Update

Postpartum – 21 and 25 Years Later (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) 5+ Years Postpartum, Belly, Breasts, Mom over 30, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 14 Comments

My babies are now 21 and 25, weighing in at 7lbs 9ozs and 8lb 3ozs. I so wish we had professional nude photos done then, but we would never have thought of it. Pregnancy is such a beautiful state that it should be recorded. I have one nude profile photo of me 2 days before I gave birth to my first, but nothing of my second, when I was absolutely enormous, so I have nothing to compare. I have taken the courage at this stage in my life to have a friend scan my photo and he is going to do me a line drawing, which I hope I shall proudly display on my living room wall. I was lucky, I had no strech marks at all but could not find bras big enough for my huge breasts. I fed for over 6 months and over 8 respectively and got my figure back mostly. These photos are of me now – post partum (!) I don’t think I can still blame my babies for my baby bulge tummy at age 58, but I try to keep fit and take care of myself. I don’t like the look of me naked, but have been told by some who have seen me that I look good. I cannot change my basic body shape so have to learn to accept and not hate it. My advice to you mums and mums to be is to enjoy it all because it goes too fast and you cannot turn the clock back. And even if you do not like how you look naked – still take those photos to look back on. All women are beautiful and sexy through pregnancy we all perceive beauty in different ways. You are all beautiful.





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Updated here and here.

What 6 Months of Breastfeeding Can Do! (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Cesarean, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Submissions, Update 24 Comments

After gaining 60lbs during my pregnancy and crossing a very scary number (I got to 204lbs) I gave birth (via unplanned Cesarean :() to a healthy 8lb 12oz baby girl! Despite c-section I planned on getting back into shape right away, as a former college ice hockey player I had been in pretty good shape before, but as with the birth of my daughter, things didn’t go quite according to plan.

I healed pretty fast and played a couple games of hockey at 8 weeks postpartum, so far so good, it was now summer and I started taking my daughter on long walks, 1 to 2 miles a day (now here was my big mistake) IN FLIP FLOPS! After about a month of walking pretty regularly I started having pain in my ankle, no big deal, I’m tough, don’t like to complain, I keep going for long walks. My ankle keeps getting worse, once my other ankle starts hurting 2 weeks after the 1st one, walking becomes pretty difficult. So I finally decide maybe I should see a Dr. (fast forward a month and 4 doctors!) I am finally told that I have severe Posterior Tibial Tendinitis in both ankles, how did it happen? Well it was pretty obvious after the fact! Walking in flip flops that much is bad, but I’d always done that, turns out walking that much in flip flops right after your pregnancy is really bad! My muscles and ligaments were still lose from the “relaxin”. Combine that with long walks in flip flops and you get two destroyed ankles!

Nine months postpartum and I am slowly getting better I had to wear a really stylish (sarcasm) walking boot for 2 months, and have been in ankle braces for the last 4 months now. But I am finally able to start going to the gym again!

Moral of the story… flip flops, aka thongs. aka slippers, etc. ARE BAD!

So what does all of this have to do with breastfeeding? Glad you asked! Like I said, I gained 60 lbs during my pregnancy and basically haven’t been able to work out, or even walk for that matter, for about 8 months of my 9 months postpartum. BUT thanks to breastfeeding and a good metabolism I lost 60lbs in the first 6 months! No diet, no exercise! While I have lost all of the weight, I am excited to be able to get back to the gym again. My body may weigh what it did pre-pregnancy but it certainly doesn’t look or feel like it did! I have lost A LOT of muscle, especially in my legs which are totally atrophied from lack of use :(

Moral of THIS story, BREASTFEEDING ROCKS!

The first picture is 8 weeks postpartum and the second is 8 months postpartum (hence the 6 months of breastfeeding) I’ll try to remember to come back and up date this after I’ve had some time in the gym.

I’m still working on accepting the stretch marks… But, even with the stretch marks, and the ankle nightmare, I’m pretty grateful for the body I have.



Updated here and here.

Almost a Year Later (Tee)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Breasts, Legs, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 3 Comments

Almost a year later after baby no. 2 and I still have yet to lose another 12 lbs before I am back to my old self. Motherhood can really take a toll on some peoples bodies, like myself and some escape with the faintest trace that they ever even carried a baby in their bellies. What a blessing! One of lifes small mysteries I suppose. Anyhow I would not change the outcome of the horrific changes my body underwent if it meant not having my lil ones, they were worth every deep, long, stretchmark, lose skin and saddle bags! I have stechmarks all the way from the back of my knees up my inner, front, and outer thighs, and every inch of my abs from the button down is covered with them, my hips have big, deep, long ones as well. Oh and my breast have the little water balloon effect going on (super droopy). But despite all that my hubbie still calls me sexy and loves all of me, the good, bad, and the ugly. What a blessing! Anyways I love, love, love this site. And despite my struggles with loving myself, this site makes it a little easier in knowing that I’m not alone!



Updated here.

In Love With Myself (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Birth, Breasts, First Pregnancy, Postpartum, Pregnant, Submissions, Update 6 Comments

I posted here nine months ago thinking that I would return loathing my post pregnancy body. Superficially thinking that “recovering” from my pregnancy would be important.

On April 30th ten days late I birthed a 7lb .5oz baby girl gently into my own arms. Not only was I blessed with a healthy child but I also left my daughter’s birth feeling confidant, and accomplished.

Amelia turned 8 months old yesterday and I couldn’t be happier with myself. While my body looks (mostly) unchanged my belly is just soft enough for her to blow raspberries on, my breasts loosened just enough for her to tug while she nurses, and the little stretch mark above my belly button constantly reminds me of how much I have changed in the last year.

I hope everyone that comes here finds as much happiness in her body as I have.

