Postpartum – Page 157 – The Shape of a Mother

2 months after having my son (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions Monday, July 14, 2008Tuesday, July 29, 2008 8 Comments

the first time i found out i was pregnant i was so excited b/c i was gonna bring a beautiful baby in this world. of course i didn’t know how hard pregnancy could be my first 3 month’s i had bad morning sickness but it got easier and by the time i was 5 month’s it pretty much stopped. but i lost 16 pounds in the first month and only gained 23 pounds during my whole pregnancy i was scared b/c i wanted my baby to be healthy when he was born to my surprise he weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces i named him zachariah and he is worth every stretch mark and pound. i would do everything all over for my son i still have body issues and i don’t like what i see whenever i look in the mirror but i look at him and am so proud of what my body had done. i thank this website b/c it is helping me with my issues of my body.

Coping With Body Changes at 18 (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Poetry, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom Friday, July 11, 2008 32 Comments

I am an 18 year old mommy of a beautiful baby girl. I got pregnant when I was 17 and weighed about 140 pounds. I didn’t really gain any weight until right at the end and gained a total of 35 pounds. I always thought that it would be easy for me to get back to my pre-pregnancy shape after Zoey was born because I have always had such a fast metabolism, but she is now 6 months old and I weigh about 168. It’s really hard for me knowing that there are so many gorgeous girls out there that are my age and have great bodies. Thankfully, I have my husband, the father of my baby, here by my side. He is always trying to make me feel better about my body, but it is just so hard, when for 17 years, I’m used to something completely different. Reading all your stories on this website has helped me realize that even though I look way different than I did before, I have something more special than any of those “other girls” do…a beautiful, happy family. It’s also helped me realize that I am not some kind of weirdo for having stretch marks and extra skin. It is a part of life, and everyday I try to remember that I am beautiful, whether it shows on the outside or not. I just want to thank everyone for sharing because it has given me the confidence to do the same…The first couple of pictures show the stretch marks I have on my hips and breasts and I also have some on my back as you can see in the other picture. It doesn’t look like much but I have a ton of marks on my thighs that I didn’t include pictures of. Also I just would like to include a poem I wrote about a month and a half ago. It’s entitled, I am ME.

I am ME
I may not be the most beautiful woman on the outside,
but I try to be on the inside.
I may not have the slimmest tummy,
the perfect breasts,
the most toned legs,
or the greatest butt,
but I do have a BIG heart.
I may not wear the most fashionable clothes or even the best fitting clothes for that matter,
and I may not have the most gorgeous hair,
but I am beautiful when I wear my daughter on my hip.
I may have stretch marks, fat and extra skin,
but these are my battle scars.
They show my strength, my courage, and my faith.
Without them I would be nothing compared to what I am today.
I am ME.

emotional teen mom (Erin)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update Thursday, June 19, 2008Wednesday, October 8, 2008 16 Comments

My name is Erin im 17 years old and have a beautiful baby girl jade star she is four months old i have had many problems though out my life to start growing up my parents were drug addicts they arent anymore but it was a hard time in my life my grandma passed away when i was 14 and left to us my mentally disabled aunt and uncle they have fragile x known to most people as special ed this ment we had to move our three bedroom one bath house was too small for six peopl let alone eight so we moved and took them in right after my parents gave up their nasty habit they had a few slip ups but they have been clean for nearly two years right after we moved i had to join the independent studies program to help take care of my aunt and uncle this meant school only once a week and bing the only person in the class i was a very social person and this was very hard for me the summer of that year my dad got a better paying job which meant my mom could quit and i could go back to school that summer my sister “came out” she was a lesbian not a big surprise also that summer i met the most amzing guy i have ever me before him i was sooo innocent all that changed after 2 months with him i lost my virginity in the bback of his truck not the smartest thing i ever did but i dont regrete one minuet of it immediatly after that i got on birth control my mom warned me that she got pregnant while on the pill but i didnt listen i was my own person parents are stupid oooh boy was i wrong after being together one year and never missing a day on the pill i found out i was pregnant my parents were soooo happy his not soo happy his mom and dad and stepmom all told me to get an abortion this i going to mess up his life well i dont believe in abortions to many people in my family have had miscarriages and still births even babies born healthy later to die of sids i was a born mom i had always had the mother instinct no way i could ever give away a baby trough out my pregnancy i was treated badly by his family my parents told me not to worry about anything they woould pay for everything and we could live here we wouldnt have to get jobs just finish high school even with this support i remained depressed body image was very important to me i wasnt big at all but i felt huge i weighed 110 before and gained like 50 lbs i was really small untill a few weeks before she was born i had no stretch marks on my stomach which was the main thing i ws concerned about then the day she was bor everyone came to see her in the hospital ther was 20 or soo people crammed into one room so i was off to take a shower while in the shower i looked at my stomach hoping to be joyed with no stretch marks but oddly i was covered i fell to the ground of the shower balling i couldnt believe I got stretch marks on my stomach i was horrrified all i could do was cry after everything i had gone through to not get them all the lotion i lathered on that the smell made me throw up over i had used and no results i heard everyone in the room happy and cheerful and no one knew what i was going through then my baby started crying i snapped out of it and got out my baby is the mast important thing of all to me now 4 months later i am still horrified with my bady and i am planning on getting a huge tatoo over my belly i am ashamed of them how come some people get them and others dont and why did i have to be the some people how can people be ok with sagging skin and red marks all over their body i want my old body back dont get me wrong i would never take back the events in my life or my beautiful baby girl nothing in the word woulld get m to give her up but im oly 17 i shouldnt ook like this i should be pretty in a bikiny not covering myself in clothing can anyone give me advise on how i can feel better about myself here i am 6 months preggo

