Teen Mom

My Story with Lily (Marissa)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 8 Comments

my age is 17 and my name is Marissa
one pregnancy, one birth
my daughter, Lily, is 7 months

Hi, my name is Marissa and i am 7 months pp with my first child, Lily. I am a teen mother and the past year has been a life changing experience! I met her dad during my sophmore year and we were good friends for about 4 months. We both have never been in a serious relationship and fell in love with eachother quickly. After two months of dating, we got pregnant. I had sex because i thought he wanted to and that what all my friends did. Were both shocked since we used a condom except during or a few days after my period.We felt completely stupid, since we both recieve good grades and never partied or anything. No one ever had a sex talk with me and our school promote no-sex at all and i had no idea it was possible even if you were n your period. I only thought you were fertile 2 weeks after a period so we had unprotected sex thinking it was alright. I know i was wrong, and i learned sooo much about babies and sex during my pregnancy. Im kind of angry at my parents and school for not teaching us about birth control and how pregnany happens so easily. But over all, it was our fault. We did the deed. I hid my pregnancy for about 5 months from my family and friends. I was in denial and kept thinking maybe i wasnt pregnant, and if i was, i will simply get an abortion. My boyfriend and I were very lost and afraid and we desided to tell his mom last year on valentines day and she FREAKED. She told us abortion was the only way and i had to tell my mom. I did the next day and she cried. My boyfriend and I left to go out to eat while my mom told my angry step dad, who didnt talk to me for months. My boyfriend started to cry when i described abortion to him when we were out, i was so far along that i felt her kicking and we both knew that life was growing in me. My mom then took me to plannedparenthood the next day where they told me that no one will perform an aboriton since i was only 16 and so far along. That was fine by me because the more i thought about it, i couldnt do it. But my bf family thought adoption was our only option, but my mom was very supportive on what choice i wanted to make. She told me, if theres a will theres a way, and so i thought that i can do this. I desided to keep the baby and my boyfriend wasnt to happy but he said he loved me and i knew what i wanted more than anything. I was’nt strong enough for adoption and i was happy with the choice i made since mine and his family bacame VERY supportive! I gave birth in July, me 16 and my bf 17.He, his mom, my mom, and my sister wathed me give birth after 17 hours of difficult labor. His family, and mine, fell in Love with Lily right away. and so did I. I knew i can do this! For the months i was pregnant, i was online alot and read soo much about babies so i was kinda prepared to what to expect. It was a rough few months since i had difficult breast feeding. I breast fed for five months and she is so wonderfull! She is a very happy baby and very outgoing! She has been hitting her milestones early and has been doing great. Nick, my boyfriend, is still with me and we have been doing very well. Lily is a daddys girl and i love it how i have such a wonderull, loving supportive boyfriend, friends and family. I still go to school and im in my junior year. We both are still on the Honor Roll and im taking a course to get my STNA by this summer. =] I love Nick and Lily so much and im glad i was able to do this.

These pics are of my belly, 7 months pp. I am 5 ft4 and was 130 pounds before i got pregnant. I was 186 when i gave birth, igained 86 pounds! But being 7 months pp, i am now 150 pounds. and still trying to lose weight. I have body image issues, even though Nick loves my jelly belly.

Updated here.

Hating my new body, but loving my daughter. Teen mom. (Lindsey)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 36 Comments

Age- 17
First pregnancy and first birth to my daughter.
Cesarean (couldn’t dialate past a 6)

Hey everyone, my name is Lindsey. First off I want to say I love this website, and everyone on it who shared their stories… I had to debate if I wanted to post my story on here because I was scared to for the longest time, but everyone’s stories made me feel like I could do it too.

