Belly

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 Beautiful Boys and an “Apron” (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 4 Comments

I was always skinny. 111 pounds before the birth of my first son, and proceeded to gain 55 pounds. I ended up with stretch marks from literally my breasts to a few inches past my knees. After I lost the weight, my breasts were just loose skin, nothing else. My stomach looked pretty wrinkly, but I was okay because I was a size 0 and could wear tight shirts. I just had to tuck an inch of skin into my pants! I just had my second beautiful son 8 weeks ago, and gained the same amount of weight, and it’s coming off pretty easily. I went from 155 and am now 119. But my stomach is just loose skin, I knew this could happen but it consumes me every day. I have so may pairs of jeans I know I will never be able to fit into because of the loose skin draping over my pants. I have an absolutely wonderful husband who said, after I showed it to him sitting down, “what kind of husband would i be if I cared about that? You had a baby!” But he said if it bothers me that much, I can get a tummy tuck next year.






Updated here.

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.

1 Month PP! will it ever go away?? (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 14 Comments

I’m 26 and had my first and only baby girl 1 months age. I’m hating my body and very down on myself image! I always had a big ego and low self esteem! Now I have no ego and no self esteem! I know my stomach is better then most but I feel as if I’m as big as a house! Alot of people tell me I look good but with people telling me this, I still feel very uncomfortable in my own skin! I wear a tummy holder just to feel ok enough to go out in public. I’m in the Army and being fat is a no-go! So that adds more presure to me! (They give you 6 months after having a child to get back into shape) I look up to woman now that have more then one child, and that are happy in their own skin!






Pregnancy Photos (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Homebirth, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 2 Comments

I’ve included three pictures of my belly when I was pregnant the second time. The one in the white shirt is at 40 weeks, just a few days before labor began. The black shirt is at 37 weeks, and the view from the top of my bulging belly-button is at 34 weeks. I had my first in a hospital in Florida and gave birth to a 9 lb 2 oz boy. My stretch marks went from pubic bone to belly button, and from side to side, all the way. I thought they couldn’t get any worse. As you may be able to see, they did. My daughter (#2) was 10 lbs 4 oz, born at home, unassisted, in a pool. She caused my stretch marks to extend by about two inches, now they go up past my belly button. It doesn’t bother me the way it used to. I still have a belly, but I haven’t exactly done a lot of working out either. I’m sure even when I do lose the weight I’ll still have an apron. Maybe when I get a new camera I can submit a picture of my postpartum body.





New Mum, 22, How can I love my body again? (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 18 Comments

I am 22 and have just had my first baby, 9 weeks ago. Ive never considered myself to be especially vain or image obsessed or that. I am so happy my baby is healthy and happy and I am happy I managed to fall pregnant to begin with (as I am challenged in the fertility department). Although Im very happy and grateful for all those things, I just dont see how I will ever accept let alone embrace or love my new body. Im not trying to insult or offend anyone by saying that. I just wish so much that I could love my body and stretchmarks and extra weight like so many other Mum’s on here seem to be able to. Im scared I will never feel confident or sexy again. I just cry and cry when I look at myself and Im trying so hard to be positive and thankful, but I just cant seem to get past it. The feelings of shame, anger and embarassment will almost consume me if I let them. Its so hard :-(




(Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 3 Comments

i am 27 years and have 2 children. my daughter is 3 and i gave birth to her naturally and she weighed 8 lbs 5 oz. i was in labor for 20 hours with any pain meds.i bounced back so quickly! i loved it. then my husband and i decided to have another baby. we were blessed with our sweet little boy in july! i was in labor for over 3 days and finally after pushing for hours my doctor told me a c-section was the only way he would come. this was the scariest experience. I was passing out and getting sick the entire time. he was 9 lbs and 22 inches long! i was able to see my sweet angel for 2 minutes and was in recovery for 5 hours until i saw him again. my son is 3 months old now and my tummy still hurts every now and then. i did get stretch marks with my last pregnancy but i love them. they are a reminder of what my body did. i love how soft my tummy is now and that my daughter finds comfort by laying on my tummy! I am so proud to be a mother. i find my strength through their eyes , they are my sweet angels! so all you moms be proud of what you look like! look at what our bodies are able to do! we are pretty crafty… we make people!!





Second Time Preggo (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Teen Mom 6 Comments

So when i was sixteen i got pregnant and when i was 17 on February first 2008 i gave birth to my beautiful little girl Alana Grace Watson,whats really weird is one of my closest friends Ashley took the same journey at the same time and she had her Beautiful little girl Bailey Nicole Robles on January 30 2008 and another one of our friends had hers on the 31st of january so it we all went right after the other….but neways ashley and i went to the same school and it just helps to have someone take this long journey with you….after we were both more than a little dissapointed with our bodies but it was comforting to have eachother and i think this site is a great thing cuz its comforting…but we would always encourage eachother it helps alot but i was so unhappy with my body i thought i looked ok but i didnt feel sexy anymore and as most people know its hard enough to feel sexy when your gaining weight and ur feet are swollen and you suddenly have to chins and you dont feel beautiful anymore.I was about 125 when i got pregnant with my daughter alana whom is now 9 months old and i was 148 after giving birth to her before giving birth i was 168 so i lost 20 lbs from giving birth and i was just going crazy thinking how am i gna loose the rest of it….i tried to workout but it was too soon and i just started bleeding so i waited a lil longer and i started working out again and eventually i got down to 130 but when ur looking at ur stomache and its jiggly and you have stretch marks you dont congratulate yourself on getting your weight back down you just dwell in this completely different body that weighs the same as your pre pregnant body…. its just hard to get that confidence back i think i look good but i dont feel sexy i dont want my husband to see me naked nemore and now that im pregnant again i feel like i lost my weight didnt get skinny and now im gna get huge again and not lose my weight but i am currently 135 lbs and im 5 months pregnant and im so scared im gna get even more horrible scars….i have them on my lower belly thighs butt its just hard to be beautiful when your coverd in marks and saggy skin althought mine isnt to saggy right now bcuz im pregnant but it will get that way again…..i love my daughter with all my heart she gives me a reason to smile and im learning to say i look good and im gna look good after this baby i will love myself for bringing my baby girl into the world and thats enough for me even if others think that my body should never be seen….i dont have pictures of my bare bell but i do have pics of how big i got and how big im getting now….




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!