Before Pregnancy

One Mental Year Later (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Piercing, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 7 Comments

Hi everyone! :) I found this site at the beginning of my pregnancy and thought that now, just past my daughter’s first birthday, would be a fairly apt moment to reflect on this mental year and nine months and make a post myself. I’m 5ft2 ish and I started my pregnancy at 9st (see before photo!) I put on about a stone in the first month then two more by the end – total weight gain of 3 stone or 52lbs !! I was also polyhydramnios (more amniotic fluid than usual) so I was MASSIVE. I thought I had got away without stretchmarks on my tummy until week 36 when they started creeping up from my knicker line. I also have a belly button piercing and that stretched alot. Also, I developed weird stretchmarks on both inner thighs from baout week 26 which got bigger and bigger until my daughter was born. Couldnt understand whay I got them there! I also have more on my hips and LOADS on my boobs, although these have faded quite a bit. My pregnancy went smoothly other than very low blood pressure which left me feeling faint and breathless most of the time from about week 34. I worked until 6 days before my due date and went into natural labour 6 days past my due date. I was due that morning to have a membrane sweep, which I didnt much fancy, so I was quite pleased with Lily’s timing! My waters broke slowly overnght and I gave birth at 18.50 the following evening, with NO PAIN RELIEF AT ALL to my beautiful 8lb 9oz baby girl Lily. She is the most wonderful little girl in the world and most definitely worth it all. I desperately wanted to breast feed but Lily just didnt take to it. The midwife decided to cup-feed her formula for one feed because they were concerned she was hungry and after that she just wanted really interested in trying to feed from me. I was very upset but managed to express breast milk for her for 8 weeks until my supply dried up. Im pleased that she got my breat milk, even thouh it meant milking myself every 90 minutes and feeling somewhat like a cow for 2 months! ;) My body was ‘better’ before in many ways – my tummy was flat and toned and the skin was tight and my boobs stood up more, but honestly Im happier with my body now than I was before. It is just so incredible what our bodies can do – way more amazing than a flat stomach and toned skin. I celebrate my body so much more now and I feel like a whole woman. I have included a before photo, several through my pregnancy and some after pics. :) :) :)


Before
121008-anon-1

39 weeks – two weeks before the birth

3 days PP

25 days PP closeup of tummy

20 weeks

3 photos at one year PP




Learning to Love my 21 Year Old Baby Body (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 16 Comments

I’ve been through a lot in my short 21 years and 10 months here on earth. The good, the bad, the unexpected… In high school I was a 5’3, 117 pound cheerleader with an eating disorder. I was teased when I was younger for being chubby, so I made up for it during my adolescence. I hid the memories of my broken childhood with alcohol, prescription pills, and eventually hard drugs. All of which helped me to maintain my thin frame. When I was 16, I met who would one day become my husband. Fast forward to college, by the time I was a Junior I was 130 lbs. I was okay with this, I had grown out of my self-destructive behavior for the most part, but my weight was still a burden on my mind every day. I was living with my high school sweetheart when we found out we were pregnant on Thanksgiving of 2007. Three semesters away from attaining my degree and suddenly it seemed so far away. I took a year off from school, sat at home and ate, and ate, ate… Over the course of my pregnancy I gained 73 lbs. The day I went into labor I weighed a whopping 203 lbs, most of which I gained in the last 3 months of my pregnancy, leaving me with numerous stretch marks on my hips, my breasts, thighs and calves. Thirty hours of labor and six hours of pushing later, my baby boy was born at 8 lbs 9 oz. and 21 inches. A week later what I was left with was 180 lbs, nearly a hundred stretch marks and some saggy skin. Despite my previous obsession over my body image, I became less concerned with it, and instead focused my attention on my new son. With the help of breastfeeding, I lost nearly 40 lbs in the first two months. My weight loss began to slow, so when I stopped breastfeeding at 3 months post-partum, I began eating healthier. I am proud to say that today, on my son’s 4 month birthday, I weighed in at 145 lbs. I am still overweight for my height; however I have never been more content with or proud of my body. I look at my son everyday with pride, and when I look at my stretch marks they remind me of that precious little face. I am going back to school in January to finish my degree, and thanks to my beautiful little interruption, I have all the motivation I need. The attached pictures are, in order: my pre-pregnancy body, my 38 week pregnant body, my one week pp body, my 1 month pp body, my present body, and my baby boy…








2 Baby Girls by 20 (Regina)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 7 Comments

Previous entry here.

