Our new postpartum bodies!

[Mrshawwk]

So what permenent/semi perm changes are you enjoying in your new body?

I of course, have stretch marks. But they're really not bad, this 4th baby only gave me a couple little extensions of my older marks. Yay!

Skin tags were awful. I got probably 10 new ones. I clipped a lot of them off, and a couple were on my bra line so they kinda got ripped off. ugh.

My feet stayed the same, yay for that! And even thouh I didn't gain any extra weight, my stomach looks like a deflated balloon...the old and new stretch marks sure don't help that look any better either. I imagine until it inflates again with a new baby, I'll be quite stuck with this deflated look. Actually, it feels worse than it looks.

How about you all?

[Amber Lion]

Well, my boobs are enormous and I got some stretch marks on them. Skipped the tummy stretchmarks though, gotta be thankful for that! But it is annoying not having any shirts that fit over the boobies anymore.

I've still got my linea negra, which funnily enough is darker now than when I was pg.

My belly is "soft" according to Dh, but apparently he likes it that way.

I'm only just over 3 wks pp though, so I expect some of my softness to go away as I get more and more active. The jeans I bought a couple days pp are already getting loose - I need a belt but my belt doesn't fit yet!

[heidirk]

Yeah, me with the deflated belly look, but it's mostly hidden by clothes. I'm actually pleasantly surprised, b/c this was my second, and I look pretty darn good if I say so myself!

It's nice to have my boobs full and round again- they'd kinda gotten flabby after ds1! I like my body!

[sonshine_rae]

This is my third baby...
I think I'm bigger just about everywhere, I have stretch marks all down my thighs and even a few close to my knees let alone all over my stomach, hips, low back, and of course boobs!

I am not losing weight as quickly as normal, so far I've barely lost 16 or so lbs, out of 53... bah

I am squeezing into some of my shirts, but none of my pants fit (had to buy a few stretchy ones in a larger size to get by for now), and I just bought new bras yesterday.. finally for these huge (34L) baby feeding pillows lol.

I really don't like my tummy flab... yuck.. but I know if I exercise it can be toned up eventually... that is if I can stay not pregnant long enough to manage it.. lol!

[TaraRae82]

Rae-YAY for finding bras! That's great! Who carried your size? That gal in Independence you told me about?

I'm thankful my feet didn't change sizes! I have a closet full of great shoes (supposed to be the linen closet in our hallway, ) and I'd be royally pissed if I had to replace them all!

I also have a couple of skin tags now but they're on my boobs and are small so they're not really noticeable. DH hasn't even asked about them.

I got away with NO stretchmarks on my tummy (YIPPEE!) but I got a few small ones on my butt and inner thighs. They'll lighten and be completely unnoticeable so I don't care about those. My boobs are COVERED in stretchmarks though. Again, I don't really care because no one can see them except DH and he couldn't care less about stretchmarks. He didn't even know what one looked like until he pointed one out on my lower back a few years ago and asked what it was. : Goof.

DH is diggin' my BF'ing boobs of course. I went from a 32C to a 32F/G. Now let's just hope that I don't have fried eggs when they go back to normal! Wishful thinking, I know.

I'm thankful my tummy looks really good even if it is still a little bigger than pre-preg. It's flat, it's just not as small around. I'm totally ok with that for now while I work on losing those last 6". I credit the fact that I did my normal ab workout and kept up with cardio and weights until the very end for this!

[crosscat]

I wasn't sure what to expect, and thought I might look a lot different. I don't really look very different, though.

Within two weeks I could fit into SOME (not all) of my pre-pregnancy pants and I was about 10 pounds away from pre-pregnancy weight. Now at five weeks PP, I'm not that much smaller, but steadily losing, just at a slower pace. There is a big difference in my tummy though. It's a lot less "deflated" looking now. I am about eight pounds over PP weight.

The last week of my pregnancy I got some stretch marks!: They are very faint, and I'm hopeful that they will fade. I still have my linea negra, too. When does it go away?

Bellybutton looks wrong. Or different. My feet got bigger, too. I need new shoes and new tops. Most of my tops are too small now because of breast feeding.

I look a bit different than before, but I am satisfied with what I see in the mirror (even naked). I only would like to see my tummy firm up a bit, but I haven't wanted it badly enough to do any exercises yet!

[TaraRae82]

^I have my linea negra still too!!!! When the heck does that go away?!

