Postpartum

Three Babies in Four Years (Natalie)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Third Pregnancy 15 Comments

I am 27 years old, and just had my third baby, a little girl, May 11th. That makes me about three months post-partum, give or take a couple of days. I also have a little boy that was born November 14, 2005, and another little girl that was born January 9, 2007. I absolutely loved being pregnant, it was the only time in my life that I truly loved my body and felt completely comfortable in my own skin. The joy of creating and nurturing a new life and mothering my three gorgeous children has been and is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced. Now that I’m done having babies, its been a little hard to accept the changes that my body has gone through, and the end result. I’ve never been a thin person, and right now I am at my pre-pregnancy weight, but I still notice things that I don’t like. I want to be able to look at my soft, round body and love it, but its hard sometimes. I want to be able to look at my belly, at the roundness and extra skin, and be able to see it as the beautiful place that was home to all three of my children. I want to see myself as my children’s father says he sees me, as someone beautiful, someone extremely sexy…and sometimes I’m able to, but not always. I could blame the media I guess, as inaccurately portraying real beauty, but to be honest, I think that the way I feel about myself ultimately has to come from within, and can only really be changed by me. I think this website is a wonderful place for women to come, at least I know it has been for me. I can look at women that are similar to me, and I see them as beautiful. It makes me feel like if I can see them as beautiful, maybe I can learn to see myself that way too.

All the pictures of me pregnant are from this last pregnancy, and any of me not pregnant are from within the last three months. My children’s father has taken all the pictures, and as you can tell, he loves taking pictures of me, and is very good at it :)

I feel so accomplished, Beautiful & new (Brie)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Teen Mom 8 Comments

I was shown this site early on in pregnancy. I was blown away! I also realized during my pregnancy that media is really trying to make women feel like shit. scare the crap out of us about pregnancy & then some hahahaha. I didn’t scream, I didn’t cry…well except tears of joy. Remember without birth there would be no us. It has been done for millions of years….Really makes you think why the hell isn’t it more praised & appreciated. My baby weight is quickly falling off. I gained almost 100lbs while pregnant. I had a completely normal & healthy pregnancy. I feel like a new person. I knew my body so well before Now I need to re learn it. Which I find exciting! My stretch marks & c section scar are my mommy marks. I am proud of them I gave birth to an amazingly handsome 9lbs little man. I think all women should be proud of what our bodies can do.

~Your Age:19
~Number of pregnancies and births:1
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are:3wks 5dys

Marks of courage, strength and overwhelming love. (Amanda)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 12 Comments

About 3 weeks after my 19th birthday(and wedding) I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, Summer. My new husband and I were a mix of emotions. Excited, scared, freaked out, happy.. all of it. I loved my little baby belly. As soon as I was big enough to look pregnant I wore my growing baby with pride. One day(about 5 months in) I noticed my first stretch mark. It was about a 1/2 an inch long and not very noticeable at all. The next day, there were about 10 in that same spot, and I cried- just like a hormonal pregnant woman would. About a week after that I had that deciding sonogram, the one that would tell us the sex of our baby.
“It’s a girl!”
I was elated. Then something else.. A “hmm” and then “well.. the doctor will be able to tell more” was all I got then they sent my to my OB. Apparently there was an abnormality. My wonderful, sweet, tiny little baby may be in trouble. “We have to scheduel another ultrasound. No need to stress about it now. But I wouldn’t rule out anything from cystic phybrosis to Downsyndrome.” Suddenly everything I had in me was begging for those little marks on my belly to be my biggest concern again. Weeks passed before we found out any more, weeks filled with lots of crying, and praying. Then came the moment of truth. I placed all my hopes and fears in the hands of this stranger, a perinatologist, and I know he could see in my eyes- my pleading with him to tell me that everything would be ok. That my daughter would come into this world healthy and happy.
Good news, whatever was there before was no where to be found. All that the sonogram showed was one perfectly perfect baby girl. MY baby girl. After that, every mark, every pound, every crazy way my body distorted itself from my pre-pregnancy form.. just meant I was that much closer to meeting my miracle. It all meant she was getting that much bigger, that much healthier.. and I would endure so much more than some purple streaks on my belly to get my daughter to me safely.
Now when I see my stretch marks, my extra skin and flab, I see stregnth. I see how much I cried, and also hard I worked to keep myself together for her. I see the love in her eyes when I looked into them for the very first time. I see her daddy, my husband, craddling my belly every night while we slept. I hear those life changing words, “There’s nothing to worry about. She’s going to be a healthy baby girl.”

