I was always very skinny pre-pregnancy, now I’m thicker but the same weight. Just padded everywhere.
~Age: 18 years old.
~Number of pregnancies and births: One.
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 7 months and almost 3 weeks postpartum
Original entry here.
Age: 26
Number of pregnancies: 5
Number of births: 2
Ages of children: 3.5 years, 2 months
Right around 9 months ago I posted my story… I was 6 weeks pregnant and scared as hell of losing another baby. I am happy to report that our second beautiful princess was born may 10th, 1.5 hours into my 37th week of pregnancy. i went to the hospital about 8:00 pm because of pain in my old csection scar… Imagine my surprise when they hooked me up to the monitor and we found out I was having contractions regularly every 2-3 minutes lasting around 40 seconds… I was given two bags of I.V. fluids initially to try to stop the contractions and at 12:04 AM was told I would be having a repeat csection at 1:00 am because i was in labor. Our daughter was born at 1:35 am weiging 7 lbs 13 ounces (big 37 weeker) and 18 inches long. She had some fluid in her lungs so was in the nursery for about 4 hours, but was healthy (aside from a minor kidney issue which we already knew about). We were able to take her home two days later. She is on a daily antibiotic for her kidney issues and we will find out soon if she will need surgery to fix the issue or if they will let her try to outgrow it. Our oldest is an amazing big sister who loves the crap out of “her baby.”
Picture 1: me 36 weeks and 5 days pregnant (2 days before having baby)
Picture 2: my beautiful little princesses
picture 3: me 3 weeks post partum
pictures 4-7: me 8 weeks post partum
I was 16 when I got pregnant. I was just starting to live out my life after years of being shy and to myself. I had met the father of the baby about a year before I got pregnant. Luckily the father of my daughter is really good to me, loves our daughter and where going on two years and 1 month on Saturday.Pregnancy was complication free. Her birth was a pain. She 2 weeks past due, so I decided to go ahead with an induction. She still didn’t want to come out so I was stuck with a C-section. (scar is hardly noticeable) I was up and going after a week. Though here I am 5 weeks postpartum still can’t do vigorous exercise. I’m blessed with a beautiful family now. Honestly, it was worth the toll it took on my oh so young body. Lol. I’m learning to accept the things I can’t change, and change the things I can. Thankfully I haven’t had any stress what so ever . As soon as I got pregnant things sort of fell in to place. All with the exception of my body. See I’ve always have self-image issues. When I was in Elementary and a little bit of middle school, I was a bit chubbier than others. I developed bulimia and dropped a whole lot of weight! Even then I had the idea that I was saggy, and disgusting. Of course it didn’t help that I was always getting cheating on and told that I was not good enough.. “men always think they can do better until you leave them dry(;” Lol. Well anyways, even my father (douche bag) Always told me I was fat, & that my arms resemble chicken’s wings. (whatever) I started pregnancy at around 137 and at my last DR’s appointment I was weighing 180. :O holy cow that’s 47 pounds. I didn’t mind much about the weight it was the stretch marks that really got to me. I would BATHE in cocoa cutter, and Palmer’s Stretch Mark Solution night and day. Obviously it was a waste of money! Anyways, while I’m absolutely in love with my daughter, I have my days where I break down and start crying. My body will never be the same, I won’t ever feel sexy again. My boyfriend doesn’t mind them, but he gets annoyed of my constantly thinking he’s not attracted anymore, and of the fact I don’t stop slapping Cocoa butter on. I lost about 25 since I’ve left the hospital. I’d still like to lose another 25. I’m doing this the healthy way this time!! Other than that I’m blessed with a healthy baby. :)
1st picture: About 7 months pregnant
2nd:40 weeks
3rd: Pre-preggs
4: 2-3 weeks PP
5th: 5 weeks PP:
23yrs old –postpartum 8 months.
Angel Jae born to heaven, mum of girl and boy, step mum of girl and boy.
I found myself thinking back as I watched my sick child in deep slumber in the early hours of this morning. I couldn’t remember the life I had before one, then three, then four little lives were following in the footsteps of my own life and experiences. Waking after the little amount of sleep I got that night has brought me to the place I am right now. A million memories running through my heart and my mind. My story is one of emotion, happiness in the birth of my children, the horror, abuse and fear of my past and the excitement and wonder of where my life is going.
I am a mother of an angel and four… well sort of.
