Age 24
Children aged 2 & 4
Both c-section
I met my husband at 19, yes I was young but the way I see it is that way I get to spend even more of my life with him, I’m lucky. I fell pregnant within 5 months of being together and we were extremely happy.
My first pregnancy: I had plenty of problems during first pregnancy, lots of heavy bleeding and then found out when I was a week overdue that our daughter was breech. Luckily when I went into labour the drs rushed me in for an emergency c-section and she was born, a healthy 9lb baby!
The complications continued and when my scar didn’t heal properly I ended up with a hole in my tummy for over 11 weeks after the Birth. Now considering I had put on a mighty 4 stone during pregnancy this didn’t help as I couldn’t exercise to shift the weight. I ate poorly and I believe this is where my issues with my body really began.
I know I’m not alone when I say that looking at your body after having a baby is just horrific at first. I have stretch marks on nearly every part of my body. Excess skin on my tummy which I now live with everyday. And I’m not saying I would change it because obviously my children are the most important thing in my life. However it’s a daily battle looking in the mirror.
Going back to my pregnancies. After 18 months I fell pregnant again accidentally and it terrified me that my body would change yet again!
I managed to keep my weight gain down to 2 and a half stone this time and kept active and ate healthy.
All went well and I had another beautiful little girl, by emergency c section again.
This was when I really stepped it up a gear. Exercising so much that I had no energy. Hardly eating so that my weight plummeted.
I wasn’t happy with how my body now looked and nothing was helping. Exercise and lack of eating was making me even more miserable but when everyone says ‘wow you have lost all your baby weight so fast’ it was like a massive compliment every time and it spurred me on.
I was about 10lbs underweight and looked awful. I can say that now because I can see it but at the time I just fixated on getting my pre baby body back. I know now this is just impossible.
In the last 6 months I’ve tried to eat more and although I still exercise a lot I am aiming to be strong for my children. Both mentally and physically.
Everyday we are surrounded by images, slogans, articles, celebrities promoting ‘skinnyness’ and it’s just so damaging.
It was damaging for me and I just don’t want my daughters growing up thinking there is only one way to be beautiful and it’s by being skinny.
I still struggle everyday as I’m sure every mum does. I now try and look in the mirror and focus on something I like. It’s hard. And not everyday it works. But I do it.
I know I won’t be alone. I just hope that one day I will find a comfortability in my post baby body.
Life goes on and you will look back at this photo you posted & realize how effing good you body looks: strong, with obvious muscle tone. You’ll never be as young or heal as fast as you are/ do now. These marks will fade, the skin will tighten bit by bit.
I’m 37 & this realization took a long while. I used to have so many complexes about my body. Now I’m a lot more comfortable with myself than I was when young and, to my fond nostalgic eye, physically nearly perfect.