First Pregnancy

So Here I Am! (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 9 Comments

Great work on this site! When I was pregnant I started to hate the way my body was developing and I hated myself even more for worrying about something so trivial. After my baby was born (two years ago now) I hated it even more. Pregnancy hadn’t agreed with me and I’d actually lost a lot of weight in the last trimester, though my baby was healthy and it wasn’t through lack of eating! When my baby was born I was thinner than I’d ever been, yet still….the scars, the marks…the fact that despite weighing less I couldn’t fit into my jeans as my hip bones are now much wider. I remarked to my husband several times over that had I sustained these ‘scars’ in any other way, through accident or injury, society would have been sympathetic and support and help given. Yet because they are due to something as normal and female as pregnancy, the emotions these changes can evoke are ignored and marginalised. As this site says, they are a well kept secret. As I grew into motherhood and my daughter thrived, not only the physical but the emotional scars began to fade. I came to terms with my new body day by day. Bit by bit I began to take pride in myself once more. My ultimate healing experience was being asked to model underwear in a local show. I agreed and appeared half naked on a stage in a room full of people. They were appreciative, and I felt fully healed, at last. I hope other mothers can get the same validation though sharing here, so here I am. Get the cameras out ladies, and show the world what a real woman is!



Life Changes, Get Used to it! (Mary)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 6 Comments

… I tell myself that everyday!
I met my husband while we were overseas in the Army in 2005, we were married in April 2006, and 9 months and 10 days later we had our daughter, she is amazing! We are going to be welcoming our son in March and cant wait! I love being a mom and wife but a part of me died when I realized how much my body had changed, not the weight difference…the stretch marks! I was 135lbs when I got married and 145lbs when I got pregnant(I stopped using birth control and that causes me to gain a few)when I went into labor with my daughter I was over 200lbs… I think 206lbs but Im not sure. I felt so stupid for not taking care of myself when I was pregnant, I ate junk all the time and refused to work out because I thought it would be ok (my mom had 3 girls, no stretch marks and never gaining too much weight with out putting any effort into staying fit). I got back down to 135lbs fast, about 8 weeks, but I will not take the credit, I have thyroid issues and that was before I started taking medication. So for the next year or so I spent thousands of dollars on scar and stretch mark creams, gels, patches, ANYTHING! I also had breast augmentation to help smooth out scars on my chest. I am being alot more careful with this pregnancy to avoid getting more stretch marks but at this point I think Im pretty well covered. I dont worry as much about my body because of this site, overall women get stretch marks, they get dimples, and wrinkles! It is a reality that I didnt take into consideration before finding this site and I am so relieved that I am not alone, my biggest concern is staying healthy so I can keep up with my growing family and always give my kids 110%. I still have bad days when I examine my tummy and legs, but I have a great husband that doesnt even see my stretch marks and I am so thankful!
Gathering these pictures has made me see how fast my body went back and how much my stretch marks have faded, I look at myself as lucky, it was a small price to pay for my angels! I will keep you posted on the arrival of #2 and more body changes!
My pictures are..
1st pregnancy- 3 months, 6 months, 9 months
After delivery- 10 days, 4 months
Stretch marks on belly- 1 year
2nd pregnancy- 8 months










Updated here and here.

1st Pregnancy, 1st C-Section, Six Years Later (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 6 Comments

I never planned on having a c-section. I was hoping for a natural birth, but my daughter had other ideas. At 32 weeks we found out she was breech, and despite our best efforts, wouldn’t turn. I went 8 days overdue, and finally my OB/GYN decided to schedule me for a c-section when it became apparent she would not turn on her own. We found out, during the cesarean, why she hadn’t turned, and that was because she had gotten herself tangled up in her cord when she tried. Really, I am thankful that she is here at all. These pictures were taken 2 years after my daughter was born, after I had started to lose the weight I had put on, and after the stretch marks started to fade. My daughter is 6 now, and very proud of those “stripes” she gave me. I’d like to think that she will be proud to get them herself when she becomes a mother.






