Second Pregnancy

Update (Anonymous)

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

Age: 22
How many kids: 2 babies one age 8 months and one 3 years old

Hello to all the beautiful mommies . I first would like to say that i love this site and it has helped get through some rough times about my body image. it has shown me that there’s many women out there that get stretch marks , loose skin and such and its not just me. I have also posted here 7 months after having my son. Anyways I am a single mom of two babies. One girl and one boy. My little boy is 3 years old and my little girl is almost 8 months old. I struggle every day with my body but I try to think positive. My babies were worth every stretch mark and I wouldnt change anything. I have alot of good days but then those bad days come when I cant find one thing I like about my body. I dont like my stomach and every since having my second baby I dont like my breasts either. I think they lost quite abit of fullness and are small. I just want to thank you for all the brave mommies who post. Its not an easy thing to do but its helping soo many women. I really wish that all women could love thier bodies and its sad that so very few do. Well thanks for listening. Oh and i dont have any pics of the end of my pregnancy. I got pretty big and I wish i had some to show :)

8.5 Postpartum, Update (Kristin)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 9 Comments

Age:22 years old
Number of children: two, age 2 years old and 8.5 months old
how far postpartum:8.5 months

Hey, My name is Kristin, i have posted on here 2 other times, once when i had my first child, then again after i had my second child. I decided that i would do an update on how we are doing. We are doing good, my children are doing great, they are growing up so fast:)

I was not really happy about my body, i dont think i ever was, i still get very depressed sometimes when i see myself in the mirror. I went up to 140 by the end of each pregnancy, I am at a weight of 114Ibs now, i struggle with my weight, i don’t want to gain weight so i always look at the calories on food to make sure i dont go over my daily intake of calories. Its really annoying at times, but its hard to let the weight issue go, and i feel that i am fat, that my belly sticks out, and my boobs are to small, i feel that my body has not made anymore improvements either, and i am almost 9 months postpartum. I hate feeling like this, my husband says i am beautiful and sexy, but i have a hard time believing him.I really don’t like the look of my body but i know my children were worth it. My little boy is turning 2 in January, and my daughter is now 8.5 months old. I love my life, i have a wonderful husband and two wonderful children and i wouldnt trade it for nothing. But i can’t completly stop the depressing days i get about my body, atleast i have more good ones then bad ones.

Thanks so much for this site Bonnie, it has really made life easier seeing other beautiful mommies, that look similar to me.

The first 3 pictures is of me 8.5 months postpartum(now)
And the 4th is me and my 2 beautiful babies.

Updated here and here.

2 Weeks PP – Update (Berni)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update, VBAC 8 Comments

I originally posted around 3 months after the birth of my son, again at 6 and a half months pp, and 38 weeks into this pregnancy.

My daughter was born 10 days late on the 22nd December 2010. I had actually gone into hospital that day to book an elective C section, due to being post dates and already having had a section. I was so happy when my water started to leak that evening. I did not achieve my homebirth but it was a very straight forward vaginal delivery. I ended up transferring to hospital after about 5 hours of strong contractions, as I was in a lot of pain and still only 3cm dilated, my midwife was also a little concerned about the baby’s heartbeat and that I was dehydrated. Well I wish I stayed at home now because I reached 10cm delivered within an hour and a half! There was no time for any extra pain relief so I only had gas and air. I didn’t tear and I wasn’t cut which I was very happy about. She was only 7lb 12oz, so second babies are not always bigger (my first was 10lb 10oz) and growth scans are not always accurate (she was estimated to be 9lb+). We called her Lilac and she is so lovely. I’m so pleased that I managed to have a VBAC and I doubt I would have achieved it without the support of the wonderful midwife I had.

As for my body I am now 3 weeks pp and I have 10lbs to lose and I struggle to fit in clothes 2 sizes bigger than what I was wearing when I fell pregnant. My tummy is so horrible and saggy, I knew it would be as it was saggy after my son, but it seems more so now. I didn’t get any new stretch marks. I try not to think about my tummy too much as it does get me down. I hope in time I can become more positive about my body, especially now I have a daughter. Is there any way without surgery to improve lose skin?