I suppose to do this correctly I need to start from the very beginning. I am a young mother. This is Jae’s story. I was almost 17 when I had the flutter of nerves and excitement waiting for that pregnancy test to say yes or no. In my head if it said yes I was already a mother. I come from a good home with loving parents and I was in a stable relationship that I had been in going on 5 years by this stage. So a baby was not something I was scared of, in fact I wanted nothing more. There it was those two little lines ‘Pregnant’. What do I do? Who do I tell first? How will they react? My fiancé… Anger, rage, hurt. 19 weeks in, we’re having a boy. He snaps. He’d hit me before, I should’ve known he’d do it again. Three broken ribs, two black eyes, a broken wrist and My precious Angel Jae watching over me forever more. I still think about him and miss him each and every day. The pain is still as raw as if it were new.
He was sorry, He didn’t mean to hurt me. He wouldn’t leave, I couldn’t escape.
One year later, I’m late. Crying, alone and terrified at the possibility. I was in the dirty bathrooms at the local shopping centre, my hands shaking as I ripped off the wrapper. The next five minutes seemed to last for an eternity. There they were, clear as day… those two little lines, ‘pregnant’. This is Rose’s story. He is furious this time, “Get rid of IT before I do”. 14 weeks, My escape! He’s a cheater as well as a woman beater. The ‘other woman’ probably saved my life. I’m petrified with every strange feeling and my ever expanding belly. He found me. The threats and torment continued from him right through my pregnancy, “I will get you. I will kidnap and kill it rather than pay for it”. The stress bringing on contractions and high blood pressure, but my Rose she is strong and she is safe. She was born by emergency caesarean after complications weighing almost 10pounds. She is a beautiful child living with a disability. She is the reason I ate, slept, moved. She is the reason I survived.
We call my stretch marks “Mummy Marks” and believe you me I have mummy marks all over! And my “Smile” is a little bit wonky but Rose says that it’s the smile God gave me because the one on my face wasn’t big enough to show how much I loved her. My “smile” is My Breasts – the eyes that in her eyes only a mummy has. My stretched and misshapen belly button is the nose, which she loves to tickle and finally my wonky caesarean scar makes my smile. The smile that God gave me in the hands of the surgeon that brought my child safely into the world and is a permanent reminder of the memory that makes me smile and fill to the brim with so much love that the smile on my face just wasn’t enough.
Time kept passing as it always has. I met a man. Could I trust him? Will he hurt me? Will he understand what I’ve been through? Most importantly… Will he accept my child?
He has children too… two of them. A girl, Mary and a boy, Robert. Slowly and cautiously things move forward. He proposes, a carefully planned event with all the children playing a part, at my favourite restaurant in front of a full house of diners. Just like from the start of our relationship he was treating me as if I was the most important thing in the world, as if I were a princess. We move in together and almost immediately there they are again those two little lines ‘Pregnant’ but this time it’s different. It’s exciting and happy and I can share it. What a valentine’s present that news was!
We’re having a boy. 22 weeks in, there’s a car accident, where is the bleeding coming from? Is my baby alright? Phillip’s story. 23 weeks and we are in birth suite being told to get ready. 4cm dilated, Wait – Stop everything! My body and I believe the grace of God stopped everything. We heard the galloping of 10000 horses and we cried together. He’s alright, he’s safe tucked in tight beneath my heart. I stayed in hospital and every day got longer and longer and it was hard to cope. 8 trips to birth suite, drugs… oh the drugs steroids for baby, blood thinners, pain killers, dyes, contrasts, anaesthetics and last but not least epidural and caesarean. We made it! 35 weeks. 5pounds of amazing baby boy in my arms.
It’s funny you know, for as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a mother. I have always wanted four children. I could never in my wildest imagination describe what it feels like inside when I look at my children. All four of them, because they are mine each and every one of them. I love them. The shape of a mother to me is not only the physical but the emotional. What makes a mother whole – her children. They are a part of her living independently outside of her own body.
I don’t know if this is a story for this site, but it is my story. I am a woman and I am strong. I am a survivor. I am a mother and I live for my children. I’m not ready yet to let my face be seen. There is always fear in the back of my mind and my greatest concern is protecting my daughter from the threats made against her.
