted around 3 months after the birth of my son, again at 6 and a half months pp, and 38 weeks into this pregnancy. My daughter was born 10 days late on the 22nd December 2010. I had actually gone into hospital that day to book an elective C section, due to being [...]

3 years later and 1 beautiful little boy (Chi’s Mommy)

Its been 3 years since I gave birth to my amazing little boy , Malachi. He is a blessing and I thank God for him daily. My husband & I plan to have another baby soon , so I’ve been working extra hard to lose my baby weight from my 1st child. I started out [...]

From Hot to Not – Update (Anonymous)

Your Age: 21 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 Original entry here. I posted a few months ago when I was 11 weeks PP. My son is now 7 months (32 weeks PP). I still look the same which is incredibly depressing, I did drop from 150 to 145 but I’m kind of stuck there. [...]

C-Section (Sara)

Hello, my name is Sara. I am currently two weeks PP as I was blessed with the best Christmas Gift ever in 2009: our first child (a daughter!). I was originally due January 20th, 2010 but ran into some complications with my pregnancy and was put on bedrest. I went in on Christmas Eve 2009 [...]

This is me (Anonymous)

23 years old I am now pregnant with my 3 child (10 weeks) and have had 2 births. My 1st son is 2.9 years old and my second son is 12 months old I have had a bad body image for such a long time. I always felt like my body was wrong after giving [...]

Will I ever love this skin? (Anonymous)

I’m a 31 year old mother of one beautiful tween girl whose now 11. I really miss the baby days. I had her at 20 and I had gained 85 pounds. I have stretch marks in every conceivable place a woman can have them. I have them on my flanks, my buttocks, my hips, my [...]

Plus Size and Pregnant -Again (Anonymous)

I am 24 years old and on my third pregnancy. First pregnancy was a miscarriage at 12 weeks. Second pregnancy resulted in my beautiful Daughter born 2/21/08. I am now 22 months PP with daughter’s pregnancy and I am 20 weeks pregnant with this pregnancy (another girl). I’ve always been overweight, expect for one time [...]

Healthy Eating and Workouts Kept Pregnancy Weight Gain to a Minimum (Holly)

Age: 33 Weeks PP: 5 Number of Pregnancies: 2 Number of Children: 1 Current Weight: 132 Pre-Pregancy Weight: 126 I was very worried about how my body would look post partum. I worked out prior to pregnancy and continued to do so through my entire pregnancy, up to 2 weeks prior to delivery. I would [...]

Need to Learn to See Beauty in Myself (Anonymous)

I am 33 years old. I have been pregnant six times, and I’ve given birth to four fantastic children, ages 8, 5, 2, and 7 months. I married my best friend straight out of college and got pregnant with our first child about two years later, the second month we tried. We were both in [...]

Daily Struggle (Katie)

~Age: 25 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 ~The age of your child: 4 yrs I have wanted to contribute here for a while but didn’t know if I could contain all my thoughts on my body image/pregnancy to a few paragraphs. Always needing to do things either perfectly or not at all I have [...]

18 months postpartum (kimq33)

It took me a long time to accept that my body isn’t going to look the way it did when I got pregnant. I was 18, and 110 lbs at the time, and my stomach was flat. When I was pregnant, I loved my body. I thought it was adorable. I only got a few [...]

My Mother Body (Lisa)

During a recent discussion among a group of women friends in which a few of us were taking pot-shots at ourselves about our post-baby bodies, one friend in the group passed along a link to this website. I spent some time reading submissions posted to the site and looking at photographs, and it all just [...]

Worth it – Update (Regina)

Previous entries here and here. I have posted here several times now. This website keeps me going. Reminds me that there is nothing wrong with my body. There is something wrong with other’s expectations of me. I am beautiful. I am strong. I am 21 and I have carried 2 babies 8 days overdue each. [...]

Belly still swollen 4 and a half months postpartum (Jill)

Age 34 Hi. My name is Jill and I am so glad I found this website. I gave birth July 24th to a 9 lb. 22 inch healthy baby boy via c-section. It was so hard that I am totally afraid to have another. I probably wont because of my age and because Im terrified [...]

After 2 kids and 2 c-sections (Milia)

Age: 28 Pregnancy/live birth: 2 (both c-section) How far long postpartum: 3 and half months Age of kid(s) = 15 months; 3 and a half months Weight gain during pregnancy: 35 lbs; 40 lbs First, I would like to mention this site has helped me tremendously when I was at my lowest point. My first [...]

Update (Bryana)

This is my other post. The last time I posted, I was only 2 ½ months post partum. I had already lost all of my pregnancy weight, and was happy about that. Since my last post, I have continued to lose weight. I weigh less now than I did when I was 11 years old. [...]

New Mommy to 10 day old twins!!!! (Katie)

I started reading this website when I first started getting stretch marks about 30 weeks into my pregnancy with my boy/girl twin pregnancy. I felt AWFUL about them. It consumed me so much I couldn’t even be excited about the pregnancy because every morning I woke up with more and more lines across my belly. [...]

30 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

Had my first child 30 months ago. My plan was to stay in great shape during my pregnancy and then work out after to get my body back to what it was. Well, single mom and working full time leaves very little extra of anything to accomplish this goal. But now priorities are very different. [...]

2 Children 13 months apart (Desiree)

Age: 20 2 pregnancies, 2 C- sections Cesarean birth 14 month old daughter 17 day old son I had my first child, a girl on 10- 17- 2008. It was a long labor, and after pushing for 2 hours and high blood pressure, with a fever of 103 they took me into the OR for [...]

I Love My Body Now (Anonymous)

I have always had body issues, as many women do. I always thought I was fat, even when I wasn’t. I never felt that I had a beautiful body, I had too many stretch marks, my tummy was too big, etc. When I became pregnant with my daughter, I weighed 180 lbs. I was 20 [...]

Mom shocked by diagnosis (Penelope)

Age 30 Hello Well my name is Penelope and I am a mom of 3 beautiful children. My oldest daughter is 7 with a normal pregnancy and birth my second daughter is 3 with a normal 40 week pregnancy and birth. But after She had not passed the meconium and the doctors noticed her belly [...]

153 and 9mo. PP (Anonymous)

After having my homebirth in March, I was 155lb, i got down to 136 w/out doing anything but breastfeeding but am now back up to 153ish. Before pregnancy i was 128. 174 at heaviest while 9mo preg. My thighs, upper arms, ‘muffin top’, and saggy boobs are my biggest annoyances. I love my body but [...]

Long Journey (Sarah)

Age: 25 # of pregnancies:1 #of births:1 6 mo. PP. I had my son 6 months ago after gaining an astonishing 65 lbs while pregnant with him. I’ve struggled all of my life to keep weight off, and stay “attractive” so I was blown away at how hormones and the miracle of pregnancy can really [...]

Ode To My Scar (Colleen)

I posted when I was 3 weeks postpartum about my feelings following a cesarean, and I wasn’t planning on posting again until I’d made some progress on my body, but I have had some thoughts that I would like to share (especially considering I’ve read several dissatisfied Cesarean mommy posts lately). As much as I [...]

3 Months Postpartum – 2nd Pregnancy (Rachel)

Original entries here and here. Since I already have belly pics from both my first and second pregnancy on this site, these are all postpartum. As always, I welcome emails at rachelsigfried@yahoo.com. I’d also like to give a special thanks to Bonnie for blessing us with this site. ~Age: 29 ~Number of pregnancies and births: [...]

I did it! 9 Months PP Minus 60 Pounds! (Elissa)

Anonymous Age of pregnancy: 22 Age now: 24 Previous entry here. I just posted at 8 Months PP I had 5 pounds to go. Well, I made my goal 9 months pp! For all you ladies with those annoying women in your life that tell you what you need to do to lose your weight [...]

Not What I Expected! (Roo)

Age: 22 Number of Preg. and Births: 1 4 months postpartum I’m going to try and make this as short as possible. I became pregnant in November of 08. Whoo was I surprised!!! I was so scared and happy at the same time. I had a very hard pregnancy, not because of health…but because my [...]

Update: 3 Years, 3 Surgeries and 3 Kids Later (Val)

Original entry here. My kids are now almost 3 and the twins are 19 months old! We have moved to a new town and I struggle with continuing to lose weight. I am now at 182 lbs, but part of it has been gaining muscle! I do 30-40 mins of Tae Bo 4-5 times a [...]

Update – 18months PP 38 weeks pregnant (Berni)

Age – 20 I originally posted around 3 months after the birth of my son, and again when I was 6 and a half month postpartum. Around the time of my last post I’m ashamed to admit I became very depressed about my body and started to make myself sick, thankfully I realised how stupid [...]

Feeling Destroyed (Anonymous)

second pregnancy first child 4 and a half months post partum 26 yrs old. to start off , i love my daughter with everything that i have.. she makes me smile and laugh and feel complete.. she is the reason i get up in the morning these days.. now.. she is my second pregnancy but [...]

7 Months PP (Anonymous)

20 yrs old 1 pregnancy/birth 7 months post-partum I started my pregnancy at 160lbs. im 5’8″ so it was an average size, i wore a size 9. i didn’t gain any weight until i was 20 weeks pregnant. then i ballooned up to 215 when i gave birth. i gave birth at 35 weeks because [...]

My Dream Came True (SCS)

Age: 29 Number of pregnancies: 2 Births: 1 Childs age: 2yrs First I want to say I love this site. I just wish this site had more true plus size women. So I am posting my pics. I have always wanted children but was told I would probably have trouble getting pregnant due to an [...]

Update (Sierra)

Original entries here and here. I have posted on here twice & will probably only post again once more after this, but I do love visiting this site quite often. I love seeing how many brave, wonderful, & extremely beautiful mothers are out there!! Please ladies always keep your head held high and know you [...]

Fitter than I was pre-pregnancy (Anonymous)

I was very active pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy. I started at 108 lbs. and only gained 28 lbs. I even skied at 37 weeks, in hopes of inducing labor (it didn’t work)! I went back to the gym at 8 days post-partum, more for my sanity than any athletic endeavor, since I had third degree [...]

It’s not easy the third time around, when your 38 years old! (Anonymous)

When I found out I was pregnant in May of 2008 I was thrilled! I was 37 years old, and by husband was 49. We both have children from previous marriages. I had a 15 year old son, and a 12 year old son, and my stepson was 9 years old. We had just celebrated [...]

The new body that my son gave me (“Anonymous”)

Age: 18 1 pregnancy, 1 birth 6 weeks postpartum Teen mom Me and my sons father were together for 8 months when I knew he was the one I wanted to spend my life with, despite our age difference (I was 16 he was 21) we were madly in love with each other. He never [...]

Acceptance Achieved (Anonymous)

As a teen I hated my body Too thin, so ugly No breasts, no hips, no butt I longed for curves I cried As a first time mother I hated my body Still too thin But now with stretch marks I longed for smooth skin I cried As a second time mother I hated my [...]

There is Hope, I am Proof (Jessica)

Original entries here and here. This is my 3rd post. I am currently pregnant with #2 (25 weeks) I want to show you that there is hope and I am proof. I am including some previous pictures and some current pictures of my stretchmarks, because so many people tell you “they will fade”, “give it [...]

I don’t hate my body! (Anonymous)

I am proud of what I’ve done. My son Marcus is six months old and like all of you I went through some shit bringing him into this world. I was a fitness lunatic before I got pregnant so I was a little down on myself for a while. It’s easy to feel that way [...]

Update (Victoria)

That was my first post 6months ago. I am now 20 and 28months Postpartum. I was in such I hate my body mood when I first posted now I’m much better. The past weekend I brought my first swimmers that are full piece but with bits missing and I actually feel so confindent wearing it [...]

Loving who I am now (Hannah)

Age: 29 years old 1 Pregnancy, 1 Child Photos: 1,2,3 are 18months PP and 4 is a before pregger and 8mo pregger photo I have a son named Ellis. Ellis was born last May by an unplanned C-section. He is now 18 months old. I had a pretty rough pregnancy. I was in school full-time [...]

Rejected, but not vulnerable anymore (Anonymous)

This was my first pregnancy and my son turned a year old last month. Thanks! I was dating a man on and off for two years. He’s about ten years older than me (I’m in my 20s and he’s in his 30s) but he can be rather immature. We broke up and got back together [...]

This is me (anonymous)

I am 22 years old this is me 4 months postpartum. Before I was pregnant I was Small and petite 5”1″ and was 95lbs. I gained over 50 pounds during this pregnancy even though I worked out just about every day. I am now around 125lbs I feel fat and just really unattractive with this [...]

Proud to be a mother at last (Alex)

Age: 35 No of pregnancies and births: 4 and 1 live birth Post partum: 9 weeks Having lost 3 babies I never thought I would become a mother. In may heart I blamed myself and after my last miscarriage in 2006 I spent 2 years trying for another baby so by the end of 2008 [...]

Mother of two, 4 months PP (Anonymous)

~Age: 22 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 Pregnancies and births ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 3 Year old and 4 month old At the age of 18, i had just ended a one year relationship and was looking forward to just being young and enjoying myself. Five weeks [...]

Worked hard while pregnant to stay fit, postpartum still stinks! (Jill)

after almost a year of trying to get pregnant my husband and i were thrilled to see those two lines. it was so fun to finally be on my way to becoming a mother! i was excited to buy maternity clothes and thought the weight gain and changes wouldn’t be bad. i quickly figured out [...]

6 weeks PP and struggling to look in the mirror (Anonymous)

Age 31, 1 beautiful daughter I became pregnant last Christmas with my first child, a surprise to both my husband and I…our little Christmas present . Before becoming pregnant, I struggled with body image issues and had gained about 30 pounds over the previous 2 years. Going into my first pregnancy already overweight really bothered [...]

Stuck at 156 (Kayla)

Previous entries here and here. I am 11 months pp tomorrow and cant see any changes since my last update! I have been running 4-5 times a week and trying to get to the gym on a regular basis and just cant get past my weight – 156lbs. Running after a crazy 11 month old [...]

8 Months PP and love my new body! (Elissa)

My story starts off with trying for 3 years to have a child with my husband and when I finally gave up I had concieved, YAY! I started my weight at 5’6″ 136 pounds. I was a 36-C and had a beautiful body… I had morning sickness until I was 7 months pregnant, EVERY SINGLE [...]

Needing an Ego Stroke (Sarah)

Age:20 Age at birth:19 1 pregnacy 1 birth by c section postpartum: 12 weeks I met my husband at a fatal car accident. I was first on scene as a forensic photographer and he showed up as a firefighter. We became pregnant 3 weeks after by surprise. Our son was a first night encounter baby. [...]

