Second Pregnancy

“I don’t care what I have as long as it’s healthy.” (Shannon)

Bonnie (SOAM) Child Loss, Children with Health Complications, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 20 Comments

Previous posts:
Missing my baby boy and expecting my second.
5 Weeks PP Second Baby
2.5 Months Postpartum, Second Cesarean in 2.5 Years
6 Months PP Update
15 Months PP Update
I Need Some Help

Age: 25
Pregnancies & Births: 2 pregnancies and 2 cesareans
How far pp: Connor would be 5.5 and Liam is 2.10

You hear it all the time. It is the most popular pregnancy conversation: “Do you want a boy or a girl?”, “I don’t care what I have as long as it’s healthy.”. For some reason this actually bothers me. Do I understand why we as mothers want our children to be healthy? Of course I do! However, children with challenges; whether it be a cleft palate, a heart condition, down syndrome, Marshall Smith syndrome, or cystic fibrosis; are the most perfect children. They are happy, strong, amazing little bundles of joy. It is an honor to bring these miracles into the world. Of course all babies are miracles, but these children are even more so. It is a miracle in itself that they survived pregnancy and birth! Connor may not have been healthy, but he was most certainly perfect! This is what I used to say when I was pregnant with Connor’s brother, Liam…”I don’t care what I have, as long as it’s happy.”. Isn’t this what really matters in life? We all strive for happiness. This is why we find love, get married, have children, pick jobs that we love, want to make good money…it is all to be happy. Most special needs children do not even need to try for this. Look around, now many depressed down syndrome children do you know? They are happy, they are loved, and they are miracles. So, I ask you to do this…the next time someone asks you what you want, tell them, “I don’t care, as long as it’s happy!”…this will make them look at the growing inside of them in a whole different light :)

8 months pregnant with second daughter. (Proudmama)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Mom over 30, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 1 Comment

Previous posts here, here and here.

Age: 32
Number of pregnancies: Second pregnancy, 33 weeks along at time of writing this. First child is 27 months.

The last time I updated, I had just found out I was pregnant with baby #2. Now I am thrilled to say that I’m 33 weeks along with my second daughter. As you’ll see, I’ve been blessed with another big beautiful belly. Just like with my first daughter, I have no stretch marks (so far) and I’m carrying all in front of me. Asides from the “look” of it though, it’s actually been a very different pregnancy . This time around, I’ve had it pretty tough. I’ve had a lot of morning sickness (which I didn’t have the first time) and I’ve been dealing with a bad case of SPD (symphysis pubis dysunction) which has kept from being as active as I would have liked. My anemia has gotten a lot worse and I’ve found out that my body doesn’t absorb Vitamin B12(not pregnancy related) and I’ll have to get injections for the rest of my life. Throw in a 2 year old to take care of and a home daycare to run, and I’ve been pretty tired and in a lot of pain.

But even though I’m exhausted and ready for this pregnancy to be over, I’m not losing sight of how fortunate I am to have been giving the chance to experience motherhood a second time and I’m especially excited to have been given another precious baby girl. I’ve tried to really enjoy every single moment and be in tuned with the changes in my body despite everything because we don’t plan on having any more children. I honestly haven’t given too much thoughts on my postpartum body, I figure I’ll have enough time to worry about that later. For the moment being, I just want to cherish my baby’s healthy movements and enjoy my last weeks of being a mother of one before chaos sets in. :) All I know is that having to “run” after kids all day must have kept me somewhat in shape because I’ve only gained 17 pounds so far which I think is pretty good. Hopefully I’ll manage to stay under 25 pounds.

I still read your entries and constantly get inspired and touched by them and I promise I’ll keep you posted when this little one is born. Cheers mamas!

The pictures were taken at 33 weeks. Hard to imagine I’ll get even bigger.

How did you get comfortable with your new physical self? (MK)

Bonnie (SOAM) No Photos (Story Only), Question, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 10 Comments

I read about all of the women who have gone from being in shape, looking great and feeling good to looking like a “mother.” I read about how you are now comfortable and accepting of your new “beautiful” self. I am not as strong as you are. I want to be where you are mentally and I am looking to learn how you got to where you are.