I was 16 when I got pregnant, and 17 when I had my daughter. Me and my boyfriend have been together for 2 years, he tells me that he loves me for me, but it is really hard for me to accept it.. Through out my whole pregnancy I was doing great, I didnt have morning sickness and I wasn’t moody, I was a happy pregnant person, until 32 weeks came around.. I noticed a tiny stretch mark on my butt, I was worried and I started freaking out, but then I got over it because there was nothing I could do about it.. Days started passing and more stretch marks started to appear.. I am now covered in stretch marks, I have them on my butt, my boobs, my stomach, the front of my thighs, the back of my thighs, the back of my calves, theyre everywhere… My nipples have gotten huge and dark, and my boobs are like pancakes now. I can’t help but be upset about it because I feel disgusting. I have the most difficult time looking in the mirror and I cry every time I see myself naked. I hated my body before I was pregnant, but now I miss it more then anything in this world.. I go to sleep crying, I wake up crying, I just can’t stop crying, I’m crying right now just writing about it.. I feel so unnatractive and I feel like if me and my boyfriend ever split up I’ll never find a man who will think I’m sexy. I mean why would a guy want to be with me when there is other girls out there who don’t have the type of body I have.. Like, I’d feel like if they were with me, they’d always have that thought in the back of their head of being with a girl who’s more fit and doesnt have stretch marks.. So I feel like if a guy ever calls me beautiful, or sexy, he’s just lieing. I don’t think Id ever be comfortable in any relationship with those thoughts in the back of my head, which would eventually cause the guy to leave me because he’s tired of me complaining about it. My boyfriend gets upset when I talk to him about it too, because I ALWAYS feel like he’s lieing to me, because I know Im ugly and my body is disgusting.. I could ramble on for hours about that subject, I just want people to understand what Im saying.. I weighed 145 before I got pregnant, and then weighed 190 at the end of my pregnancy, and now I weigh 168. I dont even feel like exercising or anything to go back to my normal weight because what’s the point in losing weight if I’m never going to feel good about myself? Has anyone else felt like this, I feel alone.. I dont think I’ll ever be happy with myself. I love being a mom and I love my daughter more then anything in this world, but I feel so nasty when it comes to myself and the way I look… Someone please help me accept this…

1st picture- Before I got pregnant.
2nd- Me 4.5 weeks post partum (I’m 5+ weeks right now, but look the same).
last- My daughter Nova who was born on December 23rd, 2009. Picture was taken on Christmas at the hospital right before we went home.
I would’ve taken more pictures of myself then what I did but I couldnt because I’m to embarrassed..
These pictures dont even do any justice of what I look like in real life.. =[

Updated here.

My Beautiful/Crazy Motherhood (Nichole)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Four or More Pregnancies, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Teen Mom 6 Comments

~Age:23
~Number of pregnancies and births:3 & 3
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: ages 7, 5, 2

Well this site just made me feel 100% better! Let me start from the beginning! I was 15 when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I am 5’2″ have been since the age 14 & I weighted about 115/120 lbs. By the time I went in to have my first little girl I was 16 & weighed 175 lbs. I remember waking up one morning for school & putting on my “big” overalls at 9 months pregnant & busting the ties on the sides of the overalls. I cried .. a lot. But my pregnacy went great & my labor was new, so it was painful & emotionally draining but nonetheless it went good. My daughter was 7 lbs even & beautiful. I was a single mom at 16 but I had my mom and family & it was great. Then at the age 18, I started dating the same guy, (just fyi he is also the same one I lost my virginity to, and now is my wonderful husband almost ten years later) I got pregnant again. This time I weighed about 120 & when I went to to have our son (6lbs 4oz) I weighed 140 & miraculously weighed 125 when I left the hospital. We had a lot of problems & we split up. Then 2 years later we were back together & I got pregnant with our 2nd little girl. I weighed about 140 when I got pregnant with her & 160 when I had her. Then this in Feb’09 we finally made official and got married. I guess after all that babbling the entire reason for my post to begin with is that, I’ve been with my (now husband) on & off for nearly 10 years. He remembers the pre-stretchmark, pre-baby gut me & I always feel like he couldnt possibly be attracted to the me i am now. But finding this site & realizing im not alone in feeling that way really helped me. We are beautiful & stretch marks & baby guts are what makes us the mommys we are! & if my husband has been around through 3 baby & hormonal pregnancies and is ok with it then I can be ok with who i am & how i am. P.s. we’re now expecting baby #4 in september. I’m about 6 weeks! Cheers to all you beautiful moms!

