Previous entry here.
I am re posting new pictures, i got alot of compliments on the previous ones, thank you. But i felt they didnt portray the way i see my body acuratly.
4 year old son
current weight 136.
Updated here.
Update
The Shape that Love Built (Amanda)
Age: 23
Number of births: 2, soon to be 3
Ages of children: 5 years old, 18 months old, and yet to be born
It started with a comment on a photo I posted on facebook. For the record, I am not nude in the picture, nor am I anywhere NEAR naked. I simply have my belly exposed. She deleted me while I was in the hospital, waiting for a room to be induced.
Conny ***** Girl, you should keep that covered.
Conny ***** Don’t look … it’s kind of hard not to and say all you want about pregnant women being beautiful, to me they are butt ugly. Arrogant too, with their ‘don’t l ike it, don’t look’. IGYGWYD These days people put anything on FB.
Conny ***** Delete me if you want, I don’t care. You all need glasses Pregnant women beautiful … LOL
Conny ***** Delete me if you want if you don’t like what I have to say. I say highly pregnant women exposing their naked bodies is uncalled for. Call it beautiful all you want, you need glasses. I think pregnancy is ugly. Just my personal opinion, but it is MY opinon and I’m entitled to it.
Conny ***** You have been deleted. Any more messages from you and you will be reported for harrasment.
I’m sitting here crying because I am sad. I’m actually not sad about my body, or the way it looks.. not because its a Hollywood post-baby body.. but because I appreciate it. I’m sad because someone called pregnancy “ugly”.. and said that she thought that pregnant women were “butt ugly”.. the words themselves did not hurt me. Well… maybe a little.. but not in the way you’d think. It hurt to know that there are women out there who really are ashamed of their bodies. That they’re ashamed that they arent “perfect” anymore.. that they think of themselves as “flawed”.
I am 23 years old, I have 2 children, and am 38 weeks pregnant with my 3rd baby. My body is not Hollywood material anymore.. my body is quite “flawed” by those standards.
However.. its the body that love built. Every ounce of extra fat, every stretch mark, every sag is physical proof that I brought fourth not one, but THREE perfect miracles.
I am sad for her. I’m sad that she feels that pregnancy, birth, and post-baby bodies are not beautiful.
I am not ashamed of my body. I love it to pieces.. afterall, if I cant love myself, how can I expect someone else to?
My belly sags when I’m not pregnant, as do my breasts. Right now my belly is swollen and large, as are my breasts which are full of milk.
My bum has cellulite, I have stretch marks, and I have thighs that applaud me whenever I walk anywhere.
I do not care that some dont like it. I may not be “sexy” by most peoples standards…
but that does not mean I am not beautiful, and it does NOT mean that I am ugly.
I then wrote this…
Amanda *******
My sons show off my baby belly to the world because they know a little secret that not everyone appreciates… my body’s “beauty” was destroyed in order to bring perfection into this world.. not once, but twice, and I am prepared to do it a third time. I have brought miracles to life.. and I’ll be damned if I hide the body that did it. I love the “beauty” within the “uglyness” that are my battle scars of motherhood.
Amanda ******* I am not ashamed of having the shape of a mother. I am not ashamed of my scars. I am not ashamed of anything that my wonderful children have left on my body. This is the body that love built. I am however ashamed to breathe the same air as someone who can call me “butt ugly” simply because I am not flat-bellied, toned, or trim at this moment.
Updated here.
6 Babies, 5 C-Sections, 4 Daughters, 3 TOL’s, 2 Son’s, 1 Love (Stacy)
Previous entries here, here and here.
My last posting this past summer was very freeing for me. I loved the photos, and for the first time really saw beauty in my imperfect body. I feel strong, and continue to grow in inner and outer strength. These photos were taken at our local hot springs & a then there are a couple of family photos. I love this website… and life :-)
~Age: 30
~Number of pregnancies and births: 6
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 12, 7, 5, 4, 3, 23mo– 23 mo PP
11 Weeks Postpartum (Anonymous)
Previous entries here, here and here.
23 years old
1 pregnancy
1 birth
11wks postpartum and -30lbs
I decided it was time to finally write my postpartum update. I ended up carrying to 41 weeks and giving birth completely naturally on November 28, 2010. And before anyone congratulates me on that, I did not want or anticpate a natural birth– I just progressed much faster than the doctors had time to give me any pain medication! I went to the hospital at 3:30am and started pushing a little before 8:00am. Back labor, all the way. I wanted to die; yeah, it hurt like hell, and I had no way of knowing that I would give birth before 9am. So I’m sitting there on the gourney thinking “oh my god, this hurts… am I going to suffer like this fr twelve hours or more?!?” But by the time I was asking for pain meds (in a very weak, pathetic voice, lol) the doctor came in to check me, saw me shivering and said “we need to get her in a room, she’s gonna have this baby NOW!” So I suppose I should just buck up and be happy that I didn’t end up birthing my son in the waiting room… wouldn’t that be an interesting story?