I was a size 0; 119 lbs before the birth of my son 14 months ago. My hobby was going to the gym and working out. It was/is my stress reliever. I got back to my old size, yet I am left with stretch marks on my stomach, sagging/floppy boobs, huge nipples (I breast fed for 12 months) extra skin on my stomach and diastasis recti. The latter issue doesn’t bother me that much.

I am pregnant again–25 weeks along. I obviously look pregnant, like I should. In addition to me not being comfortable in my new skin, I also have dark, huge aerolas–which I think is pregnancy related! To me it is so unattractive.

I never had time to get use to my the new me because I am now pregnant again. But the issue lies here…

I don’t want to be touched or seen naked by my husband. In bed I have to be covered with a blanket. If I look down and see myself, I don’t find myself sexy and i get upset at what I see. I don’t want to be touched where the extra skin lies nor on my huge nipples! I get so upset and mad. I don’t feel like I deserve to feel good.

On tv and in movies, you never see people like “us” playing sexy roles and if you did it would ruin what the show is trying to capture. How can one find me/us attractive. I don’t get it?!!

There are boundaries in bed which I know isn’t good but I can’t get comfortable and accepting of the new me. Feeling good and feeling sexy is important for a good relationship.

I feel good in clothes and no matter how often others tell me I look good–I need to feel sexy and good with myself (naked). I know confidence is sexy, but I’m just not any longer. Even if I begin to feel cofident, I don’t feel I have the right to be. How did you do it? How did you begin to truly love your new self? Please help. I am miserable and my relationship with my husband isn’t where is should be.

~Your Age: 29
~Number of pregnancies and births: 2nd pregnancy
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 14 months and 1 on the way; due 11/3

My Body is Alive and Ever-Changing (Tessa)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 3 Comments

Tessa – 21 years old, mother to a 2 year old, and expecting another little boy in April 2012!

This is my third entry.
Two previous entries, here and here.

My last entry I had decided to do something about my unhappiness with my body. I was 16 months post partum and I realized it was up to me to get active if I wanted to lose the weight. My body didn’t have “bouncing back” it its dictionary. It just didn’t exist. So I took charge. I started up and kept up with the standard P90X schedule as best I could for the full 90 days. Slowly some pounds did start to come off, but not as fast as I liked. I was displeased on day 90. I was upset I hadn’t yet reached my goal, I was upset that I was still 138lbs, about 13-18lbs above my weight goal. I remotivated myself with Tony’s expression, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was your body!” I decided to take a short break before I started up with round 2.

… and then I discovered I was pregnant. We were happy, shocked(surprise!), and I was having some anxiety about packing on more lbs when I had still more to lose. I decided to continue exercising as long as I could, and I did.. until the morning sickness hit at 6-7 weeks. Like my first pregnancy, I was sick all day, all night. I could hardly move or function until nearly 16 weeks pregnant, so exercise was out of the question. I started feeling better, but I didn’t jump back into exercising. I was being lazy. I began feeling very down about my body and weight gain (even though I was eating healthy and not gaining too much). I didn’t have a positive body image about my growing belly at all. I hated and felt that my pregnant belly was not “cute” like the first time around. I had all these stretch marks and extra skin. My pregnant belly wasn’t a cute, perfect round bump. It was frumpy, scarred, and just not what I pictured as a cute pregnant belly.

Starting about 26weeks pregnant, I finally decided it was now or never. I told myself I’d be active through this pregnancy, and gosh darn it, I had to keep my word. Since, I’ve done my best to do 10-20 minutes of exercise every day (using Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer). I use weights up to 10 lbs and focus a lot on arms, legs, some cardio, and stretching. I haven’t been at it long enough to notice any change in my body, but I felt an immediate change in my sense of self esteem. I didn’t feel as disgusted when looking in the mirror. I’m currently 29 weeks pregnant, and 20 lbs gained despite strict diet. I’m hoping to keep my total weight gain under 40 lbs, and I believe I can achieve that. I’m coming to terms that I’m just NOT one of those people that ONLY gain in the belly, and that I can expect to get “fluffy” in other areas. My body simply responds to pregnancy hormones by building up fat stores, and that is completely normal. I’m just trying to avoid the 70lb+ weight gain I experienced with my first son! I know now how hard that weight comes off, and I know the negative outcome of producing a much too large baby.