[Baby_Cakes]

Well, I still have 25 lbs to lose, so I know things are still going to change. I also got away with no stretch marks on my belly (huzzah!) save for one teensy tiny little dash below my belly button. It must have shown up the last week of pregnancy! I actually think it's cute. It's a little darker than my skin tone but will disappear with time, I know. My belly button also looks different. It's darker too. I don't know what is up with that!

I think my feet are back to normal. Hmm, I haven't tried on any of my heels (go figure!) to see if they fit or are too tight!

What else? Well, my boobs are ginormous (for me). I went from a 34AA to a 36D. I think having the boobs makes me not look as fat b/c I'm proportional now!

Pants wise I'm a size 12 now, and I was a 6 before pregnancy. But I quickly went to an 8 (like at 5 weeks pregnant) so my goal is to get back to an 8 by January.

I thought I would look deflated but at 7 weeks pp I just look chubby. I'm happy about that, as I know how to lose weight, but if the skin was too stretched, there's not much I could do.

[trimestersdoula]

I have a linea negra too!! I never noticed when pregnant but it sure is dark now LOL.

Boobs....boobs are bigger but not huge which is nice. No stretchmarks on those.

Belly. Oh my poor belly!! I got quite a few stretchmarks on my belly...most below my belly button. I also now have a wonderful ugly scar on my pubic line. The surgeon did a horrible job and my scar goes up at an angle! They also used fabric bandaid type bandage on my c/s and I am horribly allergic to the glue on it. I have a big, huge, red, itchy, bumpy, square where they had the bandage. My stomach also looks (and feels) like a deflated balloon. I am just super glad that it doesn't feel so empty in there anymore.

I weighed myself at two weeks postpartum and I was only 5 lbs over my prepregnancy weight so I am happy about that. That was about a week and a half ago so I may be down to my prepregnancy weight, or under it. It is nice to have not gained so much weight but I still got horrible stretchmarks. I know they will fade but they still really bother me.

I didn't end up with any skin tags but a couple of old moles got a bit bigger during my pregnancy.

I miss my pregnant body. I miss being pregnant

[janasmama]

I've got 5 pounds to lose to be at my pre-preg weight. But, I've got 20 pounds to lose to be at my pre- pre- pre- pregnancy weight from before I had my first baby. Since I'm done having kids, 20 pounds sounds very attainable.

I'm doing some crunches b/c most of my extra weight is around my midsection and upper body. And when I'm done being busy moving I'll get around to walking more.

My skin still looks a little deflated in the belly area but around 6 months the skin tone usually comes back for me.

Oh, did I mention one of my boobs is a full cup size bigger than my other one.

[TaraRae82]

^Keep in mind that you cannot "spot-reduce" when it comes to losing fat. And, crunches won't shrink your midsection, it will only build stronger abs. 60-70% of your success comes from what you're putting in your mouth. Also, weight training burns more cals than cardio because you get an after-burn for up to 3 hours! 20lbs is absolutely an attainable goal! Best of luck!

[sonshine_rae]

Tara yes it was the lady (Renee) with the custom bra shop in Independence that had bras to fit me .

About the Linea Negra for me at least that usually goes away around 1 YEAR post-partum.. but it does go eventually.

Tara .... I have no idea what you just said... but I think we need to talk.. maybe even consider working out together.. I know 'nothing' about working out.. and really would like to tone up this time. Last time I didn't get any toning done between and ended up with horrible SPD (and chiro said it was because my body was in such poor shape from the last preg). I know we'd like to have at least another maybe even more babies in the future.. so I'd sure like to be in better health/shape.

I've done some 'belly button to the spine' exercises, and stretching, kegels, that sort of thing but I really really really don't know what I'm doing here.

[AugustineM]

This was my third baby and my first natural childbirth. The difference this time around vs. after having a cesarean (regarding my body) are amazing! I swear, just a week after birth I looked so much more normal. My belly is soft, but it's fairly flat. I'm now 3 weeks postpartum and I feel quite normal. I am still probably 20 lbs over my prepregnancy weight but I tend to take a year to lose all of it, so I really don't stress it at all. I am happy with my body. My vagina is different, but really not that different and I don't mind at all.

[Faerieshadow]

I look better pp this time around than I did last time, but I'm more of a perfectionist about my body now because I know what shape I managed to bring it back to!