Age: 23
Number of pregnancies: 1, Births 1
4 Weeks postpartum
I am 23 years old and had my beautiful daughter 4 weeks ago. When I found out I was pregnant, I weighed 126 pounds, the day I delivered my daughter Ava, I weighed 186. I gained 60 pounds!! I am 5’7 and have always been very thin. My main issue with my body is NOT the weight gain, it is the horrible stretch marks. A week after giving birth via c-section, I had lost 20 pounds. I have since lost a total of 30 pounds. I used to have a GREAT body, now when I look in the mirror I am so disgusted by what I see. I have massive stretch marks on my stomach, thighs, inner thighs, back of my legs, back of my knees, my waist, breasts and my butt. I did not use any lotion during pregnancy because I heard that it doesn’t matter how much lotion you use, if you are going to get stretch marks, then you will get them. I am so depressed by the way my body looks, it is summer and I cannot wear a bikini. I am now trying to find a tank tini so it will at least partially cover these hideous things. Nobody I know has stretch marks as bad as mine and that makes me feel horrible. My husband tries to encourage me and say ” they will go away” or “they will get lighter” but it doesn’t matter, until, then I am disgusted. Even though I feel disgusting, I am soooo grateful for my sweet baby girl and would do it all over again. In time I will learn to accept my new body and maybe they will get lighter or some may even go away.
Original entries here, here, here and here.
This was my fourth pregnancy and birth, and both were extremely difficult. I suffered with moderate hyperemesis gravaridum throughout (helpHER.org), lost a significant amount of weight, muscle and nutrients and was on the edge of hospitalization and IV feeds throughout (even with extensive medicating). I also suffer with a spinal disease called ankylosing spondylitis which caused my vertebrae to fuse together from my coccyx up to my mid-back; it also causes very painful nerve damage in my hip joints and legs due to those bundles of nerves being trapped in the fusions.
The way my body changed over the course of this pregnancy felt very different than the other times: I was tired, and in a lot of pain and very sick. Toward the end I was mostly bedridden and had to push myself hard to get in a short walk a few times a week. I felt like I was falling apart, and was beginning to really hate my body: it was big and awkward, desperately sick and so, so painful. Through the last months of pregnancy I had to walk with a cane, which left me feeling very self-conscious and extremely unattractive. I felt like this pregnancy had stripped me of my femininity and sex appeal… and for the first time in my life, even with a disability diagnosis for years, I really felt disabled. On top of that, I’d had a relapse of an eating disorder shortly before becoming pregnant and was struggling hard with maintaining positive body image even before all that crap. As a result of that, I requested to not be weighed throughout my pregnancy, nor have weight used as a judgment of my health since it was such a fresh trigger. (Numbers alone are not a good, accurate diagnostic tool: your health is a big picture, and can’t be judged by a flawed BMI calculator or tiny range of “healthy pounds”. Big or small, your overall health is what is important to take care of and there is so much more to it than standing on a scale! Even with the diagnosis of hyperemesis, being weighed on a regular basis was not necessary to monitor my health and nutrition. You may have to argue with your care provider a little, but if scales and numbers are a trigger for you during pregnancy, you CAN avoid them so you can stay strong and supported).
Just three days ago now, 9 days past my due date, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. My hard and fast (two hour!) labour was very difficult with the spinal fusions, and very painful, but I made it through with the wonderful support of my midwife, doula and my husband. With their love and care I was able to achieve a second home VBAC, even with my disabilities. I have to say, waterbirth helps a TON for moms with chronic pain, or spinal disabilities!! I don’t now if I’d have been able to do it without the pool.
The night after giving birth I was laying in bed with my husband watching TV shows on my laptop with our new baby sleeping between us. I was laying there, mostly naked, and looked down over my new postpartum body all squishy and deflated and realized that… I felt really good. More than that, I felt sexy! This pregnancy that was so hard on my body and made me feel stripped bare, this birth that was so hard to get through and had me screaming at the top of my lungs, they’ve both been such huge challenges but by making it out the other side I feel strong and capable and SEXY! When I went out in public earlier I didn’t feel like sucking in my stomach and hiding my middle in loose-fitting clothes. I even went out wearing a form-fitting top, proudly showing off my squishy new postpartum body so I can proclaim to everyone, “THIS is beautiful!”. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to look at my body in such a truly positive way. Even with a disability, with a history of struggling with an eating disorder, with severe illness and a very hard year that left me with a very changed body… I can be sensual and feminine and amazing. Four babies have passed through this body and left their footprints on it with stretch marks, cesarean scars, milky breasts, love handles, cellulite and weight gain… but today, just three days postpartum after my fourth birth, I feel sexier than I ever have.
