I am 10 months postpartum from my second daughter’s birth. She was a c-section after I had complications following a (successful) home birth with my first daughter. I am happy with my postpartum body but it frustrates me to no end that people assume that I just got lucky with my postpartum body, as if there are only two categories of moms – – lazy lucky ones that look good and lazy unlucky ones that don’t. I worked really, really hard following the c-section – I didn’t snap back like people assume! I got my doctor’s approval and was at the gym 6 days a week (30 minutes on the elliptical machine, he said it was okay because it was no impact) two weeks after my c-section. Åt 6 weeks, I got the okay to start running again. I gained 48 pounds with my last pregnancy and 50 with my first. I am happy to say that I have lost all the weight — and you can, too …. even if you aren’t one of the “lucky” ones that don’t have to make an effort :P I wasn’t!
The first pictures are me 2 days after my c-section, taken the day I got home. You can see the yellow glue still on my side from the spinal. The next pictures are 4 weeks postpartum, and the last picture is 8 months postpartum. I’ve made some more small improvements since the last picture but feel it’s representative enough to post!
~Your Age: 24
~Number of pregnancies and births: 6 pregnancies / 2 births – one vaginal / one c-sesction(4 miscarriages)
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 3 year old and 10 month old
You were lucky. Lucky you had someone to take care of your children while you exercised, lucky that you could afford to go to the gym, lucky that you weren’t disabled by SPD or anything else to stop you from exercising. Calling less lucky people ‘lazy’ is just offensive and stupid. Really, I thought this site was better than to publish such judgemental nonsense.
I was neither lucky nor lazy. I’m 13 weeks postpartum and I still look 7 months pregnant. But I had an emergency colostomy in my 6th month, that developed complications due to me gaining 50 lbs in 2 months since I could finally eat again after years of being bedridden and severely malnourished. I had my daughter by cesarean at 41 and a half weeks. I’m scheduled for more abdominal surgery next month. So now I wear a bag, and I’m not sure if I can get up the courage to post my belly because of it. I can’t afford to go to the gym, and if I could I still don’t have the time or the physical stability as I’m not healed enough, so though your commitment to lose weight is admirable, it’s not a reality for me. But I guess I stand corrected. I WAS lucky, and I still am. I have my life, even my health, a healthy daughter and when I get to go back home again, a wonderful man to share it all with.
Wow. I am in the beginning of my pregnancy and am just obsessed with going through forums right now. I happened upon this awesome sight!
First of all- CONGRATS on your hard work paying off!!!
Some people are being extremely negative, and also seem personally offended in the comments. No, not everyone has the same skin elasticity, and not every one has the same complications during pregnancy or birth, or lack there of as far as complications go. Not everyone has hips that will go back “down.”
BUT, the people that are taking this as a personal sting at them or women who are “less lucky” that maybe have worked out and ate right and all the “right things” to do to try and get desirable results and those women that did all that and can’t seem to get the results they desired, i think they are reading your post WAY wrong. Someone else noted that she said is was AS IF there are two categories to put mommies in. Obviously, per her story, she feels there are more categories.
I feel scared because who knows what my body will do after I give birth. Who knows if I will be “lucky” (probably not) and who knows if I will work hard and “look lazy” or just be down right lazy or if I will have complications. Being somone who is in this boat, I am HAPPY that she posted what she did because it does give me inspiration if nothing else to at least take care of myself best I know how.
Reading other people’s stories and seeing their pictures where maybe they have a lot more stretch marks and weight to lose and gnarly scars is just keeping my mind open to the fact that “that isn’t so bad…” and everyone who has posted that those things are a small price to pay for being a mommy are SO right.
People being negative- you should lay off. She may consider herself lucky to an extent…but I know first hand from being someone who when I look good and am feeling good even before getting pregnant, it is because I have to work hard for it. It is highly annoying to have people that consider themselves chubby, over weight, obese, or not toned to tell you how “lucky you are.” Especially when you ask what they do to change it and they say nothing…they love sweets, pizza, pop and alcohol and despise the thought of working out.
So, I think the moral of the authors story here is that if she hadn’t worked out, she isn’t someone who would look the way she does now. And too often people just assume that she doesn’t work out for the body she has and they just assume she bounced right back and did no work to get to where she is. And that is wrong to assume.
Not everyone who is fit after pregnancy, or even before pregnancy is just “lucky” with a high metabolism.
To the author- thank you for sharing your story and for inspiring. Whether I look “lucky” after my pregnancy or not, I have no idea, but probably not. lol. But, you are sparking my interest in taking extremely good care of myself to be HEALTHY regardless of how my skin bounces back or doesn’t and whether or not my tummy looks like it got clawed up or if i am lucky and all the bio oil and cocoa butter pays off. So thank you for that ;)
Guys, like a couple of people pointed out… I did say “AS IF” in my original post. I don’t think people who didn’t snap back are lazy, that was the whole point of what I was saying. Like someone else assumed, I meant that if I didn’t work so hard I would easily be a larger mom… I feel like some people on here were just looking for a reason to be offended.
How did you get your stretch marks to fade….I have this only problem and I hate them. ??? Mine are indented and are visible in harsh light.
I realize this is an old post, but wanted to offer advice to Zalema or anyone else who may be interested in reducing stretch marks. I had really bad ones, red and indented and puffy ones too. My advice, exfoliate using a natural moisturizing soap and any exfoliating loofah. Body wash containing all natural ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, etc. no fake fragrance. Then use oils or butters all over as soon as you get out of the shower so your skin is still absorbant from the shower or bath. Virgin unrefined Coconut oil is great. Lush brand body creams are great, but examine ingredients carefully and read reviews. Any brand that doesn’t have harsh chemicals and that contains good oils and natural butters is good. I have seen great improvement doing these things. Some people may recommend bio oil, personally I didn’t like it due to the heavy artificial fragrance and it honestly didn’t work the way natural products do. Also- great for your skin is to include some healthy fats daily in your diet- like coconut oil, cod liver oil, fish oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts- in appropriate, moderate amounts. Do all those things and I promise you’ll see a difference even if heredity is against you.