Love my 2 kids, hate my belly. (Anonymous)

The last time I posted on here was about 4 years ago..I had just had my first baby girl 5 months earlier. Before getting pregnant, I was a fit 5’5, 125 lbs. After she was born, my belly still looked like a small basketball. I had no stretchies, but I knew I wasn’t going anywhere without a blousy shirt. When I got pregnant with girl #2, I weighed about 140 lbs. I had her via c section (as I did with my first), and swore this time I would get my body back. No matter how hard I worked, it didn’t happen. I exercised, wore one of those stupid binders that some people swear by, ate healthy.. I felt (and still do feel) guilty that I have these amazing, healthy daughters that I love so very much, but I cannot come to terms with my belly. Saggy boobs, whatever..I can wear a better bra. Stretchies, got those during the second pregnancy, but who cares? Belly, like an even bigger basketball..horrendous! Even my belly button STILL sticks out, and my younger daughter just turned 1! I also still have a faint line all the way down my belly. I think I could live with a saggy baby belly…but mine is firm, has a HUGE diastasis separation, and has a deformed outie belly button. I wish we could afford a tummy tuck. I am glad my husband loves me just the same, but my self esteem sucks. I also worked SO hard to lose all my baby weight, and now that I’m back to 125 lbs I feel like I look worse that I did at 140..because the rest of me shrunk, but not my belly. Ugh. I just don’t get it. I have a good friend who gained like 90 lbs during her pregnancy, and lost it with NO effort whatsoever within a couple of months. It’s just depressing.

Becoming a Young Mummy (Anonymous)

Becoming a young Mummy.
Annonymous.
age: 16
number of children: 1
age of child; 6 weeks old.

first of all i was soo happy when i found this site. it gave me light that im not the only girl with a body like i have. im thankful and i walk around with my head held high now.

Having a baby at a young age is real rough. im lucky though i was fully supported through my whole pregnancy right through to labour. My parents were both dissapointed my dad to this day is still getting over it. My mum was sad she cried, we both did but she ensured me that she would be there for me. Im strong minded and i made the desicion to carry on with life as usual. i carried on with my schooling right until i gave birth to our beautiful baby girl. Without the support of my friends and family i wouldnt be in the posotion i am now. they all gave me strong words of advice and loving comments. i never felt put down unless i put myself down. my boyfriend was amazing aswell and his family. At her birth my our familys were there and our closest friends. at first i ddint think how my body would change. but boy has it changed alright. My belly is saggy and has heaps of stretch marks all over it. but i look down at my belly and say i went through a lot of shit for these and every single one of them represent a tad bit of what i would do for our baby girl.

Update – Proud Mother of Four (Anonymous)

Previous post here.

I just would like to share my current pics!! i am now 6 mths into my weight loss and though its been a long and slow process its process!!! As my posting stated at the time I weighed 169, I am now 154. I have lost a total of 38lbs so far and still have more to go. I love to hear people tell me how great I look and how skinny i look…of course with clothes on lol! It is hard work but totally worth it and its wonderful how my friends or random people tell me how I have inspired them!!

Positively surprised with my postpartum body. (Nancy)

Before I got pregnant I’ve seen many pictures of post partum bellies and I was worried that after my pregnancy my own belly will be ugly and pouchy and the skin strechmarked and saggy, but just a few days after delivery my body surprised me – I never expected I’ll look good, but now I’m very happy about my looks :)

~Age: 32
~Number of pregnancies and births: 1
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 2 weeks Postpartum

Only a Little Bit Happy (Cassie Leigh Macleod)

