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 something to be said for creating someone out of nothing…. Anyway, I gained just as much weight with this pregnancy (40lbs) but my body did very different things. My giant baby boy was born 11lbs 1oz with my first pregnancy. I had a couple stretch marks on my hips and some elephant skin on my belly but that was it. With my smaller little girl (9lbs 14oz) I got stretch marks all over the right side of my belly. I had been hoping for a vbac but my baby was in distress – every time I had a contraction her heartbeat went from 140 beats per minute to around 40. And do you know what upset me the most about having another c-section? Losing the giant scar I had from my first baby because he left so few marks on my body. The doctor had stapled me back together after my son was born, and the scar was probably 7 or 8mm wide in some places, and it had huge ridges and dents…. My new c-section scar is teeny tiny (I got stitches instead of staples), maybe a bit more than a hair wide. Except on one end, where I’ve still got a little bit of my baby boy tattoo left. And that’s what I’ve started calling all these special marks I have all over my body. My husband goes and gets a new tattoo every time he accomplishes something. Or wants to remember something. And he used to ask me if I was ever going to go get one. The other day I told him that my stretch marks and wrinkled skin and c-section scars are my tattoos. Even without them I’d never forget what I’ve accomplished or my wonderful little people, but I think these marks on my body are pretty darn special. I just really wish I knew which ones on my hips were from which kid :-)
Updated here.
This post is amazing. You wouldn’t believe how you have helped me. The way you look at it is so positive! I just had a baby 3 weeks ago and have been having a really hard time with my new body. Hope you don’t mind but I am now calling my stretch marks my Adalyn tattoo’s (my daughters name) :) Giving you credit of course!
Losing my scar is one of the reasons I really hope I don’t have to have another cesarean! Mine healed really well, but even if the next one (heaven forbid there is even a next one..) does just as well, it still won’t be my scar from my daughter. When I see my pictures from pre-baby and during my pregnancy, it looks weird to me to not have the scar there. It’s a part of me now :)
I love your take on your marks and I wish all women felt the same way :)
I love this! This is how I will look at my strechies from now on:-) my daughter did the same to me the second time around as well, all around my hips, I like the fact that I know it was her that gave them to me. Thank you for this!
You are amazing. I love the way you look at your love marks and scars. Beautiful.
This is so great! Thanks to a friend of mine from work I have come to think of my stretch marks as my “flame paint job” (I do not have a c-section scar). People usually look at me like I have lost my mind when I call them something other than ugly stretch marks (even other mothers) so it is great to know someone else out there appreciates the signs that they have created life! Thank you!
That’s a great way to look at stretch marks: as a record of the experience of becoming a mom. With the exception of my sagging, post-breastfeeding boobs (LOL), my body fortunately “snapped back” and doesn’t bear visible evidence of my two post-30 pregnancies. I got one tattoo in honor of my older child (now 9) and I’m planning to get another in honor of my 7-year old. My little one asked me, “Mommy, aren’t you worried that when you’re old [I’m a fit and trim 43 now], your tattoos are gonna look all weird and stretched out on wrinkly skin?” I said, “honey, when I’m old I’m gonna look all wrinkly anyway. Might as well have tattoos!”