I had my daughter 3 months before I turned 21. She is the first for both me and my husband. I was 250 before i got pregnant. I was 274 the day i had her and dropped back to 250 the day she was born. I thought i looked pretty good 1 week post partum. Over the next few weeks… months.. I kept gaining weight. I couldnt figure out why because I was breastfeeding and eating the same as before i got pregnant… Actually better because there was no money for going out to eat. They did multiple tests and discovered i had hypothyroidism. In the 5 months since i had my daughter i gained 60 pounds and weighed 310 pounds. I am completely disgusted with myself and the way my body looks. I’ve looked at all of the other moms and it makes me feel like im not alone but it certainly doesnt make me feel better about me. Now that im on medication for the hypothyroidism i lost 14 pounds in a week not doing anything differently. Im not even breastfeeding anymore. Its obvious that its going to take time and obvious that the meds are working. I just have to learn to accept myself for the way i am now with the hope that one day i’ll get to where i WANT to be! the first 2 pictures are a few months before i got pregnant. The second 2 are the day before i gave birth. the fifth is one week post partum. the next few are from today at 5 and a half months Post partum… Front and side views both normal and when i suck it in.. I’ve also got the saggy boobs which also have bright red stretchies on them. the last is my sweet daughter who is certainly worth it all :)
Hey, You look beautiful! and your daughter is such a cute little girl… i love her costume!!
Anyway your not the only one who had their endocrine system knocked off balance by pregnancy, i also suffered with hormonal problems related to post partum period and ended up loosing 2/3rds of my hair (although its growing back)
Anyway i went and get my thyroid tested, iron, everything came back normal but i knew deep down everything was not normal and i needed to keep trying to find a solution to my weight, chronic fatigue, and Chronic Shedding!!!
turns out my thyroid was off, went on armour which is helping me alot, aswell eating a healthy diet has also improved my energy and making everything else fall into place.
Its been almost 15 months now, and it takes time for your body to get back to normal.
But i think your gorgeous, stretch marks will fade.. and your hair is so thick- im jealous!!
I found out I had hypothyroidism after my second. I know exactly what you’ve been thru, and are going thru. I’m surprised you didn’t mention the exhaustion… that’s what took longest for the meds to correct for me.
Hang in there and be SURE to keep all your follow up blood test appts! VERY, very important!
You look AMAZING!
Hey, I hear you on the thyroid thing. I was diagnosed with a thyroid problem when I was 14. And it did have a big impact on my weight and how hard it was to loose it. Glad to hear I’m not the only young mom with a thyroid problem!
I think you look great. I am glad to hear that you found out what was making you feel like crap and gain wieght, now you can focus on getting better and taking care of your beautiful baby girl.
Congrats on being a beautiful new mommy!
Aw, they are worth it all, aren’t they? And what a beautiful little one. I can’t imagine having something like hypothyroidism to deal with on top of all the other emotional/physical changes that come with a baby! And 14 lbs in a week is incredible. I’m sure you’ll reach your goals now that you know the problem. And… I’m with Mia above… my hair has fallen out twice (at 11 mo. postpartum). The joys of motherhood!! :D
I too got hypo, after my 2nd child. Thank yourself lucky you only gained weight. Mine was so sever that it altered my other hormones , and threw me into a postpardum depression as well. The most horrible time of my life. I became pregnant 7 mos after my daughter was born and this somehow..made my hormone levels return somewhat to normal. Now, 2 years later, I still am not over it completely, although I am much better. I wonder if it will ever go away completely.
Also…you have the cutest daughter…she is adorable!
You so don’t look like you are 250 at all. I think you look very beautiful the way a women should be. Your a real woman.
Wow. I agree you don’t look 250 at all! You look fantastic and oh my gosh! What a little princess you have! Gorgeous! :D
You don’t look 250! I weigh that and I WISH I looked as good as you!
You look fabulous in that first picture! I love the shirt!
I honestly think you look great after the baby! And she was certainly worth it! What a cutie!
It is nice to hear that others have had the same response to pregnancy that I did. It took me five years after I had my daughter in 2006 at the age of nineteen and a change in doctor before I found out that I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I had gained 30 lbs by time and was so swollen with retained fluid that I could not bend over or hardly lift my legs. They told me that I was myxedemic and that I could have ended up in a coma. The funny part is that I actually lost weight right after I gave birth to my daughter and it slowly went down hill about a year after that. For anyone else out there that might be in the same boat don’t ignore the signs your body is telling you and keep searching until you find a doctor that is willing to listen and help. Thanks for posting your story and allowing me to share mine
I had my daughter 5 1/2 months ago and I keep losing my hair, along with 45 pounds because I was ill from the c-sec meds. But our babies are soooo worth it! Congrats!
