Before Pregnancy

Hard Work 14 Months PP (Elissa)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update 28 Comments

Original entries here and here.

24 years old
1 Child-14 months old
C-Section
Gained-61 Pounds

Weight before pregnancy-137
Weight at the end of pregnancy-198
Weight 14 months PP-139

Clothing size before pregnancy
Pants size 9
Shirts-Medium
Bra size 36 C…Sometimes D

After pregnancy
Pants size 3 and 5’s
Shirts medium
Bra size 36 D…

I am now doing P90X after losing all my weight I decided I needed to get fit. My 61 year old mother was on a walk with my daughter and me…I couldn’t make it up a hill and she wanted to keep going. I decided I needed to get healthy, even though I lost my weight I was out of shape and P90X is completely reshaping my body and my curves are coming back…No matter how much I worked out before I was preggo I was NEVER able to achieve abs or tone my arms and after two weeks that is possible now…It really is an AMAZING workout and for only an hour a day!!! Eating healthy and working out is a hard change but it’s easy when you are doing it for your child! My previous entries will tell you how I lost the weight and I check my stories from time to time to see if anyone is asking for advice…It wasn’t easy and it was discouraging at times but you push yourself and remember that you want to stay fit, happy and healthy for your child and that is what keeps me focused. Breastfeeding also helped…I am trying to wean as she is 14mo old but the girl has a mind of her own!!! Every single time she had a growth spurt and wanted to feed a lot I would lose weight and my stomach would suck up. I hope my story helps mommies because it really did work for me and I know it wont work for others as well but it’s worth a try!…:)

Picture 1-Before I got pregnant
Picture 2- During pregnancy
Picture 3- After I had my daughter
Picture 4-14mo PP
Picture 5-Day before P90X (Left) Day 6 of P90X (Right)
Picture 6-Day 10 of P90x

Struggling with PCOS (Nicole)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, PCOS, Plus-Sized Mom, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 10 Comments

Age: 25
Pregnancies: 3
Births: 2
Ages: Son = 5 years old, Daughter = 3 months old
Post-Partum: 3 months

I have always struggled with my weight. I’ve been on diets, exercise regimes, and even pills. When I was 17, I was so disgusted with my weight that I turned to anorexia. I refused to eat. By the time I was 18, I lost 100lbs. I felt good, even though I went about losing the weight in a very unhealthy manner. I met my now-husband the end of 2002. We fell in love quickly and for once…my weight didn’t matter. I kept my weight even during that time and then found out I was pregnant with my son January of 2004.

I didn’t realize his pregnancy would change my body image.

I had a relatively easy pregnancy with him. Mild heartburn, some swelling…by the end of the pregnancy….I had gained 100lbs. The weight that I lost, was now back.

I had to have an emergency C-Section with him, which ruined my chances of being able to use my lower abs to their full potential, during weight loss. I had a hard time even ab-curling 10lbs…

The extra weight triggered PCOS, which means Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I have the multiple cysts on my ovaries, the weight gain, the difficulty losing weight, lower progesterone, higher testosterone…

In 2006, I got pregnant for the 2nd time. We were happy. Unfortunately, I miscarried at 12 weeks. The baby died at 8 weeks. After talking with my OB/GYN, the PCOS could have caused the miscarriage.

I didn’t get my PCOS diagnosed officially until April of 2009.

I had to endure 3 years of wanting a baby, trying for a baby, and not being able to get pregnant. I finally went searching and doctor after doctor after doctor told me the same thing: I’m too fat.

They never wanted to see why my body wasn’t wanting to bounce back. They never investigated my lack of period…

I met my new OB and he changed my life. He diagnosed me, he helped me conceive my daughter…

My pregnancy with my daughter was ROUGH, to say the least. I was constantly sick, lost a lot of weight in the beginning.

At the end, I had gained only 13lbs. Two weeks PP, I found out I had lost 26lbs!