Almost 2 ½ years later and still unhappy (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 42 Comments

I got pregnant at the age of eighteen and gave birth by nineteen, I am now twenty one. My beautiful baby girl is two and three months old. I love my baby girl but I hate my body. I’ve always had problems with my weight, one minute I would be overweight and the next I would be under weight. Just before I got pregnant I was bouncing between 107 lbs to about 118 lbs and 5’1 tall. Those were good days for me. By the time I reached full term in my pregnancy I weighed 162 lbs. I figured it would be no problem to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Eight months later I was at 125 lbs and looking good, but then I started working full time and I am a single mother and by the time I got home from work every day, I just didn’t have the energy to work out. And to make matters worse, I work at a desk all day so the physical activity is limited.

Before I knew it, I was back up to 146 lbs and all of my toning was gone. I know it’s not good to obsess about how you look but I’ve always been self conscious and it’s more than just how I look to me, It’s how I feel. I feel drained and depressed most of the time and most days now, I can’t seem to will myself out of bed in the morning. I’m missing days of work and missing out on life.

I’m trying my hardest to cope with the way I feel but it’s hard. Most of my friends that have had children all seemed to go back to normal after so I can’t talk to them about it. The funny thing is, is that I really want to get fit and start enjoying life but the depression is holding me back. Most of the time I just want to hide under a blanket and drink coffee all day.

The thing I hate most about my body is definitely my baby pouch. No matter what I wear it still sticks out and folds over and when I sit down it really looks bad. I feel like people are staring at it and thinking that I am gross or something. And why is it that you can never find underwear that will conceal it and make it look flat. I have tried all kinds of control underwear and all they do it push the fat upwards so you have extreme back fat (not so attractive). I don’t know maybe I’m just being crazy but this all seems very real to me.

Sometimes I really think that I should have held off on getting a job until my little girl was a little older so that I could have enjoyed our time a little more without all the added stress (my job is a legal job and not the easiest). But then I think that I did the right thing in being able to secure a future, however, it cost me my sanity and my body in the end. One day I hope to feel better and look better because I don’t want my little girl to start noticing how unhappy I am and start showing signs of the same behaviour. If things do get better for me I’ll be sure to post an update.

Thank you all for listening.

Updated here.

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

The new body that my son gave me (“Anonymous”)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Teen Mom 14 Comments

Age: 18
1 pregnancy, 1 birth
6 weeks postpartum
Teen mom

Me and my sons father were together for 8 months when I knew he was the one I wanted to spend my life with, despite our age difference (I was 16 he was 21) we were madly in love with each other. He never pressured me into doing anything that I wasn’t comfortable with. When I was good and ready, I chose for him to be the one I gave my love to. We used protection maybe 5 times and after that it was just very uncomfortable and painful I never got use to them (condoms). My parents and his parents have a good history together practically best friends but one day when I didn’t come home, I was kicked out of my home, but he was there with open arms as were his parents. Our parents talked and even though it was hard my mother let her last baby leave the nest. Me and my parents are very close and we have unconditional endless love for each other. Ok back to us…we lived with his parents for a short time and then moved into a place of our own. We had unprotected sex for a whole year until we decided to have a baby :) January of 2009 I took 3 pregnancy test and all three were positive, we were both so happy and overwhelmed we didn’t hesitate to spread the news. Both our parents were filled with joy and supported us all the way. I delivered a beautiful baby boy September 2009, I had a great delivery with no complications what so ever. I had no idea what it felt to be a mother until they brought my little man and I held him for the first time, it was love at first site yet again. Before I was pregnant I weighed 150 pounds I’m 5’9 so I didn’t look bad at all but for the whole year that me and my boyfriend lived together I went from 150 to 185 :( sad i know. I still didn’t look so bad and I actually liked the way I looked at 185, for the first time I was actually kinda curvy. The day of delivery I weighed over 250 pounds I wasn’t so surprised since I ate everything in site when I was pregnant. I left the hospital probably about 15 pounds lighter and with a belly full of stretch marks, today I’m 6 weeks postpartum and 200 pounds so I lost a couple pounds yay :) I thank this site for helping me cope with my new body, us women have such a special power, we bring breathing, crying, kicking, screaming life into this world and we should be proud. Here are a few pictures of me before pregnancy during and after. I’ve also included a picture of my uneven boobs that look awful but I would go through this all over again just to see my beautiful son every day. Thank you every one and god bless :)