I’ve posted to this site before, several times, but I never thought I’d ever have the guts to submit any images of myself fully nude. Even while I took these images through pregnancy, hoping that I’d eventually find the courage to submit (anonymously, maybe with my head cut off and my tattoo obscured! PS. that’s why my head is cut off in a bunch of these!) I didn’t really believe I’d be able to, so it brings me a lot of joy to post these (albeit still a little nervous…) and say, “I FEEL GREAT!”. Now I feel like encouraging everyone to do the same thing. Take pictures of your body, and not just any old pictures – put aside some time and experiment with taking some really nice photos. Go get some boudoir photos done if you don’t want to or can’t take your own, but whatever you do don’t neglect capturing some of your beauty… even if you feel crappy about yourself.
Despite I felt like absolute hell and hating my body through most of my pregnancy, I’m really grateful to myself that I pushed through to document my changes. I think it’s in us all to learn how to appreciate how amazing our bodies are in all their power. Just look at the incredible things they can do! Thanks to this site I found the motivation to nurture that, and I’m really glad I stuck to it.
(As a note: I’m a professional photographer, so these were taken by me with professional gear. Even though you can’t see them very well there are stretch marks and scars there, though I don’t have the type of genes that get a lot. Good quality, even lighting makes a big difference in how your skin appears in pictures. For anyone curious to experiment with their own lighting, I included a “behind the scenes” photo to show how everything was set up to take these. I used a Nikon SB800 flash mounted on a stand with a home-made beauty dish made out of a planter and some spare parts for about $12 total (instructions here: https://davidtejada.blogspot.com/2008/04/beauty-dish-for-sb-800.html), and a desk lamp pointed at the corner of the wall behind me to reduce some of the shadows. From there just experiment with the settings until you find something that looks good! I triggered my light with a radio controlled device called a Pocket Wizard, but you can just use a sync cord or one of many other inexpensive options and get the exact same results. You also don’t have to use a big fancy flash either, any will work including the cheap Vivitar 285V which runs about $90. :)
Age: 31
3 pregnancies. 3 live births.
Children ages: 14, 12, 10 (All girls)
I am 10yrs postpartum
I am 31yrs old, and the mother of three girls, ages 14, 12, and 10. My first two daughters were born natural, and my last daughter was born by cesarean. I had my first daughter when I was 16, my second daughter when I was 19, and my third daughter when I was 21. It wasn’t until my second daughter, that I developed saggy skin on my stomach area.
This was very hard for me to deal with. I was only 19 at the time, and I felt that I was no longer sexy, and desirable. My self-esteem was affected greatly, for years to come.
I tried everything that I could to look better. I even starved myself down to 105lbs. Nothing I did, could take away the lose skin. I wanted plastic surgery so bad, but I could never afford it.
I breastfed all my children, and I had voluptuous breast at that time. But, the minute that I stopped breastfeeding, my boobs shrank to smaller than an A. This was hard for me to deal with as well. I felt that I had lost all my sexual attractiveness. I couldn’t wear anything that showed my stomach, and my breasts were too small to fit into any bras. It was very stressful.
About 1 yr ago, I gained around 30lbs, and went from 130lbs to 160lbs. The only benefit to this was that my breast got a little bigger. Currently I am trying to lose weight due to health issues.
I wish that I could say that over the years I no longer worry about my body. But, that’s not true. I have accepted the way that it is, but I don’t like it. I live in a college town, so it is really hard for me when I see all the young girls running around in the summer time. Sometimes I still feel like I’m not a woman, or sexy like other women. I feel like I missed out on having a youthful body since mine was messed up at such an early age.
I have had men say very mean and hurtful things about my body, and my body has kept me from doing a lot of things, and having confidence to do things.
But, with that all said, my children are the light of my life. I wouldn’t trade them for anything, not even the sexiest body in the world, or riches galore. I love you Marissa, Alanna, and Senora!!
age 22
2 pregnancies and children aged 3 1/2 and 10mnths
I had split up with my boyfriend 2 weeks before I found out I was 8 weeks pregnant with my first daughter. Before the pregnancy I had never been over 50kg in my life (I am 5ft 1in). I smoked 50cigarrettes a day, smoked a lot of pot and drank too much beer. After finding out I was pregnant I completely stopped pot and beer immediately but was only able to cut back to about 5 a day (max) cigarettes. Depending on how sick I was on any given day.
I had intense migraines where I would not be able to move and my housemate would have to pour bits of water into my mouth to try to help me drink. I barely kept any food down the entire pregnancy and swelled out to 65kg.
I complained to my G.P about various problems I was having and he told me I was “a paranoid first time young mum”
I believed him.