I am planning an unmedicated, natural VBAC in a hospital 1 hour away with a wonderful midwive group overseen by a very natural birth friendly doctor! Not only is exercising for my own self esteem, but it is for the health and success of my VBAC baby. My first baby was 9lb 13oz. I’m hoping to produce a smaller baby, but there were many other things that contributed to the train wreck that landed me in a csection with my first son. I’m also seeing a chiropractor regularly to keep my body healthy and baby optimally positioned for labor. All around, I’m feeling much better this pregnancy and am hopeful that a much better birthing experience will leave me feeling empowered in such a remarkable way that I will not suffer as much as I did with my body image after my first son.

All in all, I know my body will continue to change. It is my job to keep it as healthy as I can, no matter what society tells me it “should” look like. Just when I thought I was getting closer to the a more perfect body, plans changed and I’m growing again. And I’ll have to lose weight again. My body is not stagnant. It is alive and ever changing. And I’m doing my best to embrace that in a positive and healthy way that leaves me encouraged and motivated to stay healthy! I do not want to accept myself as overweight, nor do I want to accept society’s view of a perfect body. I merely want to be active, toned, healthy, and happy with the appearance of my own body, as well as a good example to my own children to lead healthy, active lives.

1st picture is before/after of 90days of P90X
2nd picture is 5 weeks pregnant
3rd picture is comparison of Summer 2010(overweight!) and Summer 2011 after completing 90 days of P90X!
4th picture is me at 27 weeks pregnant, working my arms!
5th picture, my 2 year old boy!
6th picture, our little boy due in April on ultrasound!
7th picture is my growing belly at 5, 12, and 16 weeks
last picture is comparison of my belly from first son, to this pregnancy at 20 wks

B/G Twins, 4 1/2 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Mom over 30, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Twins 19 Comments

2 pregnancies
2 c-sections
3 kids
2 1/2 yr old girl
4 1/2 month B/G twins
My age: 30

I am 30 years old. I had my first daughter at age 27. She was 8 1/2 lbs, born by c-section due to my hips being narrow and the risk of her getting stuck. I chose the csection. She was the light of my life and in the first few months I couldnt bear to be apart from her longer than 20 minutes or I felt panicky. I hated my body. I hated the flab. My breasts looked decent still, but that was it. I gained 55 lbs and it took a year to lose it all, but my belly was still flabby. Shortly after she turned 2, we started trying for another baby. I was having bleeding for 23 days every month due to low progesterone. We fixed that problem and 9 long months later (i was nervous it would never happen), we got pregnant with twins. This was what I always wanted. Lots of kids, close together and B/G twins! I was ecstatic. I had them at 37 wks, 2 days by c-section due to my boy’s cord presenting and I was 1 cm dilated, they didn’t want to risk me going into labor. The twins were born 6 lbs 14 oz, 20 in and 6 lbs 13 oz, 19 3/4 in. Healthy. No NICU. Came home with me. I gained 65 lbs. I’ve lost 47 lbs now. I’m hideous. Im just 5’1″. And I still get asked if I’m pregnant multiple times a day, regardless of if I have the three kids with me! I have diastasis recti. Can’t do ab work. I’m helpless and in the prison of this body. Friends say, “ur amazing! U manage all 3 kids and u had 3 big, healthy babies! U carried twins to term!” Yada yada yada. Well I didn’t do that. God did. It’s all biological. It just happened. I didn’t do anything. I have 2 daughters and I desperately do not want them to feel like I feel. I want them to love their bodies. The pressure of setting this example is hard. I can’t get past it. I get nauseous when I think about getting dressed. I avoid social situations requiring me to wear more than a sweatsuit. I can’t stand my reflection. My husband says he thinks I’m hot, but in my mind, he has to brainwash himself to think that because he is married to me. Stuck with me. That fat frump with nasty frizzy hair, saggy boobs, and a permanently pregnant belly. I have to wear a belly band with sweatpants to even look decent enough to leave the house. I just can’t get past this. It is ruining my life. How can therapy make me like my reflection? It can’t. I feel helpless. Like a prisoner. And I hate I feel like this. I have thought about what would happen if I used scissors to cut my belly off. I should break my finger to punish me for being fat. I know these are crazy thoughts which is why i would never act on them, but that doesn’t stop them from entering my head. I’ve never thought about hurting my children or anything. They are the only thing that brings me happiness. Without them, I’m pointless. I’m not me. I dont know who I am…but I hate the person in the mirror. The preg pix r 2 wks b/f twins were born

