Dear SOAM,
Oh man. This site has helped me so so much! I read it daily. No joke, after I had my little man (almost 2 years ago now, crazy) I was shocked/ticked with what happened to my body. No one told me what was gonna happen. No one ever talked about the droopy, saggy, scarred, forever changed body that would be left after the kid popped out. I gained pleeenty during pregnancy and was left with stretch marks and saggy skin galore. I worked hard and lost all the weight but still found myself hating my body and not even wanting to get dressed because I felt so alien in my skin. Then one day I thought, “Hello, Meredith! When you wear clothes that fit, you feel so much better about yourself and you get more done throughout the day. Plus you look fine with clothes on. Live up what you’ve got while you’ve got it, girl!” (when I talk to myself I go street, I guess). So that’s what I’m trying to do: I started a thrifty, mommy “fashion” blog and it’s been great. I’ve met tons of people while forcing myself to get ready daily. I still have days where I don’t feel worth it, days when I spot my wrinkly stomach and super droop boobs and I just want to climb back into my pajamas and never come back, but mostly it’s been very helpful. I’m not hiding how pregnancy changed my body, I’m just not letting it rule my mind anymore. My ultimate goal is to blog through another pregnancy (our little family’s not there quite yet!) because during my first one I never got gussied up, I just felt so huge and unmotivated. Well, never again! Pregnancy is not a disease and I want to celebrate/enjoy it more next time. Anyway, thanks to SOAM I know I’m normal. And it feels pretty good to just be normal. :)
Love, Meredith
https://meredithtuttle.blogspot.com/
I’m 23 and my little man is 22 months!
So beautiful!
beautiful. you are beautiful… i posted blessed and tortured– with clothes on we are a-okay – clothes off…. HELLLLO skin.
your son is handsome as well!
You’re so pretty and your son is very handsome. :)
Great enthusiasm and encouragement :)
I’ve noticed that I find women of every size beautiful and often take note of how their clothes fit them- usually well. Dressing for one’s size, shape, and attitude go a long way in promoting positive self-esteem.
Thanks so much for illustrating how this has helped you!
i wanna say you ROCK…good for you and you are 100% right everyday i try on a nicer outfit then switch right back to my gym clothes…..you made me tell myself i’m putting on REAL clothes today :) so thank you!…and you are very cute and so is your son
Your blog is awesome and I love these photos. Your little boy is so cute and you are very beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
are you serious, you look perfect to me, try being a five two and 170 pounder after there first kid…:( you have no reason to complain, you look great.
OMG!!! I am 22 yrs old 10 mnths pp, and you look AMAZING, I am still trying to lose my baby weight ahhh taking for ever! but you are so pretty, and so is your son ;-)
Hey Meredith!
I love your post and your blog (I just spend an hour going through all your entries. I really like your style. I am a big vintage fan with kaftans being my favorite piece of clothing). I feel like I can very much relate to you because when I have my clothes on people actually comment how I am now skinnier than before I got pregnant (my son Nikolas is now 6 months old). However when I am in a bikini, like this weekend when I took my boys on a trip to the beach, I just see all the extra skin, my disfigured belly button and my saggy breasts (I guess they will be even saggier when I stop breastfeeding). Still, I am so happy to have my son and I am so grateful that he is happy and healthy. I would like to have a second child but I am super-scared what my body will look after another pregnancy and how I will cope with more changes. Good luck to you and your family!
thanks everyone! it’s really cool to see myself on a site i love so much. i just want to say to bree: thank you for saying i look perfect to you! but the point of my post was kinda just that, with clothes on, i see good things too. right after baby though, i was 185 and i’m not tall. so even in clothes, i hated what i saw. but like i said, i lost the weight and am trying to be happy with that. i know i’ll never miraculously go back to no stretch marks, perky boobs, and a smooth tummy. and that kills. but i’m trying to be happy with what i’ve been given/worked hard to have. thanks again everyone!! :)
You are gorgeous!