Baby got bigger, I got smaller -update from previous entry (Anonymous)

Facts: 3 pregnancies, 2 children, 1 cesarean. 2 1/2 years postpartum. Age 27. Story: I first posted to The Shape of a Mother in an entry in April 2008 entitled “Never Been More Proud“. I wanted to update because I talked about in that entry how proud I was of my body for the 2 [...]

Twins and one on the way … my body’s journey! (Nicole)

At last I found a person whom I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and our engagement was made even more special a week later when we found out I was pregnant, then special again when I found out it was twins My twin pregnancy went beautifully, the girls had to come [...]

Engaged, Lost and Saggy… (Autumn)

Hi My name is autumn I am 19 and a mom of a 8 month old son, I also among those of you is a teen mom, I found out I was 2 months Pregnant on my 18th birthday and Had my son a couple months shy of my 19th birthday, I am engaged to [...]

Wrinkled, saggy strechmarked tummy 4 years after giving birth!! (Anonymous)

I’m 31 years old my daughter is now 4 years old and was born by emergency c section after a 36 hour labour. I put on 42lbs whilst pregnant and lost most of it over a year after giving birth. I’m so glad to have found this site, as for 4 years I have been [...]

4 months postpartum & 2 under 2yrs (Proudmommy0709)

Well I’m still getting used to this mommy belly, and saggy breasts… The past 2 years my body has gone through a lot, I know that. I AM very proud, but at the same time I am not satisfied with the way my body looks. When I had my son Nov 27th 2007 I did [...]

Will It Get Better….. (Anonymous)

Age:28 Number of Pregnancies:1 10 months postpartum I just had another “talk” with my boyfriend about my self-esteem. Of course I start to cry about how bad I look now overall. Up until my 6th month of pregnancy, I was working out up to 2 hours a day lifting weights. I was in the best [...]

My Body, My Story (Anonymous)

i am 24 and have been blessed with two gorgoeus boys, with my first pregnancy i got very big very quick! i was being asked at 20 weeks when i was due by people thinking it must be any day now. Of course the problem is when you get big quick you get loads of [...]

Mother of Two Baby Boys (Anonymous)

Age: 24 Two Pregnancys/ Two Births. Children Ages: 2 1/2 & 10 weeks. I find it pretty hard being 24 and dealing with friends and their perfect bodys in bikinis..their perky boobs, and flat stomachs, lack of stretch marks. My husband says I look great in my body now, but when your not used to [...]

Hating My Post-Baby Body (Anonymous)

I was always in great shape. I used to have visible abs, perky boobs, and a pretty shape. I got pregnant at 18 by my high school sweetheart, and had my daughter at 19. I put on 85 lbs with my first pregnancy. I suffered from terrible ppd and for a long time was depressed [...]

You don’t know what you have until it’s gone… (Kimberly)

Age: 21 Pregnancies: 1 Births: 1 3 1/2 Months PP I became pregnant with my daughter less than a month and a half into my relationship with my, now, husband. As much of a shock as it was, it by all means was a position we put ourselves in. We were careless with our intimacy. [...]

A young mommy of 1, 10 months later (Anonymous)

Coming across this website has given me reassurance that I’m not the only one out there struggling with my post-partum belly. Seeing pictures and reading inspirational stories only motivates me more than ever! I realize that acheiving my ideal body is possible. I have to admit that I have always thought down upon my body. [...]

Update – 20 months postpartum and I want another baby (Anonymous)

Your Age: 22 Number of pregnancies and births: 3 pregnancies, 1 birth The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 20 months pp Original entry here. It has been 9 months since my previous post, and some things have happened. At 15 months we stopped breastfeeding. I’m still a little sad, I [...]

Tif’s Story (Tif)

im 21 Second child 19 months PP i had just gotten into college and was ready to have the time of my life. however i met this wonderful guy and it was love at first sight. i got pregnant soon after. i was scared. i knew that my parents would never accept it and i [...]

Young Mommy (Anonymous)

I’m a young mother. I got pregnant when I was 18, and gave birth to my beautiful son when I was 19. Despite everyone’s negativity, my husband and I got through it and he’s wonderful. I was 120 before I got pregnant. I am 5’0 so you can only imagine when I was 8 months, [...]

Stretch marks and deflated boobs, but I’m doing great! (Anonymous)

I am 26 years old and this was my first pregnancy. I am 4 months post partum at the time of these photographs. My prepregnacy weight was 110 and I am now at 119. At full term I was 149. My butt and thighs got so many stretch marks. I still can not get any [...]

Wishing to be confident again (Anonymous)

My age 23. Two children ages 3 and 1 I became pregnant at the age of 19 with my first son. I was scared for about half a second, then thrilled. I was worried about what would happen to my body, I was always very fit. But I knew a lot of girls who had [...]

Twin Momma of Two Boys (Emily)

My name is Emily, i’m on the verge of being 18. I got pregnant in mid- December 2008! I found out the of January that i was pregnant with twins. I remember crying in the ultrasound room in the er. When i was wheeled back into my room, I told my mom. She didn’t believe [...]

Mother of two miracles (Mikayla)

AGE: 20 NUMBER OF PREGNANCIES: 2 NUMBER OF BIRTHS: 2 both vaginal, 1 with no pain meds. Wow, where to start. First of all I love this site. I feel like I am the only mother who got stretch marks or who is not in her pre pregnancy clothes a few months after birth. I [...]

So it doesn’t really matter after All (Deineria)

First, I love this site. I think it provides immeasurable comfort to moms from all walks of life, and I also feel it is a reality check for those who initially believe what they see in magazines represents a fair picture of most women. I had my first son when I was 19. I was [...]

Maren

This picture is taken 6 months after my second pregnancy. My name is Maren. I was 23 when the picture was taken last year. I live in Norway with my husband and two girls.

Feeling better about my body (George)

Age: 26 3 pregnancies, 1st was a extremely preamture vaginal birth, 2nd was a catastrophic c-section, 3rd one I lost. My first girl should’ve been 9 years old now, she died almost 6 weeks old. My second girl is soon 6 years old, and I just lost my third child in the first trimester 3 [...]

22 years old on my second pregnancy I’m at 23 weeks (Lissete)

Hi im Lissete. I am on my second pregnancy at 23 weeks now , my first child i gained 75 lbs , i have always dealt with poor body image since i grew to a d cup at age 10. i was 17 years old when i had my daughter my pre-pregnancy weight was 127 [...]

Stretched to the limit, but worth it (ChelandBaby)

22 years old First pregnancy and baby 11 weeks postpartum Unplanned Cesarean July 2, 2009 Pictures: 41 weeks pregnant, 11 weeks postpartum, Baby boy 11 weeks My husband and I were married 2 years ago. After a year of marriage we decided that we were ready for a baby. I had gained some weight before [...]

10 months PP (Anonymous)

I had a wonderful and fairly easy pregnancy, but a very hard, long delivery. I wanted an all natural, waterbirth at the birthing center with my midwife. My water broke 2:00am Friday morning and contractions started 45 min. later. By 10:am they were 10 min. apart and my midwife wanted me to come to the [...]

From size 0 to 5 (Nancy)

Age : 26 Pregnancy : 1 Children : A daughter, Chloé I learned about this website from a close friend to which I confided my body changes during and after pregnancy. I was relieved to see others with the same problems as me but I figured I’d be back in shape in no time so [...]

This is Me (Anonymous)

I am 26 and I had my son when I was 23. He si almost 3 now and I can;t believe hwo ast time has flown by. H e is the most amazing little person I have have ever known! My ebtire pregnancy was a huge shock and surprise to both me and my now [...]

A Mother’s Body at a Young Age (Anonymous)

I was 17 when i found out i was pregnant. I was overwhelmed, scared, and excited. I’ve always wanted to be a mom, but i didn’t see me becoming one till i was around 23. But i take it as god gave me a gift of a child because he knew that it would help [...]

Missing my darling daughter, 15.5 weeks postpartum (Jillyn)

I have been meaning to take pictures and post on here for quite a while now, but with so much going on, i just haven’t found the inner strength or time. When i was 20 weeks pregnant with our first child we had our first ultrasound and they found that i didn’t have any amniotic [...]

Postpartum (Anonymous)

For the longest time I was told I was not able to have children. My husband and I just put the thought away. Shortly after we were married I found out I was expecting. I was shock. It took awhile for it to set in. I have always been an active person but due to [...]

Confidence took a blow! (Lizzy)

Age:23 Number of pregnancies:1 7 months post partum Im from South africa,im 5″2 and pre pregnancy weight was 110lbs. I loved my body. Then April 2008 i fell pregnant with my first baby,a girl.My body changed but i didnt get stretchmarks,which im very gratefull for,i grew alot,my tummy was huge. I gained 33 lbs and [...]

New Shape, New Life… (Anonymous)

Age: 21 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 live birth Age of Child/postpartum: 25 months I had only been graduated from high school for 6 months when I became pregnant with my son at age 18. I was a dancer for 13 years and never was a “stick” per say. I started high school in [...]

2 Babies Later (Bryana)

When I was 17 I found out I was pregnant for the first time. My boyfriend and I were without a doubt scared beyond belief but also very excited about the new adventure we were about to take on. I found out I was pregnant April 2005. I was still in high school, but graduated [...]

A work in progress… (Anonymous)

I was so glad to come upon this site and will share it with other moms. I have ALWAYS struggled with my image, always have tried to keep up with the magazines, etc…..never really felt 100% confident except maybe my wedding day….I’m 5’3″ and weighed 120 in High School (really thin for me…Ive always had [...]

My body is wrecked (Elizabeth)

Number of pregnancies & births: Four Ages of children: 9, 6, 3, and almost 5 months B&W photo taken four month post-partum after fourth child Beach photo taken 11 months post-partum after first child I guess you could say I was proud of my body after the birth of my first child. I bounced back [...]

Don’t know what to think…… (Anonymous)

I found out I was pregnant in March 2007 and I gave birth to my beautiful daughter November 2008. I am now almost 10 month PP and I still don’t know what to think of my body. Some days are good and I think I look great and others I just want to cover every [...]

Finally Learning to Love Me (Anonymous)

I am 20 years old and gave birth to my beautiful daughter on August 9th, 2009. I loved being pregnant but was so afraid of how I would feel about my postpartum body…in the past I have suffered from body image issues and bulimia which I was slowly recovering from when I discovered that I [...]

22 years old, three beautiful kids (Andree)

My story starts about four years ago, when I met the man of my life. Shortly after dating we decided to get married, and start a family of our own. We were wed in August 2006, and then in November 2006 found out that we were expecting a baby! I didn’t gain much weight up [...]

11 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

Original entry here. 11 months postpartum 2 sons, a 5 year old and a one year old Just wanted to update after my pregnancy weight loss. It’s been close to a year since my wonderful son was born and he is just amazing. When I first posted, I was literally crying every day over my [...]

Wanting accept my body changes (Ashley)

August 26, 2008 was the day i found out i was pregnant, this day was also my boyfriend’s birthday (what a birthday gift I gave him…hahaha). So I woke up that morning and for some reason I thought maybe I’d take a home pregnancy test because the day before I was worrying since we weren’t [...]

My Story (Chrissy)

~Age: 19 almost 20 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 2 1/2 months postpartum After nine months of trying, starting almost imediately after our honeymoon ended, my husband and I became pregnant for the first time. It was very shortly after [...]

23 year old mum with 2 kids. 7 months PP (Anonymous)

Hi, I am a 23 year old mum with 2 boys. Aged 2.5 and 7 months. I love my children and think they are the most wonderful gift that has been given to me. I wish I could think the same about my body. I don’t think I look to bad for someone that has [...]

Finally Brave Enough to Face an Unwanted Reality (Anonymous)

Original entry here. Age: 26 Pregnancy and births: 1 Age of children: 3 years I’ve been avoiding writing this letter. I think it’s because writing it means I will have to face a reality I don’t want. For almost three years I have been telling myself “it’s got to get better – maybe just another [...]

Wedding Night Baby (Achtung)

Your Age: 24 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy 1 birth The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 5 months now, 2 months in the photos My son was a surprise pregnancy. He was even more of a surprise as he was apparently conceived on our wedding night. After making [...]

Update (Anonymous)

Hi, I’ve posted 2 or 3 times before here, my last post being in March. It’s now August and my baby will be 1 year old in just a few weeks! Here’s a link to my previous submissions: New Mommy Worried Six Weeks Postpartum Making Progress More Progress! I’ve been through a lot since my [...]

First Time Mom && Emergency C-Section (Heather)

I’m Heather. I’m 20 years old & found out I was pregnant when I was 17 years old. I had my child at 18 & he will be turning three in February. I was in premature labor labor (3 weeks early)for 2 days && ended up having a c-section. Before I got pregnant, I was [...]

Destination : Self Acceptance (Tee)

Age: 26 2 pregnancies 2 children ages 10 and 18 months I’ve posted here before under “Almost a year later“. Its now a little over a year and a half since the birth of my youngest. And I gotta say I am still striving to love the body that has become me. Despite my best [...]

3 Weeks Postpartum (Anna)

Age: 24 Number of pregnancies/ births: 1 Age of child/postpartum: 3 weeks My whole life I never really wanted children, I was always much more concerned with myself; somehow I picked up my mothers school of thought and am unable to leaving the house without my ‘face’ on or dressed properly. So to say the [...]

This is me – sagging boobs and all (Astrid)

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 [...]

Coming to grips with a cesarean (Colleen)

I found this website before I ever even got pregnant, and I have checked back on an almost daily basis ever since, to read new posts. I think the concept is fantastic, and have been waiting for months until I could do my own post. Now, at three weeks postpartum, I think I’ve waited long [...]

Three Babies in Four Years (Natalie)

I am 27 years old, and just had my third baby, a little girl, May 11th. That makes me about three months post-partum, give or take a couple of days. I also have a little boy that was born November 14, 2005, and another little girl that was born January 9, 2007. I absolutely loved [...]

I feel so accomplished, Beautiful & new (Brie)

I was shown this site early on in pregnancy. I was blown away! I also realized during my pregnancy that media is really trying to make women feel like shit. scare the crap out of us about pregnancy & then some hahahaha. I didn’t scream, I didn’t cry…well except tears of joy. Remember without birth [...]

Marks of courage, strength and overwhelming love. (Amanda)

About 3 weeks after my 19th birthday(and wedding) I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, Summer. My new husband and I were a mix of emotions. Excited, scared, freaked out, happy.. all of it. I loved my little baby belly. As soon as I was big enough to look pregnant I wore my [...]

a bit saggy and unproportunal (MommyB)

I am 23 years old, and I got married November of 2007. I had my son in May 2008…it was very very stressful, and i wanted my husband to enjoy my body…the only time my husband has seen my body is either filled with milk or like show below…I am not sure whether or not [...]

