~Age: 31
~Number of pregnancies and births: 1
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 1 year
My whole life I have been thin. I’m 5’5 and I was always around 110 pounds. During my pregnancy I did my best to eat healthy, however I ate a lot and ended up gaining 60 pounds. I never thought stretch marks or loose skin would be a problem as my mother has my shape and she bounces right back after my brother and I with not one mark on her. She was in a bikini a month later. Even at 60 her stomach looks great!
I rubbed lotions on all of the time. I couldn’t work out because I had really bad sciatica, and now that I look back I probably didn’t drink enough water. I didn’t have one stretch mark until the day BEFORE my darling daughter was born. They just came out like wildfire. ALL over my stomach. The first few months after she was born, my stomach was just so bad. Dark purple stretch marks, sagging skin, and wrinkles all over my stomach. I have managed to get my stretch marks down a lot, and I am back to 118 pounds, (which I am proud of) but my stomach is ruined. :( I feel like it will never be flat and smooth again. I have this little pooch that always sticks out. If I bend over gets REALLY wrinkly and just hangs. It is so depressing. My boyfriend even said it is bad. I don’t have any breasts really so I always figured my stomach sort of made up for it. I would love a second child, I am just SO terrified my body will get even worse. I feel so bad about myself.
Photos:
Pregnant
3 months postpartum
6 months postpartum (side)
10 months postpartum (laying on side, wrinkles)
12 months (straight view)
12 months (side)
12 months (plank) :(((
<> to you mama…i know the feeling. you’re body looks just like mine…and its totally normal to feel like you’ve ‘lost’ something, which is the pre-baby you, but i encourage you to remember that you gained something too, your little one! and that beauty doesn’t have to mean, looks like you’ve never had a child.
don’t let this be why you don’t have another for sure! for the record i had two, and the second one didn’t make a lick of difference…i still have stretch marks, loose skin, and saggy boobs, but not any MORE So, and i just don’t care anymore :)
Something occurred to me a few months after the birth of my daughter when I was feeling low about my extra belly skin. “Abs aren’t going to visit me when I’m in a nursing home.”
In other words, I know it can be hard to accept the changes that come from a pregnancy, but is the extra skin really going to matter when you’re 90 years old, or is it family that will matter?
First off,you look amazing! That is your idea of “ruined”? First off, there is no “ruined” postpartum body…and if there was, it would be mine :) Second, the fact that your boyfriend said you look bad makes him 1) Crazy and wrong 2) A jerk!!!! You seriously look amazing with a nice, smooth, flat tummy!
You look so good! You’re tiny, and I seriously can’t even tell from looking at you that you’ve had a baby. I’m 20 and 1 year postpartum, I ate healthy as well but gained 50lbs when I was pregnant, I am covered in stretch marks and I have loose belly skin. But honestly you look awesome, don’t be so hard on yourself!!
You are absolutely gorgeous. Any guy would be lucky to have you.
You’re 31 and look like that?! I’m 24, and don’t even look that good!!!!! I’d have killed to look like that BEFORE being pregnant!!! Love on yourself, honey, because you have no reason to be feeling down! You are GAW-GEOUS!
Being 6 months along with my second I could only hope I someday look as good as you do after giving birth again or even before getting pregnant you have my dream body, so don’t forget you have a body to be envied and you got back down to your original weight! Your breasts and legs look phenomenonal and it could have been so much worst, you have great genes girl and most women would kill to still have your body baby or not
You look great but I know it’s hard to tell yourself that. I personally hate words of encouragement when you are saddened or disappointed; instead I like when people share their secrets. I’m in the medical field…I won’t give credentials as to avoid annoying people who question them. Lol.
I will offer you this: if your stretch marks are exclusively what bothers you, ask your primary care phisican for Trentinoin Cream (aka Retinol at its strongest and most potent compound). It is known to significantly reduce stretch mark scarring by forcing your tissue to regenerate at rapid rates, leaving behind new, healthy skin. It doesn’t work all the time and is best if used right after but I almost guarantee that it will aid in the marks and at very least minimize them. If that’s the worst of it…at least there are some actual ways to help get them moving out. I know it seems trivial to have something like this bother you but feel good, look good, be happy and that will make you the best mommy in my eyes. The whole love your body thing…yes, do that, but you often don’t have to love the things that are possibly under your control. You DO look great. See if your physician thinks the Retin-A will be ok for you medically and give it a shot!! Let me know please if I works or not if you do try.
You have recovered wonderfully and you look just like me, small boobs and everything. Congrats on the weight loss and your beautiful baby. What you boyfriend said was very disrespectful especially with you looking as amazing as you do. Thankyou for sharing your story. Its nice to have someone I can relate to physically. I am a bit shorter 5’3″ and 120lbs. Healthy as a horse. All that matters is that you can learn to understand that you did an amazing thing and it’s only fun if you get a scar out of it ;).
Your belly is a lot like mine, just I have more dark marks :(