At 6mnths I quit work because I was just too sick to continue and moved in with my mother. However as there was no room there as soon as my centrelink was approved I moved in with my ex-boyfriends parents.
When I was 36weeks gestation I woke up one morning at 5am surrounded in blood. I thought I had miscarried. I cleaned myself up as best I could and went and knocked on my ex’s parents bedroom door and asked his mom to drive me to the hospital.
We got to the hospital and after examining me and stabilizing me they informed me that we had probably arrived with around half an hour to spare for my life.
They performed an emergency c-section and my first beautiful daughter was born at 4 lb 2 oz.
When I asked why this had happened they said I had pre-eclampsia but not to worry it shouldn’t happen again.
My wound came open once about a month later and got infected but I gained control and it healed tho the skin for about 2 inches above never really stopped being sensitive.
My ex and I started out our new journey of parenthood fairly angry with each other and fought a lot. However slowly we started to become friends again and then one day we both admitted we were still in love. We got back together when she was 8months old.
I got back to 54kg just before her 1st birthday and proposed to him. He said yes.
We ummed and uhhed about wanting another child and then near her second birthday we decided we did.
We got my implanon rod taken out and 2months later I was pregnant.
The bleeding started at 5 weeks. The migraines, swelling and other issues started again.
This time I didn’t rest until we found a doctor who would look at my problems properly.
They found out I made extremely bad placenta (not very nutritional and clotted easily)
Also I was leaking the amniotic fluid but we were not aware because it was not leaking out of me. Just going into my body somewhere.
At 18weeks a doctor told me that there was a minuscule chance she would be survive and I should have an amniocenteses. I have normally always been against them but I was in so much shock I just agreed.
He put the needle in and it hurt like hell I could feel it wriggling inside me. He then said he’s missed the amniotic sac and would have to try again.
By this stage I was crying. He did it again and once again said he’d missed and wanted to do it again. It was all I could do to choke out “no” and when he tried to argue with me my sister who was with me stood firm for me. He backed off.
So of course I had gone through this horrible experience (my husband said I screamed in my sleep for two weeks afterwards) for no results.
At twenty weeks they told us that we should prepare for the worst. That we were not past the stage where she was a “legal human life’ and that cremation/burial were legally required and if we wanted a funeral.
The entire time they had been berating me for not getting more bedrest. All I could think was you look after my other daughter then!
At 24weeks I went into the hospital for another checkup (they were weekly) and my doctor said she was admitting me immediately as my blood pressure had sky rocketed and therefore the pre-eclampsia was back.
At 26weeks it went even higher, beyond fatal high and they said they were doing another c-section. They weren’t sure how soon. (I was now 73kgs)
My mother fiancé and I spent a horrific 24hours in a hospital birthing suite whilst listening to other women screaming while giving birth. They injected me with something and it felt like my veins were on fire for hours and hours. They kept inserting my catheter wrong but wouldn’t let me go to the toilet properly so I was in pain and discomfort and had to keep getting my gown and sheets changed. My poor mother and fiancé caught my attitude as I got more and more upset.
Finally they told us I was going in. we waited in the anesthetists room for half an hour before they told us it was on hold again. Back to the room we went.
A while later we were back again. They told me I should sit up for the epidural but I told them that for my first c-section I had almost knocked out the nurse leaning over me cuz my back had spasmed when they put the epidural in. He tried to put the epidural in 4 times with me lying down. Then 4 times sitting. He got it on the 8th try.
I was in immense pain the entire time with shooting pains between my hip and knee on my left side and pain all up and down my back. I was crying hard.
My fiance had just stood up to tell him no more when he said it was in. (I have since found out that it was a training doctor. Not happy!)
The surgery went well so to speak. I cried the whole way through, barely remembered her cry when she was out. Then I remember them saying they were going to have to put me under as I was too distraught.
I woke up in a kind of waiting room. My sister came to visit me and said my fiancé was upstairs with the baby. She was born 661g.
I finally got released about a week and a half later. It was extremely hard being in my room with other mums coming and going who had their babies.
An exact month after she was born we got married. A small ceremony with only immediate family and friends at my in-laws house. All up including the celebrant was $1000. (Australian). (I was very proud of that since we do struggle financially but still didn’t want a registry wedding)
When she was 4 ½ months old they finally released her. On oxygen. At 8mnths she came off it during the day then at 9mnths she came off it completely. So it’s still early days but it looks good. She has chronic lung disease and we will have to watch out for so many things throughout her life and have so many doctors appointments but she’s made it.