Update – 3 Months After Delivering a Baby Boy (Anonymous)

I sent an entry in April and just wanted to send a little update. Since my last entry I have been working out about 3 times a week and trying to eat healthy. My boy is growing so much and amazes me everyday! He is now 8 months old and just learned how to pull [...]

Twin Skin at 21 Months (Anonymous)

I found out I was pregnant when I was 20. It was with the love of my life, so we were both excited, and afraid. We found out it was twins at 9 weeks. I went to 39 weeks, and had a c-section after 36 hours of labor. It is now 21 months after my [...]

Finally Confident in a Bikini….After Two Kids! (Anonymous)

This is my third submission to SOAM. My first was 2.5 years after my first son was born by Cesarean. My second was 1 month after my successful home VBAC. Now my VBAC baby is about to turn 1 year old and my journey with this body continues. I haven’t worn a bikini since before [...]

Annoyed and Hiding (Anonymous)

why is it if you dont get a flabby pooch or stretch marks you get women saying nasty things about you (women who were unfortunate in the after baby dept)? I have had 2 kids, one is going to be 4 soon and one who is 9 months and I have no stretch marks or [...]

My Slow Road of Weight Loss (Anonymous)

I gave birth to my beautiful son in February 2009 & have slowly lost all but 15 lbs of my baby weight. I have been staying accountable with my diet & exercise by logging everything online at a free weight loss support group. While I am not 110% body confident, I no longer stress about [...]

I Thought I Would be Hideous (Alesia)

as many of the stories i read on here during my pregnancy have said, i thought i was going to look hideous, i of course to was worried about the streach marks, saggy skin, disformed belly button, and all the other things you hear that come along with being a mother, i was terrified. and [...]

What 6 Months of Weight Training Can Do! (Ashley)

You can read my full story in my 1st entry, but to sum things up: I was always pretty fit and a healthy weight but gained 60lbs during my pregnancy. Three months after giving birth I suffered from severe ankle injuries which left me pretty much unable to walk for 6 months. While I lost [...]

Update (Roxy)

Previous entry here. hey ive posted my story when I was 1month pp and my selfesteem was very low because my pregnancy left me in a pretty bad shape, but Ive worked my self up. Ive been doing a lot of exercise, running, walking etc,and I have noticed that I have improved alot. My stretch [...]

Breasts, Acceptance (Autumn)

My name is Autumn, I’m 21 (22 in September), and almost 4 years postpartum. I’ve posted here 3 or 4 times before, mainly with updates. This time I wanted to share my postpartum breasts (my belly is included, too!). (Previous entries here, here and here.) I’ve always been extremely insecure about my breasts, when I [...]

Two Blessings (Jess)

Age: 24 Pregnancies: 1 Children: 2 I was told round 20 years old that I would not be able to have children. Then at 23 I had some further complications and the Dr’s did a surgery to remove massive growths on my ovaries and told me it was a long shot, but if I wanted [...]

4 Months PP (Anonymous)

im a single teen mother of two . im 17 and im 4 months post partum .. i fell in love at a young age wanted a baby for unconditional love & to be in love got dumped pregnant with my second do to the work of a home wrecker , & a bad father [...]

23 year old mom 18 month postpartum, 5 kids later!! (anonymous)

hello i’m a 23 years old mother of 5 young childrens, i started having kids at the age of 14, i know i started young but i wouldn’t change it for anything in this world, now about my body i cant say the same thing, but i have 5 kids what else can i ask [...]

Michaela Marks (Anonymous)

I’ve been visiting this site on and off over the past year. I happened upon it one day when I was trying to see if there was anyone else out there who was struggling with body changes, due to pregnancy, on the web. How much more perfect can you get than this site?! This site [...]

1 1/2 Years PP After Twins (Fraternal Twin Mommy)

Previous entry here. Age during delivery: 32 Current age: almost 34 Number of pregnancies: 1 Age of twins: 1 1/2 I posted a short blurb a while ago about my experience, but I didn’t really get to elaborate on my story because I’m pretty sure one of my boys needed my attention at the time! [...]

Not Feeling so Confidant (Shaylene)

I wasn’t ever the thinest person around. Im 5’2 and I was 160 lbs before I had given birth to my son. I gain 29 Lbs during the pregnancy and gained a few stretch marks which I am not bothered by. I have never been confident in the way I look. And lately i’ve been [...]

Twin Tummy, 5 yrs Post-partum (Anonymous 83)

I’m 33 now, our oldest son is 8 and the twins (boy & girl) are 5. Both pregnancies were term and all babies big and healthy (Oldest son – 8lbs, 9oz…twin daughter – 6lbs, 9oz…twins son – 7lbs, 6oz). Twins had to be induced at 40 weeks + 1 day (40 weeks is term for [...]

Scars of a Mother are Like No Other (Roz)

I would like to start this of by saying this website is an amazing place for all types of women and mothers to be joined as one without the cruelties we face in this world day by day… i was 16 when i became pregnant with my daughter. i was scared because i wanted to [...]

Perfection Has Changed My Body (Becca)

Your Age: 22 Number of pregnancies and births: 1 birth The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 2yrs, 8 months. Perfection has taken the name of Zachary. He is my whole world. He is my strength, my courage, my rock. My reason for waking in the morning, and my prayers at [...]

Struggling to Accept My Body’s Changes (Anonymous)

My Age: 29 1 Pregnancy, 1 Birth 7 Months Postpartum I was 27 years old when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I was 28 when I delivered him. My husband was 28 as well. I had separated from the military, married my husband, and gotten pregnant all within 8 months [...]

16 Months Update (Anonymous)

16 Months Update Age: 27 Number of pregnancies: 1 Number of children: 1, 16 months old See my first post, from 4 weeks pp, here. And my second post, from 8 months pp, here. And now here we are, 16 months pp. Whoa. Where did that time go? I had a tiny newborn and now [...]

A body marked indelibly with love (Laurie)

I had my first child at 21 years of age. I was previously a teenager who had the constant belief that I was fat, and obsessed over my body daily. As my body grew with pregnancy (and fluid retention!) I became very despondent about my shape, worrying that I would be ‘fat’ and forever unattractive. [...]

2.5 Months PP, Second Cesarean in 2.5 Years (Shannon)

Previous posts here and here. age:22 Pregnancies:2 pregnancies and 2 births I wrote that I would eventually post some pictures of my PP body, so I am! I am now 3 months PP…the pictures are 2.5 months PP though! The part where my stomach hangs from my cesarean really bugs me…but it has gotten better! [...]

I Finally Love Myself (Anonymous)

I got pregnant the summer before my senior year of high school. I walked the halls with a huge belly got stares from students and teachers. When I went to the outside world people poked and prodded. Why complete strangers think they have the right to know how old I am I have no idea. [...]

Self Love is the Most Important Love of All (Anonymous)

I just came across this website and I think it is the most beautiful, helpful website that a mother could possibly visit. It is hard these days to be happy with our bodies. The media hype and hollywood has portrayed a very distorted image of what motherhood does to ones body. It has taken me [...]

17 Weeks Later (Soph)

My name is Soph and 17 weeks ago, just before I turned 24, I delivered my first child – a lovely little boy. I lost my first baby and had to wait several years to try to concieve my son. Such a wanted, beautiful pregnancy. I weighed just over 90kg when I got pregnant, stayed [...]

Unplanned, But Not a Mistake (Anonymous)

I was 15 years old, the “boy” I thought I was in Love with, had just broke up with me. I decided to get back at him by sleeping with one of his friends. It was just suppose to be a one time thing just to make my ex, the guy i thought was the [...]

Struggling for Acceptance (Anonymous)

I’m 24 years old and I’m a mother to a 2 1/2 year old daughter and a 10 month old son. I got pregnant when I was 21 though it really wasn’t in my plans at that time. I was not married when I found out, but my BF and I did what we thought [...]

Not Giving Up and Acceptance (Alex)

Name: Alex Age: 30 Pregnancies: 2 Births: 2 DD1: 3 yrs old DD2: 1 yr old I’m so glad I found this website. I have been looking for a site like this for a little while now because I want to know more about other real women out there and their experiences (not celebrities-they don’t [...]

Time Machines Don’t Exist, Unfortunately (Mir)

I posted a belly photo of myself in February along with my thoughts and totally forgot to go look at it again until last night. I want to post another couple of photos now, six months on showing my belly again. What has changed in six months? The most dramatic/helpful change is that I went [...]

That’s Why You’re Beautiful (Traci)

Previous entry here. The first time I posted here was 2 years ago. That’s quite scary! Our little ones grow up so fast. I have been viewing this site for three or maybe more years now and I am blown away by the many women who post and say they dislike their body or that [...]

Mother of a Princess (MommaMykah)

Mother of a Princess I’m 27 years old and a proud mother of an eight month old princess. She is my first and only child. I’ve never been self-conscious about by body (in fact I loved my body) until after I had my baby and my breast went from pointy and perky to sagging and [...]

Mommy-ware (Anonymous)

At 23 I became pregnant. I had never wanted children and enjoyed being just an aunt. Quickly I grew excited for the new baby growing inside me. I reveled in the joys of nesting and planning. I did tell myself though that I would not wear traditional maternity clothes and manage to go most of [...]

Anonymous

Hello, I am a 24 year old single mother. I found out I was pregnant with my daughter right after my 22nd birthday and gave birth Christmas day 2007. My daughter was small only weighing 6 pounds 15 ounces and 19 1/4 inches long. Though you couldn’t tell with the 80 pounds I gained. When [...]

I’m not so sure I hate my body anymore (Nicole)

~Your Age: 26 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: Currently 15 1/2 weeks PP (photos taken at 13 weeks PP) I have struggled with my body image ever since I was a child. I remember, when I was in primary school, [...]

I brought 6 amazing people into the world, if you don’t like my body, don’t look! (Anonymous)

28 yrs old, 5 pregnancies, 6 children (twins), 3 weeks postpartum I am a 28 year old mom of 6 beautiful children. I have 10 year old twin girls, 8 and 6 year old boys, a 4 year olds and just gave birth to our 4th girl 3 weeks ago. I am always told that [...]

Badge of Honor (Teresa)

I went my whole pregnancy without stretch marks, until the last two weeks. I had mixed emotions about them, and various emotions about the 53 pounds of weight I gained. I was hoping to make it through without gaining a solitary mark. The first few days were horrifying after delivery. I looked heavier then I [...]

Update Post (Kayla)

My first post was called “I wish I could love my body“. Well its been 3 months since my last post and Ive been trying to find the time to fit in workouts. When my son was 6 weeks old I ended up in hospital with gall bladder stones. I had between 20-30 attacks over [...]

There is hope for us with stretch marks!!!!! (Anonymous)

October 1, 2000, I delivered a healthy baby boy. However, when I brought my baby home, got the shower water running and started taking off my clothes I was not happy with what I saw. I was happy to see how my breast size had increased (I was a 34A before I had my baby [...]

My Changing Body (Heather)

This is my first pregnancy, first child. I am 21 years old. Before I became pregnant I wasn’t exactly stick thin but I was very comfortable with myself and my body. I weighed 135lbs on a 5′ 5” frame. I didn’t start to show until my fifth month. My then boyfriend and now husband and [...]

I am not ashamed (Kimberly)

Age: 21 Pregnancies: 1 twin pregnancy Children’s Ages: 5 months Bonnie’s recent post inspired me to add my story. This picture is my story and I am not ashamed. I love my babies, I love my body, and I love my life!

He Tells Me I’m Sexy (Jenn)

I’ve been a larger girl since I was around 16-17 years old, after a knee injury that left me in an immobilizer for 6 months. Following that transformation of my body, I had a hard time regaining self esteem. Still, even though I was heavy, I still had a great body… beautiful, smooth skin, sexy [...]

2 Years, Nearly 3 Months Postpartum (Katelyn)

Age: 18 Pregnancies & births: 1 2 years, nearly 3 months postpartum I got pregnant two months before i turned 16. My daughter’s father and I didn’t know each other well, weren’t together, and we weren’t for a very long time. I spent my 41 week pregnancy and 19 months of her life as a [...]

Fighting the Fear (Jessica)

21 2 pregnancies, 1 birth 5 wks post partum I found out I was pregnant when I was twenty years old, a week before my husband was set to deploy for iraq. I was pretty upset that he was going to be gone, and I would be alone. But i was partially pleased because he [...]

2nd Baby, 8 Wks Postpartum (Kristin)

Previous entry here. Hello my name is Kristin, and i am 21 years old. I got married when i was 19, and my hubby was 23 in nov.2006. We got pregnant in March 2007 n lost the baby, which was very hard. We got pregnant again by the end of April. I started out at [...]

A Work in Progress! (Anonymous)

I’m finally starting to love my body again. I guess I shouldn’t say I’m starting to love my body “again” because this really is the first time. My daughter (now three years old) was born when I was 19. Prior to getting pregnant, I was at the lowest weight I’d ever been, had relatively perky [...]

Update: 22, Surviving Newborn Twins and a 2yo (Sierra)

I recently posted on here when i was 2 weeks postpartum with twins. I am now 5 weeks postpartum and wanted to share with everyone the update. My girls are doing fabulous. They are both breast feeding like champs and since birth have each gained 2lbs!! My 2 yr old is doing so great with [...]

Transmogrification (Valentine)

Here I am 6 weeks post-partum. I’ve spent my entire life in one extreme or another…first I loved myself to the point of narcissism. Then I couldn’t stand to look at myself, to the point where the extent of my self-loathing would bring me to tears. Now? I still find myself unattractive, but I know [...]

Teen Learning to Love Her Body (Faith)

I was 14 years old and dateing this 16 year old guy. we were going out for about 2 months, and he invited me over to his house while his parents where away. i was kinda sketchy about it, but i trusted him, so i decited to go to his house. while we where in [...]

(Anonymous)

I am just about 6 months PP.. I did not gain but 20 pounds or so in my pregnancy (first and only so far..) I found out I was pregnant at almost 9 weeks.. Delivered at 38.. And I must say it was the most amazing experience in my life. Made it all the wawy [...]

Elephant Belly (Anonymous)

When I was pregnant with my second baby, everyone thought I was having twins, I was so big. It’s just that I have a short torso and am skinny so there was nowhere for the baby to go but out….. way out. Hence the extra skin. Or elephant skin as my older sister affectionately calls [...]

