I am 34 years old, and I have had two children. One by home birth and the other in a hospital, both vaginal delivery. Now 9 and 7 years old. Often I have felt guilty about my body. When I am in a room of other moms I often feel ashamed of “looking good”. I [...]
Homebirth
Hi you all. Here is my birth story… I want you to understand how I got to the decision of homebirth and the feelings I had prior to it. I might bore some of you so please be warned that it’s a long story. Also, if there’s any spelling mistakes or incorrect grammar then I [...]
Age: 27 Pregnancies: 3 (miscarried 2nd pregnancy at 10 weeks) Births: 2 Children: boy 8 years, girl 3 years I just found this site a few weeks ago, and have found such comfort in the stories and pictures I have read and seen so far. Every woman has a story to tell, each as important [...]
Categories:
Belly,
Hips,
Homebirth,
Postpartum,
Second Pregnancy,
Sexual Abuse/Violence,
Submissions,
Surgical Scar (Non-Cesarean)
My story starts in high school when I first started (unknowingly) with anorexia for a couple years. Fast forward to age 21. I got pregnant with my first. I was a healthy weight and honestly didn’t think about weight at that point in my life. I had a healthy baby girl that I had at [...]
Categories:
Belly,
Eating Disorder,
Homebirth,
Mom over 30,
Postpartum,
Pregnant,
Submissions,
Third Pregnancy
I have a love hate relationship with my body. I was obese or morbidly obese pretty much all my life, since the time I was 11. At least my mother kept telling me I was fat from that point on. I just lived up to her expectations I guess. I took surgical measures to finally [...]
Categories:
Belly,
Breasts,
Cesarean,
Child Loss,
Four or More Pregnancies,
Homebirth,
Mom over 30,
Postpartum,
Submissions,
VBAC
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 [...]
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 [...]
Categories:
African American,
Belly,
Cesarean,
Four or More Pregnancies,
Homebirth,
Mom over 30,
Postpartum,
Submissions,
VBAC
I am posting my postpartum pictures here of my body after my second pregnancy. My previous post is here. This pregnancy came a bit unexpected for my husband and I. After the birth and death of our first daughter we planned to wait a year before TTC again. But just 6 months postpartum we found [...]
Categories:
Belly,
Breasts,
Child Loss,
Homebirth,
Plus-Sized Mom,
Postpartum,
Second Pregnancy,
Update
Being pregnant is one of the most beautiful experiences a woman can ever experience. I never felt more feminine as I did when I was pregnant and expecting. and, nurturing my child after-wards by breastfeeding, I’m curvier than I was pre-pregnancy (with both) – I had a home birth with my second, and it was [...]
Previous entries here, here and here. My last posting this past summer was very freeing for me. I loved the photos, and for the first time really saw beauty in my imperfect body. I feel strong, and continue to grow in inner and outer strength. These photos were taken at our local hot springs & [...]