Updated here.

24 weeks pregnant with second baby (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update Sunday, June 1, 2008Tuesday, October 21, 2008 5 Comments

I am 24 years old and I am already a mother of a 2 year old boy. This is my second pregnancy. These pictures are from week 24 of my second pregnancy. I am a pretty small girl. I became huge with my first but I gained an average weight of 30 lbs. I was sick all the time with my son and very stressed through the whole pregnancy. After I had him it took me over a year to look “normal” again. As soon as I started to become okay with my post pregnancy bod, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. The first time I got a few stretchmarks around my belly, which you might be able to see in the pictures (sorry for not super great quality). I am nervous this time around because I am only 24 and although I am not super critical of my body, I think it’s normal to feel scared of the outcome of what our bodies are going to look like after a baby/babies. I think that is very normal. I do! We are women! ;-)

Updated here.

4 weeks pp – angry at my body (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Complications in Pregnancy, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Update Tuesday, May 20, 2008Friday, August 7, 2009 16 Comments

Four weeks ago I delivered my son prematurely by c-section. The fear, stress, and worry were undescribable. Jack was born at 35 weeks weighing only 3lbs. He spent 17 days in the NICU and had surgery to repair bilateral inguinal hernias, then came home with us. I am furious with my body for causing problems during my pregnancy that resulted in a premature baby. It was my job to grow my baby safely and help him to be big and strong — and my body failed at that. So far our son isn’t showing any problems, but if he does in the future, I know who I’ll hold responsible. I gained 30lbs during my pregnancy, and probably would have gained more if Jack had gone to term. In four weeks I have lost 25 of my 30lbs, and am back into my regular clothes. I’m not exactly thrilled about it – I have some serious muffin top, and I’m sure my hips have gotten wider. My ribcage looks much smaller than it was before I was pregnant. The skin on my belly looks like cement and when I run I can feel it jiggle. I’ve got a ‘seam’ of skin, that’s folded along my abdomen from hip to hip. I’m happy to have lost 25lbs, but know that I have at least that much more to lose before I can stop obsessively staring at my belly in the mirror and weighing myself. If my body had helped my son to be a healthy full term baby maybe I could forgive it for looking so abused after bearing a child… but with all my body’s shortcomings on the inside, its ugly outside is just another drop in the bucket.

Updated here and here.

4 days pp (May)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update Monday, May 19, 2008Thursday, August 14, 2008 9 Comments

I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant and turned 20 before I had him. I am engaged to the most amazing person I’ve ever known, and although the pregnancy was unplanned he was thrilled with the news; because after five years of trying to win my heart, he not only finally had me, but was about to start a family with who he calls the girl of his dreams. I cannot say that I was as thrilled at first – I was devestated. But that all quickly changed and although my pregnancy was less than wonderful, when times were hard I just had to hold my belly in my hands and feel my baby boy roll around and kick and punch and squirm – all of which he did 24/7 and it was the main (and sometimes only) joy I got out of being pregnant. I didn’t want to be induced and my doctor insisted, but after a week past my due date I reluctantly agreed, me and Anthony prayed for weeks about the possibility of an induction, so I was in ways prepared. It went surprisingly well, and I very comfortably and calmly gave birth to my BEAUTIFUL 7 lb. 7 oz. baby boy, 21 inches tall and looks just like his dad. I was able to go home 24 hours after he was born, no complications with him or me. He is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me, next in line with his father coming into my life. I just had him 4 days ago and despite friends with babies saying coming home from the hospital would be hell on earth, I have found it beautifully easy, mainly because I have a good attitude about it I suppose. I am breastfeeding him and my milk came in well, he is a wonderful baby and gives me no trouble [yet] :) I have very little pain and can move around great, I can even exercise although I guess I probably shouldn’t. I’m 5’9″ and I was 130lbs in a size 2. when I got pregnant with him, ballooned up to 169lbs and a size 7 in regular jeans (i never did buy maternity jeans as none that I found were anywhere near long enough!) by the day before the induction. I ate so well, very healthy as I did before I got pregnant and actually alot less than people would have probably advised but I just wasn’t that hungry during pregnancy, I exercised every single day walking and pilates but I still gained the weight. I was really worried and still am about what I will look like. But my mom snapped back down to a size 2 even after me and my twin brothers so maybe I’ll be fine. I got some stretch marks on my left hip and on the inside of my left thigh despite my efforts against them, but the little ones on my stomach didn’t appear til after I gave birth. I’m now 4 days postpartum and I’ve lost only 13 lbs. and that really disappoints me. These pics are of me about a month before I got pregnant, me at 9 months pregnant, me today and then my beautiful little boy, Cecil.

