Breasts

Getting Used to the New Me (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Tattoo 11 Comments

Before I got pregnant, I had a pretty decent body — not great, just average. Since giving birth to my son 6 weeks ago, I am struggling to adjust to my new, “mom’s” body. I guess I got away luckier than some — while I have tons and tons of stretchmarks on my chest, some on hips and inner thighs, I only got one on my stomach in the entire pregnancy. I gained 21 lb during my pregnancy and have already lost the weight, and then some. I don’t really have any problem with my tummy, even though it’s still softer than it was before… I know that will change with time. I am, however, having a hard time dealing with my breasts. I’m only 23 years old, and before having my son, my breasts were a large B/small C, and very perky. Now they’ve gone up to a D, and in my worst moments, I can’t help but feel like they are ugly, pendulous udders sitting on my chest. It doesn’t help that they’ve got a stretch mark ‘bra’, or that they are covered with very visible blue veins (I am very pale, and breastfeeding constantly) all over. I hate getting sweaty under my breasts; that never happened before! In my best moments, I feel so proud that I am able to nourish my beautiful son with my own body, and that he has already gone up to over 11 lb in just 6 weeks (he was born at 8 lb 6 oz) on my breastmilk, alone. I guess when it gets down to it, I will learn to cope with my body. It will always be different, and thankfully, my husband says he finds me even sexier than before I got pregnant. My struggle now is to find myself as sexy in a new role — not just as a young woman, but as a mother.





God’s Gifts (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Butt, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Tattoo, Teen Mom, Third Pregnancy 23 Comments

I’m 23 now. I currently weigh 165 lbs. I hated my body 5 years ago when I weighed a whopping … ready for it … 115 pounds and stood 5’9″ tall. Yeah. A lot has happened in 5 years. Three babies, one marriage, and tons of God’s AMAZING grace later I am stronger and happier than I have ever been. I have gone up and down with my weight throughout the years. My attitude toward my body was ALWAYS a negative one, until I got pregnant with my third child. Matthew was a “whoopsie”! He will be 5 in January. Noah was planned and will be 2 in a week. And Cadence was a “not-planned-not-prevented” when Noah was 8 months and she just turned 6 months old. I breastfed Noah until he was 6 months (he quit on me after I started him on solids) and I am exclusively breastfeeding Cadence until she’s closer to a year old (she has gained exactly 9 pounds in 6 months so the doctor recommended it). I love being a mother even if at first I honestly did NOT want to be. I believe now that this is God’s calling for my life. My body may not look perfect to everyone else. But it carried LIFE for crying out loud. Three of them in fact. God gave me the gift to carry life inside this imperfect body, and to Him it IS perfect, so to me it is perfect. Every curve, dimple, stretch mark, and flabby place. Confidence really IS everything. Me pregnant with Cadence Me today at 6 1/2 months PP My family!










7wks PP, 2nd child, 1st C-sec, 29yrs old (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Butt, Cesarean, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Tattoo 22 Comments

I started this pregnancy at 120 lbs and delivered at 150. I lost 20 lbs right away and have 10 more to go. My 1st pregnancy was 10 years ago and I weighed 90 lbs (underweight). I gained 40 lbs and snapped right back into shape (a healthier weight of 105ish). This time I am 10 years older, started out heavier and had a c-section. Taking this pictures made me realize I need to work way harder to get this weight off. I don’t look as bad in the mirror as I do in these pics. I’ve always had trouble gauging the true size of my own body. Let’s just say after seeing these pics I have A LOT more motivation to get skinny!






5 Weeks Postpartum with First Pregnancy (Anonymous)

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

On Nov 6, 2008, I was blessed with a beautiful daughter. She is amazing to me because it is the first person in my life I can look at and see some resemblance of myself. I was adopted as a newborn, and always stuck out like a sore thumb with my light brown hair, blue eyes, and tall stature. It has always been very important to me have a child of my own. My daughter is the most precious gift I have ever received, and even on my worst days, she is the light that brightens my day. At 5 weeks pp, I am watching the changes in my body take place slowly. I gained 45 pounds during my pregnancy. I have lost 28 of it thus far. At 5’10”, I was a 165 pounds (a size 8), with an athletic body. Now I am good size 12, with 38E chest, and sagging belly. Sometimes it is difficult for me to understand how my husband can still find me sexually attractive. Clothed, I am for the most part comfortable with myself. I can cover the layers of skin & fat with a shirt & pants. Naked, I cringe if I look in the mirror. All I see is my sagging breasts, stretch marks, wider hips, and baby belly. As much I disagree with him that I am still beautiful, his words mean more to me than I can express. I know that beauty comes from within, and the confidence of finding yourself beautiful outweighs any outwardly appearance. I must to learn to love my stretch marks, bigger curves, and pudgy belly. I am slowly coming to terms that my body may never be the same as before, and now I am beautiful in a new type of way: a motherly way.