Sad (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) First Pregnancy, No Photos (Story Only), Postpartum, Question, Submissions, Vulva/Vaginal Damage 16 Comments

I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy just over ten month ago. I didn’t have the best pregnancy with one thing and another. However nothing could of prepared me for giving birth. Lots of damage was caused which meant I had to have surgery after having my baby. This was for vagina reconstruction and to repair a fourth degree cut they gave me. Since having the baby I have had regular physio but still have no pelvic muscle at all. Which means I have stress incontience and urgency. I am also struggling to get down to the weigth I was before I had the baby. It is really getting me down. I have been back at work a while but just feel like am failing at everything. I hate the way I look and just don’t know what to do for the best anymore. I just can’t motivate myself to do anything. Am sure my husband thinks I should just get on with stuff and that 10 months on I should be getting on with things. Everyone around me who had babies at the same time are all back in shape and seem to have perfect babies that sleep through. My baby does not sleep through and never as however he is perfect other than that. Am I just being stuipd? How can I feel better? Thanks

My Story (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breastfeeding, Breasts, Complications in Pregnancy, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 4 Comments

I admit that I am at constant odds with my body. I have yet to learn to accept that body may always look this way.
I was 150 when I became pregnant with my now 2 year old son. I had a very difficult pregnancy and ended up on bedrest for the last four months and gained over 70lbs. I was 223lbs the day I deliver my 9lbs 11oz son by c/s. I dropped down to 170lbs within 3 months of delivery and my weight has stagnated there ever since.
I love being a mother and would take my new body for him any day but it doesn’t change the fact I cringe whenever I see myself naked. I hope one day to be able to afford a tummy tuck because I dont think I will ever be able to accept myself this way.



What 6 Months of Breastfeeding Can Do! (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 24 Comments

After gaining 60lbs during my pregnancy and crossing a very scary number (I got to 204lbs) I gave birth (via unplanned Cesarean :() to a healthy 8lb 12oz baby girl! Despite c-section I planned on getting back into shape right away, as a former college ice hockey player I had been in pretty good shape before, but as with the birth of my daughter, things didn’t go quite according to plan.

I healed pretty fast and played a couple games of hockey at 8 weeks postpartum, so far so good, it was now summer and I started taking my daughter on long walks, 1 to 2 miles a day (now here was my big mistake) IN FLIP FLOPS! After about a month of walking pretty regularly I started having pain in my ankle, no big deal, I’m tough, don’t like to complain, I keep going for long walks. My ankle keeps getting worse, once my other ankle starts hurting 2 weeks after the 1st one, walking becomes pretty difficult. So I finally decide maybe I should see a Dr. (fast forward a month and 4 doctors!) I am finally told that I have severe Posterior Tibial Tendinitis in both ankles, how did it happen? Well it was pretty obvious after the fact! Walking in flip flops that much is bad, but I’d always done that, turns out walking that much in flip flops right after your pregnancy is really bad! My muscles and ligaments were still lose from the “relaxin”. Combine that with long walks in flip flops and you get two destroyed ankles!

Nine months postpartum and I am slowly getting better I had to wear a really stylish (sarcasm) walking boot for 2 months, and have been in ankle braces for the last 4 months now. But I am finally able to start going to the gym again!

Moral of the story… flip flops, aka thongs. aka slippers, etc. ARE BAD!

So what does all of this have to do with breastfeeding? Glad you asked! Like I said, I gained 60 lbs during my pregnancy and basically haven’t been able to work out, or even walk for that matter, for about 8 months of my 9 months postpartum. BUT thanks to breastfeeding and a good metabolism I lost 60lbs in the first 6 months! No diet, no exercise! While I have lost all of the weight, I am excited to be able to get back to the gym again. My body may weigh what it did pre-pregnancy but it certainly doesn’t look or feel like it did! I have lost A LOT of muscle, especially in my legs which are totally atrophied from lack of use :(

Moral of THIS story, BREASTFEEDING ROCKS!

The first picture is 8 weeks postpartum and the second is 8 months postpartum (hence the 6 months of breastfeeding) I’ll try to remember to come back and up date this after I’ve had some time in the gym.

I’m still working on accepting the stretch marks… But, even with the stretch marks, and the ankle nightmare, I’m pretty grateful for the body I have.



Updated here and here.

