Belly

My Body After Two Kids (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Cesarean, Mom over 30, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 6 Comments

I’m 37, and my girls are aged 5 and 2.

I was worried with each of my pregnancies that I would find it hard to get back in shape; or that my body would be radically changed. You go through so many changes when you’re pregnant that it’s hard to see how you will ever go back to normal. But, I came out of it ok. I try to exercise whenever I can, even it its just taking the girls for a walk or doing sit ups in front of TV. I used to go to weights class but had such bad pubis symphasis pain that I don’t want to do the heavy squats and lunges anymore; I feel a twinge of the pain in my pelvis whenever I have to out my back into pushing something, like a heavy door or piece of furniture. With my second girl I had a caesarian, I have a small ridge just above my pubic bone but it is nothing too bad. For various medical reasons I will have an elective section if we have a third child, and I wonder what the effect of a second section will do to my tummy.

I used this site when I was pregnant to seek reassurance, and I hope this give some reassurance back to other mums. I’ve included a picture of me the day before I went into labour with my second.

Apart from the pelvic pain, the main change has been to my breasts. They are not as large or full as they were – I feel like the bloom has gone off them! I breastfed noth my girls til they were two though, so some change is to be expected.

Wrecked (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Four or More Pregnancies, Postpartum, Submissions, VBAC 4 Comments

I got pregnant at 17 years old and I was in a boarding school that ate processed food breakfast, lunch and dinner. I gained 80lbs during that pregnancy that ended in a completely unnecessary c-section. I looked at my body after I gave birth, at only 17 years old was so depressed. I didn’t even have a choice to be healthy and maybe prevent the stretching and weight gain. I felt raped. I couldn’t imagine ever finding anybody that wouldn’t be completely grossed out by the stretch marks on my stomach, legs, and breasts. It was so hard for me to accept for so many years.

As I got older and made more mommy friends, got married, and gained more experience I realized, 4 children later (by the age of 23) that I would rather have my hands full (with all those ugly stretch marks and saggy skin and major diastasis) than to have them empty. I have a husband that loves all of me and 4 perfect kids (two VBA2C babies at home!). A body is just a body. I hate that our society has made them so much more important than our minds and our contributions to society. I have yet to find a stomach that is more wrecked than mine! But that’s ok! Those kids of mine were more than worth it!

AGE: 25
two years postpartum. 5 pregnancies (ages 8,6,4,2), 4 births

Crazy Boobs (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Postpartum, Submissions 12 Comments

My breasts were always a bit different, one was a tiny bit bigger than the other, you’d have to be real close or touch them to feel the difference, but since I gave birth a year ago, it completely changed. I tried breastfeeding my daugther but it never really worked. I breastfed her for a week before switching to formula saving both her health and my mental health (I was a crying mess, feeling guilty and unworthy), I don’t regret this choice, breastfeeding is beautiful but not possible for all woman and it’s ok. Only my right breast (the ”biggest” one) produced milk, the other one was dry. I believe this is what gave my breast this look. I’m crying as I look at the pictures. Prior to giving birth I was a confident woman, I’ve never being thin, I’m a bit chunky and I like that, my husband also and I was felt super confortable around him. But it changed. Although he’s never said anything about my breasts I feel ashamed and so ugly. I hate them. I always wear a sport bra because it keeps them flat and the size different doesn’t show to much. I sleep with the bra on sometimes, because when my arm brush past the ”biggest” one it makes me cry. We want to have another child but it scares me that my breasts will get even more weird after an other pregnancy. I’d like to get surgery, just to reduce the size of the big one…

I’m lucky, I didn’t get stretch marks (some on my tummy but they faded real fast) and although still a bit big my belly doesn’t make me sad so much. My tits however…

~Age: 29
~Number of pregnancies and births: 3 pregnancy, 1 birth
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: a year

Here We Go Again (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Cesarean, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 9 Comments