Mummy of one and one to come with major self esteem issues (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Teen Mom 38 Comments

Im 19, i had my child on the 5th novemer 2008 she is now almost 12 months old
I am currently pregnant im 21 weeks

Iv always had self esteem issues mainly because i had to try match up to me perfect sister! she is skinny beautiful and very talented and i was just the chub kid my dads side of my family loves me very very much but my mums side not so sure i feel like i have to be a certain standard to gain there love which is pretty sad. I feel intimidated when i am around them the only time i click with my mum is when shes drinking. And my sister well we never get on shes too good to be speeking to me She was Ms Queen Bee in primary school and high school and she still is and shes 22!!.

Thats where my confidence really dropped didn’t help i got called fat as a kid and throughout high school so i started turning to drinking and smoking pot and ciggies to try fit in and that made it worse i got my self quite a name. The only reason why i would get a chance with guys is because of my breasts in my bra they looked nice and perky i am a DD even when not pregnant, but with out a bra they go south. Very South so i have never showed anyone so you guys are the first people to ever see my boobs!.

Up untill this day i dispise the body i live in i hate it everything about i hate i can’t even look at myself in the mirror with out bawling into tears i try and accept but i can’t i don’t want to feel that way about my self but i can’t help it. Pregnancy didn’t really change what i looked like just a few stretch marks and extra baggage.

my dad always told me i was beautiful and god loved me the way i are but it just goes in one ear and out the other like i crindge when my bf sez im a sexy mumma and im perfect i hate it it drives me nuts!! i always say stop telling me im beautiful and perfect when im not i know what i am so don’t tell me different he gets quite annoyed because of my confidence issues but he doesn’t know anything about it since his skinny and muscely its like OMG i feel so left out from the world guys take one look at me and laugh or give me a look like omg what is that. I hate it i don’t want my kids growing up knowing there mummy hates her self iv tried loosing weight hundreds of time but i can’t. What the heck is going to happin to my body after the 2nd baby! ??? its bad enough now as it is.

I can’t explain how i feel about my self to anyone untill i came across this site:)
but it really does make me sick looking at my body naked
Im a Christian i do everything a christian is to do i sponsor’d a child i donate to charity i live by God but i just can’t accept ‘Me’ i’v tried preying but nothing happins.

Engaged, Lost and Saggy… (Autumn)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 21 Comments

Hi My name is autumn I am 19 and a mom of a 8 month old son, I also among those of you is a teen mom, I found out I was 2 months Pregnant on my 18th birthday and Had my son a couple months shy of my 19th birthday, I am engaged to my sons father but I still HATE my stomach I feel like he dont want me anymore and im just there because of my strechmarks and my stomach and other areas, I had to have a emergency c-section so I have a scar thats Ugly, I Hate the way I feel and I wanted to post this and see what your comments on my stomach, is it like yours? am I the only one that stomach looks like mine? My strechmarks have faded some they were bad, I gained 75 pounds when I was pregnant, and he weighted 9.5, I went from a size 1 to a size 7 can someone help me? How can I loose it? Is there any hope for me?

I am 19 yr of age
1st pregnancy and 1st child
and my son is 8 months old as of now.

The first picture is before I had My son
The second is when I was 9 months pregnant
and the Last ones are 8 months after haveing him

Updated here.

