I had my first child 6 years ago next week, the pregnancy, labour and baby days were all text book and perfect, I felt like the luckiest woman alive. Before getting pregnant I was a fairly standard UK size 12 – 14, larger hips than bust but a reasonably flat stomach and shapely waist. When pregnant I was HUGE. From around 6 months people would ask me how many days I had left. I didn’t put much weight on anywhere other than my stomach, it looked as though I’d shoved a beachball up my top! I wish I had a digitial pic of that but I don’t. Brooke was born on August 10th 2000, 2 weeks early, and weighed in at 7 pounds 11.
After this, my body never quite recovered. I didn’t think too much about it but I hated my stretchmarks with a passion and although I longed for my flat stomach back I didn’t really do much about it. Over the next couple of years I got back to pretty much my pre pregnancy dress size and weight although I never got rid of my stomach. My stretchmarks gradually faded with time and it was only when I was pregnant with my 2nd child 3.5 years later that they came back with a vengeance. Suddenly they looked red and angry again and I remembered how much I disliked them.
The 2nd pregnancy and labour were as perfect as the first except this time around I got bigger much much quicker. By 5 months I looked as though I was about to drop at any time and this is how I looked at 35 weeks, yes I got bigger than that. I was gigantic!
Cameron was born on his due date, 11th august 2004, and the 2nd time around I knew that if I was going to stand any chance of losing the weight and the stomach that I would have to make an effort. Typically I didn’t make any kind of effort, no gym or diet and 2 years later this is how my stomach looks.
Its not great but it doesn’t look as bad here as I think it does. I’m shocked at how much my stretchmarks have faded and although in my head they are still ugly great angry marks they really don’t look that bad here. The side view is a little worse, I really need to lose that pot belly but that is all down to being a little lazy and just not bothered enough about it to do anything.
I have loved reading the stories of everyone here and seeing everyone’s photos. In my experience other women can be so mean about the way they expect you to look, men are a lot more accepting of a changed figure after childbirth. I think its brilliant to read the support and kindness here shown from women to other women, makes me feel all warm in side.
Kerrie
https://www.kerriesplace.co.uk/weblog
This is such a concidence! I also have a son named Cameron- also born on 8/11. He was born in 1981!Happy almost birthdays to our Camerons!
How interesting! I recognized you from your blogging/knitting works! The knitting community is apparently a small one :) You have a beautiful family.
My daughter is an 8/11 baby as well! WOO HOO!
Kerrie,the reason that women are sometimes so mean is that the look of a “body after childbirth” scares the sh.. out of them. If you could come to see that, maybe it wouldn’t hurt you as much. I know it is sick in the first place, but it’s still happening and there is nothing we can do about it…except making looking at sites like these mandatory for everybody.
Kerrie,I’m just like you, I think,okay, I’m gonna buckle down and do something about my body, but I never do. I guess I would rather spend my time with my daughter. It seems that all the moms I see in person, have flat bellies and pre baby bodies after they have their baby. That was not me, I put on alot of weight, mostly my belly I was twice the size of you. People thought I was having twins and at six months asked me how many days i had left too. My daughter was due the 7th of April I had her on the 20th, the day before they had me scheduled to be enduced!So needless to say I was huge, it’s nice to see other moms like you out there that share my frame of mind… I wanna complain about my belly but enjoy my daughter instead of the gym. Here’s to us hot mammas!