The truth is i am only just a little bit happy. I laid in bed (baby 11weeks and 5 days old) finishing off an embroidery piece my own mother started when i was born but then left half done and now i am hell bent on finishing for some reason although i don’t know why to be frank. So i laid there doing my sewing with my little baby girl Dahlia Grace asleep in her moses basket next to me and my wonderful handsome boyfriend asleep next to me and i had an overwhelming urge to wake him up to tell him that for the first time in a long time i felt a little bit happy. I decided against waking him up since i knew he’d be the one waking up to feed the baby before he went to work at 6am. I don’t know why i suddenly felt happy but it clicked for five minutes in a dark bedroom with a couple candles lit so i could see what i was doing, but id been so unhappy recently, mainly during pregnancy actually. i thought to myself that healthy eating and exercise must have given me this short burst of little happiness. On June 15th 2011 i had a boob job, 2 years previous id had all my teeth pulled out and veneers put back in, i’d got my bum on the treadmill and sweated 20lbs of fat off my body and was 132lb. Hard work to earn the money for plastic surgery and hard work in the gym was definitely worth it. June 2011 I felt amazing and incredibly happy, I was graduating from Uni that month, i had a new job and life seemed simply good. On June 28th i fell pregnant and 5 weeks later i found out. Life was going to get difficult but if i could mirror a similar relationship i have with my own mother then a difficult future was okay with me. On April 17th 2012 i gave birth to my daughter and I weighed 187lb, yes 55lb heavier than i was 10 months previously. When i gave birth to my daughter there were some complications and i’ll save the details but i wouldn’t wish my experience on my worst enemy. However i would go through that every single day if it meant my baby girl was safe. Thats what is most important to me. I felt elated when my baby laid on my jelly belly for the first time. I can’t express the enormity of love i felt for her the second i felt her skin against mine but any mother who has a warm heart understands this love. I felt the need to explain in this story of mine to you that regardless of how i feel about myself i would quite easily give anything up for my baby. So…back to being in bed with my boyfriend and feeling a bit happy, i have now lost 36 pounds and feeling very chuffed with myself. I’ve given myself the target to lose 50lb in total. Although i feel proud of myself for forcing myself to gym 5 days a week i cant help but feel old and saggy and gross when i look at my naked body. Great teeth and boobs but i see my tummy and i feel deflated in my heart just how my belly looks really. I see my brothers girlfriend and her perfectly annoyingly toned perfect lithe gorgeous body and cant help but feel genuinely crap about myself. i find myself getting angry at my brother for bringing her around me. It’s not his fault. The stretch marks on my belly hurt my heart when i see them and these ‘you’ve earned those stripes tiger’ quotes can absolutely bugger off because i’ve got a scar big enough to share with ten women by my vagina and that is the only stripe i will wear with pride, and i think thats enough. The health visitor is urging me to get therapy to deal with my self image issue because i told her in confidence when she asked about self harming myself, i told her through snotty grizzling how much i detested my body and that yes id had images in my head of dying. But lets face facts…the only way i can deal with improving my self image is exercise and potentially winning a scratch card to pay for some laser on these horrid red marks. I’m not going to write a story about being proud of my marks because my daughter and my vaginal scar are enough proof of what i’ve done and been through. The truth is i am only a little bit happy. In public or late at night in the dark. The truth is i am only very unhappy when i see a reflection of a 22 year old girl with a saggy belly and stretchmarks. My story isn’t meant to be motivational or a cry for help or even attention. Its a moment of truth from my much longer story and if there is one woman in this country who feels similar to me, and i know i’m not the only one, that will be for some reason…comforting.

I am Age 22. Baby Girl is 12 weeks old today (July 10th Tuesday)
Please see attached/below photos. 4 weeks pregnant with baby Daddy, 8 months pregnant and my daughter 10 weeks old .

Update (Anonymous)

Previous post here.

age: 23
pregnancies:2
births: 2
age of children: 2 and 3

It has been a little over a year since I have posted on TSOAM and it had been one heck of a year.
After I posted my first entry and reading some inspiring stories on here, I have decided that I cannot accept my body the way it was.
Not because I felt hideous but because I felt unhealthy (I was overweight at 4’11” 135-140 pounds)

Dancing was one of my biggest passion but because of my weight gain, I couldn’t do much. That’s when I switched gear and embarked on a journey to transform my body.

