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, take into consideration the time…I’ve had time to recover! I am 5 5″ and 125lbs. Many people believe that only celebrities or rich people can “snap” back into shape or avoid stretchmarks. This is not true! It doesn’t take a lot of money – I am proof! I gained 35 pounds with each of my pregnancies. I watched what I ate (sort of) and tracked my weight gain by the week. I did not use being pregnant as an excuse for gorging myself on milkshakes and cheeseburgers! I did my best to stay within the healthy range of gaining. I religiously rubbed Emu oil on my tummy 4-5 times a day! I am not sure if this helped me avoid stretchmarks, but it sure felt good and my skin was like velvet! :-) I am NOT perfect…my stomach is not super-model material and I have cellulite. However, I am so proud of my body for what it has done and for growing two beautiful babies for me! Maybe I was lucky…maybe it was good genes…maybe it was a healthy diet and moderate exercise that helped me snap back. I just wanted to let people know that having a baby or being pregnant doesn’t ALWAYS ruin your body!
You look wonderful, and I know that you are not trying to brag…however, why is it that women getting stretchmarks all of a sudden means that they are “ruined”?
You look good, but my question is, are you saying that ppl who do get stretch marks have ruined bodies? I did not over eat, i took care of myself and i got stretch marks, but i dont think my body is ruined, either does my husband, he finds me more attractive now then before. Just because some mommies get marks dont make our body runined.
oh my goodness! You look amazing… I’m jealous, I admit it :) I never looked like that even before I was pregnant.
Yeah!
You do look fabulous. Everyone says I bounced back, too, but I did get a few stretchmarks. I can imagine that in 3 years, though, I won’t even know they’re there. When I posted on here I couldn’t even take picture that showed my stretchmarks very well, so they’re really very mild. And my tits shrank 1 1/2 to 2 cup sizes, but they’re still pretty perky, just smaller.
My boyfriend says you look better than a lot of chicks our are age (17) and that your body is super sexy. I agree. :). Thanks for sharing your sexy bod!
I wouldnt refer to a mothers body as ruined… its a blessing no matter what shape it takes after a child has been born. so your over 30 years old? how old are your children, and how long have you had to recover from the second child?
You look wonderful! It is hard to think of a lot to write, I am a mom who is riddled with stretch marks and I work very hard to keep in shape. But I think sometimes we have to look around and realize that everyone is different, and that makes us all beautiful! Congratulations on your babies!
You were blessed with good genetics and elastic skin. Not everyone is lucky.
First of all congratulations on your children. You have a very beautiful body. I simply wish to say a couple of things. First of all not all women with stretch marks, extra skin and the csection flap view their bodies as ruined. Secondly, I believe part of the purpose of this website is to help women realize that their bodies are beautiful, no matter what they look like and talk of ruined bodies kind of defeats this purpose. I am glad to see someone with an “unscathed” body post on here, because every woman’s body is beautiful and we should be able to see all sorts, but I just want everyone to realize that marked and changed does not equal ruined…
Hmmmm. I don’t believe that all women with stretch marks feel like their bodies are “ruined.” While I appreciate your post, I think you could have put some more thought into your wording. My best friend got stretch marks after only gaining 30 pounds. My mom “gorged” herself and gaine 60 pounds with each of her three kids, and got none.
Congratualtions, you look amazing.
You look great! And I agree, pregnancy doesn’t have to ruin your body. Mine still looks awesome after two babies, too. I did the same things as you (minus the emu oil) and my body still looks like it did before pregnancy. Thanks for sharing your story.
You really look amazing. I’m aiming for 125lbs, I’m about 10lbs away from that and 20 months post-partum, I’m sure I’ll make it. That being said, I think genetic truly have everything to do with how a woman carries a baby and how it affects her body. Before pregnancy I had a pretty flawless stomach and I would look at my mother’s and never dreamed my stomach would look like hers…Well guess what? I too only gained 30-35 pounds (with 9.2 pounds of that being baby) and my stomach looks exactly like my mom. I have no stretch mark but a long of wrinkles (pretty much have no belly button to speak of) and a nice overang over my c-section scar. Oh and I got really bad muscle seperation to top it all. I wish my body looked like yours but I believe genetics just wasn’t on my side. Not to take anything away from how wonderful you look though, enjoy and show it off, I would :)
i have had 2 kids as well, and im in my 30s, my body looks just as good if not better than yours (i work out like crazy,lol)and its true you can look great after a baby, it doesnt have to “ruin” your body, i never thought it did, yes some women eat what the want but in the end you do pay the price for not looking after yourself…sorry but its true, i even had pre’enclampsia but i did manage…you look great keep up the good work!
