Anonymous
Postpartum
I may not be beautiful anymore, but my son is (Anonymous)
I’ll admit, it’s hard to look in the mirror these days. I use to be beautiful. I was vain too… I liked the way people treated me because of it. These days, I feel frumpy. I feel like an alien in my own body. Sex with my husband is not what it use to be. It’s hard to be sexy when you don’t feel like you are! I’m embarrassed for him to see me naked. I think that god took away my beauty to give it to my son. He’s perfect. He’s healthy, strong, and absolutely amazing. I think I am a selfish mom because I wish I still felt that way about myself :( shouldn’t a perfect baby feel worth it? I wish it felt worth it like everyone says. But it doesn’t :(
Comfortable in my skin (Southern Mama)
Im a 29 yr old mother of a 2 yr old and a 10 month old. I gained 50 lbs with my first baby who was 9 lbs. With my second baby I gained 70 lbs, geez, she was 8lbs 4oz. Both c-sections. I ate anything and everything in sight when I was pregnant with my babies. I was big, round, and jolly! Im pretty happy with my body. I did lose all the weight easily, but I still have some stretch marks which bother me alot. Mostly on one hip and some light ones on my stomach. Im still breastfeeding, so the breasts that I do have will be gone once I stop. I will miss having full breasts. Seeing all the beautiful pictures and reading all the courageous stories on this site makes me proud to be a mom!
Update 14 Months PP (Tamara)
Ok, so i am posted on here way back in august i believe under 19 and insecure (tamara) anyhow..after the new year i finally said my resolution would be to get on a healthy diet and fitness program…my problem was mainly a lot of loose skin on my tummy….as for stretch marks well they cover everything except my face and feet pretty much so iv just learned to accept them…they fade more and more as time goes on…Anyhow i started doing pilates 5x a week, 40 minute sessions and i have to say after only 3 weeks i see a difference!! and i know after i start running ill see even more of a difference! so loose skin is “fixable” without all the surgery involved u just have to work at it….also want to say i admire every single woman on here…i check this site everyday cz i know theres more and more women than i think that also come out of pregnancy with battle scars and its ok…its all apart of being a mommy!!! you all are such an inspiration!! the first pic is of me now..the second is my son…and the last two are my stomach now….
Updated here.
Worried (Anonymous)
I just had my first baby 9 months (and a bit) ago. The pregnancy was very difficult and although I was told numerous times that I should have been enjoying myself, fun was the last thing I had.
When I found out that I was pregnant, it was the happiest day of my life. And yet, things were very surrealistic. Before being pregnant, I was only 165 lbs at 5’8. During the pregnancy, I gained 40 pounds. I remember that at the worst point, I weighed 220 lbs. I was mortified because I had finally achieved the body I had wanted to achieve. After that, very early in the pregnancy my symphisis split. Apparently, my daughter was in a breach position and was very active from around 2 months in the pregnancy. She would kick and kick! The pain was so bad that I had to carry my belly even if I was walking only a handful of steps. I asked my obstetrician if the pain I was having was normal and she said that this was part of the uterus expanding. Well, the pain never decreased. It was horrible. On top of everything, I got this horrible cough during my pregnancy and we went to the hospital numerous times just because I couldn’t breathe.
The first time we went, they wouldn’t give us any medications. The second time (I was having contractions, not bhc) they still wouldn’t treat the cough even though my coughing was inducing the contractions. The third time, we finally got an inhaler but the cough simply didn’t want to go.
I really had wanted a v-birth with no pain killers, but my OB decided that a planned c-section would be the best for me since I was in so much pain.
My daughter was born prematurely at 6 lbs, 2 ounces (at 36 weeks and 6 days). When the doctor examined her in the OR, he failed to see that she had a tongue-tie. The next few days were rough. Leeloo didn’t want to latch (or couldn’t we found out later on) so we ended up finger feeding her every two hours because she dropped so much weight. I am happy to say that the pain went away the minute they took her out. They didn’t want to release us from the hospital but after a lot of work, we got her weight up substantially and were able to go home after being 4 days in the hospital.
Once we got home, my whole family stepped in to help (we finally got her to latch somewhat using a nipple shield) and we breast/bottle fed her. They told us that if she got dehydrated then it would be a good thing to simply bottle feed. We ended up doing this while trying to get her tongue tie dealt with. Finally, she ended up tearing her own tongue-tie but by then she was used to bottle feeding. It took five months for my milk to dry up (I had enough to feed between 2-3 babies) and that was incredibly painful because every time my daughter cried, my breasts would fill up again.
The next months were really rough because I was sleeping all the time (I suffer from low blood pressure), and my epilepsy started acting up. It got to the point where I was hardly in the picture. After that, I tore a ligament in my right knee (trying to release some stress while exercising) so that made me even more withdrawn. My husband pretty much ran the show (and I must admit that having all of these things happen to me when I am only 28 years old was quite horrible).
Now that my health is finally under control (the issues any way), I am finally starting to get involved with my daughter. She is 9 months old. On top of everything, my body is all misshapen and I can’t really do any exercise.
I have also been experiencing very irregular periods and my breasts are all swollen, my body is bloated and I am always tired. I have done so many pregnancy tests that it is not funny anymore and I have no idea what is happening in my body. Every day I look in the mirror and try and come to terms with my body. It is just very hard. I guess that I should be grateful though because my daughter is awesome and incredibly happy. Anyway, if any one has been in my position, please comment as I really don’t know what is happening. At least I can walk again but it is a little saddening when my daughter doesn’t seem to have much of a connection with me.