A young mommy of 1, 10 months later (Anonymous)

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

Coming across this website has given me reassurance that I’m not the only one out there struggling with my post-partum belly. Seeing pictures and reading inspirational stories only motivates me more than ever! I realize that acheiving my ideal body is possible.

I have to admit that I have always thought down upon my body. After having my first child, my son, I now look back and realize what was I complaining about in the past?! I had a really good body! I believe that what I felt was normal, teenage thoughts of, “I’m fat”. But in reality, I was fairly petite all along.

I became pregnant at 17 years old after only dating my boyfriend for four months. It was unplanned and shook my world. I took full responsibility of my actions because let’s face it, we all know what we are doing when we are doing it! (for most situations anyway). My decision–OUR decision–to keep our son, has been one of the best choices I have ever made.

I had the best pregnancy I could have asked for. I actually fear the next baby, whenever that may be, because it will be complete opposite of my first pregnancy! ( :0D ) I had no morning sickness, no crazy mood swings… just a relaxing, exciting, joyful, pregnancy that I spent preparing for the biggest 180 life-changer.
The only downside to the pregnancy was gaining 45 pounds that I didn’t worry about while pregnant and didn’t realize would be hard to take off after. Also, the deep, long, reddish/purple stretch marks that I accumilated on my stomach, sides, thighs, and even the back of my knees.

I went into labor naturally at 40 weeks, 1 day at 5:30p.m. the day of Thanksgiving 2008. With no epidural and after 15.5 hours of labor and 30 minutes of pushing, I delievered my healthy 9 pound 5 oz., 21 inches long, baby boy at 9:43a.m. the next day.

Having my son has kept me holding onto my dreams. I believe that without him I would still be partying and doing things that would have let my goals in life slip away. I want my son to look up to me and that means doing the right things: I am going to school to become a RN, I quit smoking ciggarettes (nothing against people who do–I personally just don’t want my son seeing me do something that I will later be telling him not to do!), and just doing what I believe a mother should be doing and acting like. Since my own mother growing up was on drugs and always in and out of my life, I made a vow while pregnant to be the opposite of that. The love I have for him is a different kind of love (that also comes with tons of worries lol) that keeps growing by the day.
His father and I have been tested greatly through this experience. He is an outstanding dad and provider to our little family, and I’m proud to say that we have continued to stay together.
But still, I can’t help but feel self-concious over my body, especially around him. It has changed so much and is so flabby and jiggly. My thighs are huge, my love-handles stick out for a mile, my stomach hangs, my stretch marks adds onto what I feel like is already not attractive, but is the last thing I worry about when it comes to my body……I do have to admit that I have made no effort to change it, and know once I do so it will make a huge difference; because hey, this body ain’t gonna get toned itself! After coming across this website, like I said in the beginning, is only motivating more to get up and start making a change. It is so nice to see that we are all women with the same insecurities, bodies, hopes, etc.

I just wanted to write this to thank all the women who have shared their stories and photos and to encourage other people to be comfortable and confident with who they are; the road I am starting to walk down myself.

Thanks SOAM

– Age: 19
– Number of pregnancies and births: 1 preg., 1 birth
– Age of children: 10 months old
– Young mommy of 1, 10 months later

Here are my pictures :: underneath it all

– Picture #1: 2 days before labor
– Picture #2: 10 months PP at a distance
– Picture #3: 10 months PP closer
– Picture #4: 10 months PP sideview

Young Mommy (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom 4 Comments

I’m a young mother. I got pregnant when I was 18, and gave birth to my beautiful son when I was 19. Despite everyone’s negativity, my husband and I got through it and he’s wonderful. I was 120 before I got pregnant. I am 5’0 so you can only imagine when I was 8 months, which is when I gave birth, I was huge! I hit 165 the day I gave birth. I do love my son dearly, but sometimes I wish I was skinny again. I’ts been almost a year, he is now 10 months. I feel like I should have lost more weight by now. I’m 150, my goal is to be at least 130. The first two photos are of my stomach now. The second is my before I got pregnant. And the last one is my beautiful son, Sean.