Updated here.

1st Pregnancy and I loved it (Rachel)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update Monday, April 14, 2008Friday, January 8, 2010 11 Comments

I am a long time visitor but have yet to get the guts up to contribute. First let me say I loved being pregnant and I can’t stop bothering my husband about getting started with the second. While I am generally happy about my body post partum, I do complain about random stretch marks on my booty (hence the boy shorts which have become a close friend). My husband thinks I am as beautiful as ever and tells me all the time. He says being a mother seperates you from just being a woman. In the pics you will find a 12 and 16 week pic (some of my belly pics from the pregnancy) and some pics we took today. The pics today are just over a year post partum. God Bless!

Updated here and here.

Never been more proud (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Postpartum, Submissions, Third Pregnancy, Update Friday, April 11, 2008Tuesday, December 1, 2009 5 Comments

I have always had self-esteem issues. But now after having had two babies, ironically I am more proud of my body now than I have ever been. Not because of the way it looks on the outside (my babies definitely left their mark!) but because it has nurtured and given life to my two beautiful and healthy babies who are now the center of my world. I am so thankful for them and for my body for giving them to me. I appreciate this website so much. Thanks!

Updated here.

My Everything (Kristin)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Child Loss, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update Tuesday, April 1, 2008Sunday, September 11, 2011 3 Comments

Hello, my name is Kristin and i am 20 years old. I got mrried to my husband at 19, he is 24. We got pregnant a few months after getting married , we were soo happy but i lost our first baby at 8 weeks. It was the hardest thing ever. We got pregnant again 1 month later and 39.5 weeks later i gave birth to our baby BOY. He was 8 pounds,90zs, 20.5 inches. We names him Timothy, he is my everything. I am not happy with my body, but i will get use to it. I was 117 before i got pregnant, went up to 145 during pregnancy and 7 weeks later i am 112. These pics are during pregnancy at 6 months-9 months, then me 7 weeks after having him. Even tho i am not happy with my body, my baby boy was worth every stretch mark i got.

Updated here, here, here and here.

My Love, My Life, My Inspiration (Tsi K.)

Bonnie (SOAM) African American, Back, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Update Thursday, February 14, 2008Monday, May 17, 2010 11 Comments

I have posted previously (here), but did not have the courage to show my face, lol!I decided to go ahead and take the plunge today, after witnessing so many other women doing the same. Childbirth, and indeed motherhood are such beautiful and overwhelming miracles, and oftentimes, I find myself gazing at my little girl and wondering how and why I was chosen to raise and nurture such a beautiful soul.I strive to to be a role model for her, even at her tender age of 2. I know I only have a few precious years to teach her love of self, before she begins to understand, and perhaps be influenced by the the damaging descriptions of the female body that have forced many women and even children to travel down the path of self-disgust and self-hatred. I traveled such a path for many years before I became pregnant, but finally resolved to accept myself the way I was, for fear that I would one day have a daughter, and pass that negativity down to her. Well, God smiled down upon me that day, and I am thankful for it, because now my ‘just in case daughter’ is a beautiful reality, and a daily reminder to love and be kind to myself in order to set a positive example for her. The first picture was taken when I was 9 months pregnant, and then next three were taken within the last week. I have included a picture of my c-section scar, of which I am so proud! Towards the end of my pregnancy I got plenty of stretch marks under my breasts, but only a few on my mid-section (some on each hip bone.)The last picture is of course, my sunshine and reason for being.Thank you to all of the beautiful women who have contributed their stories and their images to this site. There is nothing more powerful than one woman being an inspiration to another, and you have all been an inspiration to me!

Updated here.