The body pictures are 2 weeks PP.

The last picture is of me and Lilac on Xmas day (3 days old).

This is me (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Third Pregnancy 7 Comments

23 years old
I am now pregnant with my 3 child (10 weeks) and have had 2 births.
My 1st son is 2.9 years old and my second son is 12 months old

I have had a bad body image for such a long time. I always felt like my body was wrong after giving birth to my son. The when I gave birth to my second son I felt worst. I would look at my self and think *yuck* I could not understand why my husband thought I was so beautiful.

Then one day I decided to start looking at myself differently. If my husband could see that I am beautiful and not fat (I would always call myself fat) then why couldn’t I. So I started telling myself That my body was beautiful and that it was ok to look the way I do. A lot of the time I did not believe this.

When it was time to find a gift for my husband I wanted to give him something he would really enjoy. I kept asking him what he wanted for our anniversary and all he would say is “my wife”. So I decide to give him just that. I found someone who would do nice natural photos of me for my husband.

I had so much fun doing these photos and I started to really like my body. The photos were taken in my bedroom with natural light and no touch ups were done to my body at all. What you see is what I have. I now have a new love for my body. It’s not what it used to be but it is perfect to me.

I am sure after this baby is born my body will be different again but I am ok with that because I believe it will still be beautiful.

Christine and I have become friends after these photos were taken so she is also taking photos of me while pregnant.

Worth it – Update (Regina)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 7 Comments

Previous entries here and here.

I have posted here several times now. This website keeps me going. Reminds me that there is nothing wrong with my body. There is something wrong with other’s expectations of me.

I am beautiful. I am strong. I am 21 and I have carried 2 babies 8 days overdue each. I have breastfed. i have fought the internal war when I had to give that up. I can balance a toddler on one hip with a baby in a sling and still go grocery shopping. I am a mother. I am an amazing mother. I don’t do everything right. Most of the time I don’t think I do anything right. But I am.And I do. I have birthed with pain meds. I have birthed naturally.

I will never have the body I had before I had my children. I DON’T WANT IT! It was beautiful, YES. It was flawless and unmarked. It was unappreciated and hated. And weak. Let it die now. I didn’t have a body I wanted. So I was given a new one by motherhood. It is not disgusting or flawed. It is new and full of life. It is strong. It can handle pain and heartache. It can handle a kick to the gut by a 3 year old and it can handle infection upon infection caused by improper breastfeeding.

My new body is bigger. It has more fat and skin. It has bigger breasts and a bigger butt. Thighs that refuse to tone. And stretch marks.

Let me tell you something about stretch marks. There is nothing about my body I love more. I can not explain it. These scars that cause women so much heartache are the greatest joy of my body. They are beautiful. They were given to me when my daughter’s grew within me. Each time adding more than I even thought possible. Like laugh lines that mark happiness and sun “damage” that shows a youth spent at the beach, my stretch marks show that I too have carried and birthed babies. No one has to like them or notice or appreciate them like i do. I never want them to go away.

My story:
I became pregnant with my first daughter when I was 16 years old. I am 5’6″ and I weighed 158 pounds and wore a size 11 in juniors. By 32 weeks, the week I was married to the father, I had gained 15 pounds. By the time I delivered 8 days overdue on January 9, 2006 I had gained 47 pounds, topping out at 205. I lost 20 in delivery. Leaving me at 185 pounds. And then lost NOTHING. During the 2nd year of my daughter’s life I worked my day down to 173 pounds. But then it worked it’s way back up again and when I found out I was pregnant with my second child on January 24, 2008 when I was 19 years old, I weighed 186 pounds and wore a size 15-17 in Juniors. Through out the pregnancy I gained 18 pounds and birthed my daughter 100% natural 8 days overdue on October 5, 2008. I lost the entire 18 pounds in delivery. When my second daughter was 7 months old I left my husband. Suddenly I had so much free time. There were whole days when I didn’t have the girls. I also only had my self and my children to pick up after. So I started to take care of myself again. I started working out every day, sadly I reverted back to my highschool ways and ate only 300 calories a day. But in only a few months I was down to 158 pounds. My PRE-MOTHERHOOD weight!!! I met another man and we started dating. He is a personal trainer and was not very happy about my eating habits or lack there of. So I started eating again. I have gained pretty much all the weight back. I weight 180 pounds right now. But I wear a size 13 in juniors and my body is not too bad looking. I know that I just don’t have the will power to bring my weight down the healthy way. Which is the only way to keep it down. So I might as well make the best with what I do have. So my goal is to have a sexy, voluptuous, curvy body. Instead of shooting for skinny. Which seems so unattainable to me, i just want the body I have to look the best it can.

