pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum (Anonymous)

I’m an 18 year old (19 in March), a high school graduate readying for college, and a first time mother in a long term relationship with a college graduate. Before my pregnancy I weighed 130lbs, just about, and by the end of my pregnancy I weighed 190 on the dot. 60lbs, WOW. I did not over eat and was active throughout my pregnancy, but gained a lot of weight due to excess fluid retention and other factors. In fact, my legs, ankles, hands, and face appeared larger to me for so long that I forgot just how skinny I really was before I got pregnant. (After the pregnancy when I shed it in all of those areas I felt tiny. I didn’t look like a sausage anymore!!) You’ll see I have many MANY pictures, some where I’ve taken only the belly rather than the rest of me, but for personal reasons, some are older than others… I don’t have much of a story. We were (surprisingly) happy, despite my age. Our daughter was born at about 41 weeks, my labor was induced, I had an epidural, and a vaginal delivery with an episiotomy -which is SO annoying to still be *recovering* from after going on three weeks… I delivered a healthy 8lb 3oz, 19 1/2 in baby girl, named Kaylee Marie. She was due on the 4th originally (my twin sister gave birth to her son at 26 weeks gestation on that day, ironically, but he’s doing wonderfully!) then I was due the 8th, and gave birth on the 15th of January, which so happens to be the day after her fathers birthday, and our anniversary. =P What a special day! We call her our little “hapa” baby, because she’s Eurasian American. -Due to her mixed European heritage on my side of the family, and Asian on her fathers side. Race does not matter, but there’s no issue in sharing mixed culture, and I hope that it will something she will be proud of, rather than shamed by when she grows up. She’s a beautiful little girl, and despite the pain of childbirth, she was entirely worth it =) Now to work off this belly… =P I actually lost 30lbs within the first week and a half, which is half of what I gained! Amazing… I chose to breastfeed but also use formula occasionally, but feel guilty mixing her up on the two, so I try to breast feed (and pump) as often as possible. I’m not sure there’s much else I can say about myself, my pregnancy, or my daughter at the time being, but here are some photos =)