My name is Regina. I became pregnant with my first daughter when I was 16 years old. I planned on giving her up for adoption for the first 5 months of the pregnancy but in the end I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Her father and I were married when I was 32 weeks pregnant. We were both 17 years old. 9 weeks later, on January 9, 2006, 8 days late, my baby girl was born. She was 8 pounds 8 ounces and 19 inches long. I started out the pregnancy at 158 pounds and a size 9-11. During the pregnancy I gained 47 pounds! Topping out at 205 pounds. I lost 20 pounds in delivery. My beautiful daughter gave me larger hips, larger breasts, lots of fat and a tummy full of stretch marks. I must say though I LOVE my stretch marks. I was never afraid to get them and did nothing to prevent them. I think they are beautiful. They mean so much to me. They mark a time in my life that is precious to me: the 9 months that I carried my princess inside of me. Over the next 2 years I managed to not lose a single pound. I did manage to tone my way down from a size 20 to a size 15. I was big, and soft but my shape was nice and I liked my body. On January 24, 2008, when I was 19 years old, my husband and I were surprised to find that we were expecting another baby. I was determined not to gain as much weight and to keep my body in shape. Well, with the exhaustion of taking care of my 2 year old and being pregnant I never managed to work out, though I did go for an hour walk everyday with her. By the end I had gained only 18 pounds! I weighed 204 pounds on the day I delivered. One thing that I was absolutely ecstatic about was the size of my belly. With my first, even when I was overdue people couldn’t always tell I was pregnant. But this time I was huge. I started showing at about 11 weeks and by the time I delivered I was a HOUSE! I absolutely LOVED my belly and my body! My 2nd daughter was born 8 days late on October 5, 2008. She was 8 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long. I lost all the weight from the pregnancy in delivery. But my hips have grown a few INCHES and my old stretch marks grew a bit longer, but no new ones. Even though I am my pre-pregnancy weight of 186 pounds, I am about 2 sizes above my pre-pregnancy size. I am now 6 weeks post partum. I am breastfeeding and starting a weight loss program. Since this is my last baby I’m going to work hard to get a decent body back without fear of losing it again to another pregnancy. I found this website when I was about 15 months post partum and fell in love with it. I have accepted my body so much more because of it. It has done amazing things. It has survived 2 teen pregnancies, a blotched epidural that caused permanent nerve damage in my lower half, a 100% natural delivery and now it is surviving breastfeeding. I would like to be thinner, but until then I love having a little chub for my children to rest when we are cuddling. The 1st picture is of me when I was 16 before I got pregnant. The 2nd is of my 9 months pregnant with my first. The 3rd and 4th are of me 24 months after my first. The 5th is me 9 months pregnant with my second. The 6th is of me now. And the 7th is the reason I wake up in the morning, Melora Abigail, 34 months and Amelia Grace, 6 weeks.









Updated here.

My Body 8 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Breasts, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 10 Comments

As everyone on this website I have lots of body issues and this is how I found this website. I am 5’5″ and before I got pregnant weighed 145 lbs. I gained about 36lbs during the pregnancy, had sever pre-eclampsia and fluid retention. I felt so bad about my pregnant body that I didnt want to take any pictures. I have always ahd strecthmarks on my breasts, but didnt excpect it to get so bad with pregnancy. My body is so different after pregnancy not only the shape but my health is also affected. I kept on retaining fluid, even on a strict diet and intense exercise regime I cant seem to lose weight and even gained weight during breastfeeding. I have stopped since and have lost 3 lbs. I would have felt better about my body if it wasnt such a struggle to lose weight. I now weigh 161 lbs, have lots of strechmarks are described by doctors as overweight and extremely depressed. The big problem that I have is that I dont want to transfer all these issues to my daughter when sshe grows up. I am extremely blessed to have her in my life and would do it all over again, I just wish I was as lucky as some other mothers who still have the same bodies as before. I include pictures of before pregancy, just before my c-section, 1 month pp and 8 months pp. Thanks for this website!