I’m 3 months PP, and I love my mommy-body. I have lost almost 40lbs since the week before I gave birth. I would love to get healthier, but this body is something I have to live with forever. It’s not going to magically go away on it’s own and it’s not going to become super-model worthy.

My body is super-mom worthy.

Blue shirt picture (side view) = Me at 18, after losing 100lbs.
Blue nightgown, pregnant belly = Me at 19, a month before giving birth to my son.
Pink pregnant belly = Me at 25, day of C-Section with my 2nd baby.
Last four photos = Me now after losing 40lbs.

Stretched, Marked, & Saggy at 18! (Kelsey)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom 23 Comments

Hi, My Name is Kelsey.. I was 16 when I found out I was pregnant.. This came as a big shock to my boyfriend and I. At The time we hadn’t been dating long, and we we’re just in high school after all! We decided to carry on with the pregnancy and Keep our son..Now named Noah.. He’s an almost 2 outgoing, amazing little guy!! We are married and have turned out to be quite successful. I am now almost 19 only don’t feel it.. My breasts are saggy and marked ( due to 1 year of breast feeding), I have a c-section scar, My sides, thighs and butt have been stretched and marked, and Overall I just don’t look like I Should! My self confidence has really been fading lately as summer comes and I see all the girls “my age” in there cute bikinis and short shorts, and this is when it really starts to hit me that I’m never going to look any different!! It’s starting to effect my relationship with my husband and just the way i interact with people in general.. I would love to get the self confidence back that i had when i was a young teenager.. I mean who wouldn’t ! I love my son to death, always have, always will.. I just hate the feeling of being so discusted when you look at yourself in the mirror.. I just don’t know where to turn????
I Found this website when my son was about 6 months old, and I am finally getting up the nerve to post my story.

AGE:18
NUMBER OF PREGNANCY’S: 1. Noah almost 2 years
NUMBER OF BIRTHS: 1

1st picture My son Noah
2nd picture Myself Pre-Pregnancy
3rd picture Scarred Breasts
4th picture Postpartum body
5th picture stretch marks

PS: I want to thank you for your site.. I find it very empowering to women to see this.. While it hasn’t quite hit me yet, i’m hoping this step will help. Thank you

My Body After Baby (Tessa)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 8 Comments

I became pregnant and the age of 19 years old. Before I was pregnant, I was quite thin. I always had body image insecurities either way. Looking back at those photos, I find myself asking how I could have ever been displeased with my body pre-pregnancy. When I found out I was pregnant, I was 128 lbs. By the day of my induction, I was 198 lbs. Throughout my third trimester of my pregnancy, I often got asked if I was having twins. No, just one baby. One very large baby. My baby was born at 9 lbs 13 oz via cesarean section.

Although I was large, I was told numerous times that because I chose to exclusively breastfeed my child, that the weight would come off faster. Much to my dismay, the opposite was true. I was only able to breastfeed for a few months before my baby boy went on a nursing strike. I then exclusively pumped breastmilk until my baby was 6.5 months old. After I weaned myself from the pump, and thanks to the warmer weather and more walking, I finally started to get comments that I looked thinner. It wasn’t until I quit breastfeeding that I was able to lose weight. Right now I am at 160.5 lbs, 7 months post-partum. I’m running some, doing some ab workouts, but only when I can squeeze it in around taking care of my son.

But still, those comments about me looking thinner are made when my body is hid by clothing. My stretch marks cover my entire stomach, hips, thighs, and calves. My stomach doesn’t pouch out as much, but instead it went south. I have plenty of loose skin. To top it off, I have the c-section overhang.

Getting used to my new body is hard at times. I do truly really struggle sometimes. I don’t love my son any less; he was absolutely worth every stretch mark, every lb, and all the extra loose skin. I was so hopeful that because I was tiny before, that I’d loose the weight quickly. I was so hopeful that breastfeeding would help me lose the weight quickly, as everyone promised. But it didn’t. And although I still plan to exercise and try to be healthy, I know I need to learn to be comfortable with my body, knowing it looks the way it does know because it created my child. I’m not there yet, but I do have some good days. I may not be young and “hot”, but I am beautiful and my body is amazing for the sole reason that it created, housed, and gave birth to life.