I’m not done yet, I haven’t reached my goal, but I did reach milestones.

I have lost inches off my waist and thighs (not sure how much though), dropped 10 pounds (currently teetering between 123-125), and I am able to dance again without feeling too much discomfort from fat flapping around (except I still kind of feel it in my tummy).

I hope to pass along the torch of inspiration to someone else as many of you guys have done for me and to remind you that your body is beautiful and if you’re not satisfied, you CAN do something about it!

here are my pictures.

How Quickly it Can Change (Anonymous)

After my second pregnancy I was told to wait at least 5 years before I have another because while on the table in a emergency csection I had a partial uterine rupture. I ended up getting pregnant 3 years later. So you can imagine the fear when the ept said pregnant. We got in for a emergency ultrasound and our little butter bean seemed to be doing well!

I called the Ob who delivered my first two and was in exactly two weeks later. I was starting to get excited about the miracle we had on the way (I was told I would never have kids and this would be my 3rd!). My excitement was shot down fast when the Ob walked in introduced himself and immediately went into my risk with going through with the pregnancy. “after reviewing your history I’m letting you know right away you are high risk, you have a 20% chance of repeat uterine rupture and that will make you lose the baby. It could also possibly kill you. With that said you also need to understand as you get farther along your risk will increase. You should probably think about if you want to continue this pregnancy. You have 2 other children and a husband to think about.” He said. I was in tears. Why? Why me? Why can’t I have a normal pregnancy? I cried through the rest of the appointment.

Later on at home my husband and I looked up abortion places. The doctor was right I can’t keep going when my risk will only get worse. I can’t leave my other two precious babies without their mother. We Looked up info and discussed it for a couple of weeks. The tears I cried were endless. I wasn’t happy with what I was told. I can’t end my little baby’s life. She/he has a heart beat.

I called my parents to tell them my I made my mind up. after all they needed to know, i was going to need all the support I could get. They weren’t happy with what I had decided no one was. But I was and my husband was thats all that counts. Eventually every one else will come around and accept it. Even though they constantly tried to change my mind, I stood my ground.

At my next Ob appointment I told them what I had chosen and it was done. No one could change our mind.

MY BABY wasn’t going to be aborted. I couldn’t do it.

I ended up switching obs. But not after having two more ultrasounds. One was a emergency ultrasound to check on “baby butter bean” after having contractions at 16 weeks. While in the ultrasound we were told baby bean was a Girl! We were happy! Announced to our friends and family as soon as I was discharged from the hospital! Three weeks later we were told our little girl wasn’t a little girl but a very PROUD little boy! The first ultrasound was wrong! I guess better to know now then wait until he was born and have all the wrong color stuff!

My high risk Ob was wonderful! He has been in practice for longer then I have been alive and even as taught a few years of school. I had ultrasounds every week to show early signs of rupture. If my uterine scar started looking thin he was going to take me to the OR.

After 2 rounds of steroid injections and making it past 32 weeks we scheduled the csection. It was coming close. My doctor didn’t want me to carry last 37 weeks and I was put on meds to stop contractions for the rest of the pregnancy. We were almost there!

On a Thursday morning we arrived at the hospital. This was it! I made it all the way soon my little boy will be in my arms and I can stop the worry!

I was prepped for my csection and off to the or we went! My blood pressure was a little elevated but other then that everything was great! We were there. The day that almost never happened! Then I got into the or….

