Submissions

I was never all that proud of my body, I had gained some weight as a teenager and struggled for years to get it off. Finally when I reached a weight I was happy with, I got pregnant with my first child, at only 18 I was newly married. The pregnancy went well, I was proudly showing off my growing bump, I started getting stretch marks at 36 weeks, I was so upset! I struggled with my body after giving birth at 41 weeks, I lost the weight quickly and was back to prepregnancy weight by my postpartum check up. But I was still unhappy with my belly, and new stretch marks across my breasts from going from a B cup to a DD overnight when my milk came in. I ended up pregnant when he was 3 months old, I was shocked and unsure that I was ready, but we were excited none the less. I lost all the weight I gained through most of that pregnancy, only gaining 11 lbs when I delivered at 34 weeks, I was back to my previous weight by the time he came home from the NICU 7 days later. Taking care of two young boys helped get my mind off of my insecurities with my new body, I was able to nurse my new son for 6 months, and was so proud of what my body had accomplished. It was then that I found out I was pregnant, yet again. After the complications of my second pregnancy, I expected the same sort of thing, little did I know I had an easy road up to this point. Complications started at the beginning, at 15 weeks there was a partial placental abruption, I was advised to abort then, but I could not end this life that I had watched grow since 6 weeks. I spent all of my days resting as much as possible, and in and out of the Hospital and doctors office, I ended up giving birth by emergency c-section at 26 weeks. Yet another scar, this one spanned hip to hip, I was very self conscious of this new scar, I lost weight much more slowly, even though the stress of having a Micropreemie kept me from eating and sleeping like I needed. By the time I lost the weight I wanted, it was time for a new surgery, my scar was opened a little and so was my belly button. I ended up leaving my husband when our youngest was 2 years old, he always made negative comments about my body, making it hard for me to accept it. But the new man in my life loves my body, always commenting about how beautiful I am, stretch marks or not. Having his support has helped me start to accept my post baby body, and seeing that I am not the only one has helped me so much!

I had my daughter about 2 years ago. She was a beautiful perfect baby. I, however, gained about 55 lbs during my pregnancy with her. I wasn’t ready for the change it would make on my body. I am just starting to feel comfortable with my body, and will probably never be fully comfortable. I have lost most of my baby weight and am almost at my prepregnancy weight. I however still have the pouch. It is the one part of my body which I am extremely self conscious about.

I found out I was pregnant for the first time on Christmas day 06′. What I didnt know was that the following Feb. I was going to find out that at 20years old I was going to have triplets!! I couldnt believe it when we saw them for the first time! I never took fertility drugs and yet I got blessed with something that some women never have a chance to experience and that was a full family! I was pretty excited and very nervous at the same time, being that this is the first time I had ever been pregnant. The pregnancy has gone very well so far and my babies will be here in about 2 months…Ive been really scared about what I will look like when its all done and how the surgery will be. Ive never been in the hospital for me. So far I dont have any stretch marks which is surprising considering how big I am! I guess it helps that i was overwieght a few years ago and already had a few on mt thighs and hips and butt. So I guess im kinda reusing them. Seeing everyone on here and how comfortable they are with themselves has been a life saver because right before i got pregnant was when i was actually starting to like the way i looked and then i was worried that i would never like my body again. Now that ive seen all you wonderful mothers I dont care anymore, im doing something extraordianry and bringing three babies into the world. Deffinately something i never thought i would do! I knew i wanted children but i kinda had it planned out having one at a time! But things work out the way they are supposed to and apprently i was supposed to have these babies! I couldnt be happier because my babies are all freternal and they show how different they are everyday! Im having two girls and a boy. I cant wait to see them and be able to hold them with out there being skin and muscle in between us. I hope these pictures give someone an idea about how big you get in such a short amount of time! there is another mother on here that had triplets and in her pictures she got bigger than me!

Updated here!

this is me 9 months postpartum. my son was adopted by the most wonderful couple. i still get updates. he look just like my side of the family.

I do not want my photo on any article without being asked.

