Submissions

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.

New Mommy to 10 day old twins!!!! (Katie)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, NICU, Postpartum, Preemie, Submissions, Twins 16 Comments

I started reading this website when I first started getting stretch marks about 30 weeks into my pregnancy with my boy/girl twin pregnancy. I felt AWFUL about them. It consumed me so much I couldn’t even be excited about the pregnancy because every morning I woke up with more and more lines across my belly. I spent hour researching ways to get rid of them.

The day I gave birth to my babies changed my life forever. The second I saw that first little screaming face being lifted over the c section curtain I forgot about every stress in the world. My two little ones are my life now. My body will be scarred forever because of this pregnancy, but I would take any amount of body scarring to equal them being here and healthy. It’s not about me now, or having a good body. It’s about being healthy so that I can give nutrition to my babies and live a long life to always be there for them.

I attached some pictures of my belly at 10 days postpartum. I am still hoping the stretch marks fade – not gonna lie! But if they don’t it really doesn’t make a difference to me. My body is beautiful for the sole reason that it produced and nurishes the most beautiful and perfect babies in the world.

I hope that if anyone reads this while pregnant and stressed about your body changing to know that it’s all worth it. And you will know that the day your little one(s) come!

Also — I have lost a lot of the weight already due to breastfeeding (I gained 45lbs!! Down 35 so far). I would highly recommend it. Not only does your body go back to normal quicker (it burns cals and shrinks your uterus), but it’s so great nutritionally and for bonding.

There is also a pic of my little baby boy and my little baby girl! They were born at 34 wks 5 dys and he was 5’8lbs and she was 4’8lbs. Probably going to be leaving the NICU and going home with me before Xmas!!!! I love them so much I can’t wait!

~Your Age: 22
~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy 2 births
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 10 days post partum

30 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

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

Had my first child 30 months ago. My plan was to stay in great shape during my pregnancy and then work out after to get my body back to what it was. Well, single mom and working full time leaves very little extra of anything to accomplish this goal. But now priorities are very different. I am proud of what I can get done each day. I am grateful for my health, to include my saggy boobs that I have EARNED!

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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

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Mom shocked by diagnosis (Penelope)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Butt, Children with Health Complications, Mom over 30, NICU, Postpartum, Submissions, Third Pregnancy 10 Comments

Age 30

Hello Well my name is Penelope and I am a mom of 3 beautiful children. My oldest daughter is 7 with a normal pregnancy and birth my second daughter is 3 with a normal 40 week pregnancy and birth. But after She had not passed the meconium and the doctors noticed her belly was veiny and distended they rushed her to the OR at 12 hours old. She under went surgery to remove the meconium that had hardened in her intestine. While she is recovering in the NICU my husband daughter and I play the waiting game,finally the surgeon comes to tell us that they suspect Cystic Fibrosis is the culprit in all of this. What is that ? We were both blown away , we had no idea what all this meant. It was confirmed after genetic testing that she did in fact have Cystic Fibrosis. I was in tears for about 3-4 months after that. She was released from the NICU at 3 months old…..My husband and I always wanted a lot of kids, but after this shocker, we didn’t feel right bringing another baby with a life threatening disease into the world. Although we felt strongly about this we were happy to find I was pregnant again!!!:) We wanted to know right away if the baby had CF. I underwent a CVS test and the test revealed the baby was free and clear of all CF genes and was not even a carrier. And it’s a Boy!!! So much stress went into that test we had to wait 12 weeks before we could take it and another 2 weeks for the results…..Anyway long story short, my little girl is doing well .With with all her therapies and feeding problems she is a normal energetic kid…… We are so blessed, Have never looked back and keep moving forward:)

These pics are 18 months post partum
7 year old girl
3 year old girl
18 month old boy

Long Journey (Sarah)

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

Age: 25
# of pregnancies:1
#of births:1
6 mo. PP.

I had my son 6 months ago after gaining an astonishing 65 lbs while pregnant with him. I’ve struggled all of my life to keep weight off, and stay “attractive” so I was blown away at how hormones and the miracle of pregnancy can really change your view on things! I probably took things a little far, eating cake every night in jubilation at my newfound guilt-free eating…but it’s worked out okay.

I had a 46 hour labor, and finally got an epidural 45 minutes before he was ready to be born…I had an uncomplicated delivery…and was surprised when I came home to find that after giving birth to a 7lb 6oz baby that I only weighed 4 lbs less than I did at check in! (which was 182). I stayed at this weight for a good 2 weeks because I couldn’t lose the water weight from the epidural…I visited the Dr a couple of times to make sure there were no complications…but it was just my body’s way of dealing with the medication…to give me horrible edema that took another 6 weeks at LEAST to completely subside.

Now I’m at a solid 138, 6 months later. I didn’t push myself, I just walk around a lot and avoid cake ;) I’m kind of glad that it’s been a slow weight loss because the only stretch marks I have are right above where I got my bellybutton pierced…not bad at all. I also started doing meditation yoga in the mornings for 20 minutes which will tone those flabby arms RIGHT up! Anyway, the first pic is 19 weeks pregnant (I didn’t show for AWHILE!), the pregnant ones are one week before I gave birth, and the lingerie and bathroom picture are from yesterday. Women’s bodies are AMAZING!!!!!!!!! Go team!!!!!

