after almost a year of trying to get pregnant my husband and i were thrilled to see those two lines. it was so fun to finally be on my way to becoming a mother! i was excited to buy maternity clothes and thought the weight gain and changes wouldn’t be bad. i quickly figured out that, although my husband was excited and ready for when the baby actually came, “we” weren’t pregnant. i was the pregnant one. my body was the one that changed so drastically that i couldn’t even stand to look in the mirror before i jumped into the shower. I’m back into my jeans but there’s definitely that roll over the top of them. looking around it seems like other pregnant girls snap right back to their pre-preggo looks or that they get hardly any stretch marks. i feel like I’m one big stretch mark from my chest to my knees. they’ve hardly faded and i feel so ugly. other women talk about how they’re badges of honor but i see them as the downside of pregnancy. i absolutely love my son and feel like we prayed him into our home but i do wish everyday that i looked better. we plan on having more kids someday and i just feel like what’s the point of trying now to look better when I’m just gonna gain pregnancy weight again. I do pilates 5 days a week and try to eat well and i’m nursing full time but i still feel so fat and ugly. my husband is supportive and i wish i could believe him more. i still remember how embarrassing it was to see everyone right after the baby came and the little kids in the family were asking why my belly was still so fat if the baby was not in my tummy anymore. it’s just hard to feel unlike myself all the time. i LOVE being a mom, my husband and i are sooo happy but i wish i looked and felt better. thanks for this site, it does help some of the time! my little bundle of baby boy helps too:)
age:21
number of pregnancies/births:one! all natural delivery:)
postpartum:16 weeks
badges of honor, yeah I m the same way, i dont see it as a good thing and thats my opinion…it is a downside of pregnancy to me…luckily i never got them but i knwo wwomen who did. Well at least baring your belly isnt in style anymore :)
have you tried using self tanner to hide the stretch marks? i think you actually look pretty good physically you have a flat stomach, not britney spears flat but hell you just had a kid a year ago, it will take time, you look great.
You look fantastic! Such a flat tummy! I bet that people are thinking the same thing of you, that you’re one of the girls who snap right back. The truth is, very few people actually “snap back”. There’s a bit of a paradox here. Everyone who is willing to show you their markless tummies are in the minority, while the majority of people feel ashamed, hold back, and don’t show you their battle scars. So, it looks like “everyone snaps back except you”. It’s such an untruth, my friend! You are in the majority! And to top it all off, you look fantastic! Your tummy is so flat and those teeeeeeeeeeeeeny little stretchmarks will fade until you can’t see them any more. Congrats!
You know, I got all those questions too about why was I still so big? Granted I gained 93lbs while pregnant, but still. I had read that when you leave you’ll look 5-6months preggo, but somehow that is still an unknown fact in today’s world. Which really sucked! Honestly you look fabulous! For only being 16 weeks, you’re belly looks so much better then mine. I’m almost 2years postpartum! Keep working out, and eating right. Make sure you get all the rest you can, it helps restore balance to your body. And most importantly, give it time!
You do look wonderful, the stretch marks will fade, and the swelling of your uterus will go down.
It is frustrating when you see other people “snap back”, but dont get down on yourself, stick with your plan! You look great for 16 weeks as well and your back in your pre-preggo jeans too!
You’re right, post partum can be hard forsure. I want to tell you that I think you are looking really great! Yes, you have strech marks, but they will fade. Your stomach is pretty flat too and if you keep on exercising that will get better as well! Just give it some time.
Hey- people looking at you would think you snapped right back too- the above post by sarah is right! BTW i am probably one of the people who if you knew me would say i ‘snapped right back’- i just smile but it isn’t true! to be honest, i have never met one person who ‘snapped right back’- even if they look the same standing up, i assure you, their stomach doesn’t look the same when they bend over! also, you are only 16 weeks pp, give yourself a break. you will notice a big difference over time if you keep working at it consistently.
I personally think you look really great! I must say I am one of those women who really isn’t bothered by stretch marks, but I was no bikini model before being pregnant ;)
First thing I notice is your very flat belly for such a short time PP! Congrats :) I wasn’t back into my pre preg jeans at 1yr post partum (although I was within one size so I guess I can’t complain). Sounds like you are working hard, and IMO it shows :) Well done!
Those will fade even more! I got wayyyy more than that from my first (and I am only 23…was 19 when I had my first) and after about a year I looked great! (I didn’t think I looked great at the time because women are so negative about their bodies…but looking at pics now, I know I looked good then)…now I have had two and I do not look as good..so enjoy it now!!! You look GREAT…only 14 weeks pp!
sorry…I meant 16 weeks pp!
I want to add to everyones comments – you do look great for 16 weeks postpartum! You just need more time. It’s hard to think about now, but every month things get better, more back to normal. For me, I didn’t even start to feel “back to normal” until I started my periods again at 6 months. I think society makes us feel that we should be right back to pre-pregnancy within hours after birth, but our bodies do it more gently. If you continue with the pilates, it will pay off. It is 18 months pp for me, and I’m feeling pretty great! Some things may never go back exactly (boobs… argh….) but they all go back pretty well. In a way it’s pretty surprising how much our bodies can go through!!
Oh yeah – and congrats on all natural! That’s the way to go!!
Your tummy looks so much like mine, could be a pic of me if I didn’t know better! Except I’m 3 years PP, you’re only 16 weeks! Sounds like you’re doing everything right.. nursing, exercising and eating well, and you’ll see lots of improvement over the next year or so I’m sure. Plus, you have lots to be happy about, so don’t let a few stretch marks get you down :)
You look awesome! I`m only 6 weeks pp & i feel like crap with my new body, i gained 40 lbs & only lost 24 :( Good luck & congrats!
I haven’t had a baby yet, but I just wanted to leave a comment as something you wrote struck a chord with me. You said that just after you got pregnant, you just felt excited and didn’t worry about the weight gain. I think many women are like this and I think it’s because no one talks about the changes to a woman’s body after giving birth. If more people discussed this openly, we might all be more prepared for what was ahead of us and men would understand that we would look different after giving birth.
For what it’s worth though, I think your body looks fantastic! It’s a body I wouldn’t actually mind having after being pregnant!