As it turned out, Baby Aleksandr was born with no long-term complicatons. There was fetal distress, meconium, a drop in BP, and the cord was wrapped around his neck. My husband was not allowed to cut the cord because they wanted to get our son medical attention right away. He was 8lbs 3oz and 21 inches long! Tore me sideways and I needed … quite a few stitches. At least ten, I think….
A lot has happened to both me and my son since giving birth… my husband was deployed almost immediately after Aleks was born. On Christmas Day I got a call saying my grandmother had fallen into a diabetic coma, so me and my mom packed up and lived with my grandpa two states away for about to and a half weeks while we waited for my grandma to die. Having to see her all bruised up when she was in her coma (from dialysis and everything else the doctors did to her), and then seeing her 4-day-old unebalmed body is something I’ll never be able to forget. She had specifically said she did not want to be embalmed, and her death landed right around New Years when the cemetery was closed… because apparently someone thinks that people don’t die around New Years, I don’t know.
Once I got back up in Washington my Mom had to go back to her home in Oregon, so I was by myself again with a newborn who had his schedule all messed up from traveling so much. I had doctors appointments for follow-ups, IUD insertions, I was in the ER twice in the last three weeks: once because my postpartum bleeding was so heavy that I was dizzy and nauseous (I’ve had heavy periods before, this much blood actually scared me) and a second time for what turned out to be rectocele. I’ve been jumping through hoops trying to see doctors and hoping I can have it corrected with surgery. Finally saw a third doctor today to get the official green light for surgery and was told it could be worse and I would just have to live with it. I was in tears. The doctor hadn’t even given me any options, just told me I’d probably need to take laxatives for the next few months, maybe longer. I’m going to get a second opinion (technicaly a fourth opinion), but I’m waiting until my husband comes home because I’m starting to get depressed having to make all these medical decisions by myself. And no, he has not been allowed to take emergency leave to be with me OR take his baby leave.
I was 195lb when I gave birth. I wasn’t really concerned with stretch marks because I grew my hips in the 8th grade, lol. Yeah, I was a little put off by the ones scattered south of my belly button, but I know I can live with them. The’ve already faded a LOT, and … well, I live in Washington, it’s not like bikini weather is very common. I’ve sent my husband pictures of my postpartum progress (I’m 165 now), and he tells me tha I’m not only beautiful, but strong and assures me I’m taking excellent care of our son. Because of everything that’s been happening in the last 11 weeks, I haven’t been able to exercise as much as I’d like. Between stitches, travelling, bleeding, worrying that my organs are gonna fall out my butt… I did gain an interesting perspective on my need to take care of myself. It’s not just getting down to prepregnancy size and weight that’s important to me. I know I still have 10+ lbs to go before I’m back at my prepregnancy weight, but other things take precedence. I know I’ve been very lucky in regaining much of my shape without going out of my way to acquire it, and I do have my genes to thank for that. I know as soon as I no longer have to value an hour of sleep over a 15 minute run, I’ll be quick to bounce back completely. But I can be patient.
My husband was able to come home for a night (due to military work, not so he could stay –boo), and he finally got to see his little boy smile. And somehow it made me smile and broke my heart at the same time :) I can’t wait for Aleks to grow up and become a little hellion like both me and his daddy were. He looks so much like his father– but he’s got my lips! lol I’m glad I had the Shape of a Mother site to help m through my pregnancy and postprtum period. This site is amazing with its support. Thank you all!
Pictures are:
prepregnancy
39.5 weeks pregnant
3 hours after giving brith
2 weeks PP
7 weeks PP
me and my son!
11 weeks PP
my two handsome men!
15 Year Old Mother (Anonymous)
I just wanted to start off by saying that I have a lot of respect for all of the women who have posted on here. All of you have made me realize that I shouldn’t be ashamed of my new motherly body, even if I’m the only 15 year old I know who has a saggy tummy and stretch marks. You’re all beautiful and you should be proud.