I’m attaching an 8 weeks photo, 40 weeks pregnant photo,two 6 weeks post-partum photos(white sports bra), a few 7 months PP photos(pink bra and shorts), and a photo of the wonderful little life that is the reason for these photos

Updated here and here.

You don’t realize what you have, until it’s gone.. so old but so true (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Back, Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 12 Comments

Age : 21
Number of Pregnancies : 1
Births : 1
Time Since giving birth : almost 11 months

I have been with my husband for over four years now. I got pregnant while we were still dating in 2009 when I was 20, and we got married shortly me after giving birth. Before I got pregnant, I was about 135lbs. I was 115-118 in high school but since graduation in 2006, I had slowly been putting on the pounds. So before I was even pregnant I needed to lose about 15 lbs. I had an awesome pregnancy. No issues besides having gestational diabetes. My son was 3 weeks early and weighed 6lbs 14oz, just shy of 7lbs. Not bad for a 3 week early baby.

Now I love my son more than I could ever describe in words or actions, but I do wish we would have waitied to have kids. Only for selfish reasons though. I didnt like my body before I was pregnant and now I hate it even more and would do anything to have my pre-preg. body back. I had such a smooth stomach. I just wish I would have appreciated my body more when I was skinnier and stretch-mark-less.

Anyways, I gained about 30lbs during my pregnancy. I got up to about 168lbs. Since having my son, I dropped 20 lbs easy, within the first 2-3 weeks. I have not been able to lose the extra 15lbs on top of that, PLUS the 15lbs i wanted to lose before I got pregnant. I have been stuck at 148 for the past 10 months…. Recently I got serious about dieting and exercising so i dropped about 8 lbs. Im now 140. 20 more lbs to go for my goal weight. It’s hard to do right now because I am still nursing and I have to eat to maintain my milk supply. I am one of the unlucky ones who hasn’t lost weight while breastfeeding, if anything, Ive gained here and there.

So I’m at 140 and counting. I got stretch marks everywhere you can imagine. boobs, belly, butt, thighs, back… ugh. You name it. I hate them. BUT I wouldnt change it for the world if it meant i didnt have my son. I want to be back at my pre-preg weight soo bad. I am trying and I will update with pics as I continue to lose weight (fingers crossed). Also, my boobs are huge. went from a small 34C to a 38DD… slowly getting back into a D. but I def. have saggy boobies for sure. I am just thick all over. I want to lose my love handles and my back fat and my leg fat. just an all over trim pretty much. 20 more lbs to go.

First pic is about a year before I got pregnant. So I was smaller in this pic than i was when I got pregnant.
Other pics are different views of me at 140lbs 10.5months post baby.

From “Pro-Ana” to Post-Partum (Annie)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Eating Disorder, Postpartum, Submissions 26 Comments

Pregnancies-2 Births-2
14 months postpartum
25 yearsold
Daughter 3 years old Son 14 months

