The Shape of a Mother

It's late now - possibly over for many of you, but I hope it was lovely and full of joy, with many reminders of why we love being mothers.

Blessings to each of you!

Hello, my Name is Julie, I am 30 years old and single parent from Mailin Anouk (*10.12.02, 50cm and 3380 g.) and Eleni June (*11.05.04, 55cm and 4260 g.).

I live in Hamburg/Germany and I will show you some pictures from my pregnancys with Mailin and Eleni.

There where both cesarians! (Mailin was in breech presentations and Eleni was toooooo big)

The first pictures shows the pregnancy with Mailin

After that, you can see the pregnancy with my second daughter Eleni

Than you can see my belly right now. I hate my bellybutton, but so what - I have my daughters!!!

At least, I show you my daughters right now :o)

Sorry, my english is very poor :o(

All the best,

Julie with Mailin Anouk and Eleni June

I posted here before when I was about 2 months pp. I am now 11 months pp and still unhappy with my body. But mothers bodies are supposed to be squishy for babies to cuddle up to.

My body was pretty fit B4 I had my children. I didn't think a whole lot about what I ate and I got an average amount of exercise just doing daily activities and going for walks. After I had my 4 children (born: May '98, Nov.'00, Aug.'02 and Jan.'04) my body and life changed forever. As my stomach grew so did my heart. I love my children beyond words and dislike my stomach very much! I am proud to be a mother of 4 happy, healthy and energetic children. I have been blessed! Now if only my tummy thought I was still a teenager...

First off, I will start by saying, that I have always had body image issues. I was never what you would call 'fat' I just had a little extra pudge. I was always very self-conscious about my body. When i met my hubby, i was a size 8. I thought that was heavy. Now, almost 7 years later, and 2 babies (one in heaven) later, I am a size 14. I hate it. I am stuck with stretch marks, saggy boobs, and extra fat. My son is 2 1/2 and I can't get rid of the extra weight that I gained with him. I gained 35-40 pounds when i was pregnant, and only lost about 15. To top it off, I got on the BC shot and gained it back!! I came to this site to hopefully feel better about this body that i have. I also just want to add, that you ladies are very brave, and gorgeous! These pics are of me 2 1/2 years after my son was born.

I am now 26 weeks pregnant and have gained 12 pounds. Everybody says that once you've given birth your body is never the same. Is that true. Is there any hope for somebody who is completely terrified of losing her pregnancy body?

I'm a 25yr old mummy of two amazing children. Before I became pregnant I lived in bikinis and tube tops, showing off my flat, toned tummy at any opportunity. But at 22 when my son was born by emergency c-section weighing 9lbs 3ozs, I quickly realised those days were well and truly over. My tummy was riddled with stretchmarks and loose skin but all that mattered to me was that my little boy was alive after a very traumatic delivery. My son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 5wks old and the heartbreak of watching him fight through sezuires and many many hospital admissions made me drop all 60lbs of my pregnancy weight within a matter of weeks. I was still pumping and breasfeeding as much as I could so that he could still have mummy's milk on those long and sad days on the hospital ward. I didn't think much of my body during his first year of life - all that mattered was him. A few weeks after our son's 1st birthday I discovered I was pregnant again. This time with my daughter, I gained far less weight and she was born by VBAC weighing 7lbs 7ozs. She has just turned one and I have started to feel self-conscious about my body for the first time. After breastfeeding two babies my breasts have lost most of their substance but I am just so proud to have been able to breastfeed them that my breast shape doesn't bother me too much at all. What I've really been struggling with is my new tummy. My husband still thinks I am beautiful and loves my whole body, but I can't help but feel envious of friends I know who have more kids than me and have no stretchmarks or loose skin whatsoever! But at the end of it all, it was so worth it. My children give me so much joy and enrich my life more than I ever could have dreamed. I love them and I love the body that carried and gave life to them. I know my new body will take some getting used to but I think by posting here I may have just taken the first step on a journey to acceptance. I'm so glad I'm not alone.