Thankful for this site (Anonymous)

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

My son will be turning a year old next month. I had promised myself that I would have lost all the weight and returned to my “normal” self by this time. And that hasn’t happened. I have always struggled with self-esteem issues. I have never felt attractive. Until I was pregnant. I felt like I was the most luscious creature in the world. And now that my stomach is a little bit floppy and my breasts hang a little lower, I look at my son and I have no regrets. I carried and delivered a healthy, vibrant baby boy. Now I nourish him with my milk. What can be more wonderful than that? Thank you to everyone that posts their story. We are all beautiful in our own ways. And our children love us no matter how saggy our breasts become! The first picture is on our honeymoon, 6 months before I conceived. The second is when I was 8 months pregnant. The third is 11 months postpartum.






6 Weeks Postpartum (Jessica)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Eating Disorder, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 7 Comments

My name is Jessica, and i had a beautiful son 6 weeks ago today. Having a child has been the most fullfilling event to ever happen in my life. Before becoming pregnant me and my boyfriend of 4 years got married, and we never planned on having kids, only dogs! Six months after our wedding i found out i was pregnant and to both of our suprise we were both very excited. I was very scared because i suffered from anorexia and was underweight and feared gaining weight. I knew i was going to have to so that my baby could be happy and healthy. I ended up gaining 35 pounds by the end of my pregnancy. I was very sick the last 8 weeks, and was unable to keep anything down including my vitamins, water and any kind of food. I didn’t gain any weight in the 8 weeks and was very worried for my childs health. I was induced on November 26th, 2 days before my due date because my blood pressure had been skyrocketing and the doctors were worried about my baby and I’s safety. My son, Hayden, was born at 3:46pm on November 28, 2008 after 44 hours of labor and 3 hours 6 minutes of pushing. It was a vacumn assisted delivery due to the fact that his cord was wrapped around his neck and shoulders. I wasn’t allowed to see him right away and it felt like hours before i heard his first cry. I was put on magnesium during my labor and delivery and since it had been passed through him he was very lethargic and they took him right away and i was unable to see him for 8 hours. That was the toughest thing, i watched A Baby Story religiously during my pregnancy and just thought that would be how my delivery would have went. I would go through it all over again because the outcome was all worth it. I’m still working on recovering from my eating disorder, but it is so difficult with a body that have changed and the extra skin that i now have. Everyday is a struggle in that department. I still have an extra 22lbs of weight on me, but i can live with that for now. Here are some photos of me before i was pregnant, 38 weeks pregnant and 5/6 weeks postpartum



Dunno what to do? (Rocio)

Bonnie (SOAM) First Pregnancy, No Photos (Story Only), Question, Submissions, Teen Mom 5 Comments

Ok first off my name is rocio im 20 yrs old and i have a son thats gna be two in april. I now weigh 170 lbs my before baby weight was about 120 well around there… i had a c-section (and not by choice) sometimes I feel like my boyfriend is still with me because of the baby. I do realize that im not the same person as i was before. there has been allot of life changing events in my life like moving in with my boyfriend, having my fisrt child, moving to a new city (and i know no one at all)… need i say more… i try to motivate my self for diets and calory counting and all that but its so hard for me. There are days that i dont want to do anything except cry. I feel so depressed. Im not sure why i feel like this but it happens. To be honest there are days that i feel wonderful but then there are the days we go out to the mall or some where and we could pass by Victorias Secrect and he could say something like “oh thats so sexy” or just anything and i think to my self yea okay like my fat ass is going to fit in something like that, but i dont say anything to him i just keep walking. I dont want to lose weight for him i wanna do it for me so I can be healthy and play with my play and not get tired so fast. so if you have any advice please help. everything is appreciated!

Time for a start for health (Ashley)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, First Pregnancy, Pregnant, Submissions 1 Comment

Hello my name is Ashley. I gave birth to my first child my daughter Riley on October 20 2008. I am 26 years old and 5’7 and currently 188 pounds. Days before finding out I was pregnant I was around 148 pounds and actually getting comments from everyone that I looked like I was losing weight. I worked as an office manager for two cosmetic dental practices and was so busy I rarely had time to eat during the day thus began loosing weight. I never once experienced morning sickness just an instant hunger and for the first time in my life craved nothing but sugar. I never ate sugar before becoming pregnant. With my new job I had just stopped working out for about 6 months before becoming pregnant due to working 12 hour days. Long story short I gained a lot of weight this pregnancy and my baby was only 6 pounds 11 ounces. My heaviest weight which was taken at my due date October 17 2008 was 205 pounds. I was induced on October 20 2008. Its now 2 months 15 days and time to start training for health physically outward and inward and mentally.