Update

Update (Iraiosc)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, Diastasis Recti, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update 1 Comment

Original entry here.

Hi again, of course i still reading all post of all valiant woman who has new bodies like me. All you made me stronger and leave my depression.
Actually i feel so pretty dressed because i lost more or less all volume. My son will celebrate 1 year the 2nd april!!

Of course i still having umbilical hernia and diastasis… and i don’t know if i want more kids… of course i want… but i’m so so scared that probably i never would repeat… :(
What a bad situation for my husband, my son and me…. but, what would you do? Maybe another pregnancy would break my belly and probably the baby goes out like an alien!! hahahaha :-D
After i decide i will repair the hernia and put the navel at his place. When i will… i show you pics if you want!

Well, i hope you note some difference between fists pics and this, but i still looking bad down my clothes… my navel is so courious and is looking outside…
Kisses to everybody, still strong as you do and take care of yourselves to feel so pretty inside and outside!!

PD1 My son now is walking!!! :DDD bravoooooo!!
PD2 Again…. sorry for my mistakes in english!

Me dressed! I lost all the kilos i’ve gained!! I think now I look so well, don’t?

Do you see the hernia down the navel? and the wrinkles? :O

i know is terrible, but now i feel so better!

me at 38 weeks

and me one month before being pregnant.

Updated here.

More Changes (Sarah)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Belly, Breast or Body Art, Breastfeeding, Child Loss, Four or More Pregnancies, Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update 7 Comments

Since I submitted my story and pictures all that time ago I have been pregnant another two times. The first of those was stillborn in the middle trimester and recovering some sense of my body not being broken is very hard! I’m now pregnant again (my 6th pregnancy) and not far off due.

So much has changed, and changes day to day, it’s hard to know where to begin. But right now, I’m so grateful for all of the good – even though I still have hyperemesis through my pregnancies, even after losing three children, after *everything*. My two girls are amazing (they are four and two years old respectively). I’m looking forward to tandem nursing. And I love this bump, stretch marks and all. :)



The Best Site Ever! (Kym)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 5 Comments

Previous entries here and here.

This Is going to be the third time posting on The shape of a mother. My name is Kym and I am mother to a beautiful 21 month old baby girl! I started my journey into motherhood, a very insecure 18 year old teen. I have been insecure since i can remember and pregnancy didn’t help. I started getting stretch marks All over my belly, as early as 4 months along. I thought this was completely out of the ordinary, I had never even gotten a stretch mark while going through puberty, so i spent endless nights leading up to the birth scanning the internet for pictures of women who had stretchmarks as bad as mine! And surprisingly there was next to nothing! When I found this sight it was truly great, I read every single story that had been posted! after i had my daughter i suffered terribly from depression. This site really helped me forget about me being sad and showed that i wasn’t alone. Fast forward until now, I am now married to my daughters father, and we have been together 5 happy years. I know he doesn’t care about my stretchmarks, which i Too have learned to live with, They have faded SO MUCH!! and it makes me very happy to say that, Unfortunately I am a bit overweight,and due to eating crappy, But i go to the gym, and Ive been eating healthy to get rid of yes still my baby weight! I know tons of women who are having babies now and the second i find out they are pregnant i send them the link to your site! I tell them it helped me accept my body and love it. I know they all visit SOAM on a daily basis!!

1st and 2nd pics were taken 1 month and 1 week before i gave birth
3rd is 1 month p.p
4th me and my daughter
5th my stomach now!!!

What my body can do! (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Homebirth, Positive Body Image/Words of Enouragement, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Third Pregnancy, Update 14 Comments

I am 3 months pp with baby number 3, and I couldn’t be happier. I LOVE pregnancy and birth, and feel so empowered to have accomplished 3 wonderful natural births, the last two at home in my bedroom. I have some deep stretch marks on my belly, but they are sacred and special to me, reminding me of how blessed I am to have carried life in my womb, every time I see them, they make me smile! I couldn’t imagine not having had the opportunity I have had to carry my babies and nourish them in my womb, and then with my breast milk. How could I resent something that represents such an amazing and special time in my life?

I worked very hard during my pregnancies, working out to the day before delivery with each one, and eating a healthy diet. I gained 21lbs with my first baby and 26 lbs with both my second and third. At 10 weeks pp this time I was already 2lbs below my starting weight, and feeling great. Though I kept the weight gain to a minimal my body has made definite changes over the three pregnancies. Of course there are the stretch marks, and my shape is no longer that of a 17 year old girl, to me it now has the shape of a mother, and that is nothing to be ashamed of!!!

I am 25 years old and married to my high school sweet heart. My boys are 4.5yrs old, 2 years old, and 3 months old. Here are some pictures of what my body has done during the past few years!

-The first picture is at my Home Birth just after my third son was born in November 2008, 3 months ago. What an amazing feeling to know my body is capable of this!!

-The next two are me just about 1 year after my second son was born, not long before I found I was expecting my third. I had worked very very hard at the gym to try to tone my body, so I just kept right up with it all the way through my pregnancy.

-The next two are me 40 weeks pregnant on my Due Date with my third baby (4 days before he was born)

-Then a picture of my big stretch mark while I am in labour at home, and the next is my belly just about 2 hours or so after he was born.

-And finally me today, 3 months PP after 3 beautiful boys were born from my body.



More Progress!