Ode To My Scar (Colleen)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Reader's Favorite, Submissions, Update 29 Comments

I posted when I was 3 weeks postpartum about my feelings following a cesarean, and I wasn’t planning on posting again until I’d made some progress on my body, but I have had some thoughts that I would like to share (especially considering I’ve read several dissatisfied Cesarean mommy posts lately).

As much as I hated the necessity of a cesarean, I am somewhat fond of my scar. It’s very smooth (though still red), and aside from some numbness, doesn’t bother me at all—no stiffness or pulling. Sometimes I like to run my fingers over the smoother skin along the scar and remember the day I got it, the day I got to meet my sweet baby girl.

Anyhow, this is what I thought about: C-section scars are very unique. They are the only type of scar that is instantly recognizable (no other surgery causes an incision in the same place, same size, every person, every time). They are the only scar whose creation saved two lives instead of one. And they are a physical sign of a mother’s willingness to do anything for her children—even go under the knife.

A cesarean scar is a reminder that all of the planning in the world can’t make things go the way you want it to. It is a reminder that children will do what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. For those who avoided stretch marks, it can be a physical reminder of how your body sheltered and grew a baby all those months. And it is a souvenir of one of the happiest days of a mother’s life.

It occurred to me that a cesarean scar is kind of like a badge of membership in an exclusive club. Sure, we might not all have stories about where we felt that first contraction, or how long labor lasted, or how long we pushed (though some do), but we have birth stories of a different type. We did what we had to to make sure our children got here safely, and that’s what really matters. So, yes, I like my scar quite a bit, and I’m glad I’ll always have it to remind me of all of these things.

(As a follow-up to my last post, I’m doing much better with my feelings about the cesarean. I am very positive I can have a VBAC next time—unless #2 is also breech!—and that confidence has helped to dispel any lingering feelings of loss. The only time I’ve felt bad about it in the last month or two was when a friend had a 10 lb. baby vaginally, and I thought “why is that she can do that, and I couldn’t even deliver my 6 ½ pounder?” But I got over it quickly because I know my time will come. Now my only problem is waiting 3 years to find out if I can actually do it!)

My age: 25
One pregnancy, one birth
4 months +1 week postpartum (19 weeks)

Pictures (sorry they’re awkward close-ups, but I figured if I was going to write all about my scar, I needed to include pictures of it!):
My incision 1 day post-partum (for comparison–sorry it’s kind of blurry)
My scar today (19 weeks post-partum)
My little girl, because I love sharing pictures of her!

Updated here and here.

I did it! 9 Months PP Minus 60 Pounds! (Elissa)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update 16 Comments

Anonymous
Age of pregnancy: 22
Age now: 24

Previous entry here.

I just posted at 8 Months PP I had 5 pounds to go. Well, I made my goal 9 months pp! For all you ladies with those annoying women in your life that tell you what you need to do to lose your weight and constantly tell you how you should do it…Don’t listen…Do what works for you. I had a friend who gained about 42 pounds and lost it all within 5 months. She was a size 3 when she was 6 months PP and I was watching her try on clothes in a wheelchair at 36 weeks pregnant. LOTS OF FUN FOR ME! At 4 months PP she tried to get me to go on walks and do P90X with her. I had a C-Section and I still didn’t feel like my body was ready. P90X works but it killed my recovering body and after 15 minutes of doing it I wouldn’t do it again. I was so sore! My friend informed me that if I wanted to lose my weight I needed to eat fat burning foods…My friend didn’t breastfeed and I did…I started trying what she told me to do because I was in a rut…Well, I kept getting migraines and was getting really sick. I had to go to the doctor and they told me not to starve myself and eat lots of protien and enough carbs…DON’T LISTEN TO those know it all friends, they don’t help and take you off of what was working for you. Our bodies are all completely different and we will lose weight at the pace our body wants to lose it. My body isn’t what it once was, and my butt doesn’t seem to want to perk up for me…But I love it. I am finding that I grow to love my pooch on my tummy more and more because that’s where my daughter lived for 9 months. If anyone needs any pointers I will be glad to help with advice on what worked for me. I LOVE my food and eating right wasn’t even a challenge for me because I still ate yummy food, just ate the right amounts and watched my calorie intake. I also splurged on strawberry frozen yogurt. Good luck ladies, I know how it feels when you’re first starting out with the new baby and new body. It took me 9 months!

Updated here.

Not What I Expected! (Roo)

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

Age: 22
Number of Preg. and Births: 1
4 months postpartum

I’m going to try and make this as short as possible. I became pregnant in November of 08. Whoo was I surprised!!! I was so scared and happy at the same time. I had a very hard pregnancy, not because of health…but because my boyfriend was not happy. It still upsets me that I wasn’t able to share my happiness and excitement with him, talk about our future son, shop for baby things etc. We stayed together…which is still unbelievable to me. I didn’t know until the day I had our son if he was going to be around or not. I’m still not sure what made him decide to stick around, but I’m glad he did. He loves our little boy more than anything : ) Anyway, before I had our little boy I modeled. Most of what I modeled was swimsuits for Tease Um bikini. I thought my pre-pregnancy body would snap right back. Boy was I wrong! I have some stretch marks and loose skin. I feel so gross. I’m not really dealing with this very well. I don’t think my bf finds me very attractive anymore. I don’t know, I guess I’ll get used to it. All I know is that my baby was and is worth every imperfection I have now.