Submissions

Bringing Sexy Back with a New Body (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Butt, Child Loss, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Third Pregnancy 10 Comments

In high school, I was always a slender and athletic girl. At 6 feet tall, it was easy to put on 5 or 10 pounds without anyone noticing. I played a sport every season and enjoyed food.

When I went to college, I was the cliché: about 15 pounds, but lost it quickly, before my wedding. I got married after finishing my freshman year, to my high school boyfriend, and weighed 153 the day we got married. I was a size 10.

The summer before my senior year of college, we discovered that I was pregnant. It wasn’t what we had planned, but we adjusted and were very excited to meet our baby in the spring of 2004. I put on 61 pounds, including 12 pounds in the last week of the pregnancy. My body was so swollen and puffy.

My daughter was born 9 days before her due date and weighed 10 pounds and was 21 inches long. Within two days of delivering her, I could see my ankle bones again and was down 25 pounds.

Luckily, I enjoy walking and other forms of exercise, so I was able to continue losing most of the remaining weight in a healthful way. The stretch marks (which were so shocking at the beginning) faded to a silvery pink and don’t really bother me much.

We conceived our second child in June 2005. I had put on 50 pounds by my 35 week of pregnancy when I stopped feeling the baby move. We went in for a routine appointment to discover that our daughter had died. I delivered her two days later, in February 2006.

It was hard for so many reasons, but one of the least expected problems I experienced was coping with the post-pregnancy body without a baby to show for it. I wanted to scream, “This is baby fat–I just had a baby, but she’s dead!”

Support of friends, a precious husband, and a healthy workout pattern at the local Y helped me through those early weeks, and I lost 40 of the 50 pounds I had gained before embarking on our third pregnancy in April 2006.

We were blessed with a beautiful baby in December 2006, just 10 1/2 months after our second baby was stillborn. I was pregnant or breastfeeding 57 out of 59 months (through May of this year). My body was hardly mine!

Since then, I have been relishing the freedom to appreciate and use my body for myself instead of always setting aside my own needs for my children’s. I adore them, passionately and without reservations. But I am glad to have my body back, even though it’s not the one I started out with on this journey.

I currently fluctuate between a size 12 and 14, and weigh about 180 pounds. I work out 4-6 times per week, and will be running my first post-baby 5K later this fall.

Since having babies (all girls), I am more committed to appreciating the myriad ways our bodies are formed. The love handles, stretch marks, baby apron, and mis-matched breasts have their own beauty and give me a feeling of accomplishment.

I revel in the beauty I see on this site and all around me, and hope that our daughters (and their partners) will have an easier time of loving the female form than we have.










25 After 2 Kids (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breastfeeding, Breasts, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 11 Comments

I love this website. I felt like I was the only person in the world that had stretch marks! Seems like all my friends and family lucked out with pregnancy. I have stretch marks from the tops of my breasts all the way down to the backs of my knees. I’ve never been too self conscious just felt a bit like a freak, now I know I’m not. I love my kids ages 6 years and 10 months they are my world and I’m so happy to be their mother. I do sometimes get a little sad about the way I look after kids and breastfeeding but I just push through it I remember how lucky I am to have a healthy, happy and thriving family.





Update: 11 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

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

hi all i posted before here. just thought i would do you an update. I’m still breastfeeding, im still padded and probably will continue to be until i stop breastfeeding. I am however at peace with myself.I will get back to be being in shape again, but until then i have a wonderful husband that love me the way i am and two very gorgeous boys whom i love with all my heart. I was so miserable and insecure before but now im happy with myself.It can be done.To all the mothers every where, you are all beautiful!




7 Weeks (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Surgical Scar (Non-Cesarean) 6 Comments

I’m submitting my photo because I’ve finally come to terms with being a mother in the whole sense of the word, the best I can. I decided to accept the little changes and focus more on the moment, and in this moment, I could never have more joy in my life. I had postpartum depression after my first pregnancy. My second son was born 7 weeks ago, the day I took this picture. I like to say the top half of the stretch marks are from him, the bottom half are from my first. I had a natural delivery that was incredible and having an infant and being experienced this time has made all the difference. So naturally, I’d like to think I’m more accepting of the little things that come along with it. Unfortunately, one of the results of the second pregnany was gallstones, resulting in an emergency gallbladder removal a weeks ago…the three scars and one in my navel are from that operation. I feel incredible and proud of what I’ve gone through and how little I really care about it. I care about my kids. That’s the biggest lesson this stomach has taught me :)



My First and Only So Far (Anonymous)

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

On June 4th of 2008 God blessed me and my wonderful fiance with a beautiful baby girl!!! I weighed 114 going into my pregnancy and right before I had her I weighed 128… I didn’t have any stretched marks at all until the last week in pregnancy!!! I have a few purple ones on my sides and some white ones in the front… I am very worried that they won’t go away… I am trying everything… My boyfriend told me that I have all these beauty marks now from having our baby girl, and I am so beautiful!!! It makes me feel better, and also when I hold her I realize she was worth every mark on my belly!!! I am going to post some pics of before, during, and after I had her!!! 1) In this one I was living in Las Vegas, and I wasn’t preggers just yet! 2)In the 2nd and 3rd I am 5 and 8 months Preggers!!! 3) In the 4th my baby girl is here!!! 4) In the 5th I am one month pp… 5) Here I am now!!!