The Before, During, and After of My Belly (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 13 Comments

age 28
number pregnancies: 1 pregnant 25 weeks with next

I have always been pretty active and fit, I was 26 when I got pregnant with my son, it was unexpected and my husband and I had only been together for 6 months at the time. I tried and tried to avoid the stretch marks but I already had a ton of old ones from when I went through puberty so I knew it was a lost cause.

The angry little marks showed up around 37 weeks and I decided that I would document the changes in my belly from the end of pregnancy to immediately following the birth, to a couple weeks after to 2 years after to see how my body recovered. The marks do fade but never go away and you learn to live with them, I got a higher cut bikini to hide the old marks the best I can but I really don’t care anymore.

I am now 25 weeks pregnant with my second kid and wonder what will happen this time around, I’m sure I’ll be sad initially but I will look and see that the scars fade and life goes on. =)

picture 1 is of me a few months before getting pregnant

This is me the day I went to the hospital, the marks are hidden by the size of the belly!

This is an hour after birth while laying in the hospital bed

This is two weeks after

Two weeks

2 years after

Pregnant 25 weeks

Don’t Buy the One-Piece Swimsuit (Kyla)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 17 Comments

I am 23 years old, my daughters are 18 months and 3 1/2 months. I was very lucky to have two, as my midwife said, ‘boring’ pregnancies without any complications or issues. I gained just under 20 lbs in each pregnancy, and it was all baby-weight and I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight very quickly. I had my first daughter six weeks after I wrote my last exam in my undergrad and my second 15 months later, neither of them were planned. these girls are the center of my world – in both good and bad ways!

I always had body image issues since I hit puberty and I had just reached a point where I was beginning to feel comfortable with myself when I got pregnant. I felt better than ever in both my pregnancies, I was so proud of my belly. Baby bellies are viewed differently in this society than they used to be even one generation ago, when women felt they had to cover up their bellies and wear long circus-tent type clothing, but now the thinking is to flaunt and show off your belly, and big bellies are revered and praised. But the post-partum belly is not socially acceptable in our culture, we are taught to hide our bodies now. Going from the one extreme to the other is a big gap for any woman to jump.

After my first daughter was born I ‘bounced back’ pretty quickly and everybody was praising me on how great I looked. I didn’t feel great and I didn’t want them to praise me. When somebody said to me “oh you look great! Look how fast you bounced back to normal!” it made me fear for the other women who don’t go back to their pre-pregnancy size or shape, because the people who praised me are helping to set that unwritten standard of whats okay to look like and whats not okay to look like. I don’t want to be praised because this only helps cement this divide and illuminate the repression of other body shapes. I don’t think women need any more reason to compare themselves to one another or feel like they aren’t good enough. I feel like, in this culture, once you have stretch marks and a post-baby belly, you have suddenly become a lower class of person because you don’t have a body that looks like a La Senza ad.

Even though people praised me, I hated my stomach. I had some stretch marks on my stomach and breasts and the elasticity of my skin and muscle is gone, and I blamed my daughter for ‘ruining’ me. Before pregnancy I used to model but I couldn’t go back to this because I had become ‘undesirable’ now. I stopped swimming, I awoided mirrors, I even had a period of time, after both pregnancies, where I wouldn’t let my partner see or touch me. I tried not to see my own body. I tried not to let anybody else see my body. I felt like (and still do feel this way) nobody could find me attractive again. I don’t beleive my partner when he tells me that not only am I still attractive, but I am now more attractive than ever because my belly brought him his daughters.

We went to Florida when my first daughter was 8 months old and this was the first time that i was going to be in a swimsuit in public. I couldn’t do it – I had a bikini and I wore it under my clothes but I couldn’t bring myself to take off my shirt and expose my skin. I felt like I shouldnt put other people – strangers – through seeing my stomach, like I should follow this unwritten rule that now I had a baby, I should buy that one-piece swimsuit and never subject my ugly, ruined ‘not a La Senza ad’ body to anybody. I had never felt so ashamed of my body before as I did on that day I sat on the beach and watched everybody else swim. Later I cried about how ugly I was.