I'm ten pounds from pp weight. I only gained 22 lbs, and I've still got ten to go. : But I remember hanging around this 110-112 range for quite awhile when nursing ds, it might be the number my body needs to make good milk. My belly has some pudge at the bottom but it doesn't look pp it just looks like pudge. I have a very small patch of stretchmarks on my lower abdomen, it's a little more noticeable this time but really the patch of them is small enough that I'm happy just to see my mothering badge of honor lol. My thighs need work - total gross flab, I blame it on having to cut out practically all activity for the last third of my pregnancy, I lost a lot of muscle tone. I'm in a size 5 and won't get any lower (wore a 1/2 prepreg) until I shrink these thighs. The hips have some extra weight but mainly I have to wait for my hip bones to move back in like they did last time - they'd better lol!

I actually took a picture of myself at a month pp. I don't care for the pic of course but I want to track my results to give me motivation when I'm mentally fried from 2 kids, a house to run, and schoolwork to accomplish.

[audsma]

I allowed myself to get out my pre pregnancy clothes (read pants, skirts, etc.) on Sunday at 4 weeks post partum. I was so pleasantly surprised that my jeans that I bought last year at this time not only fit but fit well! (They fit better than they did after the weekend of playing with the my girlfriends on a moms' getaway! But, we did eat and drink very indulgently that weekend!) Yesterday I dressed up in a skirt, blouse and heels (or high-style shoes as DD calls them) and I think I looked better than I did pre-preg. I think it was the way my boobs balanced my tummy. Hurrah for breastfeeding!

My tummy is dry and sadly deflated, but I can handle that. DH says it looks like I lost some weight from my thighs, etc. but I don't see it.

Oh, and the skin tags. I have one right in my cleavage, and I'm not happy about it. That's the only really pesky one, however.

As for weight, I'm within my normal range. I did a juice fast to start off 2008 and got to a really great weight just before I got pregnant. I look forward to being able to establish exercise routines since I am a SAHM right now.

[iamleabee]

i'm 10lbs off pre preg wgt...bigger in thighs and softer belly but my tatas are freaking huge. and one is prob 2 cup sizes bigger than the other.

i miss being pregnant too

[janasmama]

Thanks for the advice Tara. Now when I see my belly not shrinking from crunches I won't be mad. But anything is better than nothing. I do need stronger abs and I am really good about eating...I agree that it mostly has to do with what we eat.

[Qestia]

I'm still 25 lbs over my starting weight but having gained almost 55 feel pretty good about it, the weight is coming off, but slow. I love being able to move and pick things off the floor again! I'm running (well, plodding) and biking a few times a week. I look heavy though, this is too much weight for me. My knees hurt when I run. I figure they will for another 15 lbs or so. In terms of skin I'm lucky, got no stretch marks either pregnancy (of course, I haven't looked too hard, so I may be in denial!). I always have this high about my body postpartum though, even though I'm heavy, I'm so proud of having given birth (with no drugs this time!) and this time especially now that I'm bfing. Women's bodies are amazing!

[heidirk]

Trimestersdoula-



Oh, we were supposed to give DETAILS? Here goes. . . I am almost 10 pounds under my prepregnancy weight. : My jeans that did not fit before I got pg this time fit now, and it's a darn good thing because the're the only ones I have. Most of my pants ans skirts fit just fine, but the old tops, which now fit in the arms, are a bit short becasue the girls are now 2 cup sizes larger than they were while nursing DS1. I use my bellaband to make up the difference.


My nursing bras and tops fit pretty well, so i did agood job of estimation.

All of my (extensive) stretch marks from DS1 have tiny little additions on the ends! The skin is pretty saggy there, but it's ok. My thighs and arms are thinner, and so is my face, a lot thinner actually. I feel strong, and I'm getting stronger.


I found wearing my babies to be fantastic ab toning work! I think that's why my belly wasn't constantly tired this PG, I'd just come off of a year of wearing my 29 lb ds in the meitai!

[Bee21]

Originally Posted by TaraRae82

^I have my linea negra still too!!!! When the heck does that go away?!

I could still see mine from LAST pregnancy at the start of this pg, when dd1 was 20 months old. It finally faded just in time for me to get a brand new one with this pregnancy. And why do they look so much darker after our big bellies are gone? : My belly button is really dark inside too!