16 Months Postpartum (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Piercing, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 10 Comments

This is my body now…16 months after my beautiful child was born. I weight 211 at the time of her delivery and was 170 by 1 months post partum. At 6 months post partum I was still at 170lbs. At that time I decided enough was enough. It took me several months but now Im at 123lbs, which is almost 40lbs lighter then my pre pregnacy weight. I still struggle now, eventhough I know Im slim. I breastfed my daughter for 13 months and between pregnacy and weightloss I am left with small hanging breast and a loose abdomen. As each month goes by I try to learn to love everything about myself. Its a difficult task but one Im committed 2. I want my daughter to love herself so I think the best way to do that is to teach by example. I hope she never struggles with her body image because she’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! My original submission is here.



Worth Every Line (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions 1 Comment

This is my second pregnancy, my first left me with stretch marks everywhere. I knew I would get them, my mother got her fair share from me. I’m not upset at all by them though, i thought i would be but instead i watch my two year daughter and think she was worth every line. This one hasn’t left much- yet- he does still have around 7 weeks so he still has a chance. He has added to some of hers.. I’ve noticed little purple tips on some of the lines.




Irrational Jealousy and Blame (Jessica)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Breasts, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Piercing, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions 28 Comments

I started back at work 5 weeks postpartum and let me tell you…nursing (the profession) and nursing (breastfeeding) don’t go well together! In a 14 hr day I had the chance to pump one (maybe 2) times. It’s not really the “chance” to. I have to make myself stop what I am doing and go. I literally have to choose whether to pump or eat. I do paper work while I pump so I don’t get behind. I told my husband that I hope he likes saggy boobs because what goes up must come down…and being engorged for 5 hrs straight is not helping the matter!

I haven’t really had postpartum depression but I had a good breakdown this week. I will probably sound nuts, but I’m going to share this anyways. Since I’ve had Natalie, 3 of my friends have had babies…2 were born on the same day in fact! All 3 were born vaginally and none of the mommies got stretch marks. Even though I was supposed to be so happy for them, I felt this jealousy deep down inside that I couldn’t control. It then turned into this thought that I wasn’t supposed to be a mother because back in the day (before csections) I would have died in childbirth.

Now, a logical person would be happy for csections because it allowed me and my child to live through a child birth that wouldn’t have taken place. But, no…I continued to feel this negative feeling. Then, I couldn’t help but to think it (the csection) was caused by them inducing me. It was their fault. A logical person would think it’s a good thing that they induced me because my amniotic fluid levels were low. But no…I thought “well, they wouldn’t have even known if they wouldn’t have done that ultrasound at 39 weeks…none of my other friends had one done that late.” I mean, here I am with a perfectly healthy child wishing they wouldn’t have checked my fluid levels! Doesnt that sound pretty much insane?? I mean, I was crying my eyes out.

I can only explain it like this…a man who can’t have children feels like he has no manhood. Part of my womanhood felt like it was taken away when the “took” her out of me. I wanted to push her out and give birth to her. I have yet to say that I gave birth to her. I grew her and nourished her but I wanted to birth her….and my body has the battle scars. It makes me feel like less of a woman, I guess. And yes, maybe next time…but there wouldn’t have been a next time back in the day. (That’s the thinking pattern right now, and I do realize that it’s not optimistic but feelings are feelings).

Here are some photos of me before, during, and after the pregnancy. I’m 7 weeks postpartum.










Updated here and here.

So Brave (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Piercing, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Third Pregnancy 10 Comments

I had my 3rd child 7 months ago..I was so scared to look at my body after giving birth it made me sick..I tried so many things to prevent stretch marks, like bathing in fruits and veggies, I broke tons of vitamin e capsules and put it on..I am so self conscious of my body..I get so jealous of woman that can wear a bathing suit or even shorts, I got tons of stretch mark on my butt and legs. Looking at this site has helped me a lot, at first I was like I would never show my body but after reading almost everyones stories it has made me realize these marks and stretched skin is badge of being a woman and I’m not the only one. I think all the woman on here are so beautiful and brave to go through what they did (making a life)it makes me feel honored to have them.