Thank you so much for this site. It brought tears to my eyes. Such wonderful stories, such beautiful babies and VERY beautiful mothers. It’s really a great thing you are doing.

~Your Age:21
~Number of pregnancies and births: 1
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: My only daughter is 14 months old.

a bit saggy and unproportunal (MommyB)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 22 Comments

I am 23 years old, and I got married November of 2007. I had my son in May 2008…it was very very stressful, and i wanted my husband to enjoy my body…the only time my husband has seen my body is either filled with milk or like show below…I am not sure whether or not i was unproportional at all before i was pregnant, but I deffiently am now…its like one of my breasts got larger and stayed that way, and the other went back to the way it was before…

i believe the saggyness came from breast feeding for 5 months.

i get so frusterated about my breasts, alot of the time because I dont feel like I can give my husband the perfect
breasts he deserves and probably wants! I have a good man tho, and he just says “you are you and i love you…” :)
but it still diggs down inside me, that i am unattractive, etc…and that all other girls my age are perky and beautiful.

this site is amazing… i love it…it made me feel alot better about my chest and my body…but i thought i would show my body so those who have a chest like mine can know that they are not alone…that other girls have it too…

these pictures are taken 15 months after birth.

Update – 3 Months After Delivering a Baby Boy (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 12 Comments

I sent an entry in April and just wanted to send a little update.

Since my last entry I have been working out about 3 times a week and trying to eat healthy. My boy is growing so much and amazes me everyday! He is now 8 months old and just learned how to pull himself up into standing position. Being a mom is definitely the best job in the whole world!

The first 2 pictures are of me at 6 months post partum and the second picture is me now at just about 8 months post partum. :)

Updated here.

Twin Skin at 21 Months (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Twins 21 Comments

I found out I was pregnant when I was 20. It was with the love of my life, so we were both excited, and afraid.

We found out it was twins at 9 weeks.

I went to 39 weeks, and had a c-section after 36 hours of labor.

It is now 21 months after my pregnancy.

I have dieted, used creams, and done everything besides surgery to try to fix my stomach.

I love my babies, but hate my stomach. I am just 22 years old, and my body is ruined. I love that some women can be positive, but I just can’t.

My boyfriend (my daughters father) is supportive, and still loves me, and still thinks im beautiful, but I just don’t…

Before having children I would have never considered having surgery, but I really think that I may, if I can get the money together.

(Although it would only be if there is an abundance of $$ because my daughters and their needs will ALWAYS come first haha)

le sigh.

090909-anon-1

Finally Confident in a Bikini….After Two Kids! (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update, VBAC 12 Comments

This is my third submission to SOAM. My first was 2.5 years after my first son was born by Cesarean. My second was 1 month after my successful home VBAC. Now my VBAC baby is about to turn 1 year old and my journey with this body continues.

I haven’t worn a bikini since before my first son was born. I definitely had the body for it then, but after my kids, not so much. I was just a little too flabby, a little too dimply, a little too saggy, to be “good enough” to show off. Even though I had a body that my other mom friends envied, I wore a tankini with a full skirt in the pool.

Now that I am about to celebrate the victory of my triumphant VBAC, I am reflecting on how amazing my body really is and what spectacular gifts it can give me, not only in the form of my children, but in raw power. Despite what doctors told me, despite what people said to me, I know my body is awesome. And when we took our first family vacation to the beach this summer, I finally felt comfortable enough to show it off.