New Found Respect (Skye)

25 years old First pregnancy I never knew how strong I could be until I became pregnant.. it is a journey unlike any other! I started off so nieve and unsure of myself as a woman, I slowly started to listen to my body and follow my gut instincts.. I had all these pre-conditioned beliefs [...]

Rebuilding the Body (Annie)

Age-21 Children-1 (a 2 year old) C Section birth I want to thank you for making this site. It is so wonderful to know I am not alone, because here in person I really am. And I thought I was. And I am so excited to read everything on here and see that I am [...]

UK Mummy, Thinking About Doing it All Again! (Charlotte)

I am a 31 year old mummy to my very gorgeous 11 month old son. He is my first child conceived on my honeymoon! I was never sure that I wanted children but when I met my husband and realised he was the one then my feelings changed, particularly as he was so excited about [...]

Learning to Love My Body After a Loss (Lissa)

I’m mom of 2 living Children and 1 child who died shortly after birth. My youngest and last child was born at 30 weeks. She was a preemie. And I spent many weeks in the hospital prior to giving birth. I felt like my body failed her for the longest time. I was so uncomfortable [...]

Thanks SOAM – 6 Months PP (Anonymous)

My Age: 31 Number of Pregnancies and Births: 1 Age of child: 6 months Pics I attached: The henna belly picture is at 38 weeks, the two naked ones and one of my daughter are 6 months post-partum. I started lurking here before my husband and I were even trying to have kids. I have [...]

24 Year Old Mother of a Miracle – Update (Carolyne)

Original post here. Pictures to add of 2 months postpartum and my baby girl, Olyve, at 2 months.

12 Years Later (Anonymous)

I’m 36 and three months pregnant with number two!! I’ll be 37 at delivery, so I’m technically an “older mom” although I don’t feel like one. My son Zac is 12, so I spaced them out a bit I actually posted here a few years ago, just as I was starting to think about having [...]

1 Year Postpartum With Twins (Anonymous)

1 year postpartum with twins anonymous 29 yrs old I gave birth to twins last July, time really does fly when you have kids! My little girl weighed in at 6lb2oz and my little boy at 6lbs14oz. I made it to 38 weeks and had a scheduled c-section. I was huge as you can tell [...]

The Doctor Said I Need a Breast Lift, WHY? (Anonymous)

Age: 27 Pregnancies: 3 Five months PP I consulted a cosmetic surgeon about having cosmetic surgery. I wanted breast implants to plump them back up a bit as they are a bit smaller than they were before baby number three, but was told that I needed a breast lift too. I don’t mind about implant [...]

Embracing the New Me (Anonymous)

I am a 36 year-old mom to 3 kids, each 2 years apart. Had my babies at 29, 31, 33 years of age. Before kinder, I weighed 130 lbs, and was very slim, due to genetics and regular exercise. Now, after 8 years, 3 kids, 4 pregancies (lost one in between) and a full time [...]

3 Babies in 5 Years and a New Body (Jean)

I got pregnant at 18 and got stretch marks at 5 months in. I gave birth to a healthy baby girl 7lbs 5oz, then another baby girl 2 1/2 years later weighing 7 lbs 15oz. Again 2 1/2 year later a little boy weighing 7lbs 9oz. I included their weights because they are all very [...]

One Year Ago Today (Zahra)

We found out we were pregnant with Rory 6 weeks after having a miscarriage. I know we were so blessed for it to happen so quickly. I was so excited to be pregnant and really focused on enjoying the pregnancy despite our concerns that we would lose another baby. I have always had to work [...]

PPD vs “Baby Blues” (Crystal)

age:22 1st pregnancy 1 child my daughter’s name is Lily and she is 3 months i am exactly 3 mo and 3 days post partum I found this website through just googling other women’s postpartum stories. I really love this website because it makes me feel a little “normal”. Sometimes I feel the issues I’ve [...]

Rocking the Boat (Anonymous)

Rocking the boat (Anonymous) My son is now 20 months old (I’m 27) and is the most AWESOME gift life has ever given me, aside from my husband, yet I am still having a hard time overcoming a tough bout of post-partum depression. Before the birth of my son, I was a super-fit triathlete, vivacious [...]

Marks of Life (Shi)

~Your Age: 25 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 at time of writing this, currently now have three! ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: at the time my boys were 2.5 and 1 month old. They are now almost 5, 2.5, and 7months I wrote this back when you had [...]

Slowly Gaining Self-Acceptance (Becc)

I am 23 and have 2 beautiful boys. My eldest is 6 and my youngest is 10 months. I have always been a larger shaped women and with a husband my height, my body issues have been hard to deal with, knowing we are around the same weight. After having my youngest, I feel as [...]

21 Year Old Who Feels Inadequate in Her New Body (Anonymous)

When I got pregnant, we definitely were not planning it. I had got pregnant several months before our planned wedding date and as a result we pushed the wedding date way up and I was 3 months pregnant on my wedding day. I am still so ashamed that it happened that way. As a result, [...]

It’s Not Really So Bad (Autumn)

Your Age: 29 Number of pregnancies and births: One pregnancy, one birth The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 9 months Today marks 281 days since my daughter was born. The same amount of time that she spent on the “inside”. I’ve been looking forward to this day, it feel momentous [...]

10 Months Update VCC (Angelica)

My age:22 # of pregnancy: 1 months pp: 10 Hi i already posted pictures of my new figure when i was 2 months and 4 months pp and the title is VCC. I want to share this new pictures with you because this journey isn’t easy, it takes time to adjust and to accept this [...]

Amanda

hello there. my name is amanda,i’m 23 years old. i thought i would send a quick note to go with the photos! my daughter is now 15 months old, she weighed 10 pds 9 oz ( healthy baby) i gained 70pds with her, i went up to 212 pds. i didnt have 1 strech mark [...]

2nd Baby 12 weeks PP, I Hate My Body! (2nd Time Mom)

I was 18 when I got pregnant with my first and gave birth when I was 19, and then when I had just turned 21 I became pregnant again, and Just gave birth in March. My baby is 12 weeks old. She weighed 8 lbs 2 oz I am breastfeeding and doing Wii Fit to [...]

Mama of Three Under Five (Anonymous)

I have three kids under age five. I enjoy this site and believe that all mothers are united by that bond of knowing what only a mother knows- that you helped create this life with your flesh and bone – nurtured and grew it, protected and fed it, thrilled in its movements and spent sleepness [...]

Out in Left Field (Lisa)

Name: Lisa Age: 26 Number of pregnancies: 2 complete, currently pregnant with #3 Current Weight: 130-ish Dress Size: 6-8 Ultimately, I have always been my own worst enemy. As a teen, I worked perhaps a little TOO hard on showcasing my body. I got a lot of attention (both good, and bad). When I married [...]

My Little Angel (Anonymous)

I was anorexic 5 years before pregnancy. I’ve never been satisfied with my body even when I had only 105 lbs (height 5 6). This pregnancy has totally changed my way of life. I’ve gained about 40 lbs, but my daughter is worth every pound, every stretch mark. Btw. I thought I’m gonna be stretch-mark [...]

Perfect at Last! (Jen)

When I was younger I was naturally very thin and I hated my body. Then I gained weight and I hated my body. Then got healthy and I hated my body. Then at 26 I got pregnant and I discovered my body. In July of ’08 almost one year ago I gave natural birth to [...]

Mommy to a Princess (Amanda)

Age: 20 First baby 19 months pp Hello First, I wanted to say that I love this website. I think all of the mama’s on this website are absolutely beautiful! Well, I started out at 5’1 and 110 lbs. I was only 17 years old when I became pregnant. I was scared to death but [...]

22, Surviving a 2yr Old and Newborn Twins! (Sierra)

Age: 22 Number of pregnancies: 2, 3 children Age: 2 yrs old, and 2 week old twins (2 weeks postpartum) I had my first child, my son at age 20, he was 7lbs 11oz born vaginally and perfect in every way! i got thru the entire pregnancy no stretchmarks or anything lost all the baby [...]

2 Years Postpartum and Still Can’t Come to Terms (Anonymous)

Number of Pregnancies: 2 and 1 live birth Children :1 child, almost 2 1/2 years post partum Thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating this website that allows me not to feel so alone and to understand that I am not the only woman struggling to cope with the changes brought after [...]

32 Year Old Mom of 2 Boys (Anonymous)

~Your Age: 32 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 pregnancies, 2 births ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 2 boys ages 20 months and 5 months At 5’7″, I weighed 145 lbs all through high school. I was all muscle, and on the cheerleading squad, and I thought I was [...]

Signs of a Mother (Danielle)

Yesterday I cried as I looked down at my saggy, stretch-mark belly. It complimented my fat hips and newly formed “mom-butt”. My boobs were unshapely under the bras that don’t quite fit and my once cute panties have seen better days. My skinny jeans sit in the bottom of a box along with the tank [...]

My Second Entry – Still Trying to Accept Me (Angele)

Original entry here. ~Your Age: 28.. almost 29. ~Number of pregnancies and births: 2 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: My children are almost 8 and almost 4; 3 and a half years PP. Hello to all you wonderful ladies, I have written in here before and wanted to update. [...]

The Whirlwind (Anonymous)

2 weeks after I got married, I found out I was pregnant for the first time. I was 20 years old. My husband was to be deployed for a 15 month tour with the US army in 6 months, at that time. He left for Iraq when I was just under 6 months pregnant. He [...]

Really Having a Hard Time With This (Kali)

Age: 38 # of pregnancies:3 total, 2 miscarriages before 12 weeks, 1 full term Postpartum: 4 weeks postpartum, C-Section At my age and given that I lost 2 pregnancies before this I should really not be so vain, but I am horrified and floored at what I look like now. I don’t think that time [...]

8 Months Postpartum After Two Children (Ashley)

im 22 years old, i became pregnant at age 19 and on my 21st first birthday, *happy birthday mommy, here is your failing epidural!!!* my stomach was actually worse with my first child after she was born, even though my second was a pound larger weighing in at 8lbs 9oz and she gave me more [...]

24 Year Old Mother of a Miracle – One Months PP (Carolyne)

My whole life I have worked out and been active in sports. I played softball in college and after graduating I continued my 5 day a week work outs. Due to a heart condition and severe high blood pressure, I was told I would never be able to have children. Because of the stress the [...]

Trying to get my self confidance back (Mindy)

My son will be 20 months on the 1st of June and 3 days later on the 4th I will turn 22. I love my son more than anything but really wish I didn’t have the body that I have. I got married when I was 18 to my boyfriend who was in the navy. [...]

6 Months After First Child (Amanda)

Title: 6 months after first child Name: Amanda 21 years old, 1 pregnancy Story: I got pregnant at 2 years old and gave birth shortly after turning 21. Its been 6 months since I gave birth to my 9lb son naturally, in water. I’m still striving to make peace with my body. I know I [...]

9 Years Ago (Elle)

9 years ago I was 18 years old. I had just finished high school and was happy. My plan never included children. I met him on a warm night in August. I became pregnant a few weeks later. I lost my child at 22 weeks gestation. It was depressing and sad. I was a mess. [...]

From Hot to Not (Anonymous)

I’m a 20 year old single mother to a beautiful baby boy and I HATE my new body. Before I got pregnant I was 5’8 138lbs and wore a size 4. I gained 55lbs while I was pregnant and I did nothing but sit and eat. All I did was eat and I regret more [...]

9 Weeks Postpartum (Kara)

I had my son on my 19th birthday, and it wasn’t planned. My blood pressure dropped severely low after I got the epidural. I’m not sure if this caused by son’s heart rate to drop, too. Because of this, I had to have an emergency c-section. The cord was wrapped around his neck, head, and [...]

23 Year Old Mother of One – A Year Later (Jennifer)

I got pregnant with my son when I was 22 years old around Christmas time. My husband had just returned from Iraq and we planned to try for a child. A month later, we were pregnant! We found out it was a boy and from there were so excited to be parents. I was 109 [...]

Still Trying to Accept my “Shape” (Anonymous)

I am 25 years old. I had my second baby 8.5 months ago. I look at my body and think “wow i don’t look as BAD as i thought i would after my second but I look nothing like I did 5 years ago haha.” Then again, I haven’t stopped breastfeeding yet…So, I don’t know [...]

I’ve Learned a TON at Twenty-One (Abby)

Most people my age are changing their majors in college, because they decided they don’t really like Art History as much as they thought they would. They know exactly how many beers they can drink and probably still drive home. They still are secretly thrilled that Mom can’t tell them what to eat or the [...]

Life Just Is. You Have to Flow With it. (Amanda)

Hey mommas! Wow, my only son turned two last week and it really made me want to take a second glance at my body. His father and I who were high school sweethearts have divorced but remain close friends, we just got married too young. Being a freshly single mother I am more conscience of [...]

Update (Kerry)

Original entry here. age: 18 1 pregnancy, 1 birth 1 month PP I posted about a month ago. I was expecting my child on the 9th of April… Well he came! April 7th, at 10:50pm weighing 8lbs 4oz and measured 21.5″ long! We planned a home water birth. We barely had time to make the [...]

Trying to Cope With My Shape as a New Mother (Revae)

Trying to cope with my shape as a new mother!!!!!Please help!!! My name is Revae and Im 22 yrs old first time mom. I am currently 14 weeks postpartum, and Im having a really hard time coming to terms with my new body. I had my beautiful little angel Jan 18 2009 and I love [...]

1 Year PP Update (Clarisse)

24 years old 1st pregnancy/ birth Child is 1 year old My name is Clarisse and I have a 1 year old son named Aiden. I wanted to share with you my struggle on losing The weight I gained and some . I was down to 155 the beginning of 2006-07 then couple of months [...]

Still Trying to Adjust (Emily)

Age 19- Mother of One Beautiful13 month old boy Aleckzander I was 17 When I found out I was pregnant. My fiance now my husband and I had decided that we were ready to start our lives regardless of what anyone thought even though a lot of people thought we were crazy we were just [...]

Hopeful (Tati)

Hi! I’ve been coming on this site since I was 3 months pregnant and I absolutely love it. Now finally… I’m actually posting something. Ha! The first time I got pregnant was at 21 years old. I found out with in a week of being pregnant that I was…well knocked up! Haha although it was [...]

C-Section Scar (serenebabe)

(Originally posted 4.28.09 at her blog.) I hate the doctor who did the c-section to get Althea out. My midwives suggested it’s possible I make scar tissue well and that an incision close to my first c-section wasn’t an option. Maybe that’s true. I still hate that doctor. First of all, she never even told [...]

New mom working on acceptance (AVS)

I am a 28 yold new mom to a smart and beautiful four month old girl. I guess I have always had body issues and struggle with eating disorders since I was eleven. I have also been diagnosed with manic depression and feel that it affects my life more than I would like to admit. [...]