*Picture 1: 9 months pregnant with #1
*Picture 2: 24 months post partum from #1
*Picture 3: 9 months pregnant with #2
*picture 4: 10 months post partum #2 158 pounds
*picture 5: 14 months post partum #2 180 pounds
*picture 6 & 7: The most beautiful gift ever received

~Age: 21 years old
~Number of pregnancies and births: 4 pregnancies, 2 births
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 4 years and 14 months

After 2 kids and 2 c-sections (Milia)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 17 Comments

Age: 28
Pregnancy/live birth: 2 (both c-section)
How far long postpartum: 3 and half months
Age of kid(s) = 15 months; 3 and a half months
Weight gain during pregnancy: 35 lbs; 40 lbs

First, I would like to mention this site has helped me tremendously when I was at my lowest point. My first son was born via emergency c-section due to fetal distress. I remember the c-section recovery was easy and did not have much pain at all. Most likely I was in shocked to really know what was going on and the adrenaline spike has masked all the pain that people was always talking about when it comes to c-section recovery.

When my first son was barely 4 months old, I found out I was pregnant again. It was not planned and I was scared. I was scared what it would do to my body. 9 months later, my second son was born..again another c-section. This time it was a scheduled c-section. So I have back to back pregnancy, with back to back c-section in less than 22 months.

The first time around, I snapped back into shape very fast without doing anything different. Second time around, I wasn’t so lucky. I was depressed for many weeks following the birth, blaming my husband for everything. I cried for days..day and night and was unable to look at myself into the mirror. My husband thought I am still beautiful but I could not care less of what he said.. WHat matters is what I think.. I desperately want to feel beautiful again, I want all the loose skin, flabby belly to be gone.. I want to look good again. ANd all I was feeling was fat, unattractive monster that I truly believe I have become.

Before I was pregnant with my first son, I was 108 lbs at 5’4. And now, I am 122 lbs. I have beautiful body before, but I have never really appreciated it. I always thought I was fat and now only I wish I can go back in time and change what I thought of me. But I love my kids more than anything, but still deep down inside, I wish I can feel as beautiful as they both appear to me.

Here are my pics at 3 and half months post partum.

Update (Bryana)

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

This is my other post.

The last time I posted, I was only 2 ½ months post partum. I had already lost all of my pregnancy weight, and was happy about that. Since my last post, I have continued to lose weight. I weigh less now than I did when I was 11 years old. No one has been able to find out why I continue to lose weight. I love food; I am always in the fridge or the cupboard looking for food. I am addicted to salty foods, especially chips, they are a part of my daily diet. But despite my bad eating habits I continue to lose weight. I am sure many women would be envious, but it’s almost scary. Will I continue to lose weight? What happens when too much is just too much?

Before I got pregnant with my daughter I weighed about 120lbs. I am only 5 feet tall, so 120lbs isn’t too bad. But since having my daughter, almost 6 months ago, I am down to 105lbs. I am 15lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight!! Sure, it is nice not to worry about what I am eating all the time, but I want it to stop. Unfortunately I was not blessed with very elastic skin. It does not bounce back… AT ALL! It is becoming more and saggier with each pound that comes off, and I wish it would just stop. My body looks as though it has deflated. Don’t get me wrong, I love my body for what it did: It gave me 2 beautiful and amazing children. I don’t even care about the stretch marks or saggy skin… I just want to feel comfortable in my own skin again. My husband loves my body, with or without the imperfections, it’s just me… I need to love my body again!