And do you know what I saw? I noticed lots of other mommies, young ones, older ones, moms of all ages and shapes, in their bikinis too. Dimply thighs, flabby tummys, floppy boobs and all. We were all there to have fun and soak up the sun with our families, not to look perfect and be admired. I realized that once you become a mom, it’s OKAY to be less than perfect. The “mom body” is expected and accepted. It makes me a little sad to know that for women who are not yet or won’t be moms, the onus of looking like Barbie might never go away. But once your body has carried and birthed a child, the only people who demand it to look like it did before are ourselves. No one else cares. This realization was very freeing, and I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation.

Here is a photo of me and my VBAC baby, who will be one year old on August 14th. I am 26 years old. My first child will be 5 next month.

090609-anon-1

Annoyed and Hiding (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 47 Comments

why is it if you dont get a flabby pooch or stretch marks you get women saying nasty things about you (women who were unfortunate in the after baby dept)? I have had 2 kids, one is going to be 4 soon and one who is 9 months and I have no stretch marks or anything and didnt gain tons of weight, yet I get lots of dirty looks from fellow pregnant women, esp in the summer. I hate how some women get envious and call down those who dont get fat and say we must be having eating disorders or something cause we didnt gain 50 pounds…Im not trying to be a snob by any means but seriously, its annoying. And don’t get me wrong, i appreciate the good comments , and i LOVE my friends who have been unfortunate in this dept, but im sick of the ” OH I HATE YOU ” looks. they hurt too, because im starting to feel ashamed of my good belly. like i want to hide it because im afraid women will be offended that they cant / dont look like that. the picture on the beach is after my first baby, and the other one is now 9m pp 2nd child. i just want you all to know im not mean spirited im just wondering why if we look a certain way, GOOD OR “BAD” but in our own opinion its good, it makes us feel good and we feel good about ourselves, why do we still hide?

Your Age: 25
~Number of pregnancies and births:2 and 2
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are:4yrs and 9 mos

My Slow Road of Weight Loss (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 3 Comments

I gave birth to my beautiful son in February 2009 & have slowly lost all but 15 lbs of my baby weight. I have been staying accountable with my diet & exercise by logging everything online at a free weight loss support group. While I am not 110% body confident, I no longer stress about it b/c I have such a beautiful gift because of it. I used to be very pre-occupied with how my body looked, now I am simply happy to eat & exercise to be healthy, not to be the skinniest of all of my friends.

~Age: 29
~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy & 1 birth
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 5 months PP

My photos are 5 weeks pregnant, 40 weeks pregnant, 4 weeks PP, 8 weeks PP, 12 weeks PP & 24 weeks PP

I Thought I Would be Hideous (Alesia)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, Complications During or After Birth, Complications in Pregnancy, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 12 Comments

as many of the stories i read on here during my pregnancy have said, i thought i was going to look hideous, i of course to was worried about the streach marks, saggy skin, disformed belly button, and all the other things you hear that come along with being a mother, i was terrified. and of course i, just like everyone else, was very body conscience before getting pregnant. but after going through a horrible ordeal,of being pre eclaptic, a 102 temp, b/p of 118/100, an irregular heart beat, fluid in my lungs, one collapsing, and being airlifted to a totally different hospital than my baby to be put in ICU and not even getting to see my son his first 5 days of life, i look at my body and its not all that bad. i gained somewhere close to 50 pounds during my pregnancy the last 20 i gained in the 3 weeks before i had my baby. i am back down to my pre pregnancy weithg of 135, granted i did get streatch marks the night before the morning i went in to labor.or atleast thats when i noticed them. they did end up on the top of my thighs as well, from me being pumped full of so much fluid during labor.( i didnt even lose any wight after birth, i actually gained 2 pounds after being in labor for 13 hrs), granted my belly button isnt disformed but it does look different since i had my baby, and though there isnt saggy skin per say, it is squisher than it once was, and i have one of those brown lines that might not go away. it could be much worse, i could not have my son at all, either way… we all age, and the skin we have today, will go away eventually and be nothing more than a memory
postpartum: 7 weeks
first pic: the day i found out i was pregnant
next: my tummy while pregnant, at 35 weeks
other 3, me today, the last one showing my wonderful c-section scar