We went through the normal stuff and then came time for the spinal. They had me straddle the table one leg on each side with a pillow to my stomach. “this isn’t how I did it with my other two I need a nurse in front of me and both my legs need to be on one side of the table” I said. The assured me it was fine. They are trained in this do they should know. The first injection went in perfect very little pain. Then came the second. That one hurt! I jerked a little but then they laid me down and finished getting ready. My Ob walked in and asked “how are you doing?” “I’m fine” I responded. He then went to his spot talked to his nurses and then started getting his things ready. He asked if I felt him touching my legs which I didn’t. Then a huge amount of pain overwhelmed me. I looked at the nurse next to me and said “as he started?” after looking over the drape she replies “yes” I looked to my side my husband wasn’t there. “where is my husband!? I can feel this where is my husband! He needs to be in here NOW! I can feel the doctor cutting me”. The nurse yells out “where is the dad?” a nurse runs out and get him. While she was gone I kept telling the one had my head I could feel the pain. She said I felt pressure I couldn’t feel pain. I’ve had 2 csections before this isn’t normal I thought. About that time my husband came in. He asked how I was doing and I told him I could feel it and started telling him what side I felt the doctor on. About that time I looked at my husband and said “something isn’t right”. He told the nurse I could feel it to do something but she blew him off also.

A few seconds later I look at my husband and say “here he comes” I felt my son slid out of my stomach. Immediately he started crying. Instantly I was relieved. He is fine. I told my husband to go don’t worry about me and he went to take pictures. I knew complaining anymore of the pain wouldn’t help. I focused in my little mans cry and dealt with the pain. Then I saw him. Love at first sight all over again. After about 3 minutes they took him to the nursery and my husband went to.

My focus was gone. The pain still there. I again told the nurse I could feel it and started calling sides to her. She still didn’t believe me. I gave up I fond a new focal point. The monitor, I watched as my blood pressure stayed above what it was when I went in. The anthesia makes blood pressure lower, it also will rise when your in pain. And the blood pressure was up it hadn’t gone down. Why didn’t they believe me? Your supposed To trust them.

I felt everything. I knew hen he was finishing, I felt every staple go into my skin. I was sent to recovery where I was welcomed by another nurse, my husband, son and mom. I took my son and just held into him. This day may not have been possible. What if I needed the pregnancy the look on that amazing face was worth every ounce of worry. Every tear was all worth it in the end.

Doing recovery I was asked how I felt. I had awful pain on my right side. Never have I experienced pain like that after a csection. I told the nurse about the pain and her response was “you just had a csection your going to hurt”. I looked her dead in the eyes “I know I will feel some pain. I’m not stupid I’ve done this 2 times before. But this pain isn’t normal SOMETHING IS WRONG”. But again I was blown off. Okay fine maybe I was over reacting. Every pregnancy is different so every recovery is different right?

I was sent to my room for the next few days a hour later. We spent time with family enjoying our new miracle. Our blessing. He was perfect. When my older two came to see him they were ecstatic! Everyone was over the moon! I DID IT! I beat the risk I made it through he was fine. My children still had their mother and my husband still had his wife.

On the third day which was discharge day my husband started getting things ready. We were getting to bring our son home.

The nursery was ready to discharge. Just waiting on final word from my Ob. When he arrived I told him how excited I was to get home. He checked me then gave me that look I only saw one time before from him. I knew something was wrong. Last time he gave me that look was when at first it looked like he would be delivering at 33 weeks until he rechecked my scar tissue measurements. My hopes were dashed. He said I wouldn’t be going home today.

My stomach was swollen, red and tender to the touch on the same side I had complained about and been blown off. I was told not to breast feed for 24 hrs given a pump to dump all milk for the next 24 hrs.

The pain was bad but I had given up on complaining. Maybe now they will listen? I was sent for a CAT scan which showed I had a bowel obstruction. I had to get a n-g tube and lots of other interventions to “unstop” me. I couldn’t hold my baby. The pain was enough to make the strongest person break down.

After 3 days they said I was better and sent me home. I was extremely happy. My family was going to be together again! We got home and settled. I was still weak walking up the porch steps made me out of breathe. I felt like I couldn’t move. But I had to keep going. I’m getting better.