I feel like there is this game that women are taught to play which is based on ever-changing rules of opression. I am calling this the ‘one-piece swimsuit game’ because as soon as you have a baby, you are supposed to go buy that one-piece swimsuit because you are taught that you are suddenly too ugly, having lost the shape, look and elasticity of your pre-baby body. I dont know who taught us that was something we had to do, that now we needed to hide, but whoever it was needs a good kicking. I feel like every woman has followed this stupid rule so dutifully and unquestioningly that nobody has ever raised enough fuss to make us wake up and realize that we don’t need to do it at all. It shouldn’t be painful like this. I shouldn’t have been taught this hurtful game, and neither should any of you. I don’t want to watch my daughters and your daughters fall into this game either.

And in the same way that people praising me for ‘bouncing back’ is hurtful for other women who don’t ‘bounce back,’ I don’t want to contribute to teaching other women either that they need to play the one-piece swimsuit game by starting to wear the one-piece swimsuit myself. I don’t want that one-piece swimsuit, I don’t want to show other woman that I too, felt the need to hide myself cause it will teach other women and young girls how to play this game of oppression as well. I don’t want my daughters to feel like when they grow up and have their own children, they need to suddenly switch to a one-piece swimsuit, too.

So I’ll make a promise if you will too – I want out of this female oppression game so I will not play the ‘one piece swimsuit game’ anymore if you wont either. you hear that? I’m opting out, I can only loose at this stupid game and its never been fun anyway, so I’m not playing anymore.

Irish twins and a body that will never be the same (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 5 Comments

Age: 24
Number of Pregnancies: 2, Births 2

I have always been very skinny, being a gymnast I basically lived in a gym. I did gymnastics in college, which is were I met my husband. I got pregnant with my first child my jr year of college. She was a surprise as I had an IUD (copper), My body rejected it and I had to get it removed. I found out a month later I was 6 weeks pregnant with my peanut. I had a very stressful pregnancy, my husband was in the middle of a messy divorce, I was trying to finish school, and working. The pregnancy was very hard on my body, I was so sick the first three months I vowed to never have another child again. Before I got pregnant I was 118 pounds at 5’6 inches tall. I gained 54 pounds with my daughter most of which was water. I didn’t get a single stretch mark till after I had her, in a matter of a few days about 5 to be exact I lost 40 pounds my stomach shrank to quickly that I got shrink marks. ( as my husband calls them) After I had my daughter I was in love, I had never felt that instant love with someone before. I could hold her and stair at her for hours, she was my baby, and I loved her.

When she was three months old, my husbands company got sold and he was laid off. Three weeks before he was laid off I found out I was pregnant again, even though I was on birth control. My family wanted me to get an abortion since I was in my senior year of college and he had lost his job. I made the appointment but couldn’t go through with it. I have always felt that God has a plan, and he never gives me anything I can not get through. Even though I went through alot. We ended up moving from NC, to NJ where he finally got a job. He moved 2 months before I did, because I had to finish up my last semester in college. I was so stressed out, caring for a baby, being pregnant, finishing up school, applying for grad schools, having to pack our whole house, and move us alone. It was a lot. When I got to NJ, I didn’t know anyone. It was Dec 1st and freezing. I quickly joined a gym, as I have always loved to work out. With my son I gained 30 pounds. My delivery was pretty funny. I actually kicked the doctor out of the room b/c he wanted to give me a C-section for his own selfish will. I had a baby 11 months prior I knew what I was doing. I’m not sure if anyone else has exspeanced NJ doctors, but they are not the brightest of the bunch. The doctors did not listen to me when I said I needed to push, they told me it was two soon and they just checked me I was only 5 CM and that he wasn’t ready yet. I yelled at the nurse and told her he was coming, she tried to prove me wrong by checking to tell me I was still only 5 cm, and his head was crowning. She told me not to push, b/c the doctor was getting an OR. When your baby is right at the end you can not, not push, it is physcially impossible. He was out two seconds later, I pulled him out and held him right away. He screamed and latched on to feed before he was even cleaned off. He was my baby boy.

