Age: 26
# of children: 5
Hello, I have found this site so uplifting the last few days as I am struggling with my weight, again, after baby #5. I married the love of my life and my best friend when I was 18. We are getting ready to celebrate 8 beautiful, amazing, exciting, hard, wisdom-building years together! We had our first child when I was 20, a boy. After he was born I started having serious issues and was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis (another thing rarely ever talked about.) This was the most difficult time of my life. A time that’s supposed to be magical and beautiful and full of happiness, instead was marred by grief and confusion and pain. Only with the saving grace of my Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST did my family and I make it through this. And for the first time in my life I questioned my calling of motherhood. All I’d ever wanted was to marry the love of my life and have LOTS of babies, and after the time we had with the first I thought surely I’d gotten it wrong. Well, as usual, God laughed (in love, of course), and gave me another and another and another and another. And so, in the space of a little over 5 years, my husband and I were abundantly blessed with 5 beautiful sons! Yes, that’s right, all boys. No, none of them are twins. Yes they are all ours together. Yes, I know what causes that (and I like it ;)) And yes, we could have our own basketball team! (These are questions I’m asked and comments that are made every time we leave our house.) At first, I really hated all the staring we got, but eventually I realized our family was a rarity, and a badge of honor. I’m starting to see my fat and my stretch marks and my grey hairs and my cellulite as badges of honor too. If it weren’t for this body, none of my mini-men would be here. And if it weren’t for my mental war after #1, I wouldn’t be able to stand tall and say, ‘after that I can do anything.’ Every single person on this earth needs to know that there are much much worse things than being fat or ugly or too skinny or bony or soft or whatever has you down. I’d much rather be fat than mean or angry or selfish. The hardest person to love is yourself, but look at those beautiful babies YOU created and know that they don’t see what you see. Your littles see momma’s kisses, momma’s hugs, momma’s comfort, momma’s love. Your babies see you through God’s eyes, they do not care about your outside, just as God does not. What matters is your heart.
These are pictures of me at 2 months postpartum with baby #5. #4 and #5 were born 10 months apart. I now have 5 under 6
God Bless
I love your powerful story, we had five by the age of 25 too! No twins, all by the same two parents but we had ours in 9 years. Keep up the great work you beautiful mama.