After I few days my condition had not improved. It had worsened. I didn’t do anything. I could barley breathe without hurting. My husband had to do it all. I only did night feedings. It was so painful breastfeeding wasn’t possible.

Then it started, I was extremely hot but freezing. Okay great just the after baby sickness. It was about time my son was 2 weeks old. I took my temp and was shocked when it said 104.6 I don’t think I ever had a temp that high! I took some tylenol and my husband made me take a cold bath. To me it felt like I was jumping in water that was frozen! The next day my temp was still high nothing was bringing it down and my pain was so bad I was taking the pain pills to sleep. I called my Ob and was seen as soon as I got there.

He checked me “Ob side” I looked to be healing great from birth! I had lost a lot of weight but some people lose it fast. But I wasn’t eating. In fact I had a little bit of broth every day cause I had to get something. By a little bit I mean 2-8 spoons of it.

My Ob was concerned because of the barley eating and drinking, also the red swollen spot that had developed over my belly button. It was tender to the touch. He sent me to the general surgeon that saw me after I had the baby. He. Checked me out and said I had cellulites (skin infection) put me in antibiotics and secheuled and appt with the gastrointestinal doctor that saw me in the hospital. The appointment wasn’t until Monday of the next week. It was only Tuesday. So we went home and started treating my skin infection.

My husband seemed to be getting frustrated because I wasn’t eating or drinking like I should I only wanted to lay on the couch. I didn’t want to hold my baby. I didn’t want my other two to bother me. I honestly wanted to die. I was giving up my fight I’m not strong. I can’t do this anymore.

The time came for my appointment with the gi doctor. I still had high fevers even though I was taken my antibiotics as I was told. He took one look at my spot and said it wasn’t cellulites. I needed a ct to make sure it wasn’t a hernia but he knew it wasn’t cellulites.

The earliest I could get a ct appointment was a Wednseday. So we went home and waited. I was getting worse. To make matters worse the pain meds I was using just to be able to lay down and sleep at night were stolen! My husbands aunt took over 20 pills right out from under me! While I was laying on the couch telling her how bad my pain was. She did that while my husband was gone getting my other two from school.
The day of my ct we dropped the kids off with my grandmother and told them we would be back in a couple of hours. Gave kisses and hugs. My grandfather looked at me with Hirt in his eyes. I could tell he knew how much pain I was in. No matter how hard I tried to hide it. He kissed me on my head and said he would see me in a little bit.

When my husband and I arrived they made me drink more barium. That stuff is awful! I was actually thirsty for real drink after it. For the first time in days I wanted a juice! They gave me a blanket because I was freezing and had me wait cause they needed to call the doctor and have him look at it. They wouldn’t give me a juice though. I was highly upset about that.

After about 30 minutes they called is to a corner of the waiting room that no one was in and said I had to get to the hosptial. No going home and getting things get there ASAP! No answers as to way.

We got to the hosptial and I was admitted. Still no answers. I watched my nurse pour a huge cup of water down the drain because the doctor said I couldn’t eat or drink. I may be having laproscopic surgery but they are seeing if they could do it then. But why? We didn’t know. It wasn’t until 930 at night FIVE hours after we were admitted I was told over the phone I would be having surgery in the morning I had a little bit of infection in my pelvic area.

We didn’t know what to think still. We had no answers and I still had nothing to eat or drink! I wanted to go home and come back in the morning but they wouldn’t let me. I wanted my babies.

The next day at 200pm I was taken to pre-op gave hugs and kisses to my mom and husband and I love yous were exchanged. After that I was out like a light. I don’t remember much. My next memory was waking up and seeing my husband, my step daughter, my husbands exwife and her husband in front of my bed talking. I looked down to see I had the dreaded N-g tube again. Great! And passed back out.

My next memory was sometime the next day. I woke up to extreme pain. My nurse came in to change my dressings. I got enough strength to look. “what happened? Why am I like this” I was cut from under my breast all the way to where they did the csection. I was in tears. MY BODY WAS RUINED!