Hating my Stretch Marks! 3 Months PP (Anonymous)

I´m a 24 years old mom of a 3 months old gorgeous baby boy. I found out I was pregnant while I was planing my wedding I got really exited about having a baby and so did my now husband, I love my baby to dead without a question he is the best ever hapend [...]

One UnHot Mama. C-Sections & Stretch marks! -Yuckk (Anonymous)

First Pregnancyy. I had been dating my boyfriend for 2 months before I got pregnant. (Bad.. i know) I was 17 years old. & I was never confident with my body. Now.. Id give anything for the body I once had. Id walk around naked everywhere!!! The first pic was (of course..) BEFORE I got [...]

22 year old mother of 4 under the age of 2! (Tabitha)

I got pregnant with spontaneous triplets when i was 20. I had them two months early on july 1st 2007. At 21 i got pregnant again with my last baby and it was only one! He is now two months old and growing wonderfully! He had to be 3 weeks early because of my previous [...]

18 Months Postpartum, Update (Anonymous)

I submitted here when my daughter was 12 months old. I’d like to say that I’ve reached my weight loss goal over the last six months, but the truth is that the scale has barely budged a pound. I’ve been running three times a week, though, and have started to really enjoy it. I’m noticing [...]

6 Months Postpartum & Still Looking 6 Months Pregnant (Bry)

I first want to say that I love this site. I visit everyday to read new stories and get encouragement, thank you all! I am 25 years old and gave birth to my daughter on Oct 30, 2008. I hated being pregnant… every bit of it. I was uncomfortable the whole time and I gained [...]

What Happened to my Body (Texas)

i am 35 and have a 2 almost 3 yr old.i gained about 70 lbs with her.i was always a sexy full woman.i was a 10-12 now12-14.i hate my ugly body so much my wonderful hubby never gets to see me naked.i feel like Norbits wife(in the movie Norbit).when she goes to the pool and [...]

Young Mama, 3 Babies, Ex-Stripper (Anonymous)

Ripe, Soft and fertile.. I was 57kg with 10c bust for seven years before pregnancy number 1 at age 23. (first two photos) Danced till I was 12 weeks pregnant- then left because I was self conscious of my rounded tummy. Put on 30kg rocketed to a 14ee bust and naturally birthed (No Drugs) Son [...]

3 pregnancies, 2 children, and pregnant with what we think are multiples! (Leigh)

Hi ladies! I am a (25 year old) mother of 2 right now, and pregnant for the 4Th time! We were pregnant with natural fraternal twins in 2004, but sadly lost them due to complications @ week 12. Now we are pretty sure we’re expecting twins again, if not more. We are both terrified and [...]

2nd Pregnancy and still loving it – 21 weeks preggo (Rachel)

Previous entry can be seen here. Here I am at 21 weeks with our second child. I would be happy to keep you guys posted on this pregnancy with progression pic submissions from this point out but I just don’t want to steal space from others. I’d like to invite all to shoot me an [...]

Still Trying to Cope (Victoria)

Im 19 and im still coming to terms that my body changed. I gave birth 21months ago and I thought my body would go back to normal like when my mother gave birth to me but no that didn’t happen. I wasn’t skinny before but a normal weight for my body I just thought that [...]

Coping with my body, a year after having baby number 1 (Anonymous)

When I was 18 I found out I was pregnant. It was probably the scariest moment in my life so far, I knew I would keep the baby but I had no idea how to raise a child, I was still one myself. The fear turned into joy the moment I felt the first little [...]

The Beautiful Body My Little Ones Gave Me! (Krysti Renee)

Pictures – – First, 2 months after having my 2nd Baby Second and Third, 1 year after having my 2nd Baby Fourth, my Breasts 6 months after I quit breastfeeding my Son (they’re mine again! =) Fifth, My Daughter & I in March 2009 Sixth, My Son in March 2009 My Story – – I’m [...]

3 1/2 Years Postpartum with Second Baby (Monique)

name: monique Age:24, had first baby at 16 and second at 20 Children: 2 little girls 6 and 3 almost 3 and a half years post parterm First off i found this site along time ago but didnt ever think i would get the guts to send anything. but i now love my body just [...]

Thankful and Blessed but Still Trying to Accept (mummyoftwodarlings)

Ok, so I have been visiting this site for over a year now in the hope of it helping me accept and love my post baby body. I am 30 years old, mother of 2 beautiful children. A daughter aged 3 and a son aged 16 months. I married my first love in 2004 at [...]

19 years old struggling to accept my new body. (Meg)

I found out I was pregnant at 18. I was actually thrilled, even though the father and I had only been together for a short three months. I had a wonderful beginning to my pregnancy. I loved watching my belly grow, and eating whatever I felt like. (I always did anyways.) I was 120 lbs [...]

STRUGGLING with looking pregnant a year AFTER I had my baby (Anonymous)

I am now 25 years old. I had my first son in January 2008 when I was 23 years old. I am now 14 months postpartum. Hey, I had my first baby at 23. A few month before I got pregnant I was 154 pounds. I am quite tall so i was a nice normal [...]

Timeline (Anonymous)

Here’s a timeline of photos from my pregnancy from 2 weeks to 38 (I went into labor at 39 weeks 6 days, so no 40 week photo!). The final photo is me now at 5 weeks postpartum. I love the changes that my body went through; the power of a woman’s body just absolutely amazes [...]

9 Months PP (Rochelle)

When I was 14 I was raped by my father (who is now in jail for it) and life just seemed to have left me after that. One night I went for a walk to clear my head like almost every night and ran into someone who changed everything. I was only 15 when I [...]

1 Month After Delivering a Baby (Brittney)

Brittney 1 month after delivering a baby Still trying to accept my body My age: 19 # of pregnancies: 1 I’m a 19 year old mother and absolutely hate my new body! Before becoming pregnant I was a size 00 and I weighed 100 lbs! I am so depressed! I totally regret eating as much [...]

I Wish I Could Love My Body (Kayla)

I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant. I was scared, nervous, and excited all at the same time. Ive never been the thinnest girl walking around, but I didn’t realize how nice my body was, until after I became pregnant. I had an easy pregnancy for the most part. I traveled a [...]

When did it ever feel like my body? (Anonymous)

Thinking about it today, I never felt my body was mine. I have kept losing weight and putting it back on ever since I can remember. 2 years after postpartum I am about 75 kilos, and that’s much less than I was before. It feels more like my body today than it used to before [...]

Love/Hate Relationship (Anonymous)

I’m now 25 and have always had huge body issues…even when I was thin. I always just hated my shape….my squarish hips and the fact that all my weight sits in my tummy/face while my arms and legs sta skinny. I didn’t like trying to be super thin, but if I wasn’t I just looked [...]

Lopsided Breasts and Hernia (Jay-Jay)

In the first pictures I was 31 years old and 10 months postpartum. My breasts are anyways uneven but they looked particularly funny after a one-sided breastfeeding. You can see my deformed bellybutton in the background. I didn’t know what the large lump under the skin an inch above my bellybutton was, but thanks to [...]

Young mom Trying to Accept her Postpartum Body (Amanda)

Hello everyone I am a proud 20 year old mother of two beautiful little girls. Brianna born November 19 2006 at 3:34pm weighing 6 pounds 11.9 ounces and 19.5 inches long, and Savanna born January 15 2009 at 7:52am weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces and 20 inches long. Both my girls came on there due [...]

Two Years On (Ruth)

I’m 32 (today!) and my son (my first and so far only child) is just about to turn two. I put on four stone with my pregnancy, and despite various diets (and full-term breastfeeding) I have still not managed to lose it all. I’m starting to come to terms with the idea that this might [...]

Never Happier With Myself (Anonymous)

i’m a twenty one year old first time mom. before i got pregnant i dieted constantly and went to gym every single day afetr work in order to achieve the body that i thought i was supposed to have. and it worked, if you want to think of it that way. i was a size [...]

Update after 3 Months of Pilates (Tamara)

Previous entries here and here. Hi! Its me again…im sure you have seen my previous posts and i promised i would keep up to date with the results of pilates and running to at least “try” and get my belly back to what it once was…anyhow the first two pics you can really see the [...]

Update (K)

Previous entry here. Just wanted to give everyone an update on my progress after posting a previous story on the site I have noticed a change in my body and my confidence is beginning to grow. I will never wear a bikini again but the skin has tightened and my tummy is flatter I have [...]

Acceptance, It’s Not All Bad (Minxie)

~Your Age: 21 ~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy/birth ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: my daughter is 18 months I hadn’t long turned 19 when I found out I was pregnant. I was absolutely terrified, as me and my partner had only been together 7 months. I felt [...]

Baby Belly 7 Months PP (AnneMarie)

I’m 31 and my 3rd baby daughter is now 7 months old and gorgeous of course , my first daughter weighed 9lbs 9oz, my second 10lb 6, and my last 7 lb which is tiny for me. i got some stretch from my first pregnancy just on my belly, but my second i got loads [...]

My Story (Anonymous)

(btw my english is not perfect, I live in mexico, but I really love this site and finally I decided to send some photos and share my story, I’m sure that I’ll have some mistakes, so sorry for that) I’m 19 years old, and I have a 2 year old amazing son. I have to [...]

Successful UBA5C (Stacy)

I am updating from my previous entry here… I am ecstatic to announce the arrival of our son. He arrived vaginally, at home, 10#5oz, 22 1/2 and perfectly healthy. I have had 5 previous csections and have yet to even process the immense healing that has come and will come from this. I love this [...]

7 Weeks Postpartum (Anonymous)

Age:25 Number of children: 2 This is me today. I had my second baby 7 weeks ago. I have always had issues with my body. All throughout college I suffered from bulimia. The only time I ever felt sexy was during pregnancy. I ate whatever I wanted without guilt. It really helped me overcome my [...]

3 Children in 3 years (twins) Coming to terms with the change (Anonymous)

I found out that i was expecting twins at 19 years old and was then a very slim toned girl, the pregnancy was difficult throughout and i was not lucky when it came to stretch marks. They covered my whole stomach, way up past my bellybutton. They were Very thick, severe purple looking marks and [...]

12 Weeks Postpartum, Third Pregnancy (Anonymous)

I had my third little girl twelve weeks ago. I am 27. My first daughter is seven (weighing 6lb 1oz at birth), my second daughter is three, (weighing 4lb 12 oz at birth) and my third daughter weighed 4lb 14oz. When I was younger I had anorexia and issues with self harm, and body image [...]

Cloey

Name: Cloey Age: 28 Pregnancies: 2 (one live birth) Age of child: 6 months People keep telling me how lucky I am to have snapped back so quickly. I was around 120 when I got pregnant at 27. The last time I weighed myself about a week before I gave birth at 28 I was [...]

Trying Hard to Love my New Body (Anonymous)

Firstly I must say how amazing all the women are who have had the courage to reveal themselves proudly and honestly on this site. Also how much I admire women who are proud of their bodies, stretch marks and all, for bringing their babies into the world. Before getting pregnant I had already started putting [...]

Starving to Blooming (Eve)

Having spent the last 14 years suffering from Anorexia Nervosa before becoming pregnant I worried about how my changing body may bring back the thoughts, feelings and negativity I had experienced for so long. I had only been in recovery for a number of months before getting pregnant I didn’t feel I was prepared for [...]

Jill from Yoga Baby TV

Hi! Just wanted to say what a great site and you are welcome to use the below pics if you wish. The first is of me during my first pregnancy in 2005 and the second of me was taken in 2007, just 6 months after the birth of my 2nd child. My name is Jill [...]

He is Here! (Mary)

Previous entries here and here. Age: 22 Births: 2, vaginal deliveries Kids: 2 year old girl, 2 week old boy Hi, this is my third posting and I love this website! Since my last posting my son arrived. The birth was amazing, 10 hours, with my husband, mom, and sister present. He was 7lbs 3oz [...]

Need Support (MotherofanAngel)

Hello! I am a first time mom in need of some support while I am on my journey back to feeling good about my body again. My pre-pregnancy weight was between 130-135 (I’m 5’5). I got up to about 205lbs, gaining 70-75lbs at the end of the pregnancy. I am now 5 months PP and [...]

I Want to See it as Beautiful (Anonymous)

Prior to pregnancy I suffered an eating disorder that led me to live with an unhealthy weight of around 105 and lower. I am 5’5. Just prior to pregnancy I had gained enough to get my period back and sure enough, here I am today. I knew that I had to gain a “normal persons [...]

10 Months PP with #1 (Lindsay)

My Age: 22 # of Pregnancies- 2 # of Birth- 1 10 Months PP When I was 16 I went onto birth control pills. By the time I was 19 I decided to get off them. After this, my period was never the same. It was so sporadic that my Doctor told me it would [...]

3 months after delivering a baby boy (Anonymous)

Hey everyone! I have been coming to this site for a long time. I started reading all the stories and looking at all the pictures probably a year before I even got pregnant. I am 24 years old and delivered a healthy baby boy on December 20th, 2008. My pregnancy and labour all went so [...]

A Dream Come True! (Anonymous)

When I was 21, a senior in a BSN program and 5 months away from marrying my high school sweetheart my doctor told me that I had PCOS and that my chances of having children was slim and unknown. In fact, she said we won’t know if I could have children until I tried, so [...]

Pregnant with Number Two! (Anonymous)

Your Age: 24 Number of pregnancies and births: Two pregnancies, one birth, one on the way! The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 2years old and 25 weeks pregnant. I’m a mother of a beautiful 2 year old girl and am pregnant with my 2nd child, a boy! My first pregnancy [...]

6 weeks pp (Anonymous)

I have been having a hard time dealing with my new mommy body. I am 27 and this is my first child. I am 5’4″ and started at about 140. I have always looked like I weigh much less than I actually do but now I am having a hard time hiding my weight gain. [...]

Anonymous

I and 24 and have had three children in the past 5 years. I fought with anorexia (although I was never diagnosed) when I was 17 and 18 before I got pregnant with my first child. I have always had a negative body image. I almost feel like if I’m not thin, people won’t appreciate [...]

6.5 Weeks PP (Misho)

I’m a 21 year old first time mum. I’ve never been skinny but mostly I accepted my body….I had more up days than down. I can’t say that I loved being pregnant, at this point I don’t want to do it again but I didn’t hate it either. I do hate what it did to [...]

Nothing Wrong Here (Punkin)

I just love reading the stories on this website. I’ve been mourning the perky 19 year boobs (I looove my belly stretch marks!) I left behind when I got pregnant since giving birth 5 months ago, but seeing all these women has made me realize that the “ugly” I see in myself is just in [...]