I had life hit me in the face when I was trying on my wedding dress in Feb. 2005. I had found out that my coughing was do to a large tumor the diameter of a quarter on my left thyroid. After having it removed and found it thankfully it wasn’t cancer I was told that my thyroid was fine and didn’t need medicine. I got pregnant 2 months after our wedding and have a beautiful 2 year old boy now. The only way I lost the baby weight was an extreme diet i was put on because of a chronic pain condition i’ve had for 8 years now. It took 6 months to take off ( i only gained 15)40# and once off diet gained all back again. Make sure you keep getting your thyroid check ladies because I have a feeling mine is off track again. I’ve always been plus size so hard looking for clothes that fit when expecting and you want people to ask when are you do and stand up for you to sit on the train because you can tell you are carrying another. I hope that I can at least get back to my pre baby weight and try for another before I get too old or to big to have another . GOOD LUCK to all of us.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after my first and an ectopic pregnancy. Since then I’ve had 4 more babies and one miscarriage. The miscarriage was when I was off my thyroid meds. The doctor actually was amazed that I even got pregnant in the first place because I was so out of whack. Stay on your meds! I’m finally- 8 years later- feeling like my thyroid is under control. (The pregnancies would always throw off my dosage). It seems great to have energy again! Good luck to you!
I’m in the exact same boat as you. I had my son 4 years ago, and have been struggling with hypothyroidism for awhile and still trying to get it under control. You are lovely! We have similar body types and it actually makes me feel good to look at how gorgeous you are. Thanks for posting your pics.
I also struggle with hypothyroidism after my second child, lost all my pregnancy weight but 6mths after I weight more than even when I was pregnant. Dr did some tests and it was my thyroid this was 3½ years ago and we still struggle with my medicine dosage. Not nice at all!!!
OMG! She is such an angel! You are looking beautiful.
Are you sure your scale was right!!? You hold weight VERY well. I would have guessed maybe 190 in the first pic. There is no way you were around 300 pounds. I just dont see it. You really look great and before you know it you will be at your ideal size for you!! Since im a few months late posting this im sure youve already lost more weight anyway!!
umm your not even plus sized, i think you look really normal!
You are so beautiful and your daughter is adorable! I am a mother of three boys and i don’t care about how many stretch mark i have! when I hold my 4 months baby in my arms I feel like i am in heaven .. Who cares about gaining weight??! you can make a diet to lose weight .. Nothing compares to the smell of our babies .. ENJOY!! YOU WILL PROGRESS DON”T WORRY :)
You are not alone. My thyroid was a wreck after my second son. Turns out I had thyroid cancer so it has been a long battle to get any shape back to my body. It bothered me for awhile but not it doesn’t so much. I think I look great to have no thyroid, have two children, survived cancer, and deal with ongoing pain. I may not be every man’s dream but I do have my husband, the man of my dreams.
you don’t look 250 or more. I’m 240 and I lost so much worse. at least u didn’t get the double chin
The thyroid is a huge issue for a lot of people, obviously. I’m glad that they discovered what was wrong. But you’re lucky. I’m nineteen years old, I’ve never had a child, and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis at 18. It’s ridiculous, but I’m very angry about it, very bitter. I keep asking myself, “why me?” Why did I have to be the one to get sick, to have to go to college this way and not get to go out at night without my medicine and have to take it every night and have my friends ask questions.
wow you dont look 250 in those pics! congrats to you! im sure ull look just as great again soon :)
It is frustrating that the best comment some people seem to think they can leave is “You don’t look 250!” Come on, people. Open your minds a little and realize that weight looks different on everyone!
I went through a similar experience as the OP, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism around 4 months postpartum, after i had gained over 70lbs. I had thought what I was experiencing was postpartum depression: fatigue, lethargy, depressed mood, weight gain. I wish I had seen my doctor sooner and gotten a diagnosis sooner, so I could have spared myself all of that weight, and all of the misery. I always suggest to any new mother who is having those types of symptoms to see their health care provider ASAP, because if that is what the issue is, it is so easily remedied.
I don’t ever really comment on posts but I just wanted to say that you don’t look 250 lbs, or 310 lbs. You must be a tall person, or have a lot of muscle, because you don’t look like you weigh that much. And your daughter is gorgeous :D
Hypothyroidism is awful :-/ I was about 6 months postpartum when I was diagnosed. It seems that it became under active while i was pregnant, I gained over 75 pounds during my pregnancy and felt miserable. I managed to lose it all by the time I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, but my hair was falling out in clumps and I was tired all the time. Losing the weight took tremendous effort, and it’s a miracle that it happened with an underactive thyroid, I consider myself seriously lucky.
I was diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism in my 20s. I also have PCOS; there may be a connection between the two. I know for sure my PCOS symptoms are much better when my hypothyroidism is well-treated.
Never had any problems with thyroid issues in my pregnancies….until my 4th pregnancy, in my 40s. After it, my thyroid went whacko and like many do, I gained weight post-partum, even though that is totally not normal for me. Took a while before I caught the problem though.
Moral of the story: If you are experiencing abnormal gain after pregnancy or other symptoms, be sure to get your thyroid levels tested. Postpartum thyroiditis is very common after pregnancy, even in women with no prior history of thyroid issues…..but in women with a history of thyroid issues, it’s especially important to be watchful.
You can read more about this issue on my blog and website:
http://www.wellroundedmama.blogspot.com
http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org
Glad you caught your issues. Enjoyed your pictures! Thanks for sharing.