I went from worshiping this

042710-annie-1

to this

042710-annie-2

I suffered… uh.. have been suffering…well.. am struggeling against having.. ugh.. I HAVE an eating disorder. Kinda like … once and Alcoholic always an alcoholic… if im not very carefull I trip and fall flat on my face. Anorexia and bulima have been a contant companion, violent relentless enemy, savior and murderer to me for 12 years now. It began quietly… at first then before I knew it took over my whole life, my mind, my heart and my soul. It took me out and threw me in the trash and filled every part of my ever diminishing life oozing, and destroying, slowly killing me. I ended up at 19 in and out of the ER untill 20 when I was interventioned into treatment after 6 months and a whole whirlwind of drama i left treatment, I got married suddenly to an old friend from high school and with in 3 months we were pregnant. We… rather… I wanted to get pregnant. I wanted nothing more in life then to have a whole family, something that was truely mine. I wasnt ready … I didnt like the out of control feeling I had when my then pretty thin and in-shape body started to morph and change. With morning sickness so intense I had my very own room at the OB office for daily IV fluids. Morning sickness gave way back in to purging… back in to bulimia. Through the whole pregnancy I was bulimic. I was intensly asshamed and hated that I was hurting my baby but I had lost my self then. at 38 weeks they induced labor because of pre-eclampsia and 48 hours later my perfect daughter was born. She has some respritory complications but they were caused by a medication they gave me during labor to keep my blood presure down, not because of anything I had done. Praise God that she was okay. After a short stent in the NICU she came home healthy and happy and hasnt looked back since. I however was not happy. I loved my child Loved her soooo much! but I HATED my body. within a few months I gave way back to bulimia after troubles breast feeding and having to pump constantly I felt like a cow.. I felt like I looked like a cow and I couldnt stand it. At 9 months PP I ended up in treatment again at Remuda Ranch envying the girls with feeding tubes.. a few months later we got pregnant again with my son. This time I switched from Bulimia to Anorexia and 1 month into the pregnancy my husband deployed to iraq leaving me sick with morning sickness again and a VERY srong willed 1 yearold. needless to say things didnt go well. I lost 14 pounds before I gained anything…. 3 months later my husband was “Red Crossed” home because I was starving myself and my unborn son to death. I entered treatment again at a place in Florida and finally gained weight. I was 6 months pregnant and you could barely tell. One month after I left Florida I gave birth prematurely to a 6 pound baby boy. In contrast to the first delivery I had this one went smoothly and calmly and My Son had no complications even being a month premautre. He was tiny though and still is to this day.
Things have been different this time around. I dont have as much time to worry about my body I fall in and out of eating disordered behaviors but not quite with ther ferocity that I once had. I still hate my body. I really hate it.. And I hate the weight to height chart ratio things.. acording to it Im overweight… first time in my life! I had to stop playing Wii fit cause it was killing me inside to hear it tell me everyday.. “thats over weight!” ugh.
I know what my eyes see in the mirror isnt what everyone else sees but it’s still tormenting. I went from Unmarried and (sadly) pro Ana ( which is a “cultish” internet community that encourages eating disorders as a “way of life” instead of something that is life threatening and DISORDERED… ) to a married mom of two small children.
Beyond the body and eating issues I love my children and Im begining to love my life more and more everyday. After my son was born I had my tubes tied so that I couldnt have another pregnancy and put another precious life at risk. But.. in my heart I feel like there is a third child waiting to be born. And In time I pray that My loving and forgivning God in heaven will change me and prepare me to receive that child is it is his will one day. Hopefully in a healthy and natural way. My children keep my mind and my heart busy and as long as I am walking with God he keeps my soul busy too. And thus there should be no time for eating disorders… only passing glances in the mirror and a few tormenting moments thinking about summer seasons and bathing suits and what not.. but then a loving sweet voice calls out.. ” Momma… I need help… Momma.. read book… ” and I am called back to reality.. where it really doesnt matter what my body looks like.. Who cares! I am healthy… and my children are healthy ( thank God) and my husband who has weathered my “whole storm” has percivered and still loves me just the way I am, strech marks, sagging, wider hips and all.
One day… maybe I can feel the same way too, but for now.. I focus on what I do like. Like.. Im a kick butt mom! and I do a pretty good job at keeping the house clean, among MANY other things.. oh.. and I like my hair… lol…see it’s not all bad.
For the moms out there struggeling.. The thing I find the most helpful is to surround myself with strong women who arent ashamed of their bodies.. not that they love them or think they are prefect… but.. we are moms.. we have much to be proud of. I feel so inspired when I see a mom at the pool that isnt prefect but isnt hiding it.. CONFIDENCE>>> that’s attractive. no matter what you look like… yep.
Well that is all Im gonna give, too much to little… who knows. but thats the story of my body. Hope it helps someone!