I would like to share on your site, but find my body extremely shameful and grotesque. It took strength to even photograph my mid region. A friend shared your site with me and it gives me comfort. I don’t know why, but it does. I am 29 years old and I now have 5 children. They range in age from 2-10. I am submitting 4 photographs. A B&W I took head on weeks after my 3rd baby was born in the year 2000. The other 3 were taken after my 5th baby was born. The one angled was when I was a size 6 but it still shows the obvious destruction the pregnancies have done. In fact, I am a roller coaster when it comes to weight and the smaller I get (I sported a size 4 for a bit) the yuckier the loose skin becomes. The other 2 I took this morning, after I found this site. The first time I’ve taken a head on photo of my ugliness. I developed a hernia with my 4th baby and it has never been corrected. I weigh 145lbs and fall between a size 10-12. I would like to have surgery but think I might have baby #6 first. I think it’s ugly for sure, but the baby is still worth it.

I had just begun to date a man the I loved before I even met him. We move in together almost immediately! Four months into the relationship, we witnessed the scary two pink lines on the preggo test. We weren’t ready, and we had many personal problems to face; Just moving in together, money, our jobs, legal matters…We just didn’t know how to pile a baby on top of all that. As time passed by, we were both in denial. We kept going out having fun, and after the first time we sat at our fave joint, and they asked us what we wanted to drink, I hit some level of realization that I have a little jelly bean in me. I guess you could say that I’m a 23 year old carrear loving, goal oriented woman, and I gave it all up for my son Ronan, whom I gave birth to after 21 hours of labor. He was too big for me to deliver vaginally. He got wedged in my pelvis. My epidural had worn off, so I was wisked away for a c-section. 15 minutes later, I kissed the chubby soft cheeks of my 10.8lb babe-arian (as my boyfriend and I like to call him) I’m pretty shallow about looks sometimes. I hate to admit, so I feared strech marks and sagging boobs or a vagina that was so streched out, that if the wind blew just right, you could hear the ocean from it. After I held my Ronan for the first time though, I didn’t care too much for how I looked. Now, writing this entry almost 2 weeks post partum, I look at the fading marks that will never go away and I’m actually proud of them. It’s a subtle badge that states I had a HUGE healthy baby boy!

Before I got pregnant with my daugther gabryelle i was very active, i am 5 feet 5 never been over 120lbs and i am very muscular. i am 24 years old and recently got married in january. my pregnancy was planned and i enjoyed it fully, it was the best experience , i had a natural labor and no difficulties.i gained 50lbs with my pregnancy, went up to a size 11-13 now i am a size 5 from eating healhty and walking 1-2 hours a day .my health is most important not the way i look. i breast fed for 6 months so my breast are now saggy and not as firm as they once were, but i still feel beautiful and my husband thinks i am as well, we must not be so shallow, its good to take care of our bodies because of our health, but not for vanity. we are all beautiful no matter what shape and size, and anyone critising a mother because of her new body is very shallow and insensitive , i wouldnt trade my body for anything, i look at my daughter and she is worth it, we are now 4 weeks pregnant with our second baby. bring it on stretch marks . and i must add all the woman on this site are beautiful mothers and this is a wonderful site to help with self esteem.

I’ve read so many posts on here from woman with body issues, of which i too can join the group, it makes me so sad to realise that its the scars we cause ourselves inside with constant self critizism that does us the real damage, not the surface ones our beautiful babes leave behind. I am 16weeks into my second pregnancy now, and each day when I check this site I feel a little more confident, a little more proud, this site truely does change lives. I so want to be proud of my body, because I should be. This pregnancy is a little difficult because of the weight left from my last one, and the saggy skin which hides my beautiful babe showing. I can’t wait until my ‘bump’ protrudes out into the world for all to see, heres to the beginning of this journey, and heres to this site, my sincerest gratitude goes out to you.

My name is Lissa, and I have admired this site for sometime now and have finally gotten up the nerve to send in my photos and story. I am at the point in my life where I can say “This is my body, and it is beautiful”. I have had 3 pregnancies, but only birthed 2 babies. I have nursed for ..about 27 months total. I will never be a size 3 again, but I would not really want to be. I am proud of my curves. I love knowing that my body has become a woman’s body. It is flawed and therefore perfect.

This is my very soft belly that my children absolutely adore stroking.

The extra skin you only see when I sit.

Me standing.

My body nourishing the next generation.

Every mother’s body is beautiful, hell, every woman’s body is beautiful! We are soft curves and warm places to nestle. We are the fount of life and milk. We are soft hair and sweet voices. We are curved smiles and breasts that sway invitingly.

Be proud of your body, revel in the form that is uniquely female. Do not hide your curves and be
ashamed. Be proud, know that through our bodies, the next generation comes to fruitation.