23 years old, 1 pregnancy 1 birth, daughter aged 4
I fell pregnant a month after my 18th birthday. It wasn’t planned and came as a total shock, but once the initial shock was over, I was happy. I prepared myself mentally for everything that was to come; except the changes to my body. I developed stretch marks at around 22 weeks. I remember seeing one in the mirror for the first time and thinking ‘Oh no, I’m going to have that scar for life!’ but I wasn’t prepared for the dozens upon dozens of stretch marks to follow. By the time my beautiful girl was born, I was covered. I was so happy and thrilled to be a mother that at first I put them to the back of my mind, but as she got older and time went on the more I focused back on myself. I hated my body. I was over-weight, covered in scars, my breasts had dropped after breast feeding and I felt like an old woman. But I didn’t give in to my negative thoughts. By the time my little girl was one years old, I’d joined a diet club and was exercising more and began to slowly lose my baby weight; that’s when the turning point came. As my friends and family complimented me on how much weight I’d lost and how healthy I was looking, it spurned me on. I didn’t go over the top, but just kept to what I was doing and still enjoyed precious time with my daughter. I accepted that I could lose weight if I tried but would never lose the scars. Once I accepted it I started to love my body again. I’m now 23 with my confidence back. My scars tell a story of the most important journey of my life and make me who I am. For the first time since I had my daughter, I wore a bikini on holiday last year. Yes, I don’t have the beach perfect body, but I’m a young woman, who wants to wear a bikini and why should I let worries of what other people may think stop me? As a woman, the greatest thing you can do is bring life into this world, why be ashamed of the signs that have proven you did just that!
I’m only 21 and on my way to my second baby due next month, I had my first at 18 and my stomach looks just like yours. Its nice to see someone else like this, cause It really drags me down cause I see so many ppl who had no problem getting there body back. It always makes me feel very unsexy when my husband sees other womens bodys that have kids and you can’t even tell :(
you look amazing!!! we are basically tummy twins except i sag a bit mroe over my belly button! OWN IT! you are beautiful!! and you have great boobs!
Blessed and tortured is my posts…
I am COVERED in stretch marks… I like the way you think, I’m hoping to one day wear a bikini with pride :) ..And I think you look fantastic!!
I think you look amazing. I hope to look this good when my youngest son is 4 (he just turned 3). I am almost 26 and have had 2 children, both by cesarean. I have stretch marks all over (and so many on my legs!). I actually like them now…my thing is losing 10 more pounds and toning up. Your body is awesome! You look very tone, and your marks are beautiful!
Madeline mentions that she feels very unsexy when her husband sees other women’s bodies that have kids and you can’t even tell. But I bet you other moms look at your body and think the same thing! You are quite thin and shapely with that cinched in waist and flat belly. I think you look marvelous!
Yes yes yes, I’ve been wanting to find the courage to wear a bikini though I have nasty stretch marks and I’m doing it this summer, screw what other people think I want to feel beautiful in a bikini just like the rest if the women do!
I realized the first day of having stretch marks that there is no miracle cream in the world to get rid of them. BUT i did find something THAT REALLY HELPS. I got a dremaroller 3 months after i had my little girl. my stretch marks were terrible. After three months of using the derma roller the purple was gone out of them and it looked ALOT better. Im still working on it. They use them on burn victims so it helps with new and old scars. Mine is 1mm and i roll three times a week. it can hurt a little but it will help. i ordered it from amazon for about 45 dollars. you are still beautiful i hope you can see it one day.
You and I have sooooo much in common! I went through the exact same thing… the scars, the droopy breasts, and feeling old well before your time. I know exactly how you feel. We are obviously not alone. In fact, we are perfectly NORMAL!
I swear i feel like im looking in the mirror at my own stomach in these pictures!! Thanks so much for posting your story & having the confidence to wear a bikini, this gives me hope. Very inspiring!!