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, Cesarean Scar and/or Incision, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 9 Comments

Here’s another of my previous entries. It’s been quite a long time since I posted on here, I’ve been working very hard, working out almost every day and eating right. It’s been a slow process but I am now 5 1/2 months postpartum and the difference from my first few entries is VERY noticeable! I’m so excited to be making noticeable progress, I hope it continues! I have noticed, though, that my belly seems to be a little lopsided, I suppose it’s the way the doctor made the incision? In any case, here are a few pictures from today in some my belly is relaxed and in some I am flexing the abdominal muscles that I have worked very hard to strengthen! Hope I can inspire someone. =]








Update at 7 Months PP (Jessica)

Bonnie (SOAM) Before Pregnancy, Belly, First Pregnancy, Piercing, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 7 Comments

I’m writing to update my previous post at a few weeks postpartum back in August/September 2008. I am now 7 months postpartum and (very) slowly coming to terms with my “new” body. The lines are fading in color, but the texture, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to! My husband assures me that I am more beautiful now, and I pray that someday I believe even an ounce of that statement. My sweet girl has her first tooth, is crawling, and is still breastfeeding (which has taken a huge toll on my once perky breasts!) Here is a before and current photo of my belly and a shot of my little angel Natalie.




Updated here.

I’ve got “Twin Skin” and I’m Proud of it! (Kasondra)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Twins, Update 12 Comments

Previous entry here.

I posted back in July when I was blessed with the exciting news that I would be having twins. I had been bleeding and had to go in for an emergency ultrasound. We found out at that time that we were gonna be in for a wild ride. Surprisingly I only gained 35 pounds during the pregnancy (honestly was still 60 pounds heavier than before my 2 year old)….But my stomach was beyond huge. At 35 weeks pregnant my uterus measured 57 1/2 cm and could no longer hold the pressure of my babies. The twins were 5 weeks early weighing 7 1/4 and 5 1/2 pounds. I am now 5 weeks postpartum…And though I am yet another victim of the “twin skin dilemma”….I am beyond proud of the 3 beautiful children that thsi body has given to me….And I wear my stretchmarks proudly….As should all of you beautiful mommies….. The pictures below are of my belly at 32 weeks pregnant…. The 2 beautiful babies that came from that big o belly…. the proud big brother…. 8 days postpartum and 5 weeks postpartum.



Missing my baby boy, and expecting my second (Shannon)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Child Loss, Children with Health Complications, First Pregnancy, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 46 Comments

Before I ever had children I was 5’2″ and 105-110 lbs. I got pregnant with my first (Connor) when I was 19. I got stretchmarks everywhere possible! We had no idea that Connor was going to be born with any issues. He was born emergency c-section at 37 weeks. Right when he came out the doctors knew something was wrong. Connor was not breathing well, and he looked “different”. He was taken to the neonatal ICU at Children’s Hospital just hours after birth. He spent a month in the NICU (I was there every day by his side reading to him and holding him). He had to have a trach placed to breath and a g-tube placed to get nutrition. I was lucky to have an amazing fiance (now husband), who was absolutely wonderful with Connor! Connor did well for a while (lots of hospitalizations, but nothing longer than a week at a time), then when he was about 13-14 months he started running fevers all the time. They would get as high as 105.5 and nothing other than IV meds would bring them down. After running countless tests the doctors called them “central fevers”, a neurological problem. Connor was 19 months old when he passed away in his sleep at home. His heart could not handle the fevers any longer. He was and is the most amazing boy I have ever known, and I miss and love him so much. Who would have thought that a baby would be my hero. He was the happiest child I have ever met! He smiled all the time! I will never regret choosing to stay home full time with Connor. I used to say that when I was done having children I would have a tummy tuck…not anymore. I want to keep these stretch marks that my angel baby gave me. I found out I was pregnant again just 3 1/2 months after Connor went to heaven. It was very unplanned, and too soon for me. But my husband and I figure that Connor had us get pregnant with his little brother when he was ready. I am now 31 weeks along, and being followed by high risk pregnancy doctors very closely. As of now, Liam (baby number 2) looks good. I will never have the body that I used to have…but who else can say that they carried a saint?


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In labor with Connor

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Connor after birth, before Children’s Hospital arrived

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January 2008

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September 2007

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November 2007

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Valentine’s Day 2009 – 31 weeks pregnant

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Liam at 22 weeks

Updated here, here, here, here and here.

Mum to 3 boys and 1 girl (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breastfeeding, Breasts, Four or More Pregnancies, Mom over 30, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update 12 Comments

Original entry here.

I had my little girl 7 weeks ago today. She was born 1 day after her due date. I let the Dr. induce me after he said “she’s going to be big, over 8lbs” so he broke my water and put me on a pit drip and after 4hrs of labor our 9lb 21″ girl was here! I gained 40lbs and have lost 22 already, that’s just with breastfeeding though. I haven’t had the energy to workout yet. When I do get back into a routine I hope to lose another 20lbs to fit back into my old jeans. I didn’t get any new stretch marks and the old ones are fading again. It is hard to look in the mirror and feel sexy or beautiful but maybe that will come again in time. I’m just amazed once again at what a woman’s body can do! I feel so very blessed to be given the chance once again to be pregnant and deliver and now nurse a healthy new life! I spend so much time now trying to think of ways to teach my girl to love herself and her body no matter what it looks like and teach my boys to honor the women who may come into their lives. Thank you again Bonnie for creating this site for everyone!
1st pic 8 months pregnant, next pics 7 weeks postpartum, pic of newborn baby girl and last pic of nursing babe.









Almost There (Mary)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Pregnant, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 4 Comments

Original entry here.

I am so excited to finally meet my second baby in a few weeks, I just cant stand it! I have my first submission on here and I know its only been a few weeks but I have new pictures! Over the last few months I have been measuring small so my due date has been progressivly moved back and back, but my ultrasound last week confirmed than the baby is measuring normal, in fact if he arrives on his projected due date he will be about 8-9lbs, what a relief! So here is my small belly, with normal baby at 36 weeks!





Updated here.