I am now 77kgs and although I have not increased in weight since our wedding I have not been able to loose any either. I walk and eat well. My wound has come open 3 times so it’s a constant battle.
I have been diagnosed with chronic depression dating back to when I was 13 from having an emotionally abusive relationship with one member of my family. I have been able to battle it with an amazing medication although we are still trying to get a councilor for me that I can afford (the only one we had didn’t want to talk to me because she didn’t think she could help me she claimed).
We have been told that we shouldn’t have any more children. They said the same things would happen and even if they baby survived I very likely wouldn’t.
I am slowly getting better with my image of myself (my husband is amazing) but I still definitely have my down days so I come on the shape of a mother and it helps me lift myself back up.
My thanks to every single person who has helped me in my life and everyone who has posted on here for helping me be a better me.
first photo: before my pregnancies getting ready for work.
Second Photo: when my first daughter was about 11mnths
Third photo: me in my wedding dress and my eldest daughter
Last three photos: me today.
I’m Jessi. I will soon be turning 21 and my baby girl is 3 months 1 week and 2 days old. She is my pride and joy and I thank God for her every day for allowing me to have her while my husband is off serving our country.
When we first found out I was pregnant we were both so ecstatic! It was a bittersweet time in our lives though because my husband was to deploy when i was at 7 months in my pregnancy. Throughout my pregnancy i had the “morning sickness” which ironically ALWAYS came in the afternoons! Other than my morning sickness (which didn’t bother me at all) i had a perfect pregnancy! I had never in my life been so happy! I was at 150 before i became pregnant and at the end i had only gained 27 lbs… no swelling, no extra weight, nothing! After my husband deployed i “went home to mama” because I was so afraid of trying to go through the rest of my pregnancy alone… and it was a good thing that i did.
Three days before my due date my mother-in-law had me out walking and trying to get the labor moving along. That night the weather was supposed to get bad and I had been having contractions for weeks that were about 15-20 minutes apart so she insisted that we go have me checked before heading home (which i had been checked 2 days before and i was only at 1 cm so i didn’t think that i had moved along ANY!) As the nurse came in and checked me she started counting 1…2…3… id say you are about 5 cm lets get you back to a room! My mom was in the room with me when she said this so we both immediately got on our phones and started telling people. After a few hours in labor my husband calls not knowing ANYTHING that’s going on so i told him and he didn’t believe me at first but his words to me were when i call back you better have a baby here :D
Needless to say after 11 hours of labor thru the night the Dr. finally came in and said what i think we have here is a square peg trying to fit into a round hole… I had only dilated to 8 cm in 11 hrs and a lip of my cervix wouldn’t pull back so we went in for a caesarian section. My mom immediately started crying because she had all 3 of us naturally. I set up my voicemail on my phone to say something like “Baby if you call i had to have a c-section call your mom i love you”. As our baby was being put into my moms arms to go see everyone he was just about to get off the phone with his mom and my mom walked thru the doors with our crying baby girl in her arms… and he got to hear her first cries!!! That was simply amazing to me.
So now as i sit here watching our baby girl sleep and i type this story i realize just how blessed we were for him to be able to call and actually hear her first cries. We still await his arrival home but that joyous, amazing return will come soon! He will be able to meet our daughter for the first time and we will be able to start our family together and not long distance…
After I had my son in 1999 I felt ruined. I had never witnessed a postpartum stomach that looked like mine and being that I was only 21 years old, I was sure that I was beyond repair unless I had a tummy tuck. And then I had twins and my sense of “ruined” hit me ten fold. My husband assured me that I was beautiful and that I should be proud of my stomach as it was the “house that grew my twins.” We proceeded to have four children in five years including the twins. My stomach has gotten progressively worse over the years. I now have diastasis recti and six wonderful kids. I know that for my health and the preservation of my back muscles, a tummy tuck is in my future. But to be honest even without the diastis, I would still probably opt for a tummy tuck not for shame but because I miss what I used to look like.
~Age: 33
~Number of pregnancies and births: Five Pregnancies, Five Births
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 12 years old, 9 years old (non biological), 4.5 years old twins, 2.5 year old and 9 months old. Bikini Picture: 8 months pregnant with number 5; hospital gown 39 weeks 4 day pregnant with twins; outdoor/black shirt picture 40 weeks pregnant with number six.
~I have had two c-sections (1999 and 2006), a hospital VBA2C (2008) and a homebirth (2010)