I’m done doing nothing when I could work at being at my best! (vsmama)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 6 Comments

Hi! I am a 27 year old mother to a beautiful 2.5 year old boy! I’ve been with my husband since I was 19
and we only found out we were pregnant 2 months short of me turning 25. I never had to exercise and always wore ‘sexy’ but classy outfits. I was about 144 lbs and 5’4″wearing a size 5-6. I was very active and loved my midsection, always showing my midriff!! lol Then when I got pregnant I was very happy and had a fairly smooth pregnancy. I didn’t start having stretch marks till about my 8th month along and reached 198 lbs at the day of my inducement, giving birth to a 8lb 11oz 21inches baby boy :)

I dropped to about 160 not long after delivery and was still able to fit into all my pre-preg clothes with exception to the baby pooch. The combination of the labor (24 hours and 30 min push!!) and having such a big pregnancy belly, I still up to this day am suffering from back pain (I’m unable to bathe my son so daddy has to do it) and pains on the left side of my body. I would wear out pretty quickly and with on demand breastfeeding I was way too exhausted to even bother with working out. Not too long after I put on excess weight which just exacerbated my body pains. I pretty much just gave up on myself.

I still don’t know how much I weight because I can’t bear to…I don’t even go shopping like I used to…I’ve resorted to sweat pants and hoodies to cover the bulges and my bigger thighs. Then one night I just was sick of feeling stuck in this body so I then found this site after trying to search for other women who were in my situation. I’ve read almost all the stories on this site and have found such renewed respect for my body. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that my body made my beautiful son but I think I needed more motivation to RESTORE my body to its best:) I am so inspired by everyone on this site and have soo much respect for each one of your bravery and confidence. I truly believe you all are beautiful!!! I have started just recently exercising and am feeling great about myself!! I’m not where I want to be yet but I’m
confident I will be! Because of all the photos on this site, I have showed my husband finally in 2.5 years my body!! Just today!!!

That’s such a big step for me because I don’t even like to look at it myself..I just feel that with this site I have that support even with just you all sharing your stories. So thank you!!! I haven’t the courage YET to weigh myself but I will update my photos again as I progress further towards my goal:)

First photo is before pregnancy w/ the flat tummy
Second photo is a month pp still small legs but w baby pooch
Third photo is my weight gain..(keep in mind I was wearing a ‘slimming’ suit lol my weight continued to climb so I stopped taking photos after this)
Fourth photo Sept 09 2 yrs 4 months pp
Fifth photo December 2 yrs 6 month pp
sixth and seventh Feb 19 2010
eigth photo as of today March 2010
I’m excited for the changes to be seen with my new motivation to be fit but either way I have started to really love my body now mentally and emotionally so that’s helping a lot to keep me going :)

Age: 27
1 pregnancy 1 birth
2 and 1/2 years postpartum

Updated here and here.

My son played a few tricks on me (J.D.)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Mom over 30, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 5 Comments