No Longer a Size 0 (Anonymous)

I’m a 17 year old mother and have barely came to terms with my new body. Before becoming pregnant I was a size 0 and I weighed only 100lbs It has been 9 months after having my daughter and it has been a very depressing long road. I have done many things to help me [...]

Still Working to Accept My Body (Anonymous)

I had my daughter when I was 19 years old. She just turned three last week and I am still struggling to lose the weight I gained from my pregnancy. I had gestational diabetes and I gained nearly 75lbs during my pregnancy. I have no real motivation to lose the weight mostly because I’m scared [...]

Happy women are willing to show the truth (Britney)

I got pregnant at a young age so already, at 16 besides the fact of being over whelmed about the pregnancy I got stretch marks about a week before I was to turn 9 months. So devastating I though. I was not prepared because I felt as if I’d done everything right, coco butter, lotions, [...]

The aftermath of sexual violence + the beginning of healing (Anonymous)

As a young teen, just as my body – to my great excitement – was starting to change, I was gang raped. The excitement of becoming a woman was taken away from me and the relationship I had with my body turned from love to pure hatred. They say that the body is a temple [...]

14 months pp, still struggling with image, but working to make it better! (Anonymous)

I found out I was pregnant when I was 17. I’d say I was fairly nervous, but also very excited. I’ve had lots of support from family and friends which made my pregnancy almost easy. Other than a few minor things, I can honestly say that I absolutely loved it. I’ve always been self-conscious, but [...]

13 Months Postpartum and 5 Kids Later (Anonymous)

I’m 22 years old I’m 5’2 and I weight 147 now, this is me 5 kids later 13 months postpartum I don’t feel good with my body cause my skin is too lose but I’m ok as long as I look good with clothes lol.

After 10 Years I’m Still Not Comfortable (Kay)

I’m 30 years old and had my son when I was 20. I was tiny before I was pregnant (5’2″ and 105lbs) and my belly was pretty small up until I was 7 months pregnant, then I don’t know what happened…maybe the baby turned? My belly POPPED out and I developed horrible stretch marks on [...]

Diastatis Recti (Katie)

Hi Mums, I am 30 years old and mother to an 8-month daughter. Her name is Maja. I used to be a fitness maniac before pregnancy, which you can surely see in my photo ‘before’. I used to be on the skinny side, but during pregnancy I gained 50 lbs and I was huge. People [...]

Update (Iraiosc)

Original entry here. Hi again, of course i still reading all post of all valiant woman who has new bodies like me. All you made me stronger and leave my depression. Actually i feel so pretty dressed because i lost more or less all volume. My son will celebrate 1 year the 2nd april!! Of [...]

Learning to Love My Body Again (Anonymous)

I am 33 years old. I have 2 children, that today are ages 6 and 8 years old. I nursed both of them. Before pregnancy, I was no super model, but was healthy, around 140 lbs, with perky nice little B cups. With my first pregnancy, I gained 50 lbs. I quickly lost all that [...]

Reached My Goal (Susy)

I am a 21 yr old mother of an almost 3 month old baby we named William Christian. My husband and I always knew we wanted kids, so 6 months after our wedding we decided to start trying. We got pregnant quickly (3 cycles) and we were both thrilled. Unfortunately, at 5 weeks pregnant, we [...]

2 Months PP Body (Samantha)

~Name: Samantha ~Your Age:18 ~Number of pregnancies and births:1 ~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are:2 months Hi everyone! I love this website i’ve been on here since i was pregnant but haven’t had time to post anything until now.Well i”am 18 and found out that I was pregnant at 17. [...]

Young 20 Year Old Mother and Wife (Anonymous)

I am a young 20 year old mother and wife! My son is now 10 and a half months old almost reaching his first birthday coming up in april on the 25th! I am so proud to be a mother and even though it would be amazing to have my prepregnancy body again, I would [...]

4 Babies, 1 Tummy Tuck (Danielle)

Previous entries here and here. One year and one day after having my forth baby, I had a tummy tuck. Now I’ve participated in the past at how this site has made me feel liberated from the tone of how mothers should look after having babies. Well like some moms here I did get back [...]

9 Months PP and Undecided (Michelle)

25 years old, 9 months pp I am 30 pounds under what I was when I got pregnant so I love my body more in clothes now then before I got pregnant. Naked is a different story. I hate how I look naked. Saggy and stretch marked.

Uncomfortable in my own skin (Becky)

Age: 29 2 pregnancies and 3 births Ages of children: 8yo, 4 mo twins (4 months 1 week postpartum) My life has been about many journeys. My husband and I got married when we were 18. Of course most people thought I was pregnant… I got pregnant at 20 and had our daughter right before [...]

The Best Site Ever! (Kym)

Previous entries here and here. This Is going to be the third time posting on The shape of a mother. My name is Kym and I am mother to a beautiful 21 month old baby girl! I started my journey into motherhood, a very insecure 18 year old teen. I have been insecure since i [...]

14 mos PP – My Story (Anonymous)

2 pregnancies- 1 MC at 16 weeks – one healthy baby. 14 Months postpartum. Thinking back at how paranoid I was pre-baby, im amazed that i have accepted my new body as much as i have. I know it doesn’t look so bad, and i should wear my mommy body and each and every stretch [...]

My other side of pregnancy (Anonymous)

5 weeks post birth. Stretch mark and c-section scar city. As a self portrait artist i really wanted to take a picture of my belly, not only for closure but also to point out some of the unrealistic views women have on what their bodies will be like after having a baby. I know – [...]

What my body can do! (Anonymous)

I am 3 months pp with baby number 3, and I couldn’t be happier. I LOVE pregnancy and birth, and feel so empowered to have accomplished 3 wonderful natural births, the last two at home in my bedroom. I have some deep stretch marks on my belly, but they are sacred and special to me, [...]

Working Hard to be Me Again! (Anonymous)

I used to be 5’2 and weighed 115… when I got pregnant I gained 30 pounds.. mind you IM 5’2! So all that weight really REALLY shows! I now weigh 142 ~ 17 months later! I nursed exclusively for 16 months so I didn’t try and lose the weight but now I am getting on [...]

Making Peace, Finally (Anonymous)

Having finally embraced that my waistline is not nearly as much of an “attribute” as it once was, I find myself, now at 28 with a 7 and 3 year old, truly loving my curves! I actually enjoy wearing flowing, comfortable, empire waist tops that don’t cling to my now ooooh so soft fleshy tummy [...]

6 Months PP (Anonymous)

Hi, I’m 18 & I just had my beautiful son 6 months ago. It’s been really hard to lose weight & sometimes I lack confidence because of my stomach. I was 153 pre pregnacy weight. I went up to 198 by the time I was 9 months & now I’m 169. I really enjoy reading [...]

More Progress!

Here’s another of my previous entries. It’s been quite a long time since I posted on here, I’ve been working very hard, working out almost every day and eating right. It’s been a slow process but I am now 5 1/2 months postpartum and the difference from my first few entries is VERY noticeable! I’m [...]

Update at 7 Months PP (Jessica)

I’m writing to update my previous post at a few weeks postpartum back in August/September 2008. I am now 7 months postpartum and (very) slowly coming to terms with my “new” body. The lines are fading in color, but the texture, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to! My husband assures me that I [...]

Still Trying to Cope with My New Body (Becky)

I am a 20 year old stay at home mother of a 15 month old, and while my body has gone back to almost the same, it isn’t how it used to be. I get horribly depressed over the fact that my hips are now wider, and that I’m not the old me anymore. All [...]

I’ve got “Twin Skin” and I’m Proud of it! (Kasondra)

Previous entry here. I posted back in July when I was blessed with the exciting news that I would be having twins. I had been bleeding and had to go in for an emergency ultrasound. We found out at that time that we were gonna be in for a wild ride. Surprisingly I only gained [...]

Imperfect, but Confidant and Proud (Catherine S)

Hi Everyone! I have been visiting this site for the last four months and like to comment but have just now found the time to actually post. I am 31 and had my son about 5 ½ months ago. I love all the posts by the brave and smart women that I have read over [...]

Mom to Twin Boys (Anonymous)

I’m so glad to have found this site. I have five month old beautiful twin boys. I had a very hard time with the pregnancy, and developed HELPP syndrome and delivered at 34 weeks, with a weight gain of 85 lbs! After suffering from post partum depression for the first three months, I finally sought [...]

7 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

I was very unhappy with my body before and rather depressed about it, i never thought i’d look any better and i didn’t like taking showers because i had to see myself naked. Now i am ok with my body i am eating right and working at getting closer to my old body though i [...]

16 Weeks Postpartum… Ugh! (Anonymous)

I love this site. Thank you all for your submissions! I come here all the time for encouragement and I thought it was time to submit my own pictures, so here goes nothing… The day I found out I was pregnant I weighed 129 pounds. At my last doctors appt (2 days before I went [...]

4 babies by 22 has taken its toll on my body (Tanya)

Hello, my name is Tanya and I am 25 years old. Just before I turned 16 I got pregnant. I was 110 ponds when I started my pregnancy and was 185 pounds at week 36 when I was induced due to pre-eclampsia. I had been swollen throughout most of my pregnancy but my urine tests [...]

Mum to 3 boys and 1 girl (Anonymous)

Original entry here. I had my little girl 7 weeks ago today. She was born 1 day after her due date. I let the Dr. induce me after he said “she’s going to be big, over 8lbs” so he broke my water and put me on a pit drip and after 4hrs of labor our [...]

5 months pp and very happy with my body (Anonymous)

I gained about 26 pounds during my pregnancy and now 5 months pp I’ve lost most of the weight. All I have left to lose is my little belly pouch then a bit of toning. And I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it so quickly if it weren’t for my gym membership!! lol

18 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

4.5 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

I’m trying to give myself permission to enjoy this new time in my life without giving in too much to any self-loathing. I’ve had some problems with my body- image, especially when I was younger and now and then it pops it’s ugly head into my life again. I have a wonderful baby girl, the [...]

2 Weeks Postpartum, Mother at 19 (Anonymous)

I had my first son two weeks ago, a week before my 19th birthday. I was so worried about what my body would be like postpartum because I took quite a bit of pride in my body before the pregnancy. Now I realize that it really doesn’t matter as much now that I’ve had my [...]

A Miracle Baby and Learning to Accept My Body (Amber)

My name is Amber and I am 21, almost 22. I had a planned pregnancy after only one month of trying with my ex fiance. I had no idea my body was going to look the way that it does, but after reading the site and lurking, I see that I have a lot to [...]

8.5 Months into Motherhood (Anonymous)

I found out I was pregnant just days before my 18th birthday. A senior in high school, I was 5’7″, 125 lbs. and comfortable in my body. My now-husband was just starting his first year of college, 5 hours away. Despite his frequent visits, my pregnancy was a long and lonely one. I was able [...]

10 Weeks Postpartum (Anonymous)

I posted here at 8 weeks postpardum and added post baby pics, but the only pic that was added was my pregnant one.So heres my post baby body after gaining 65 lbs, and losing 20….Still at 195 and now 11 weeks postpardum. My goal is to get down to 150, my pre-pregnancy weight. This new [...]

Postpartum Beauty (Anonymous)

From the time I was 13 years old, and experienced my first stretch mark on my suddenly grown breasts, I have been ashamed of my body. I was a chubby teenager who would hide my body under large sweatshirts and jeans even in the dead of summer so that no one could see my rolls [...]

First Baby and an Out of Body Experience (Anonymous)

This is me 5 months after my baby boy was born. I just do not look the same at all . My breast use to be perky and my stomach was less flabby before. Yet, at the end of the day when I look at my body I know its truly a blessing because I [...]

3 Years, 3 Surgeries, and 3 Kids Later (Anonymous)

When I met my husband I was a 117lb senior in highschool. We got married December after we graduated (I was 18). 4 months into our marriage I found out I was pregnant. My first pregnancy was text book until I hit 37 weeks and Toxemia set in and I ballooned. I was 135lbs when [...]

Trying to Accept My Body Really Hard (Roxy)

will i ever look better??? thats all I keep asking myself im 21yrs old and i had my first baby girl on Nov 16 2008. I got married at 18 and we decide to try having a baby in 08 and in March I finally saw the two pink lines we were soooo exited I [...]

I’m Only 18 – Wife & Mom, 4 Weeks PP (Anonymous)

Hello! I became pregnant @ 17, married my husband after we turned 18, and gave birth to a gorgeous 9lb 6 ounce baby vaginally. 36 hours of labor, and 3 hours of pushing, he was sunny side up, and they had to cut me. I’m now coming to terms with this new body, all the [...]

27 yo, 3 Months PP (Anonymous)

I’m excited to finally share my story after reading this website for a couple years. I’m 27 years old and this is my first baby. My pre-pregnancy weight was 125 lbs. I gained 35 lbs with pregnancy. Now 12 weeks pp, I’m down to 130 lbs. I didn’t get any stretch marks. Honestly, I ate [...]

PS – Postpartum 21 & 25 Years Later (Anonymous)

Previous entry here. The wonderful comments from all the young mums have really boosted me. I felt good about my body after my babies were born. But hit my later years and now I hate what I see nude in the mirror. I don’t have stretch marks, nor cellulite, so I am lucky, but all [...]

Unexpected C-Section (Anonymous)

I am 34 yrs old, my son, my first and only and here are some pics of mine 40 weeks pregnant and 8 days post partum…. This was my first pregnancy. I was planning for a vaginal birth from the beginning but by week 40 the doc realized that it wont be possible due to [...]

Anonymous

I may not be beautiful anymore, but my son is (Anonymous)

I’ll admit, it’s hard to look in the mirror these days. I use to be beautiful. I was vain too… I liked the way people treated me because of it. These days, I feel frumpy. I feel like an alien in my own body. Sex with my husband is not what it use to be. [...]

Comfortable in my skin (Southern Mama)

Im a 29 yr old mother of a 2 yr old and a 10 month old. I gained 50 lbs with my first baby who was 9 lbs. With my second baby I gained 70 lbs, geez, she was 8lbs 4oz. Both c-sections. I ate anything and everything in sight when I was pregnant with [...]

Update 14 Months PP (Tamara)

Ok, so i am posted on here way back in august i believe under 19 and insecure (tamara) anyhow..after the new year i finally said my resolution would be to get on a healthy diet and fitness program…my problem was mainly a lot of loose skin on my tummy….as for stretch marks well they cover [...]

Worried (Anonymous)

I just had my first baby 9 months (and a bit) ago. The pregnancy was very difficult and although I was told numerous times that I should have been enjoying myself, fun was the last thing I had. When I found out that I was pregnant, it was the happiest day of my life. And [...]