From Making Money with my Body to Making Babies (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Birth, Homebirth, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Third Pregnancy 13 Comments

After meeting the man of my dreams and spending two years dancing and modelling at 173cm and 57kg and 10d Bra size, I fell pregnant with my first son.
I quit smoking, Nightshift, Dancing, Vegetarianism and took up a healthy diet.
10 months later i weighed 85kg- I had put on 28kg.
My bra size went up to a 16EE.
After the gentle birth of my 9pd Son, I lost all the weight and was back modelling 7 months later.
My breasts were smaller and saggier, but If I dressed accordingly- I looked firm and fit.
I continued to dance and model and kept my family on a good wage and paid off my home.
We had a good quality of life and I spent a great deal of quality time with my son.
I conceived again- My second son.
This time I was 75kg pre-pregnancy weight.
At 20 weeks I quit dancing and modelling and took up office work for my partner.
Sitting on my bum in front of the Computer, Drinking Hot-Chocolate in Winter took me up to 95kg.

For a girl who relied on her looks and body to look after her family- This was disasterous.
I felt like I had let myself down, and that I had taken my income stream away.
I apologised to people why I was so fat and had a terrible time finding nice clothes that fitted well.
My 10pd Son was born unnassisted in the most amazing home water birth and His presence has been an absolute gift.
I would despair at my figure- Knowing that my partner was attracted to a thin-lean look and small breasts.
He Never mentioned anything, but I knew he was not attracted to me- As loving as he Is.
This broke my heart. I began to get jealous of Younger Girls with thin thighs hips and Arms.

At least twice a week, I would be holding my newborn and peole would ask me when the next baby was due…
I commented- “this is what you really look like after a baby for a little while…”

I would see my reflecting in the mirror and get a shock and then cringe.. I realised how judgemental of myself I had become.

I stopped going to social functions because I felt “too fat”..

I lost only 5kg after baby was born.

At 85kg and 4 months post-partum I conceived again!
I was breastfeeding and still in my maternity pants! I surrendered and decided to change my attitude and lifestyle.
I accepted my roundness and simply decided to be very healthy and exercise frequently enough to get me in good habits so I could get fit again after the birth of baby number three.

I am now 7 months pregnant and have put on 3kg with this pregnancy!
I am still quite heavy- But I am proud that I have limited my weight gain to a healthy level.

My Two sons are the Sunshine of my Life and their happy smiling faces are all I need to feel blissfully contented.

I am enjoying my new exercise routine and am quite proud that at 30 years old I have started to take responsibility to my health..

I will never be the same again- But this is the transition from maiden to mother….I am celebrating my fertility and enjoying it while I am ripe and luscious…I know that when I am older I will look back and remember these as the best years of my life- So I am making an effort to surrender and love myself for me- not for what I look like to others…Peace.








Learning to love my new body (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 10 Comments

Me and my husband tried to get pregnant for 15 months..when it finally happened we were sooo excited..not to mention nervous! I was 105 lbs when I got pregnant by the end of my pregnancy I was 156! I ate very healthy but I still put on the pounds, made it to 30 weeks with not stretch marks and then woke up one morning with three…next moning more and by the end of my pregnancy I had a lot, I was soo upset. My pregnancy was great besides all the weight I gained..I had my beautiful daughter on June 4th 2008..I had a great labor and birth..She was perfect weighing 6 lbs 1 oz..I swore she was a least 9 lbs with how big I was..but that was the best day of my life!…

Looking at my body 4 months later..it just does not look at all like it used to..I had a nice body and now my hips and butt are huge..I have stretch marks on my sides and my lower tummy..I weigh 120 now but I feel like I weigh so much more. This site has helped my feel better about my body knowing I am not the only one that feels this way. But every marks reminds me of my little girl.