Round 2…. as the bell dings in my head im prepared to fight, unfortunately, my inner self on what most of us on here know as that little voice that says, ” your body is ruined now…look at all those stretch marks…do my boobs really hang that low…how is that even possible?” yes that dreaded post partum voice. It isn’t easy to get on here and to share how I really feel deep down.. that dark inner part of me I don’t want anyone to see. Because then they would see just how much I hate myself. Im scared of what this second pregnancy will bring..how many more stretch marks will I have..how much more will my boobs sag..will I have a stomach that will forever hang=??? I know it isn’t healthy and the thought of letting my loved ones in enough to see this hurt would worry them and why let others hurt along with me? This isnt their battle…so instead I will just share anon on here with all you beautiful woman. Whats sad is I look on here I get frustrated with these posts..I say to myself..”She has no reason to hate herself ..that body is beautiful..one of a womans!!” but who am I to say what these woman should hate or not? Lol not only do I have a deep self hate but clearly I am a pretty big hypocrite …(by now yall are probably thinking this woman shouldn’t be left to care for anyone lol) but all joking aside this website is my rock..well aside From God..i guess I should say my rock of selfishness, since im only focusing so hard on the outside. This is my pregnant body…I love it one day..hate it just the next.. I love the little life inside that im holding but hate the outside appearance and scared I will forever be a fat stretched saggy lump of skin that will turn away my husband to a greener (hotter) pasture. So with all this being said Thank you!! Tahnk you to everyone who has ever posted on here and the biggest thank you to woman who created it!!

Age : 25
Pregnancies : 2
Oldest child age : 6
Current pics right now are 6 months pregnant..

first one was CS and I will be having a CS with the second.

I Feel Like They Can’t Be Fixed (Adria)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Body Dysmorphic Disroder, Body Image, Breasts, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 26 Comments

20 (age)
Pregnancies (1)
8 months post partum by cesarean.

When i first became pregnant, during my first trimester i lost 20 pounds. Than the rest of my pregnancy i only gained 10 pounds. After i delivered i then lost 25 more. This is what alot of people would call “bouncing back” and yes in some ways i did. Two weeks after delivery i could fit back into my pre pregnancy clothing. 3 months after delivery though i developed a condition called body dysmorphic disorder, it took over my life to the piont of suicide. At around the same piont my husband wanted to leave because he couldnt understand why i felt so horrible about myself, he got tired of trying to help but with no results. Ne never left though he stuck by my side and continued to try, much to my appreciation. If it wernt for him i wouldnt be here to write this post today. I went to counciling and i am no where near as down as i was thankfully. With exersize i got some of my old form back. The only thing hindering me from total and complete love for my self again is my breasts, they make me sick. To rememeber what they used to be and what they are now is dissapionting. I weigh 118 pounds now, i think im ok with the rest of my body now. I still have my days i just hope one day that i can accept the changes my son did to my body and any future children as well. Included is a picture of my handsom son, hes keeping me going :)

Updated here.

What Pregnancy Has Done (Nicole)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breastfeeding, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 4 Comments

Age: 22
Children: 1 Child, 7 months old

Like most young ladies, I struggled with body image. It was the most severe when I was in middle school and my doctor made a comment about my weight being high. I was only 124 pounds, which was a healthy weight for my height. I ripped myself apart for the longest time. When I was 20, I met my husband. I weighed 120 pounds, at 5’2″. I knew I looked good, but I didn’t feel it. We planned our pregnancy and successfully conceived one month after we married. I embraced pregnancy because I finally had a reason to look bloated! I loved it so much, we are planning on a second pregnancy already.

I gained 20 pounds while I was pregnant, which is slightly below the 25-35 pounds of weight gain that is recommended for my body type. I was on track to gain 25-35, but I stopped gaining weight at 28 weeks because I lost my appetite. My baby boy, Finn, was born at 38 weeks and 1 day, weighing 6 pounds 8 ounces. I didn’t get a single stretch mark and my body snapped right back into shape. My friends called me a freak of nature and my neighbor told me that I am the kind of woman that other women hate.

Now, at 7 months postpartum, I am 5’2″ and 115 pounds. I have never been in better shape, and not only that, I’ve never had so much self confidence! There is nothing I did to get where I am today. I did not exercise during pregnancy or after pregnancy and I do not eat very well. I honestly believe that breastfeeding may even have had something to do with it.
My breastfeeding story is interesting, to say the least. I breastfed until Finnegan was 3 weeks old, completely stopped for 8 weeks, and decided to relactate when he was 10 weeks old. I pumped around the clock, took every supplement and drug I could get my hands on, and regained a full supply and our exclusively breastfeeding relationship within one month. My weight plateaued for a while until I relactated, when I lost an additional 5 pounds.

I feel like I get a lot of scrutiny because of my figure. People tell me that it isn’t fair or that it’s wrong. I believe that every woman has a shape, this just happens to be mine, and mine just happens to be one that society favors. Unfortunately that makes the women who have naturally different shapes feel that they are doing something wrong, or that they are not beautiful. All woman are beautiful, though! All mothers are beautiful. Every body is amazing. Just look at what you did with it; look at who you made. :) Pregnancy and childbirth are the most spectacular experience and the most incredible thing I have ever done!

The photos I have posted are of myself at full-term while pregnant with Finn, myself at 7 months postpartum, and my bouncing baby boy! Thank you for reading.