9 Weeks PP With 2nd Baby (Anonymous)

I’m 24 years old and have given birth to two handsome little boys by C-section. I had my first son in early 2007 and just had my 2nd this past November. My kids are my entire world and I love them them to pieces. The result of my pregnacies and left me stretched, buldged and [...]

Happy With My Body (Autumn)

I’ve posted here twice before, first post is here. It’s been 3 years and some months since I had my son, I’m below my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m somewhere between 155-160 lbs, I ended my pregnancy at 241 lbs. After he was born, I definitely had issues with my body, that over the years have diminished [...]

Beauty is Skin-Deep (Anonymous)

i wanted 2 start off by sayen this website is such an inspiration 2 mothers like me who are having trouble dealing with there body’s. i had my daughter at 17 years old her name is saiyuri and she is my jelly and im da peanut butter. she is gods gift to me. i struggled [...]

Where is the time machine? (Anonymous)

I’m 26-years-old. My son was born about two weeks before my 25th birthday. My pregnancy was not planned and I spent the entire pregnancy trying to come to grips with being a mother (which I haven’t quite done yet). My birth was a 43-hour-long, unmedicated journey aided by my mother and husband and a hospital [...]

Triplet Mom carries to full term for triplets 36 weeks and get 6″ of muscle separation (Triplet Mom)

I am a 22 year old mom of triplets (also non-IVF) I had been married only 2 months when we found out we were expecting. After two ultrasounds of one baby–triplets! I carried them to full term for triplets–36 weeks– and gained 80 lbs. I went from a size 6 to 230lbs on delivery day. [...]

11 Months Postpartum and Very Happy With My Body (Anonymous)

I had my first baby, a little girl, at 21 years old. I had a really great pregnancy, I gained about 35 pounds and didn’t get any stretch marks on my belly, I have a few now on my boobs, but they are white and don’t bother me very much. I loved being pregnant and [...]

10+ Years Later (V)

I am 28 years old, and had my child when I was 17. When I got pregnant I was 5’6″ and 101 lbs. and barely an A cup. I was never happy with my weight and wanted to weigh more, and wished my breasts were bigger. Well, I got my wish! I had a beautiful [...]

Feeling Great! (Anonymous)

I gained a fair amount of weight during my pregnancy. I’m barely over 5′ and I gained almost 35 pounds when my baby was born at just under 38 weeks gestation. I’m 8 days postpartum and so far I’ve managed to lose over 15 pounds, and my belly is almost as flat as it was [...]

2nd Time Around (Anonymous)

My story is 2nd c section was a uk size 10 never had to diet or exercise before even after my first son was born. This time coming to terms with my shape is troubling me its not the weight issue its the shape my tummy has become. 15 months i thought my shape would [...]

Anonymous

I’m a 20 year old single mum. I’ve been trying to give myself the courage to put photos of myself on here as I’ve been really depressed about my body. I’m working on my body slowly and trying to build up my confidence. My daughter was born on 4th of July 2008. Im nearly 7 [...]

Mother Trying to Learn to Accept Her New Body (Anonymous)

I’m a 19 year old mother to a 5 month old daughter. As a young mum I feel as though I never truely got to enjoy my teenage body. Before I became pregnant I would nit pick at the smallest imperfections of my body and never really appreciated how good it was. 5 months post [...]

Did I mention I finally have hips? (Yolande)

I was 19 years old and in the middle of my third year of college. My life was, on track, but I was miserable. Then an anvil fell from the sky and landed on my head…actually the birth control failed, and perhaps if I had been paying more attention to my studies, instead of my [...]

Anonymous

I’ve procrastinated writing this for a long time now. I found this website when I was pregnant with my son. He’s turning 2 years old now and I think it’s time to settle things with myself. Let me first say thank you for hosting such an amazing website. Now, I have a long history of [...]

Working With What I’ve Got (Anonymous)

okay, i’m a 3rd time participant here on SOAM. here is my last submission i don’t know about you, but i am tired of hearing about how some moms don’t jiggle when they run down the street, “motivational” exercise tips & being told that i’m a failure if i don’t make time to work out [...]

3 Months After My Second Baby (Anonymous)

When I had my son last year I was very self conscious about my new body. I would visit The Shape of a Mother frequently to remind me that I am not alone and that my body is indeed beautiful. 3 months after I had him I became pregnant with my daughter. I had her [...]

The Shape of a Mother 2x – 19 Months PP (Anonymous)

I am a 22 year old mother of two great children. My daughter is 4 years and my son is 19 months. I am slowly trying to reclaim my body. I love to see places like this that show how beautiful we are. In my opinion a womans body is MORE beautiful after childbirth…Mabey not [...]

I never thought a size 12 could be sexy before… (Anonymous)

I have a 9 month old and weighed 150 before pregnancy(size and am average height (26 y.o.). I was very unhappy at the time with my size, I’ve felt too fat my entire life because there are always those girls that are skinnier and more perfect. I don’t think I could ever be completely happy [...]

Here Goes Nothing! (Anonymous)

I’m trying to learn to be happy in the moment. Before I got pregnant(when I was 17), I let others (a super tan, three time Hooters girl, best friend) make me believe my body wasn’t good enough. So even though deep down I LOVED my body and was VERY happy with what I had, I [...]

So Here I Am! (Anonymous)

Great work on this site! When I was pregnant I started to hate the way my body was developing and I hated myself even more for worrying about something so trivial. After my baby was born (two years ago now) I hated it even more. Pregnancy hadn’t agreed with me and I’d actually lost a [...]

16 Weeks PP, 2nd Baby, 38 Years Old (Anonymous)

This site has made me feel so much better about my post-baby body. I haven’t struggled as much with body issues after baby #2 although I still have 15 pounds to go and haven’t lost any weight since my 1 week checkup despite breastfeeding-baby is now 4 months old. I don’t personally experience much in [...]

C-Section Scar, 4 Weeks (Anonymous)

34 year old mom of 4, surrogate mom to 3 This c-section was from my 7th pregnancy. 2nd c-section. Incision is just 4 weeks postpartum.

Life Changes, Get Used to it! (Mary)

… I tell myself that everyday! I met my husband while we were overseas in the Army in 2005, we were married in April 2006, and 9 months and 10 days later we had our daughter, she is amazing! We are going to be welcoming our son in March and cant wait! I love being [...]

1st Pregnancy, 1st C-Section, Six Years Later (Anonymous)

I never planned on having a c-section. I was hoping for a natural birth, but my daughter had other ideas. At 32 weeks we found out she was breech, and despite our best efforts, wouldn’t turn. I went 8 days overdue, and finally my OB/GYN decided to schedule me for a c-section when it became [...]

Me (Anonymous)

a little new here

Sad (Anonymous)

I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy just over ten month ago. I didn’t have the best pregnancy with one thing and another. However nothing could of prepared me for giving birth. Lots of damage was caused which meant I had to have surgery after having my baby. This was for vagina reconstruction and [...]

Six Months After Second Cesarean (Anonymous)

I am back to pre-pregnancy weight but in better shape so yes it’s possible – even after a cesarean. I gained about 45 pounds each time. Afterwards I stuck to a 1400 calorie a day diet, 2X a week weight training, and 2X a week mat pilates at a local gym during lunch (went back [...]

Postpartum – 21 and 25 Years Later (Anonymous)

My babies are now 21 and 25, weighing in at 7lbs 9ozs and 8lb 3ozs. I so wish we had professional nude photos done then, but we would never have thought of it. Pregnancy is such a beautiful state that it should be recorded. I have one nude profile photo of me 2 days before [...]

My Story (Anonymous)

I admit that I am at constant odds with my body. I have yet to learn to accept that body may always look this way. I was 150 when I became pregnant with my now 2 year old son. I had a very difficult pregnancy and ended up on bedrest for the last four months [...]

What 6 Months of Breastfeeding Can Do! (Anonymous)

After gaining 60lbs during my pregnancy and crossing a very scary number (I got to 204lbs) I gave birth (via unplanned Cesarean ) to a healthy 8lb 12oz baby girl! Despite c-section I planned on getting back into shape right away, as a former college ice hockey player I had been in pretty good shape [...]

Thankful for this site (Anonymous)

My son will be turning a year old next month. I had promised myself that I would have lost all the weight and returned to my “normal” self by this time. And that hasn’t happened. I have always struggled with self-esteem issues. I have never felt attractive. Until I was pregnant. I felt like I [...]

6 Weeks Postpartum (Jessica)

My name is Jessica, and i had a beautiful son 6 weeks ago today. Having a child has been the most fullfilling event to ever happen in my life. Before becoming pregnant me and my boyfriend of 4 years got married, and we never planned on having kids, only dogs! Six months after our wedding [...]

There is Beauty in My Flaws (Melissa)

so here is a picture of my two sons and myself…my lovely tummy after the damage of having two children in under a year..exactly 11 months to the day apart to be literal. To my boys, I am the most beautiful mommy in the whole world and when they ask me about my stretch marks [...]

After Two Kids (Anonymous)

My name is Jennifer and I am a mother of 2 of the greatest kids ever! I have a 9 month old son and a 2 year old daughter. I had both of my children at a really young age. As of now, I am only 18 years old. It was hard for me to [...]

I’m Still Coming to Terms (Anonymous)

These photos are of me 6 mo pp with #2. I was 170# pre-pregnancy. I gained 65 with #1. When my first daughter was 15 mo I got pregnant again. This time I gained 35 lbs. I currently weigh 198#s. My belly is sagging and full of stretch marks. When I look at my beautiful [...]

Long Hard Road (Anonymous)

I’ve never been perfect. I know this. But for most of my life I’ve been satisfied with my body. As a teenager I had a wonderful body in my opinion. No, I never fit into those size 0 jeans, but I was curvy, had a pretty flat stomach, and all of this was done with [...]

11 Months Postpartum, After 5 Kids! (Anonymous)

i have post here before i just want to share my 11 months pospartum pict i dont like my body and my huge thighs!

In Love With Myself (Anonymous)

I posted here nine months ago thinking that I would return loathing my post pregnancy body. Superficially thinking that “recovering” from my pregnancy would be important. On April 30th ten days late I birthed a 7lb .5oz baby girl gently into my own arms. Not only was I blessed with a healthy child but I [...]

36 and Concerned (Anonymous)

I came to this site for two reasons. One is to offer hope. I had my first child at 27 and bounced back well. I lead an unusually active lifestyle at my most sedentary because I have horses, goats, and a bunch of dogs and other animals. I can’t keep still for very long. As [...]

The REAL Beauty (Anonymous)

This is my body 11 weeks after the birth of my beautiful baby girl. She saved my life and lifted my soul out of the darkness. I have never seen anything more beautiful than my daughter and every time her tiny hand grasps mine, I see the reason why I am alive. There is no [...]

Surrogate Belly – After Two of My Own (Anonymous)

My first contribution was taken six months ago, before the latest preggo belly. This is me at 32 weeks and counting. I don’t look like a hollywood preggo, and I didn’t edit anything out. This is real, this is me, and it is so BEAUTIFUL!!!

Two-Time Gestational Surrogate and Mother of Two (Anonymous)

Hi I am a 2x Gestational Surrogate. I also have 2 kids of my own Baylee 11 and Tyler 5. I am a proud surrogate of 2 baby girls. One born 2/27/07, and another born 8/25/08. I am proud of all 4 babies I have given birth to. However my first child was the pregnancy [...]

Getting Used to the New Me (Anonymous)

Before I got pregnant, I had a pretty decent body — not great, just average. Since giving birth to my son 6 weeks ago, I am struggling to adjust to my new, “mom’s” body. I guess I got away luckier than some — while I have tons and tons of stretchmarks on my chest, some [...]

7 months pp. A crazy new life. (Anonymous)

I was surprised to find that my story was a lot more common than I thought. I first found out I was pregnant as a senior in high school. My boyfriend (who is now my husband) reacted differently than most young men would have in his situation. He told me that whatever I chose to [...]

Struggling with my mommy body (Jenn)

Hi I’m Jenn I had my first, and only, child five years ago. I was very lucky that I had no stretch marks despite being very big while pregnant, apart from a few faint ones that are hardly noticble on my breasts and bum. I carried my son very high and had a c-section. I [...]

3 Years Later and Still This?? (Angele)

Hi everyone, I am 28 years old. I had my first daughter when I was 20. I was 130lbs pre-baby and I gained 38 lbs in 38 weeks and 4 days of pregnancy. I lost most of that weight and was back into a size 7. I became pregnant with my second daughter at the [...]

My Body (Anonymous)

This is my body during and after my first pregnancy. I am happy with my body now, i finally grew some boobs and i love them, i adjusted to having stretch marks, considering the ones from puberty had just faded, and my tubby belly is no tubbier than it was before. my son is now [...]

My Body, My Beauty (Anonymous)

I am 25. I am 4′ 11″. I weigh 120 lbs. I have 42 DD breasts. I have curves. I have stretch marks. I have sagging skin. I have sagging breasts. I love my body. I am BEAUTIFUL.

God’s Gifts (Anonymous)

I’m 23 now. I currently weigh 165 lbs. I hated my body 5 years ago when I weighed a whopping … ready for it … 115 pounds and stood 5’9″ tall. Yeah. A lot has happened in 5 years. Three babies, one marriage, and tons of God’s AMAZING grace later I am stronger and happier [...]

Mum at 16, Learning to love my new body (Anonymous)

I Fell Pregnant Febuary 2008, at the age of 15. I never once considered abortion or adoption, I decided too keep my baby once i found out. The father had mixed emotions but is now a proud father, I gave birth too a beautiful baby girl 5 days after my 16th on the 17th nov [...]

7wks PP, 2nd child, 1st C-sec, 29yrs old (Anonymous)

I started this pregnancy at 120 lbs and delivered at 150. I lost 20 lbs right away and have 10 more to go. My 1st pregnancy was 10 years ago and I weighed 90 lbs (underweight). I gained 40 lbs and snapped right back into shape (a healthier weight of 105ish). This time I am [...]

5 Weeks Postpartum with First Pregnancy (Anonymous)

On Nov 6, 2008, I was blessed with a beautiful daughter. She is amazing to me because it is the first person in my life I can look at and see some resemblance of myself. I was adopted as a newborn, and always stuck out like a sore thumb with my light brown hair, blue [...]

Not Shy Anymore! (Anonymous)

I was always aware that my body was attractive and that I was able to get mens attention, but I was uncomfortable with it….. After giving birth, my body is very different (as you can see) and not as nice as before, but so many people saw me naked (including many men) that I am [...]

18 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

This is me 18months after having my beautiful daughter im still not really comfortable with my body but i am getting there……..