Here are some pictures of me before pregnancy and 4 months postpartum..and of my beautiful baby Ivy Jane!!










teen mom and wife (Anonymous)

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

Hello so somehow I discovered this site, Im not sure how but ive known of it for a few months now. I finally got the guts to post some pics of myself as I see women that look just like me. It isnt like im alone out there anymore after looking around on here. I am 19, married and have my first child, Aiden. Its hard being young and taking on the wife and mother role. I love it though and I wouldnt want it any other way. I used to be really skinny and I was never happy with my body until right before I became pregnant. I was never fat but i always thought I was. At age 12 I was anorexic and I came out of it from help of my mother. I now know that I should have appreciated my body a lot more than I did. I was 119 lbs. before I became pregnant. A month before that I was 109 lbs. but I just stopped exercising and started eating badly again making me gain weight. I gained 70 lbs. during my pregnancy. I didnt eat too much more than I did prepregnancy but I was on bedrest b/c of preterm contractions from 7 months although my contractions started at 7 wks.! Allowing to get no exercise in. I wouldnt trade my old body back for my son, he was all worth it. But seeing girls my age, I shouldnt have a body the way I do. I mean come on, Jamie Lynn Spears dosent even look like she gained a pound. She was all belly. Her legs look amazing!I have stretch marks on my tummy, boobs, legs (even down to my calves!), sides and even a little on my triceps. I am now down to 144 lbs, need to lose 25 more pounds. My husband is encouraging me by putting me through a hard workout and a diet. We exercise wrestling style together 3 x a week and do Tae bo every other day. I eat no more than 1800 calories a day as I am breastfeeding. The photos I attached are me 6 months postpartum and I attached a photo of myself and my gorgeous son, Aiden Michael. The first one is me when I was 2 months prego and then I attached a pic of me breastfeeding my son. Please leave comments, I would love to talk to other mommies!



12 weeks pp with first baby (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 5 Comments

i am 19 years old i found out i was pregnant what i was 18 it was scary at first but i got used to the idea even was fine that i had left her father and would be a single mother, and now here i was have a beautiful 12 weeks old baby girl who i wouldn’t trade for the world… but i wish i could be happier with how my body is now i do miss my old body a lot and i wasn’t all that happy with it when i had it but now that i’m 30lbs heavier and 3 sizes bigger i realize how much skinnier i was i don’t think i thought about how much having a child changes your body until i had one of my own… i’m very glad that i have found this website it makes me feel much better knowing that there are women who feel the same or have gotten back to the body they had before i sure hope someday i will but for now i’m not to worried about it i have my little girl here and that’s all that matters.. my pictures are working backwards from now to before i got pregnant.









All you can be happy with your bellies! (iraiosc)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update 21 Comments

6 months ago i had a baby 4’360kg… cessarean of course… before he arrive i have a normal and thin body… with nice skin… the pregnancy was great, all people said that i have a nice and rounded belly… then tima passed and my son don’t wanted get out… he grow and grow… till arrive 42 weeks… Now i have diastasis, hernia, wrinkles, not a big belly… but a frankenstein belly… So, all you can be happy with your bodies after seeing my pics ;) :”(








Updated here and here.

i hate myself (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Tattoo 21 Comments

So i am a first time mum to my beautiful baby boy harrison his almost 8 months ! i have a wonderful fiancee and everything is going great but i am so depressed i hate my body i hate who i am as a person i hate my shy personality i hate my voice i hate EVERYTHING about myself etc i despise myself i dont know why i never used to like this but as i see it its all because of my body back in the day before harrison i was happy with how i was i was confident carefree didnt worry about things at all now i am disgusting ! i hate looking at myself all the time i am always comparing myself too other ppl i dont want to i just do it and doesnt help when my friends that have babies the same age as harrison are back to there slim tiny selves it gets to me so bad that i dont want to be near them anymore because i get jealous and i get intimated by them and feel just stupid next to them why am i like this i never used to be i understand i have a beautiful boy who i give my whole life for but why cant i just feel good about myself.It was only in the last 8 mnths of my pregnancy that i gained heaps of weight i dont know it didnt eat more i have always been petite so being this big im not used of it i hate it i just want to cry it has ruined wat i used to be..Please someone how can i learn to accept this is how my body is now how can i get confidence back and how can i stop puttin myself down 24/7 and compare myself to others i need to get out of this hell which is called my mind …