After I had my son I was ready to get back in the gym, with my daughter I was able to work out 2 days after she was born, but I felt so sick and run down with an almost 1 year old, and a newborn. IT took about 2 weeks before I got back into the gym. I did and still do work out 2 hours a day, 6 to seven days a week. It is Me time. With two babies, two step children, a house, husband, and grad school, I need me time, or I will explode… I’m only 24, that is a lot to take on. My sisters have been angry with me for working out, they don’t understand the good feelings that I get from working out. I don’t drink, I don’t go out, I don’t party, or do anything that my friends my age do. Yet they think it would be more exseptable to drink everyday then to go to the gym. NOw I don’t workout for the satisfactory of looking good, I just really enjoy working out. It makes me feel great, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I lost all my baby weight after about 3 months. Went back to a size zero, and started to look like my old self again. However, my boobs have dropped, they use to be “porn star” like according to my husband and they now look like tear drops. My stomach skin will never go away, when I bend over it makes a gross feeling flap. I have stretch marks on my stomach, which I have grown to love because they are my daughter, when she gets older I can tell her that they are for her. I hate that my body will never be the same. I know I look good for having two babies back to back, but i’m so use to a different body.

Two pics are me 40 weeks pregnant with my son
One pic is from when I was 6 months PP

Growth (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Mom over 30, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 7 Comments

Previous post here.

Age: 32
Number of pregnancies and births: Three pregnancies. Two births.
Number of Children: Two children. Ages 4.5 and 1.5
All photos have been taken 16 months after the birth of my second child.

I feel compelled to post here again because of how the site has grown.
Because of how I have evolved.
Because of how we-as women, as peers, as supporters of one another-have strengthened in mind and numbers.

My home is full of noise and I am full of pride.
My two beautiful children continue to teach me:

To slow down.
To listen.
To breathe.

I continue to tell myself to accept myself.
And I am. I am trying.

This thanksgiving may we all give thanks for the network we have created.
That we are creating.

Be kind to one another.
Fight for one another.
Love one another.

Love our children.
Love our children.
Love our children.

Finally Coming to Terms with My Body (TMB)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 9 Comments

Growing up, I was always the skinny girl. As a teenager, I was 5’7″ and weighed 114 lbs. I never worked for it, I was just always skinny. I was a late bloomer so when I finally got curves and boobs, I loved wearing tight clothes and nothing made me happier than being able to wear a bikini. I got married to my high school boyfriend when I was 18 and when I was 21, we welcomed our first son. It was a fairly typical pregnancy and I didn’t get any stretch marks—until my ninth month. I was disappointed about that but after he was born, I slimmed down quickly and ended up being a size six, where as before I was a size four. Although I didn’t like the excess skin on my stomach or my slightly saggier boobs, I was thrilled with my new look. I finally looked like a woman; I had filled out a little bit and looked healthier. Then two years later, I had our second son. This pregnancy was a lot like my first, although my stomach got huge and I got even more stretch marks on there. After my second son was born, I assumed that I would slim down quickly like I did with my first pregnancy but no such luck. When I was still wearing maternity pants a month later, I went jeans shopping and was shocked when I fit into a size twelve. I cried and refused to buy any. But a month or so later, I couldn’t justify wearing maternity pants anymore and finally bought some in a size ten. It took over a year for me to get down to 134 lbs and a size eight, which is my current weight and size. For my height, that’s actually pretty healthy but I still hated my body. The sagging boobs bothered me but nothing bothered me more than my stomach. It was flabby, covered in stretch marks and I hated the way it stuck out when I sat down. It took my husband deploying and us having Skype “dates” for me to finally realize that my body isn’t horrible looking; it’s actually quite nice looking and I appreciate that it’s what brought my children into this world. I’ve begun to embrace my new shape and curves, stretch marks and all and although I have plans to improve it after I’m done having children, I no longer yearn for my pre-baby days and I can look at before pics of myself without feeling bad about how I look now. I still have bad days but they’re becoming less frequent. My husband is my biggest post baby fan; he loves my body and is forever telling me how sexy I look and for the first time since having my second son, I’m starting to see it too.

Age: 26
Number of Pregnancies and Births: 2
Age of My Children: 5 and 3, 3 years postpartum