My surgeon came in a few minutes later and asked how I was feeling. “jerk how do you think I feel!” was what went through my head. I replied “I was fine till I saw what you did to me!” he then offered to do plastic surgery for me later on I’m the future. Yeah he just confirmed he is a jerk. I had cuts, bandages, staples and tubes all over my stomach. But why?! What is going on.

He later explained that the spot on my stomach was actually my colon. It had died and my body was trying to reject it. I was leaking infection into my pelvic area which my body was trying to protect myself against by forming a barrier around it the size of a softball. My stomach was full of infection and I had mrsa.

Wait mrsa? I didn’t have that 3 weeks ago going into the csection. I was healthy! How did this happen?

Turns out the bowel obstruction never really healed. I have my theroy of how the mrsa happened. Remember the nurse left to get my husband. She left the or to get him. When she came back she went back to her spot next to the Ob. She wasnt gone long enough to scrub back in and she touched the door. She never changed her surgical gear. I’m pretty sure that caused me to get it.

I spent 2 weeks in the hosptial recovering. I was told another 24 hrs I would of been dead. What saved me was my age and the fact that they took the my son before he was ready. My body fought like lt was still pregnant.

We celebrated Easter and my daughters birthday in my hosptial room. Not the best but I wasn’t dead so that counts.

I was on antiotics the whole stay. I ha to have 48 hours of Iv nutrients before I was allowed to eat real food since I hadn’t eaten in awhile. I was also given 2 bags of blood.

Now its been a little over a year. I’m still here. I’m not as healthy as I used to be but my kids have me. I fight self esteem issues sometimes but it’s gotten better. I will wear a two piece to the beach, pool, or lake. The stares don’t bother me as much anymore.

My scar is proof I am strong. My stretch marks are proof of love/life/hope/ and miracles. I am a fighter. Even when I wanted to give up I kept going. No matter what was thrown at me. But it goes to show How quickly things can change

Finally gaining acceptance for my “mummy body!” (Sonja)

Age: 20
Numer of pregnancies: 1
Number of children: 1
nearly 13 months postpartum

This website is awesome – finally somewhere I can share my feelings & get some understanding support! Ever since falling pregnant & having my son I’ve felt extremely isolated about my new “mummy body” & felt as if no-one understood me when it came to my body issues. I fell pregnant as the age of 18 & had my son when I was 19. Before having him I pretty much had the perfect body in my eyes & never ever had any issues with myself – that soon changed as the pregnancy pounds piled on! I put on 2 stone 9 pounds in total which doesn’t seem a lot but to me this was a major thing for me to deal with as I was always only just the right weight for my height. It’s taken me nearly 13 months to loose nearly all the pregnancy weight but I’m feeling so much better about myself & have started not getting so worked up over the fact that I don’t have that so-called perfect belly.

My main issue with my new body was my stretchies – I HATED them with a passion & I’ve been known to cry about them quite a bit too. I got them when I was 34 weeks pregnant & I got them on my boobs, my belly, my hips, my bum & all over my legs including the backs of my calves! Over time they have faded lots but to me they’re still quite a hang-up but thankfully I’m learning to accept them. Only a few months ago i managed to finally bare my legs out in public again which was a huge step for me. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to gain enough confidence to be able to wear a bikini again & I ahte those all in one swimming costumes but am still to concious of my belly to get it out in public. One of my favourite quotes that always cheers me up about my stretchies is: “Your body is not ruined – you’re a goddamn tiger who earned her stripes!” =D

I just wanted to share how I feel & share a few picture of my pregnant belly & how I am now so that other mummies who may be feeling the same as I have been know that they’re not alone & that in time they’ll be able to feel better about themselves & what-not.