My story starts at the age of 14, I thought I was in love with the boy of my dreams and decided to lose my virginity to him. Being a teenager I thought I was invincible. I thought that pregnancy was something that happened to those teenagers who slept around a lot or who aren’t careful when it comes to protection. But I was wrong. Before I got pregnant I was only 115 pounds. By the end of my pregnancy I was 175 pounds and only 5′ 1″. I found out I was pregnant when I was already 20 weeks along. Half of my pregnancy went by and I had had no idea! In that same month I also found out I would be having a little girl and that I had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I used a diet controlled method, but it didn’t work. I ended up gaining a whopping 60 pounds by the end of my pregnancy. I have stretch marks on my boobs, stomach, sides, butt, and inner & outer thighs. Everyone had thoroughly convinced me that because I am so young I would not stretch and that I would lose the weight extremely fast. They were wrong.
I went for an ultrasound at 39 weeks and the told me that I would have to be induced the next week so as to prevent the baby from gaining a large amount of weight before I delivered. I was livid. I wanted an all natural, drug-free birth. And then my dreams of that were crushed. About a week later I went back for another ultrasound and they informed me that the baby had gained 3 pounds in just a week! She went from being 6 pounds to 9 pounds in just a week. They told me I would need a c-section because I was too small and the baby was too large. I was devastated. Not only did I not get my all natural birth, I didn’t get a vaginal birth at all. The doctor who told me this was very rude. She basically told me that it was all my fault that I had to have a c-section because I got pregnant at 14 and had an “oops baby”.
On September 3 I went to the hospital where they prepped me and gave me an epidural. My beautiful daughter was born 9 pounds 2 ounces, 20 and a half inches long. When I saw her for the first time I didn’t understand how I could have ever wanted to give her up for adoption. I am now 5 and a half months postpartum and have only lost 32 of my 60 pounds. I used to feel ugly and disgusting. But after finding this site and seeing that there are other women in my same position I have gained a lot more confidence. My daughter is 5 and a half months and is perfectly healthy and I couldn’t ask for a more perfect child.
~Age: 15
~Number of pregnancies and births: 1 pregnancy, 1 birth.
~The age of your children, or how far postpartum you are: 5 and a half months.
picture # 1: Me and my mom (pre-pregnancy)
picture # 2: Me at 40 weeks the night before my c-section.
picture # 3&4: stretch marks on my stomach and inner thigh.
picture # 5: my c-section scar.
picture # 6&7: My beautiful baby girl.
Updated here.
5 Weeks PP, Almost There – Update (Anonymous)
Previous entry here.
Ahhh where can I begin? Its been 16 weeks since I welcomed my beautiful baby boy into the world. I feel very happy about the place I’m at. So far since my last update I lost more weight and I’m back into my pre pregnancy jeans once again. My tummy is completely flat and I’m starting to get my abs defination back. My breast went down so I’m back to pre pregnancy. I still feel empty at times like I failed my baby. In the first update I forgot to mention that my son was born at 28 weeks weighing two pounds two ounces. I was hurt and very embrassed. I feel sad and angry that women who are heavy pregnant complain about the marks and the weight. I would have been happy to have a mommy tummy atleast I would have known that I wouldn’t have failed my baby. I pray everyday and ask god to show mercy on my son and he has. I never realize how stupid and selfish I was by not enjoying every minute that my son was inside of me. I didn’t have a tradition babyshower with a big belly I didn’t have a happy birth where I left the hospital with my son in my hands I had to see my baby have blood transfusions and Iv lines all through his arms and feet. I had to wait six weeks just to hold my son for the first time. I had to get a phone call from my sons doctor saying that my son has stop breathing and they had to bag him. Its so many things that I didn’t do or get to do that I’m most hurt about. I didn’t get a chance to even see my son when he was born or even get to touch him. Im still very emotional about the whole ordeal and I’m in tears as I write this. I had to wait three months just to finally bring my baby home a week before his due date. Premature babies go through so much but my son is healthy and happy. He has no brain bleeds IVH which is so s common with babies born his age he’s not on any medications or on any breathing machines which is very common with babies born at his age. I proud to see he’s such a greedy fat baby and love his milk he poops a lot and is perfect in everyway. So far he has no lasting effects of being born prematurely which I’m so very thankful for. The doctors don’t know why I had PROM (pre mature rapture of the membranes) but with my next child I will be seen by a high risk doctor and I’m very hopeful that I won’t have another preemie. My sons birth gave me a complete understanding of what love is and how to have compassion for other people. This ordeal brought me and my sons father even more closer as a family and we now live together and talking about marriage. He tells me I’m sexy and cause me his little sexy girl :) Life couldn’t be any better I’m working and going to school to become a nurse. I want to show another family the same compassion that my sons nurses should us. I want to work in the NICU with preemies. I’m learning to love my body at times I hate it and get so angry when people say oh u don’t even look like u had a baby. What I would give. This update is for all of the moms who hate there post baby bodies be so thankful that your body grew your babies and protected them because mines didn’t. Sometimes I wish I would be on the other end of the stick and complain about my post baby body. I didn’t get to breastfeed only pump but after six weeks my milked dried up so now my son is formula fed I’m hurting with another thing my body failed. I will have another baby and I will enjoy every moment of pregnancy. My pregnancy body was so beautiful I was nice and ripe sometimes I still touch my belly wishing I still could be pregnant. I included my pictures. The first picture is of my belly a week before I had my son. The next picture is of how my breast look now and the third picture is of my tummy now and the fourth picture is me now and the last picture is of my beautiful baby boy :) who I love so very much. When I get down I just think of all of the mommies who will never leave the hospital with their babies and i feel grateful that I have a healthy and happy beautiful baby who I kiss all day everyday.