*First photo 39 weeks pregnant
*Second photo Just moments after our daughter was born
*Third Amelia’s first steps in the snow.
*My new and improved self.



7 months pp. A crazy new life. (Anonymous)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, First Pregnancy, Piercing, Postpartum, Submissions, Teen Mom, Update 10 Comments

I was surprised to find that my story was a lot more common than I thought. I first found out I was pregnant as a senior in high school. My boyfriend (who is now my husband) reacted differently than most young men would have in his situation. He told me that whatever I chose to do, he would support. The though of abortion crossed my mind for a brief moment but I knew that I was in love with the baby that was already growing in me. As the months went by I got bigger and bigger. No thanks to my steady diet of anything greasy. =)I saw the pregancy as the only time in my life when i could indulge. Because I never did before. Pre pregnancy i weighed 125 pounds 5’7″. I fit nicely into a size two and would freak out if my weight approached the dreaded 130. At the end of my pregnancy i weighed 175 pounds. I used coco butter religiously but I still got stretch marks all over my sides, underneath the belly button, and thighs. Following the birth of my son I fell into post partum depression. At the time I did not know that I was actually depressed. I felt guilty for my thoughts and actions and the only person who experienced my bad attitude was my husband. I would snap on him because I was so unhappy with the way I looked. It was hard to accept that my body was “ruined” ( or so I thought). I would blame him for getting me pregnant and blame him for the way I looked. I found this website browsing the web one night depressed and feeling hopeless about the state of my body. I couldnt believe that the stretchmarks that I got would stay on me forever, in fact I refused to believe it. I spent countless hours looking for the “miracle creams” and hundreds of dollars. I looked into plastic surgery and laser treatemts. Every time that I would feel sad and hopeless my husband would tell me that I was beautiful and that he was so lucky to be with me. Around the 4th month after having my baby my depressing got out of control. I refused to stay home alone with the baby and I would often hand him off to whoever was around so that I could “live my own life” I am now 7 months post partum and I have a new outlook on life. I went back to work which made a huge difference. Talking about how I felt with my mom and close friends helped me get my problems and anger out. I now weight 140 pounds and have about 10 more to drop. Its definatelly been a wild ride. I love my son more than anything. But being a teen mom is hard. I missed out on my high school graduation and prom. Those precious moments that I have with him however cannot be described. I couldnt have done all that I have without the love and support from my husband, my parents and my friends. I hope that my post will be able to give hope to someone. Anything is possible in life. I feel like this whole experience has completely changed my life around and for the better. I now have a purpose in life and that is my beautiful son and amazing husband. <3



Updated here.

3 Years Later and Still This?? (Angele)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Postpartum, Second Pregnancy, Submissions, Update 6 Comments

Hi everyone, I am 28 years old. I had my first daughter when I was 20. I was 130lbs pre-baby and I gained 38 lbs in 38 weeks and 4 days of pregnancy. I lost most of that weight and was back into a size 7. I became pregnant with my second daughter at the age of 25; starting weight was 140lbs and I gained a massive 58 lbs which brought me up to 198lbs at delivery. Well, not as lucky with my second as my first. I stretched out very large, I carried all in the front. My daughters are now 7 years old and 3 years old, and I still have the left over of my pregnancy…I have seen specialists and doctors on how best to deal with my stomach.. only solution.. is a tummy tuck.. so we are saving for plastic surgery. A whopping 9 000$ to just feel normal..just to feel as tough my stomach isnt a foreign object on my body….I just want to be able to wear clothes without having to tuck my belly into my jeans! This site was a Godsend to me, I finally felt like I wasn’t alone, and thought..wow, these gorgeous women have similar bellies, maybe showing mine, might help another mom dealing with her insecurties also. Thank you for reading.. Just a note..I am doing this for me, and myself only. My husband doesnt seem to see the belly and stretch marks.. he still sees me as me..the me before our babies.




Updated here and here.

Appendix Removal During Pregnancy (Fiona)

Bonnie (SOAM) Belly, Complications in Pregnancy, First Pregnancy, Pregnant, Submissions, Surgical Scar (Non-Cesarean), Update 69 Comments

Im sending this to you, because when i went through it i had very little resources on the web to draw on, and at the time i found it quite emotionally taxing and hard, and felt quite alone… When i was 26 weeks pregnant i had some upper right quadrant abdominal pain, and i thought nothing of it! Round ligament pain perhaps? I didnt do anything, however about 24 hours later i was in agony, vomiting and writhing on my bathroom floor! My husband called the hospital and we went to A and E, where i was diagnosed with appendicitus, which occurs in roughly 0.1% of all pregnancies, and is the most common cause of surgery in pregnant women. The next morning i underwent an emergency surgery to remove the appendix, however due to the pregnancy i had to remain awake, during what is major stomach surgery – it involves an 8 inch incision, and then removing your large and small intestine in order to find the inflammed appendix, which could rupture at any time! I was awake the whole time, and baby was kicking all the way through! There is a high risk of preterm labour also, so after the operation i spent 10 days in ICU being monitored. During this time, i remained on an an epidural for pain relief (however in terms of pain medication i was given less than an average appendix removal op!) Also i had terrible pain because of excess air within my stomach after the operation… but was able to have my stitches removed about a week after the operation, and was back on my feet (although slowly!) by 2 weeks! The biggest ongoing problem is the stretching of the scar tissue as my pregnancy continued to progress. It was initially very neat and tidy (i was lucky enough to have no infection) but has become quite lumpy and raised as i’ve got bigger … however i hope it will return to normal after the birth! I just wanted to post my story as proof that everything can go ok in an appendix removal during pregnancy! Im currently 36 weeks and baby looks fine! Thanks!




Updated here.