Must say though, I wouldn’t change having my “mummy body” for the world as without it I wouldn’t have my gorgeous litlle boy & he’s by far worth every single mark I have & every single pound I gained! Love my son millions <3 =) xx pictures incuded - 8 week bump, 40 week+ overdue bump, nearly 13 months postpartum front view, nearly 13 months postpartum side view, me & my son Jakoby (photo taken by my lovely fiance) [gallery]

Stretch Marks Are Beautiful! (Ashley)

Age: 22 Pregnancies: 1 Births: 1 age of child: 5 months, 5 months PP

I met my husband while working at a restaurant in my hometown. I was 16 and his parents owned the restaurant. His name is Samuel and he is 7 years my senior, needless to say, everyone doubted our relationship. However, we fell in love very quickly and dated for 3 years before finally tying the knot on June 20, 2009. Very soon after we decided to have a baby. Much to our dismay, we discovered that I have PCOS and getting pregnant would be a difficult task. Being only 19 a few doctors refused to help me (that is a whole other story). Finally, we found a truly wonderful doctor and after almost 2 years of trying we were finally pregnant! My pregnancy was very rough in the beginning. I was very ill most of the day and didn’t sleep well at night… I lost 25 pounds in 2 months. None of that mattered the minute we heard the heartbeat. My husband (who was away on business) drove all the way home to South Carolina from Ohio just the be there! It was a wonderful time… On February 6, 2012 we welcomed Sydney Elisabeth by cesarean… She was health, beautiful and BIG… 9lbs. 7oz and 22 inches long. My figured was ruined lol… At first I struggled with it but my husband is a wonderful man and he tells me everyday that I am still just as beautiful as the day he met me. Sydney is our world and I would do everything the exact same way… My stretch marks may be repulsive to some and I may never wear a bikini again but to me they are a reminder of the most blissful time of my life so far. To me and my Samuel, my body is perfect and my stretch marks are BEAUTIFUL!!

In my golden days – a butter face at best. (Anonymous)

I’m 21 years old, I have two kids. One just turned 2years old, while the other just turned 8months a few days ago. Both natural births, pretty much perfect the only good thing. I was only actually pushing for 10 minutes with the first baby and 5minutes with second baby, my labors were a breeze. I’m so lucky in that sense. I’m 8months post partum. I had them very close together. I never got the chance to really get back into shape when I became pregnant with my second child. I was down to a normal weight from breastfeeding, but I never really got the chance to work out and really tone myself up. I had known my husband for all my life.He knew me when I was still very much in shape. He’s told me how he was intimidated by my abs, and how fit and good looking I was,(I danced and played softball [catcher]) and how doughy I am now. I’ve always struggled with body image. I have always been a inwardly materialistic person. I don’t judge others, when I see others I think everyone is beautiful, but when I look in the mirror, at myself, I see the one person in the world that’s Ugly, most likely Inside* and Out*. My husband one time told me that people have told him I was* a butter face (everything’s good but her face) But now I wouldn’t even be considered that really. But in my “golden” days At least I had a body to speak of.

My life is pretty messy right now. I’m getting a divorce. He could claim that flirting with girls, telling them “If I wasn’t married I’d come save you” and emailing himself nude photos of these girl so he could keep them but delete them from his phone (hiding it from me) was acceptable. I Never confronted him about the photos ever. I knew what his response was.

He’s always wondered why I have body issues telling me “I love you darling, and you are perfect to me, that’s what matters, I find you sexy” But a lot of the burden of my issues became magnified 3 weeks after I had my first child, I found saved pictures of a girl he dates (a woman who shared my name) in her sexy halloween costume (it wasn’t even August yet….) and of her doing her “pole dance” routines. She has a wonderful body. I couldn’t help but think “this is the girl he wants”

He never really helped me with the kids, and I’ve always picked up the slack, I never got ME time. I never shopped for myself. I gave everything and received nothing, and to me this was normal, and not toxic, to me I still see it as acceptable behavior.