Finally In Love with My Body (Corinne)
33 years old
2 previous pregnancies, 2 children aged 12 and 15 months
Currently 25 weeks pregnant
I got married at 20 and had my first baby 10 months after we married. I went from a UK size 10 to about a 16 during my first pregnancy and got what I thought were the most hideous stretch marks. I did get a lot of stretch marks, right across my belly and my stomach never went back to its previous size. My husband’s sex drive had never been high but after going through the birth with me it was non-existent. Our marriage lasted about a year or so more and then I ended things and moved out to live alone with our son. My already fragile confidence after experiencing a difficult teenage years was even more battered.
When my son was 2 I returned to university to study Environmental Sciences. It was the best decision I made, my son went to the university nursery and I worked hard. I loved studying and loved my degree. My confidence grew generally but the whole time I still felt I hated my body, I went down to about a size 12 but felt like a young woman who’d missed out on being able to wear skimpy clothes and bikinis. I hid my stretch marks and flabby stomach from the world. I never felt I had a pretty face, my large breasts and long legs got lots of attention and mainly I would feel like a piece of meat to men in the street. I would try and hide them when I was out, I hated the attention.
While in my 3rd year I met the man who was to become my second husband. He seemed to be a confident, good looking and loving man. He loved my hour glass figure and seemed unfazed by my stretch marked stomach, I discovered that having big breasts and hips could be a sexy thing, but I still had my dreaded stomach to hide, I regretted not loving my body more before getting pregnant. In time I learnt he had his own issues about his self image, he’d had a serious accident which had left him scarred and with a badly broken nose. At times he would have a complete melt down about himself, so we ended up 2 fragile people together and in the end the relationship failed.
Shortly after our relationship broke down I had a brief fling with a friend and fell pregnant with my second child. I was terrified; I already hated my body and was scared what another pregnancy would do to it. I was alone and thought that I was going to be on my own forever. At this point an angel friend came to my rescue and paid for a long course of counselling for me, I got on incredibly well with the counselling, worked hard, confronted some issues, learnt how to trust and I can honestly say it completely changed my life.
During this time and while I was 4 months pregnant, I met a man on a week-long residential course with work. I was much more wary of becoming involved but in the end I followed my heart and we continued to see each other and moved in together much faster than I would have thought sensible. Luckily this turned out to be the best decision I made, he was there for the 20 week scan and the birth of my second son. He is an amazing father to him and we are now happily expecting our own baby together, though for both of us it feels like our second baby together. Both my son’s see their natural fathers but both get to share the experience of having this amazing man in our lives.
The biggest difference is my own self-esteem. My partner clearly completely fancies and adores me. He is loving and supportive and we share the same ideals, hopes and dreams from life. He sees my belly, both when pregnant and after as a beautiful miracle thing which has produced beautiful children. This attitude couldn’t help but rub off on me, I am finally feeling proud of my body and the wonderful work it’s done and is continuing to do. A few days ago I asked him to take some photos of me and the bump, stretch marks and all. I felt brave, liberated and beautiful. I am so proud of these photos it seemed fortuitous to then discover this website, so I’ve decided to share them with you, this is my biggest step yet in accepting my body, especially as I’ve decided to show you my face too.
Here We Go Again (Anonymous)
Previous submission here.