oh i shoudl mention i am five foot ten and 130 pounds, so being tall really does give you an advantage…but i think anyone can achieve a great body after kids if you try, my friend was 5 2 and was about 180 when she got pregnant, i took her under my wing and she lost about 70 pounds (she was 220 when she gave birth)..it can be done, i wish i had pics.
As an overweight stretchmark covered mom of 4 who is several years younger than you, let me say congratulations. I think you are skinnier than I’d like to be, but it must be nice to have avoided stretch marks. No one needs to be jealous though, everyone has some issue they don’t like about their body, and I’m betting yours is your boobs, since you didn’t include them in the picture. ;)
Amazing body, poor choice of words.
You couldn’t have said it better. It is very true though. I am 35 and 24 wks pregnant. I walk on the tredmill everyday (if to tired then I dont at all) and do weights 4 times a wk. I also eat all my meals the same I did before I got pregnant. So far I gained 7 healthy pounds and the baby is growing perfectly. Thank you for sharing something positive.
I can’t help to feel very offended by your post. My body is RUINED because I carried a child for 9 full months and my baby grew more than my tummy could hold so it stretched out to the max and left some extra skin and scars????? I look to this website to find comfort, to embrace and appreciate my “motherly” body as do many other woman… not to be told our bodies are ruined. My body is in no way ruined or destroyed. Your post is the complete opposite reason for this website.
Congratulations on having fantastic genetics.
I do feel ruined most of the time. Like I failed at pregnancy, coming out so much different than before. I come to this site daily to remind myself those thoughts aren’t true. But today I came as usual and was told I was lazy, had crappy genetics and a ruined body. You do look great. I’m definitely jealous. Congrats.
Unscathed?
Definition: Without suffering any injury, damage, or harm.
Interesting choice of words. We attach suffering to our body’s changes. It is merely our perspective that makes us view pregnancy as creating “damage” to our bodies. Certainly some women do undergo “injury” or “harm” on their bodies, but not usually quite as superficially as you make it seem. Women all across the world endure obstructed labor, sometimes for countless, leading to fistulas (which is leakage of urine or fecal matter). This would be considered damage or injury. Many women (like myself) have experienced c-sections. This too could be considered “damage” or “injury”. Some women endure substantial tearing. This could be considered damage. What happens to us on the outside of our bodies should be the least of our worries.
Pregnancy and motherhood change women. It is a psychological and spiritual process. The physical is merely a surface experience which, in this country, is regarded as the most important thing in the world.
I find that to be appalling.
To refer to women as “ruined” for the fact that their bodies have stretched beyond the capacity of the superficial skin layers, is juvenile. Many 8-10 year old girls have stretch marks from fast growth during puberty. Are they ruined?
You views are limiting, arrogant and demeaning of woman in general. They are a clear example of the problems that pervade this society.
It would be wonderful if each woman could stop being part of the problem, and begin to lead the evolution that is possible in this world.
I honestly do not see anything beautiful about this post. I see a woman who is scared and depending on her body to bring happiness. Find peace within yourself, and you can carry that into all phases of your life, no matter what changes may occur to your body through your walk here on Earth.
I have been looking at this site daily since my first pregnancy 3 years ago. I am a 23 yr old mother of 2 beautiful girls. I too came out of pregnancy looking pretty good. Kudos to this poster! Thank you for representing the group of women who are “lucky” enough to feel just as good about their bodies after babies as before. Had this woman had stretch marks and referred to herself as ruined, people would be trying to build her up. She used a reference that so many women have used before. I think it almost takes more guts to post if you look like you haven’t had kids. People take her confidence as offensive or vain instead of beautiful.This woman could have just changed someones
I got some stretch marks during pregnancy, and I’m certainly not “ruined”. Stretch marks are genetic. I dieted and exercised throughout my pregnancy, only gained 18 pounds and still got a few. For only being 6 months postpartum, and only weighing 110lbs, I think I look GREAT and definitely not a “ruined” mother. Thanks.