My story starts in March 2007 when i decided to move to another country and start a new life. I was bored of my life, my job, my city and i felt very lonely and depressed. It was a great choice as i started on a new path with lots of joy and happiness. I managed to get a job a week after moving abroad and i met the father of my son at work. We knew each other, but never talked until one day when he had to supervise my team and he invited me to a pub. We started going out a lot but i thought he only wanted to be friends. That was happening in September 2007. On the October 31 2007 something happened and i missed the last night bus – the stop was in front of his house – so he didn’t let me walk home. I spent the morning in his house eating spaghetti and watching family guy. this is how we started our relationship. In May 2008 we moved in together and in November i told him that i want a family as i am getting old – we were 31 at the time. He always loved children but i didn’t think about having any until i met him. He was very happy to ear that and we started working on it. On January 26 2009 i was at work and didn’t feel very well. I went to the pharmacy with my friend and bought a pregnancy test. Didn’t wait to go home and had it in the toilet at work. I knew i was pregnant, i just needed the confirmation. I sent a text to my bf and he called straight away. He was extremely happy and when i went home that evening he couldn’t stop kissing me and hugging me and making plans. My pregnancy was great. I was a bit nauseous the first weeks but it went away in the second trimester. I walked everyday and tried to be active but i put on lots of weight. I was 117 the summer before getting pregnant, 124 when i got pregnant and 172 when i went to the hospital for the induction. My son was very comfy in my huge belly and he was 12 days overdue. I felt like i couldn’t carry my belly anymore when i went to the hospital on October 12 and they told me that i had to come back on the 14th as there weren’t any free beds…I cried and i went back to the hospital on the 14th. The induction started at 11 but nothing happened. I had contractions but i wouldn’t dilate. It went on like that till the next morning at 9 when i had been given another pill and i started being in agonizing pain. I had to be on a monitor for 1 hour then they moved me to the labour room when i was given an epidural even though i was only 2 cm dilated. After that i was given oxitocin and started to dilate. The epidural would finish after about 2 hours and i would have to wait 20 minutes in horrible pains for the nurse to come give me another dose. I was very lucky to have my bf with me all the time. At 5 pm i felt like i needed to push and called the doctor. I was 9 cm dilated but my son has moved up and he was in distress. The chief of the clinic was called and after he examined me he told me that there is no way i can give birth naturally so i needed an emergency c section if i wanted my son to live. I signed the paper straight away and in 2 minutes i was hurried to the OR. I didn’t even had time to say “love you” to my bf…I was very scared and was shaking, my bf had tears in his eyes…The last thing i remember is having my belly covered in something orange. I woke up a few hours after that in a room with lots of monitors and beeping machines and people going around…I had 2 iv lines in my left arm and 1 line in my right arm. A very nice nurse told me that i need some blood as something happened during the surgery and i lost lots of blood. I was terrified for a second but she told me that my baby was ok and i was going to see him in few minutes. I managed to drink some water and felt so happy that everything was fine. I saw my son that night at 9 and i was the happiest I’ve ever been. On the 19th we went home and started our life as a little family as i like to call us.
I didn’t get stretch marks during pregnancy, but i have this scar to remind me how lucky i was to be living in these days and in a country with great doctors. My son was 8 pounds 7 oz at birth and after birth i found out that it would have been impossible for me to give birth naturally as my son was too big for my pelvis. My only issue is the fat that i still have on my belly, bottom and legs. I am 137 pounds now and would like to go back to the weight i had pre-pregnancy. It’s hard but i hope spring it’s going to help me. If i won’t loose the weight and even put on more – i want to have another child fairly soon – i won’t be very upset because my son is more precious and important than my image.
Believe in you and feel confident. Health and happiness are more important than a flat stomach or flawless skin. Enjoy your babies!

~Your Age: 32
~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: Finn is 4 month, 1 week and 3 days old

pics description ;

1. me and my bf summer 2008
2. 28 weeks pregnant
3. 41+5 the day my son was born
4. Finn 2 days old
5. The day we left the hospital – 4 days after birth
6,7,8,9 my belly today 4month, 1 week and 3 days after birth

38 Weeks Pregnant, Not Sure What to Expect (Georgia)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Pregnant, Submissions, Tattoo, Update 9 Comments