I was texting a co worker- a male. He sent me a photo of himself with his ‘hair’ cut; it was provocative, but unprovoked (unlike my husbands female counterparts where he’s asked for them) He found it, I left my phone in the car with him, cause in my eyes I had nothing to hide, he got the text.

This to my husband WAS cheating. in HIS HEAD i was a whore, who had sex with this man and did terrible things. He berated me in front of his family brought them all in, people I loved as much as my mom and dad. People who treated me like family and he painted me this snake, something awful. I was shamed in front of people I loved dearly for something that wasn’t my fault. Maybe talking to this man was a bad idea, but much of the time I was talking about my issues with food, how I had been restricting my diet, how my felt about my mother in law who to me is my MOMMY was dying of cancer, how I didn’t know how I could handle her death. how I didn’t know how to handle Sergio’s reaction. How what he’s done hurt me. This man listened, unlike my Husband. And he would try to flirt but i ALWAYS drew a line telling him “I’m a married woman and in no way will I betray my Husband ” He sent the photo and in the end I took responsibility for it, to me my actions were still inappropriate and I am not excused.

But never were his, but he felt they were.And to me – that was enough.

My husband was my first love, first kiss, and he took my virginity. I believed all his words.

We are now separating and divorcing – he’s been dirty and so completely opposite of what I thought I married – he’s been a monster. He kept me from my kids for a month with bogus protective orders and played the court like a toy. (they didn’t appreciate it in the end and i now have my kids)

I didn’t eat much this entire month, I honestly can’t recall eating anything. I must have though otherwise I would have passed out – I nearly did in court.

I missed my oldest sons 2 year birthday. It killed me, I still cry about it sometimes.

I drank water hoping to drown myself. My only thoughts were “Soon this will be over and I’ll have my kids i can only speak the truth and the truth will guide me to my children (it did) And in this moment I can’t bare to eat is a moment I can have my body back – I’ll be skinny soon enough”

I have terrible wrinkles from where I guess my skin stretched and jammed together like a spring set loose. I have two belly buttons it weight. dragging down. I want it gone.

I still can’t eat much, my body has gotten used to such a small amount of food that it sickens me to eat, and when I do I feel disgusting. I just want to be the size i was when I started to date Him.

16 – maybe it will be a reset button. I don’t do it for other men – I don;t think any man will accept me with two children. At least not in the town I’m in, but this place is all I know. My life is pretty much over but at least I can be happy with my body. And make my children’s joyous and fulfilling. for me though all i Want is to look in the mirror and say “wow flat stomach skinny waist beautiful collar bone, gorgeous legs, and a cute butt”

I reached 150lbs with my first pregnancy, dropped to 135 Until I got pregnant again and reached 155 lbs with my second.

I am now 120lbs, But my stomach is still there. I want to get down to 100. I’m doing INSANITY. even with my minute diet. I wake up feeling smaller, But i fear its all in my head and i’m diluting myself

I’m afraid I’ll never get rid of this saggy wrinkly thing. I’ll always have a “w” and a double belly button. that when I’m laying on my side this GROWTH will roll over lazily like jabba the hut.

I feel like even if I don’t seem like a terrible person with my story – I know I am a terrible person in some way. I know I am. I’m not good enough for anyone. Inside or Out. I read some of these entries and cry wishing i could be half the woman these gals are. But I have these two amazing boys, my only blessing. My only gift. The only thing that makes my heart worth beating.

And people tell me to be proud of my belly cause they were the result – but I see them, and they are in my heart. I don’t need this belly I don’t have to be proud of this belly.

For me I see this belly as a curse, maybe if i was a better person god, the cosmos, whatever would have blessed me with the ability to be skinny.
That my life would have fallen like puzzle pieces instead of shattering like glass.

I have to rebuild everything that I worked so hard to gain – and in the end I feel like “what if I really am just a worthless weight, and this belly is just showing me how true it is”

thank you for this website it’s an inspiration and this has been a great outlet.