Still Look 5 Months Pregnant After C-Section (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Diastasis Recti, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Twins 14 Comments

I gave birth to my beautiful twin boy/girl via c section in January this year (2013). When I was pregnant I didn’t give much thought to what I would look like afterwards. I put on 2 1/2 stone whilst pregnant and all my weight was on my stomach, it was huge as you can imagine with two in there, I could barely move at the end.

After I left the hospital I also left with a very pregnant looking belly which I wasn’t expecting, 5 months on it has gone down loads but I still have a very poochy looking belly. I believe this is down to disastis recti. I have been doing exercises to try and strengthen my core and walk nearly every day with the buggy but my belly still stays the same, will it ever loose the roundness?? It has been this size for a while now and just doesn’t seem to be getting any smaller.

I was very lucky that I didn’t get any stretch marks but I would swap this belly for a few tiger stripes :(

Please excuse my mismatched underwear lol!

Age – 36
No. of Pregnancies – 1 (Twins)
Age of Children – 5 Months
Post Partrum – 5 Months

Hyperpigmentation (1st Time Mother)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Hyperpigmentation, Submissions 10 Comments

This is my first pregnancy and I wasn’t aware of how much your body would change when you become pregnant. I was expecting a lot of stretchmarks and was terrified of both those and extra skin. Come to find out my biggest challenge is hyperpigmentation. During my second trimester I started noticing freckles on my face and chest. After a week more would appear and they started to connect. I ended up having the pregnancy mask, my belly become seriously dark and my nipples seemed to stretch all the way down to my ribcage. My nipples seem had it the worst. Since the dark marks are so significant I don’t ever plan on putting on another bathing suit or wearing any shirts that remotely show the top of my chest. I loved my body prior to pregnancy; I was 104 lbs at 5’4. By the time my pregnancy ended I was 160lbs. I have SUPER dark stretchmarks on my bum and hips oh and upper thighs but that seems to be all for right now. They are very noticeable but my husband doesn’t mind and I don either. I had a natural birth and my little one is everything I could hope for. I seriously dislike my chest but im glad that he’s here and healthy. The pic I took in my bra is 4 weeks before I became pregnant. The pic in the tub is the day before I had my son. The pic with my belly is 1 day postpoartum.

Age: 26
Number of pregnancies: 1st
Age of children: 5 days old (in picks I was 1 day postpartum)

New Body, New Outlook – Update (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 2 Comments

Previous post here.

When I got my first stretch mark during pregnancy I would pour over this site trying to piece together an image of what I might look like after birth. And then, after I had my daughter I did the same thing, but in hopes of seeing updates and people’s bodies improving over time. I wanted realistic expectations and I also wanted hope. I felt like if people bounced right back they had pp belly/weight loss pictures all over the place, but if people got stretch marks/loose skin/c-section scars or anything considered “unsightly” they hid them from the world. I can’t tell you have far I’ve come in a year when it comes to my body image. I really feel for women when I see them dealing with all those emotions right after birth. It gets better, so so so much better. Sure.. you come across women who feel superior if they escaped pregnancy without major body changes, but I feel worse for them having that kind of mentality than I ever would for myself. My husband has been my rock through it all. He told me I was sexy, when I didn’t feel like I was. He didn’t ignore what I considered flaws, he embraced them. Having that kind of support (and the the support of a few friends who have been there) probably helped me the most. My biggest struggle throughout this whole past year was when I saw the pre-pregnancy number on the scale and my body still needed so much “work” in my eyes. I guess I had it built in my mind that if I could get that number again, than everything would look the same. I went through a bit of an emotional relapse when I realized that was not the case, but I got back on the wagon and I’ve been kicking butt ever since. I’m now below my pre-pregnancy weight and getting ready to start my journey into weight training (thanks to a weight training inspirational post on SOAM!). I included some pictures from the past 13 months. Hopefully they reach the right person struggling to accept their new body and gives them some hope/confidence. Beauty has nothing to do with a mark free body…work on loving yourself as a whole and I promise the way you view your stretch marks will change completely (or at least *most* days!) I still don’t find them attractive by themselves, but they are a part of me and I accept them. I work harder because of them, my relationship with myself and my spouse is stronger after facing the emotional challenges they brought on, and I am overall happy with my body. And seriously ladies, we have to stop hiding!! We’re just setting up our daughters, sisters, friends to do the same thing. Normalize motherhood and the changes it brings! Even if it means having a shot or two before throwing on that two piece for the first time haha. Do your part and encourage other moms to stop feeling ashamed and do the same! I’m wearing mine as we speak :)