24 years old, First pregnancy

I have been coming to this site for a few weeks now, and everyones stories have been very encouraging. When I got pregnant, I was 5’5” and 158 pounds. I am currently at 180 pounds. So only gained 22 pounds. But I have always really like my body, especially my stomach. Ive never been a “skinny” girl, But I embraced my “Hour glass” figure proudly. I put off pregnancy, and was planning to put it off as long as I could because I was so afraid of what would happen to my body. But then I got married and knew I wanted a child with my amazing husband as soon as possible. Seems so selfish and stupid now, but Im still fearing how my tummy and breasts will look postpartum. My breasts went from a small c to a double d in about a month.. they dont even look like my own anymore. My husband tells me everyday, about 10 times a day that Im still a “hottie” and still beautiful, but of course it doesnt sink in. I plan on breastfeeding, and working out as soon as my doctor gives me the ok, and eating well has never been a problem. I have a few stretchmarks so far… Im not too concerned with them, as long as I dont erupt in them terribly in the next two – three weeks. I know I will never look exactly the same, but its scary NOT knowing how my body will look the weeks, and months following my sons birth. Does/did anyone else feel this way? . (The one in the bikini holding hands is pre baby, the one on the bed is 2 months pregnant, animal print is 28 weeks, bare belly is 38 weeks.)

Updated here, here and here.

The Ever-Elusive Belly Button (Lulu)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 17 Comments

When me and my husband first got married, everyone incessantly pestered us about when we were going to have kids. We told them, quite firmly, that we were going to wait at least five years… by then we’d be good and ready. My mother would always laugh at this, and told us bluntly that she’d be surprised if we weren’t expecting within the year.
Low and behold, I was pregnant within two months! We were rather devastated; We were only 20 years old. We were not ready for children. I suppose we were rather stupid. We weren’t particularly vigilant when it came to using protection. It’s just that the both of us were virgins on our wedding day which, don’t get me wrong, is WONDERFUL that we are able to share ourselves with no one else but each other, but neither of us had ever had to worry about that sort of thing before, and thus a lack of experience in the matter lead to the conception of our son Dominic.
I gained about 40-45 lbs. during my pregnancy, which due to my spectacular health, went wonderfully. Well, mostly. I had dreadful morning sickness for a good two months. I threw up at least 6-9 times a day, and had given up on the luxury of eating, and even still my stomach found some mysterious contents with which to regurgitate. Not a great venture for a dental chair-side assistant.
Either way, I made it through alright, and gave birth to a 9 lb. 0 oz. baby boy. My labour was short, but all in my back. I felt nothing in my stomach! I made it through without and pain meds, which is not a spectacular feet as I was only in labour for less than 5 hours starting from the first twinges of discomfort, ending with the birth.
I lost the weight just fine. I was back in my jeans within a month! After my two week postpartum checkup, he even heard my midwife joking with the receptionist, “She didn’t loose that weight! She just gave it all to that baby!” (He was, and still is, a rolly-polly little tyke. At nine months he is the weight of a one year old!)
Months go by, and I am back to my pre-pregnancy wieght (144… I still want to lose 8-9 lbs. to get to the weight I was in high school) but I seem to have misplaced my belly button. Oh, no. Wait. There is is. Hiding under a fold of skin. There you are! He’s a little camera shy, it would seem.
I love this website! I have spent three months looking at pictures posted here; some bellies are far better than mine, others far worse than mine. What I have not been able to find, however, is a belly on par with mine. Does anyone else have this issue with their belly? I have seen stretch marks, rolls, and sagging skin, but not like mine! I am a bit envious that everyone else on this website has a visible belly button. Perhaps not the one they are familiar with, but it is there!
I have never been worried about the way I look before; I was always the funny girl that was just one of the guys. But I can safely say that I had a pretty rockin’ body! Now even that one thing I could be proud of is gone. Dust in the wind, baby. I guess I didn’t know what I had till it was gone!
I have no pictures of my pre-preg belly as I have always been rather modest. But I have some pictures of my belly now.
The first two are 8 months postpartum. The next two are nine months. The 4th is me about a month before I got pregnant, the fifth is me at about 7 months pregnant, and the last one is me with my beautiful boy! (He has a birthmark under his eye.)
Has anyone ever seen such a belly? My mother always says it will get better. “Just look at my belly after five kids!” she says. Of course, she never had stretch marks, and even at 48 years old she could be a model. Does any one think this will get better? I have seen no progress.