9 Weeks PP With 2nd Baby (Anonymous)
I’m 24 years old and have given birth to two handsome little boys by C-section. I had my first son in early 2007 and just had my 2nd this past November. My kids are my entire world and I love them them to pieces. The result of my pregnacies and left me stretched, buldged and beauty marked all over. It’s not something I call “beautiful” but I am proud of my Mommy body in all it’s glory. My husband tells me I’m beautiful every day and his desire for me hasn’t changed at all. I do hope some day to be able to have a tummy tuck. I need to lose about 20 lbs. to get back my original weight but I know that will not put me back to where I started before my 1st pregnancy. Maybe someday…. The first picture is of me on my honeymoon, the 2nd is of me pregnant with my 2nd son around 25 weeks, the others are me just over 9 weeks PP.
Happy With My Body (Autumn)
I’ve posted here twice before, first post is here. It’s been 3 years and some months since I had my son, I’m below my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m somewhere between 155-160 lbs, I ended my pregnancy at 241 lbs. After he was born, I definitely had issues with my body, that over the years have diminished greatly. I still have self-conscious moments, but for the most part, I’m happy with my body. These pictures were taken today.
Beauty is Skin-Deep (Anonymous)
i wanted 2 start off by sayen this website is such an inspiration 2 mothers like me who are having trouble dealing with there body’s. i had my daughter at 17 years old her name is saiyuri and she is my jelly and im da peanut butter. she is gods gift to me. i struggled alot in life and i neva had a reason 2 live or b happy until she came into my life. all these women on this site are beautiful. us women are creaters of life and time.i had so many issues wit bein 17 and having my mommy marks. i was so sad i couldnt believe i wouldnt be able 2 wear a bikini or belly shirts. i was so deppressed i hated myself. i have issues wit my husband looking at me i feel like dying rather then having him stare. he thinks my stretch marks are beautiful and he wouldnt change anything, but i felt different. i have gained a lil weight which i just started a diet. i have always been thin so if i gain 5lbs u can notice it. im starting 2 get over my mommy marks. there is no greater thing than 2 feel life moving inside of u and then having ur child in which u protected and felt grow in ur arms. i realize that u are ur own worst enemy. u must love urself in order 2 love anyone else. i love myself and i love the skin god put me in because i am me unique in every way jus like every mother in the world.
Where is the time machine? (Anonymous)
I’m 26-years-old. My son was born about two weeks before my 25th birthday. My pregnancy was not planned and I spent the entire pregnancy trying to come to grips with being a mother (which I haven’t quite done yet).
My birth was a 43-hour-long, unmedicated journey aided by my mother and husband and a hospital midwife. Afterward I hemorraged and nearly died. From there on, my physical condition was continually miserable for at least three months straight (back went out and I was unable to walk–had to crawl around my house, taking care of my son by myself while my husband was at work at least 12 hours a day–living overseas in a city where I do not speak the local language and have no transportation other than public transport to depend on). I also had horrible post-partum depression. Breastfeeding was miserable and brought pain, itching and infection which no western or holistic treatments seemed to cure (and I tried EVERYTHING!)–I just endured it for five months until my son refused to breastfeed anymore. This is basically the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my experience with pregnancy, childbirth and the aftermath.
So, when I look at the stretch marks on my body and all the extra weight I have tried and tried to lose and seem to be unable to, it isn’t sweet memories I’m thinking of.
Others have told me to just focus on my son and how great everything is to be a mother (which is kind of a fairytale notion too in my opinion–as for me motherhood is hard work, lots of sacrifice and a tiny bit of reward thrown in). They dismiss my sadness and hatred of my body as pure vanity. I disagree. I don’t show in the photo here, but my breasts went from a B cup to a DD and now are a D cup. Some ladies might wish for this–I can’t stand them! I never wanted large breasts. My husband doesn’t even like large breasts–he thinks they are weird and scary. They droop and drag and have just as many stretch marks on them as my belly does–my nipples point south–like the funny cartoon of the old lady who has to lift her skirt to flash you her breasts. I never am without a bra–I now sleep in one and wear one 24-hours/day just because it is uncomfortable to wake up with my boob under my ear or somewhere it wasn’t meant to go.
Anyway, so I wonder where the time machine is that can take me back to pre-baby so I can have a “do over.” If you find it, please notify me immediately.
Updated here.
Triplet Mom carries to full term for triplets 36 weeks and get 6″ of muscle separation (Triplet Mom)
I am a 22 year old mom of triplets (also non-IVF) I had been married only 2 months when we found out we were expecting. After two ultrasounds of one baby–triplets! I carried them to full term for triplets–36 weeks– and gained 80 lbs. I went from a size 6 to 230lbs on delivery day. After 3 months I was back in my size 6 jeans so I think a lot must have been swelling. Healthy babied did come with a heavy price tag on my body. My abdominals split 6″ apart leaving me at dangerous risk of a hernia. I had to have them sewn back together and got 5lbs of skin cut off as well. I hated my saggy skin every day especially being so young so surgery was not only medically the way to go for me but self esteem wise. Here is my pictures of pregnancy, post partum, surgery and post surgery. Enjoy! I’m baring it all for you. Hope this touches someone like all the other posts have touched me.