First Baby VCC 4 Months Postpartum (Angelica)

hi! this is me after 4 months of having my beautiful baby i already posted pictures of me when i was 1 month pp do you think that i look better now or the same?? i really appreciate your comments!! thanks!!! Updated here.

3 weeks PP after having a 8lb 15oz baby boy (Anonymous)

I am 20 years old and I am married to a wonderful man who is serving our country with the army for the last 3 years. This is our first child and he is just a blessing. Thru out my pregnancy it was hard for me to gain weight. Before I was pregnant I weight [...]

Update (Berni)

Original entry here. My son is now 6 and a half months old and feel worse the ever about my body. I love my son so much and feel so guilty for hating my body as it carried him for for 40+11 weeks. My body created a beautiful 10 lb 10oz baby boy but I [...]

Anonymous

i’ve been visiting this site for nearly two years now and, since the beginning, i’ve wanted to submit my story. i am a 30 year old mother to two sons, aged 3 and 18 months. we are currently expecting our third baby, through international adoption. my husband and i were married in june of 2004, [...]

Body After Baby #1, 21 Years Old (Anonymous)

I had my little boy july 31, ’08. 2 months after my 21 birthday. He is my world. I appreciate him coming into my life because he saved me from myself. He made me into the best person I can be, and I will always be indebted to him for that! I started out at [...]

I am what I am – a mom (Rachel)

Well here goes nothing… My name is Rachel I’m about to be 21 I have 2 wonderful kids A boy that is 3 and a girl 1. I had my son when I was 17 ( yes i was married and got married at 16 ) and i hated my body after I had him [...]

Update! 8 Months Post-Partum (Anonymous)

View my original entry here. When my son was born 5 weeks early, with severe IUGR and weighing only 3lbs, I was angry. It was all my body’s fault. I learned not long after submitting my original entry that my heart was struggling with the pregnancy and I had developed pregnancy induced hypertension. My placenta [...]

I Need Encouragement (Anonymous)

My beautiful, rewarding, amazing son was born ten months ago. I wanted him, but had no idea how much my life, including my body would change. Most of the changes are awesome. Sometimes I wonder if I suffer from post part em depression. I see this site and think I am being heartless and selfish [...]

Body After Baby One Year Later (Anonymous)

Hi everyone just wanted to let you know IT IS possible to get a great body after baby…this is my stomach after about a year of having my kid..and my kid was 10 pounds! im five ten and now 122 pounds…i worked out all through my pregancy too and used Vichy stretch cream on my [...]

Mother of Two (Anonymous)

I recently just had my second child, a precious little girl a couple weeks ago. After I had my first child in 2006, I submitted photos to this site. Now after my second I am sending updated ones. With both pregnancies I gained 30lbs, starting out each time around 130. I am currently down to [...]

I Love Being a Mommy, But I Hate My Body (Anonymous)

im a 21 year old mommy to my almost 2 month beautiful baby girl. My fiance and i are thrilled to have her in our lives, though i do not feel at all physically attractive. i was 150 before i got pregnant at 5”6 and though i needed to lose weight, little did i know [...]

First Pregnancy at 16, Not So Bad (Anonymous)

When I first Got pregnant at 16, I was completely horrified. I was scared of everthing from baby care to stretch marks. I was 5’4 and 115 pounds. I gained about 17 pounds throught my pregnancy. I was so scared that I was going to be overweight and have stretch marks from head to toe.. [...]

Trying Really Hard to Accept My Body (Anonymous)

I haven’t felt anywhere near beautiful since I had my son almost 4 months ago. I was never planning on having kids right now, and my boyfriend and I were really surprised 2 days after last Thanksgiving. He was upset and didn’t want to have the baby, but I could never imagine getting rid of [...]

Making Progress (Anonymous)

Here’s my previous entry with a link to my previous previous entry, ha ha! Slowly, VERY slowly I’m noticing changes in myself. My stretch marks are finally fading and my belly is actually lifting as terrified as I was that it wouldn’t. I’ve been working out and trying to eat as healthy as possible. So [...]

Fraternal Twins (Anonymous)

At 8w 3d I found out I was having twins. Something no one can ever be prepared for. Two of everything! Two cribs, two bikes, two high chairs, two carseats, two hugs, two kisses, twice the work, twice the fun! I had my fraternal twin boys at 37 weeks via c-section and they’ve been the [...]

First Bub @ 16, Second @ 18 (Anonymous)

I had my first baby when i was 16. fell pregnant with my second when i was 17 and had him when i was 18. still with the father and hopefully will be for a while yet. Although i did come looking for a site like this because of the self esteem issues i have [...]

Benefits of Weight Training (Anonymous)

I had my daughter 12 years ago at the age of 25. I gained 50+ pounds during my pregnancy. I worked hard to drop the weight, but didn’t discover weight training until last year. This photo was taken 2 months ago after 9 months of training 2-3x a week. You can still see that my [...]

10 Months PP with Baby #2 (Kimi)

I am Kimi. I am a 24 year old mom of 2. My DS is 2 (8-3-06) he was born 8 days late. DD is 10 months (1-25-08) and she was 2 weeks & 2 days late. I gained & lost over 100 pounds in about 2 years. As you can see my children are [...]

belly (Anonymous)

i was 19 when i had my little boy. my body has changed and im trying to accept it. im almost at my pre-pregnany weight but my stomach is still mushy and i have soo many stretchmarks all over the place it makes it hard to love. i do however love my son and i [...]

Update (Anonymous)

Original entry here. I thought I’d leave a update… My baby is now 16 months, and my princess is 3. I’m still struggling with my body image, but I did that before I got pregnant the first time… I think this is a fantastic site. I feel beautiful, stronge, and at home here. thanx.

Mom of 3 by 19 (Anonymous)

Hi, I was 16 when I found out I was pregnant with my son. after a otherwise great pregnancy at 34wks and 4days my water broke and I was taken to the hospital. I was in labor for 63+ hrs wth no meds except antbiotics I only dilated to a 3 and he didnt move [...]

Second Cesarean, 2 Separate Incisions? (Anonymous)

I gave birth to my 2nd son via c-section on 11/12. I just had a chance to really get a good look at myself and noticed that I have 2 separate scars. Everyone I talk to says that my doctor didn’t know what he was doing, that he should have cut along the previous incision. [...]

18 Months After CS and a Beautiful Girl… (Anonymous)

This is my body now. I hate it. After my CS i was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Polycystic ovarie syndrom. Because of the Polyblabla its hard to lose weight, since everything you eat gains on the stomach. I was a size 36(european sizes.. small/medium) the day i had my girl, and the day after i [...]

One Mental Year Later (Anonymous)

Hi everyone! I found this site at the beginning of my pregnancy and thought that now, just past my daughter’s first birthday, would be a fairly apt moment to reflect on this mental year and nine months and make a post myself. I’m 5ft2 ish and I started my pregnancy at 9st (see before photo!) [...]

Learning to Love my 21 Year Old Baby Body (Anonymous)

I’ve been through a lot in my short 21 years and 10 months here on earth. The good, the bad, the unexpected… In high school I was a 5’3, 117 pound cheerleader with an eating disorder. I was teased when I was younger for being chubby, so I made up for it during my adolescence. [...]

2 Beautiful Boys and an “Apron” (Anonymous)

I was always skinny. 111 pounds before the birth of my first son, and proceeded to gain 55 pounds. I ended up with stretch marks from literally my breasts to a few inches past my knees. After I lost the weight, my breasts were just loose skin, nothing else. My stomach looked pretty wrinkly, but [...]

2 Baby Girls by 20 (Regina)

Previous entry here. My name is Regina. I became pregnant with my first daughter when I was 16 years old. I planned on giving her up for adoption for the first 5 months of the pregnancy but in the end I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Her father and I were married when I [...]

1 Month PP! will it ever go away?? (Anonymous)

I’m 26 and had my first and only baby girl 1 months age. I’m hating my body and very down on myself image! I always had a big ego and low self esteem! Now I have no ego and no self esteem! I know my stomach is better then most but I feel as if [...]

Pregnancy Photos (Anonymous)

I’ve included three pictures of my belly when I was pregnant the second time. The one in the white shirt is at 40 weeks, just a few days before labor began. The black shirt is at 37 weeks, and the view from the top of my bulging belly-button is at 34 weeks. I had my [...]

New Mum, 22, How can I love my body again? (Anonymous)

I am 22 and have just had my first baby, 9 weeks ago. Ive never considered myself to be especially vain or image obsessed or that. I am so happy my baby is healthy and happy and I am happy I managed to fall pregnant to begin with (as I am challenged in the fertility [...]

(Anonymous)

i am 27 years and have 2 children. my daughter is 3 and i gave birth to her naturally and she weighed 8 lbs 5 oz. i was in labor for 20 hours with any pain meds.i bounced back so quickly! i loved it. then my husband and i decided to have another baby. we [...]

My Body 8 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

As everyone on this website I have lots of body issues and this is how I found this website. I am 5’5″ and before I got pregnant weighed 145 lbs. I gained about 36lbs during the pregnancy, had sever pre-eclampsia and fluid retention. I felt so bad about my pregnant body that I didnt want [...]

3 Months PP (Anonymous)

This is me three months after my son was born. I was 130 pounds and 5’8 before getting pregnant. I delivered at 217 pounds! I got alot of stretch marks, and even have a few light ones behind my knees! My stomach and boobs are ruined, but I would do it again! I just wish [...]

From Making Money with my Body to Making Babies (Anonymous)

After meeting the man of my dreams and spending two years dancing and modelling at 173cm and 57kg and 10d Bra size, I fell pregnant with my first son. I quit smoking, Nightshift, Dancing, Vegetarianism and took up a healthy diet. 10 months later i weighed 85kg- I had put on 28kg. My bra size [...]

After My First Pregnancy (Anonymous)

The 20th of March 2008 i became the mother of a beautiful son. I had an emergency cesarean. When i came home and took a look in the mirror i was shocked.. I hoped it would go away.. But it didn’t change much.. Now 8 months later I’m trying to accept the new me. It’s [...]

10 Days Postpartum with Twins (Anonymous)

I’m 23 and have been married 2 and a half years. Pre-pregnancy I was 5’1 and 115 lbs. I went up to 165 the day I had my twins boys by c-section. I was never happy with my body before pregnancy my lowest weight was 78 lbs. With some help from my hubby over a [...]

Lost and Found Pregnancy, 7 Weeks Postpartum (Charity)

Meant To Be: My Pregnancy Story I’m a 22 year old single mom and I can’t tell you how excited I am! This baby was DEFINITELY unexpected. I knew I was pregnant from day 1, but didn’t find out for sure until the end of January. My boyfriend and I were on a technical ‘break’ [...]

I Am Beautiful (Anonymous)

These photos were taken a couple of weeks before my daughter turned two. Actually, as I write this, she will be two years old in less than 24 hours. She is a total blessing, so bright and inquisitive. And I see that being a mother to a little girl who will someday be a woman [...]

Learning to Love My Body After 5 C-Sections, Pregnant With #6 – Hopeful VBAC (Stacy)

With my first daughter, conceived at 17, I was not fuller aware of the changes that would take place. I was young, ignorant to nutrition and was raised with horrible eating and activity habits. I gained almost 80 pounds and ended my long labor in a csection. My first daughter is an absolute joy, and [...]

12 Weeks After pregnancy #2 (Anonymous)

here is me 12 weeks after my second delivery. i was pregnant with boy/girl twins the first time and sadly we lost our beautiful baby girl 3 weeks after they were born (prematurely). i got pregnant again about 6 weeks after we brought our son home from the hospital. 12 weeks ago i gave birth [...]

20 Year Old Mommy (Anonymous)

I am a 20 y/o SAHM of 2 boys and an air force wife. I got pregnant when my husband (boyfriend at the time obviously) were both 16. Our son was born 10/27/05 when we were 17. We got married in June 2007 and started TTC baby #2 in November. After 1 month of TTC, [...]

My Body 8 Months PP, Second Child (K)

I have always been a healthy weight but still had to watch what I ate.I was pretty naive and assumed that my body would go back to normal straight after birth. I quit smoking as soon as I found out I was pregnant with my son (my first pregnancy)and the weight just piled on. I [...]

Body After Four Babies (Anonymous)

I had my first baby at 19, and that’s where I got all my stretch marks. She was 7lb, 14oz and my smallest baby. I started out pregnancy at 150 pounds and was 191 when she was born, in June 2001. My second baby was 9lb, 2oz and was born in August 2004. I started [...]

Changing Shape at 21 (Anonymous)

Getting here was a tough road, in more ways than one. Although I am a young mother, my boyfriend and I planned for this baby. We had previously lost two little angels, the first was an early miscarriage while the second loss was discovered at 17 weeks. We were devastated, but it helped us to [...]

Happy with her body (Anonymous)

I am now 4.5 months pp. I breastfed my son, and it is the best thing that I have done. I have strech marks on my brests, stomach, and hips…also a few on my legs. I am learning how to accept my body…and after reading everyone elses blogs on here…I love my body. Thank you [...]

3 1/2 months postpartum (Anonymous)

I had my baby girl on July 15th 2008…I have been struggling with my self about my weight since…Before I got pregnant I weighed 100 lbs and now I am 134 lbs…I am slowly adjusting to the “new look” It is not the weight so much as the lose skin I have…I gained 60 lbs [...]

6 weeks postpartum (Anonymous)

I posted an entry about a month ago right after my C-Section and I was terrified that my belly was just going to be a saggy mess forever but it really has improved. Not by much but here is the progress. Updated here.

Pregnancy Service Stripes (Anonymous)

It is 2 days past my baby’s 1st birthday. After my shower I was just looking at my body. I see how much it’s been through with 3 pregnancies in 5 years. I am 22 years old, I have 3 children and I have my pregnancy service stripes and a battle scar. My belly, hips [...]

6 weeks pp (Anonymous)

For those out there who didn’t automatically return to their pre-pregnancy bodies, I wanted to share what time has done for me so far. The pictures that I am sharing are from my second pregnancy. I had stretch marks with the first and the second. I only gained 44 pounds with my first pregnancy and [...]

Update (Anonymous)

I am 140 lbs! yay I went from over 200 all the way down to 118..and i sagged..and didn’t liek it.. and now I’m finally fitting where my body should be not even worrying about scails or skin..lol I LUV some curve….I would take more .. So I’ve gained 20 lbs by eating lots healthy..eating [...]

1 year later!

In 2006 I became pregnant while broken up with my husband, we weren’t married at the time but still seeing each other. At 5 weeks I miscarried and a month later we were married, it was already planned but it devastated me to lose my baby. Eight months