While I agree that it’s good to see evidence that pregnancy does not always drastically change a woman’s body, I have to say that I find cavalier remarks like this offensive:
I did not use being pregnant as an excuse for gorging myself on milkshakes and cheeseburgers!
Perhaps this was not your intent, but there’s an implication in this one line that makes me very uncomfortable. There are many more factors behind a person’s weight besides cheeseburgers and milkshakes, especially during pregnancy.
Specifically, the presumption that thin people are thin because they’re doing everything “right” and fat people are fat because doing everything “wrong” is dangerous no matter what you weigh. I’m 32 years old, have never weighed over 108 pounds in my life, and until this summer I hadn’t had a physical or exercised regularly since childhood. Yet because of my appearance, virtually no one has questioned the state of my health in 20 years. When I finally did go for a well woman exam last month, even my doctor didn’t question my exercise or eating habits — not even when I informed him my weight is a happy accident and that I do *nothing* to maintain it.
IMO everyone will be healthier — in body AND mind — when we stop perpetuating the notion that thinness is associated with virtue, and fat is due to character flaws like laziness and lack of willpower. I’m walking proof that thinness is not something you earn.
You look great, and your confidence shows!
The way your post is written comes across snarky though. Not all women who have stretchmarks or gained weight and didnt lose it used pregnancy as an excuse to to gorge themselves. I was healthy all through my pregnancies, but 2.5yrs later I am very overweight. Not because I gorged myself, because my thyroid crapped out and my PCOS went crazy and Im having ALOT of trouble not gaining more weight, let alone losing some!
Your personal experience is great though.
you look fantastic. thanks for sharing your story.
also, it is refreshing to see a mom in such great shape.. I feel like a lot of people on here take the view that you arent a true mom or whatever if you don’t have sagging skin or stretchmarks. women come in all shapes and sizes, and being overweight or super thin does not make you better/worse than anyone else. I feel like the comments here do not always reflect that.
thanks for your uplifting post!
This is a comment left by the original poster and I wanted to include it here for clarity.
-Bonnie
Hi,
I am the poster that obviously upset a lot of people. I didn’t realize this until I just now checked the website.
I wrote that post very quickly and should have proof-read it out loud to see how it sounded. For those whom I have hurt, I am sorry – BUT – please let me defend myself and explain my wording. (However, some of you did correctly interpret my post, thank goodness!! ) :-)
I used the word “ruined” because that is the word I have seen women use to explain themselves on SOAM time and time again….that is why I had it in QUOTATION MARKS. It was a QUOTE. It didn’t reflect how I felt about them, but how they felt about themselves. I don’t like that choice of wording either, but I pulled it directly from posts I had just read!!! “Unscathed” was another one I saw a women use describing her body before pregnancy, or what she hoped for. To be honest, I visited this website before my pregnancy and it shook me up a little! All of the negative self-reflections were sad and some sounded so hopeless and depressing!
I simply thought, maybe I could share a different view of pregnancy, since women today are bombarded with celebrities who “snap” back within weeks of birth – and some think it is just because they can afford chefs and plastic surgeons and personal trainers. I wanted to let everyone know that real women like you and me sometimes have that same experience. I was not bragging or trying to hurt feelings. My story is just different. I thought I’d share…I thought this site was about sharing our personal story!?
I am by NO means perfect (which I stated in my post). I DO have a few minor stretchmarks that I got in puberty & with pregnancy….but I don’t feel “ruined” either. I feel proud of what my body has done. I guess I should have included in the post that after I held my first baby, I wouldn’t have cared if my whole body was covered in marks…all that mattered was that little baby. And the fact that my body nurtured and grew two little miracles thrills me to no end. And I am not going to lie – the fact that I can still wear a bikini kinda thrills me, too!! If you really knew me, you’d know that I am not being conceited or mean. I am just being ME.
Besides, when we’re all 85 years old sitting a wheel chair, looking back on our lives and reflecting on what matters…really….will we care what our abs look like or if we have stretchmarks??? I DON’T THINK SO! I know I sure won’t. Beauty and youth are fleeting…family and love are forever.