Postpartum

Mom to Twin Boys (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, Complications in Pregnancy, First Pregnancy, HELLP Syndrome, Postpartum, PPD - Postpartum Depression, Preemie, Submissions, Twins 12 Comments

I’m so glad to have found this site. I have five month old beautiful twin boys. I had a very hard time with the pregnancy, and developed HELPP syndrome and delivered at 34 weeks, with a weight gain of 85 lbs! After suffering from post partum depression for the first three months, I finally sought the help I needed. I can’t tell you how much my life has changed. I feel under so much pressure from those around me to be back in my pre pregnancy clothes, but I’m still carrying 35 lbs.I am exercising and trying to eat right, which is really a part of who I was before pregnancy. It gives me great inspiration to hear others stories and struggles instead of focusing on the weight and stretch marks ect. Thanks!



7 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

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

I was very unhappy with my body before and rather depressed about it, i never thought i’d look any better and i didn’t like taking showers because i had to see myself naked. Now i am ok with my body i am eating right and working at getting closer to my old body though i know it will never be the same, i gained 44lbs while i was pregnant and have lost 31lbs now at 151lbs, i may never have my flat tummy back but if its stayed the way it is today i wouldn’t have a problem with that my little girl is worth all the mommy marks life could have thrown at me. Pics are pre pregnancy, 5 1/2 weeks PP, and me today.



16 Weeks Postpartum… Ugh! (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Legs, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Tattoo 17 Comments

I love this site. Thank you all for your submissions! I come here all the time for encouragement and I thought it was time to submit my own pictures, so here goes nothing… The day I found out I was pregnant I weighed 129 pounds. At my last doctors appt (2 days before I went into labor) I weight in at 197! So I atleast weight 200 when I gave birth. I’m 4’11 so 200 lbs is a lot for any woman, but especially someone my height. I’m covered in stretchmarks from my just above my belly button down to my ankles. It’s disgusting. I had so many fluids pumped into me during labor (IVs and whatnot) that I was so swollen and all the stretchmarks you see on my legs and calves are from that. I didn’t have any there when I got to the hospital! I had stretchmarks before I got pregnant, but they were nothing compared to what I have now. Even my midwife would comment on how horrible they were when I’d go in for my appointments =) I know they will fade, but I’m not sure I will ever have the courage to wear shorts again, let alone a bathing suit! I was down to 170 lbs by 5 days postpartum. Today I weigh 165… I never expected all the weight to just fall off, but I seriously thought I would have lost more than 5 lbs in the last 3 1/2 months. I eat about half the amount of calories that I was eating while I was pregnant, and my weight will not bugde. Its extremely aggravating. And it really depresses me since everyone else I know that’s had babies recently were back to their prepregnacy sizes in a couple of weeks. I can only imagine what they must think of me. I hope that someday I will accept my body again. And I really hope that day comes soon!






4 babies by 22 has taken its toll on my body (Tanya)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Four or More Pregnancies, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom 13 Comments

Hello, my name is Tanya and I am 25 years old.
Just before I turned 16 I got pregnant. I was 110 ponds when I started my pregnancy and was 185 pounds at week 36 when I was induced due to pre-eclampsia. I had been swollen throughout most of my pregnancy but my urine tests showed that I had no protein in my urine and my blood pressure was ok. But at week 36 my blood pressure was 150/100. I was told that the baby needed to come out because if I had a seizure due to the high blood pressure it could harm my baby. My son was born at 6:30pm..and in the middle of the night I had a full blown seizure anyways and woke up in the intensive care unit. Luckily my boyfriend was staying in the room on one of those pull out couches. I was discharged after 7 days. My son weighed 5lbs 13 ounces. and had to be in the incubator and was tube fed due to the fact that he had no sucking reflex and was jaundiced. When I left the hospital I had gone from 185 pounds to 160. I got married to the father of my son 10 months later and we went on to have 3 more children. My first at 16, second at 18, 3rd at 21 and fourth at 22. I now weigh 210 and am overweight as well as have ALOT of loose hanging skin on my stomach and my abdominal muscles are separated…I hope to have this repaired at some point but I think I need to lose some weight on my own first. My skin did not hang like this until I had # 3. I hope that maybe someone else has a stomach that is similar to mine so they don’t feel like they are the only one and so I don’t feel like I am the only one with a stomach like this either. My kids are now almost 9, almost 7, 4.5, and 3.5 years..They are the light of my life and I love motherhood.