I took these pictures today. They are all of me 5 ½ months post partum, except the last 2, they are my son who just turned 4 on Dec 12, and my daughter who will be 6 months on Dec 23.

Updated here, here, and here.

2 Children 13 months apart (Desiree)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 7 Comments

Age: 20
2 pregnancies, 2 C- sections
Cesarean birth
14 month old daughter
17 day old son

I had my first child, a girl on 10- 17- 2008. It was a long labor, and after pushing for 2 hours and high blood pressure, with a fever of 103 they took me into the OR for an emergency C section. Where I lost more then half my bodies volumn in blood. My Dr said I was lucky, and she had no idea why that happened. After I noticed what that C section did to my body. And it hurt to look in the mirror.. but I also gained 50 lbs with that pregnancy. Stretch marks everywhere, and now an ugly scar, and saggy belly pouch. 160 lbs, I would give anything to be 115 lbs again, well thats how I felt then.

Over the next couple months I came to terms with my new body, and I was fine walking around my house shirtless. (I was breastfeeding)
But getting pregnant just 4 months post partum really killed me. I didnt lose much weight. And I came into the next pregnancy at 157 lbs. I gaiend 20 lbs with my son, born 11-29-09.

Now at 17 days post partum, I notice my belly pouch is a little bigger then it once was. I have no new stretch marks, but still have the old. I really hate my body. It makes me a little sad. But Im ok with it. I have two beautiful children who I would gladly give anything for, even my once beautiful body. But I have lost all of the weight I gained with my son. I still ahve over 40 lbs to lose, and Im kind of terrified I will never see myself as beautiful again.

I Love My Body Now (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 7 Comments

I have always had body issues, as many women do. I always thought I was fat, even when I wasn’t. I never felt that I had a beautiful body, I had too many stretch marks, my tummy was too big, etc. When I became pregnant with my daughter, I weighed 180 lbs. I was 20 lbs. more then I felt ‘okay’ at. I had some morning sickness through the first 4 months and only gained 3 lbs. Then, the morning sickness subsided, and I started to eat. I loved being pregnant. I loved the way my body looked. I felt beautiful. I loved feeling my big tummy and feeling my daughter move. I loved how large and full my breasts became. I was in love with every inch of my body. By the time I went to my final check up, two weeks late, I weighed 238 lbs. The number scared me a little, but I was pregnant and didn’t even consider that at a moment very soon, I would no longer be pregnant. When my daughter was born, and the few weeks afterward, I didn’t have the time or energy to criticize my body. I was also so proud of how strong I was to be able to carry and deliver a life. There finally came a moment where I looked in the mirror and realized that I was huge, and no longer pregnant. For a moment, I hated my body. But I realized that I didn’t want to be that kind of role model for my daughter. I knew she would be more likely to hate and criticize her body if she watched me do the same. I also realized I wanted to be a good example of health, including having healthy eating habits. When my daughter turned 6 weeks old, I joined Weight Watchers and between that and breast feeding, I was able to get down to 152. While my body is not ‘perfect’ by the standards of our media, I love it more now then I ever have before. I finally came to realize how strong and capable my body is, how strong and capable I am. I was able to carry and nourish a life outside of my own. And this website also helped. I was able to look at other women, whose bodies are not that much different than mine, and see how beautiful all of these women are. Thank you.

-31 years old
-2 pregnancies, 1 birth
-1 daughter, 3 1/2 years old, 3 1/2 years PP

011310-anon-1

3 Months Postpartum – 2nd Pregnancy (Rachel)

Bonnie (SOAM) Back, Belly, Breasts, Butt, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Update 15 Comments

Original entries here and here.

Since I already have belly pics from both my first and second pregnancy on this site, these are all postpartum. As always, I welcome emails at rachelsigfried@yahoo.com. I’d also like to give a special thanks to Bonnie for blessing us with this site.

~Age: 29
~Number of pregnancies and births: 2
~How far postpartum you are: 3 months