Update! 8 Months Post-Partum (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Complications in Pregnancy, First Pregnancy, Hips, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 12 Comments

View my original entry here.

When my son was born 5 weeks early, with severe IUGR and weighing only 3lbs, I was angry. It was all my body’s fault. I learned not long after submitting my original entry that my heart was struggling with the pregnancy and I had developed pregnancy induced hypertension. My placenta was only 2/3 the size it should have been, because my heart wasn’t pumping adequate blood supply to it. I was hospitalized, medicated, and watched 24 hours a day. I was in danger of a stroke or toxemia.

I lost 25lbs of baby weight in 4 weeks. Breastfeeding for 5 months combined with healthy eating took off another 20lbs. Since then I’ve lost about 5-6lbs more, for a total weight loss of 51lbs since I delivered 8 months ago.

My body is healthier now than it has been in years. I went from a 12 before becoming pregnant to an 8 post-partum, and I’m still slowly losing (in spite of weaning my son – I pumped exclusively for 5 months because he was unable to latch.) It made a baby to the best of its abilities – we couldn’t have known that my heart wouldn’t like pregnancy. After all, I was only 26 years old, no health complications, and I should have been low risk.

It’s hard for me to get to know this new body — it’s smaller, and I feel good physically. I can see changes in my appearance, and I have greater confidence in spite of the breasts that have flattened out (thanks to breastfeeding!) and that crease from hip to hip. I have a love-hate relationship with it — I love that it’s smaller and that I’m wearing a size 8. I hate that it is not good at being pregnant, and that I’m not sure if I can ever have more babies.

It’s a day by day process — I can easily accept the stretchmarks all over my breasts and thighs, but I’m having a harder time with the unknown of what will happen if I try to conceive again. Another pregnancy could be fatal — to the baby, to me, or to both of us. I don’t know the risk yet, but it’s there.

For mommies who grieve the loss of their bodies through pregnancy, try to remember the beauty of your children. You are SO BLESSED. Look back on your uncomplicated pregnancies, your chubby healthy babes, and the exciting potential of more amazing little ones in the future. You have much to celebrate!





Updated here.

I Need Encouragement (Anonymous)

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

My beautiful, rewarding, amazing son was born ten months ago. I wanted him, but had no idea how much my life, including my body would change. Most of the changes are awesome. Sometimes I wonder if I suffer from post part em depression. I see this site and think I am being heartless and selfish for complaining about the way I look. I am just having a difficult time coping. I feel like I do not have the time or motivation to work out. My husband is big into fitness and is always at the gym and eating right. I try to watch what I eat, but sometimes I just give up and feel like I am always going to look like this. My boobs fell, my nipples are enormous, my butt fell,my arms wave that “thing” with the slightest motion, and I still have about fifteen pounds of baby fat left. I am only 22 and when I get the chance to go visit old friends and we are getting dressed for the evening, looking at them hurts. I remember looking like that and I envy their bodies. I want to love my body, but the truth is I don’t…I obsess over my naked body and how I wish it looked. The women on this site are amazing and I hope to gain the kind of hope and confidence they possess. My husband tells me Im beautiful all the time and that he loves how I look. I just get so jealous and hurt even when a Victoria’s Secret commercial comes on. I am secretly hoping he does not notice because I do not want him to see them and wish I looked like that..my son is so worth this pain I feel, I just feel like I am in a slump that I can’t get out of..all i want to do is sleep all day. I love my life, I just don’t enjoy shopping anymore or getting ready to go out..am I cold? Is this normal? Almost a year..I just want to loose the 15 pounds or so..advice please!



18 Months After CS and a Beautiful Girl… (Anonymous)

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

This is my body now. I hate it. After my CS i was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Polycystic ovarie syndrom. Because of the Polyblabla its hard to lose weight, since everything you eat gains on the stomach. I was a size 36(european sizes.. small/medium) the day i had my girl, and the day after i was a size 46. I got a beautiful daughter and a body i hate, that is not mine, but her mothers. I feel so disgraced that she has to live with a mother like me, what will she think? Why me, why did i have to get diseases like that, making me invalid at 25… I try so hard to accept my body, and when i see all the skinny, beautiful women here i tend to get happy but also sad; you all look great!!! Luckily my husband loves me and my body, so i cope “fine” with it, but its a war inside.





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




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!