Mum to 3 boys and 1 girl (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breastfeeding, Breasts, Four or More Pregnancies, Mom over 30, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update 12 Comments

Original entry here.

I had my little girl 7 weeks ago today. She was born 1 day after her due date. I let the Dr. induce me after he said “she’s going to be big, over 8lbs” so he broke my water and put me on a pit drip and after 4hrs of labor our 9lb 21″ girl was here! I gained 40lbs and have lost 22 already, that’s just with breastfeeding though. I haven’t had the energy to workout yet. When I do get back into a routine I hope to lose another 20lbs to fit back into my old jeans. I didn’t get any new stretch marks and the old ones are fading again. It is hard to look in the mirror and feel sexy or beautiful but maybe that will come again in time. I’m just amazed once again at what a woman’s body can do! I feel so very blessed to be given the chance once again to be pregnant and deliver and now nurse a healthy new life! I spend so much time now trying to think of ways to teach my girl to love herself and her body no matter what it looks like and teach my boys to honor the women who may come into their lives. Thank you again Bonnie for creating this site for everyone!
1st pic 8 months pregnant, next pics 7 weeks postpartum, pic of newborn baby girl and last pic of nursing babe.









4.5 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions 10 Comments

I’m trying to give myself permission to enjoy this new time in my life without giving in too much to any self-loathing. I’ve had some problems with my body- image, especially when I was younger and now and then it pops it’s ugly head into my life again. I have a wonderful baby girl, the love of my life she is, and it’s natural that ones body shape changes as my life does. I have a couple of pounds left, and stretchmarks here and there…



2 Weeks Postpartum, Mother at 19 (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Teen Mom 12 Comments

I had my first son two weeks ago, a week before my 19th birthday. I was so worried about what my body would be like postpartum because I took quite a bit of pride in my body before the pregnancy. Now I realize that it really doesn’t matter as much now that I’ve had my son, and I’m proud of what my body is capable of and of the beautiful healthy baby boy it created. I do have my moments of insecurity and I feel far less desirable than before, but I’m working on getting back into shape. My fiance assures me that I look great still, but of course I sometimes don’t believe him (I’m such a girl sometimes…) Attached are pictures of me before pregnancy, during, and after, and a couple of my son Raiden of course =)










A Miracle Baby and Learning to Accept My Body (Amber)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Piercing, Postpartum, Submissions 14 Comments

My name is Amber and I am 21, almost 22. I had a planned pregnancy after only one month of trying with my ex fiance. I had no idea my body was going to look the way that it does, but after reading the site and lurking, I see that I have a lot to be thankful for. Mothers are beautiful, only us women are capable of giving life and it still to this day amazes me, even after going through the process. Pregnancy was hard, broken rib near the end, no sleep, and little did I know I was really 3 weeks late (totally had the date off) and ended up giving a vaginal birth to a 9.5 pound baby. Had the worst postpartum healing with a 2nd degree tear.

I was only 120-125 pounds and 5’4. I used to think I was fat, and now looking back at my pictures.. I want to SMACK myself! I would give an arm and a leg to look like that again, but alas I don’t have that luxury.

With that said, 3 months breastfeeding and working out has done pretty well for me.

And I can’t complain, the birth was amazing. I was 5cm dilated (yup, first time mom) before I was even induced. In two hours I was 10cm dilated and ready to push :D 45 mins of pushing and Aiden was born at 332 pm on 8-20-08.

3 months later I was back down to 125. Yay! But still people apparently think I weigh more, I guess it’s the hips? And when I’m bloated I look like 16 weeks pregnant. My body and I have a love hate relationship. Right now it’s love, tomorrow most likely hate. My hips just need to return, if they will at all… I notice changes when I check every so often, but they still seem to be quite wide.

In the end, I have the most amazing baby boy I’ve ever seen and I am so in love with being a mommy. Even if there is no daddy.

Pics are as follows: Me pre preg, 3 of me 6 months post partum (as of feb 20th) and 2 of my son at almost 6 months.

Myspace: Myspace.com/ayame
Facebook: ayame87@gmail.com
AiM: x4N71554x

Feel free to contact me if you feel you want to be friends, or talk with another mommy. Or if you want to feel good about yourself etc. :)