My age: 31
Number of Pregnancies: 2
Children: 21 months and 1 month
4 weeks post partum
I was surprised to find myself covered in stretch marks at the end of my eighth month of pregnancy. My previous submission shows an almost blemish free belly. Yet I am not upset about them, just as I am not upset about any of the scars on my body, they have all come with a story. If anything these are the scars I am most proud of, because they were the hardest to earn. What does upset me is the weight gain and the mommy apron. I know I am responsible for both of these things and in a way that is what makes them even more upsetting. How did I allow my body to get this out of hand?
I read posts from other moms who are in better shape post pregnancy than they were pre pregnancy, sometimes with in a few short months and I think, ” How can I be such a failure?”
I am proud of my two healthy boys and would not give them up for anything, but being a Mommy has definitely taken it’s toll.
I am hoping this post will help me to find the strength to get through the weight loss, and trials of mommyhood that lie ahead.
First four photos: 4 weeks post partum
Last two photos: 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant, day of scheduled c-section
Without my belly, I wouldn’t have hers. (Anonymous)
age-17
7 months pp
I posted on this site about two months ago. I have lost a little more weight since then, but all together I am feeling great. I was 93 pounds when I found out I was pregnant with my beautiful daughter. 156 when I gave birth. I am now down to 128 pounds. Thanks to my amazing boyfriend I am starting to feel sexy again.
Last night I was getting my daughter dressed after her bath and while I was putting lotion her belly, it hit me how perfect her belly is. She has the softest skin and such an even skin tone. She is so beautiful. I looked at my own belly, how its sagged and stretched and the lighter skin tone of my stretch marks. But for once I did not care. It hit me that my daughter will always be beautiful. When she holds the shape of a baby, plump and soft, when she holds the shape of a young child, careless and free. When she holds the shape of a teen as shes finding her own self and is becoming a young lady. But most importantly she will be beautiful one day when she holds the shape of a mother if thats what she wishes. She will be just a beautiful with her belly round and stretched for the new life she is carrying. MY belly is BEAUTIFUL because I gave life to such an amazing baby. Without all my marks I would not have her perfect belly, that one day itself may carry the marks of motherhood.
Thanks to my daughter I am finally coming to terms with my weight gain. I am going on vacation and have decided to wear my BIKINI. Idc if I have a few extra pounds or stretch marks! I have a beautiful baby to show for them. I love my mommy body and I’m going to rock it ;) thanks to my new mind set, my relationship with my boyfriend has improved so much. I no longer think he is lying when he says I’m beautiful or when he tells me he loves my body. Motherhood is such a beautiful thing and I think we are all too hard on ourselves.
Updated here.
Uterine Prolapse (Tosha)
2 pregnancies 2 births
13 months PP
I am a 22 year old wife and mother to a great husband and 2 wonderful little boys. I have never been extremely happy w/ my body even though I’ve always been on the small side it makes me sick to look @ old pics b/f kids when I thought I was so fat. I found out I was pregnant w/ my 1st son when I was 18 and I threw up every day all day for the 1st 4 months but after that it was a breeze. I had to be induced at 40 weeks b/c I couldn’t go into labor on my own on August 16 2010 I had my 1st boy Isaac he was 7 pounds 13 oz. and very handsome lol When he was 2 my husband & I decided we were ready for another baby & on December 15 2009 we welcomed our 2nd boy Wyatt he was 8 pounds 6 oz. the pregnancy was much better this time so I was prepared for round 2 lol but it didn’t quite go as planned. Once again I had to be induced at 40 weeks b/c I didn’t go into labor on my own & everything went fine until it was time to push… I gave birth to my beautiful son and then came the afterbirth & then came my uterus- yes my uterus I instantly knew something was wrong & asked the dr. what happened & he told me my uterus came out! I was freaking out the nurse was making calls & asked if I could @ least hold my baby b/f they took me to surgery they let me touch & glance @ him then told my hubby to take him to the nursery. The dr. wrapped up my uterus & we headed to surgery. The last thing I remember is them putting me on the table ( I passed out from blood loss) I had to have 4 units of blood & I was so weak I couldn’t even sit up. I am so thankful for my dr. for being trained on what to do in this rare situation. Anyway sorry this is such a long post thank you for taking the time to read my story. I still have a way to go to fully love myself & appreciate my body but I wouldn’t trade my boys for anything! I have recently started Insanity so I hope I will get some great results & post some amazing after photos! Once again thanks for reading my story and thank you Bonnie for creating this site :)
The 1st 4 pics are of me now 13 months pp & the last one is a pic of my handsome boys :)
Updated here.