Not loving my post-baby body as much as my post-body baby ...

[Serenyd]

I'm 1 week postpartum and I've gone from 191 lbs to 165 lbs. I was 128 when I started. This is me @ 4 weeks: http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j.../DsPics007.jpg

I didn't gain nearly as much weight w/ my 2nd baby, and got no new stretch marks. Now after Kara I have new stretchies on my inner thighs, hips and a couple on my lower abdomen. I am kicking myself for not watching my diet better and taking better care of my skin. Please tell me it is possible to come back from this and still look good!

[boobs4milk]

hugs danielle! i gained 11 lbs while pg but could barely eat due to severe reflux. now, 6 wks pp, i'm 2 lbs heavier than when i gave birth!!! i can eat now and i guess i'm making up for lost time???? i didn't lose much last time either, but i gained 55lbs then too. i'm just reminding myself that i will get there it just takes me 1 1/2-2 yrs to do so.

[MamaAcorn]

I hear ya! I'm 2 weeks PP and not loving the reflection or the scales. I keep telling myself that it took 9 months to get that way and that I need to be gentle with myself for 9 months to get back to the way I was.

[DivineMrsM]

i'm with ya. i gained 30lbs but gained TONS more stretch marks. i'm only 11 days PP so i'm trying to deal with it and keep it all in perspective. but i am fairly certain that i am going to end up with a hugely saggy belly. and i'm not happy about it.

[KringyBingy]

I am almost pacing exactly like you, I weighed 133 when I got pregnant, weighed 188 when I gave birth and now weigh 164. I have been pretty happy with how I am progressively shrinking, but I saw a picture of myself today and I thought I looked huge. Well, I hate focusing on my appearance and know that I will lose the weight, it will just take 9 months!!

Don't worry you will lose the weight!
Kristy

[Kedrosami]

I don't have anything to say except that I feel your pain!

I am also trying to be gentle with myself and remember 9 months up, 9 months down. Which means I should be giving myself until the 4th of July to get back to my "normal" body. That sure puts it in perspective and makes me feel more positive about it.

ETA: I can't wait until I'm 6 weeks PP so I'm officially allowed to work out again! I plan to go running and do some weight training whenever I can. I think doing even a little of that will make me feel a lot better.

[Norasmomma]

I think you look good.

I still have 10 lbs from DD and she was born 3 years ago. I've lost all my weight from DS, but he really was a large portion of it. I always have a little belly going on no matter what.

[fyrebloom]

Well, some women do look like did before kids but they're the minority or have has plastic surgery . Our bodies are forever changed when we have kids, but it just means we're shaped like mothers now and not like girls. The body of a woman is just as beautiful even if our culture says otherwise. As far as the weight, You gained what you needed to and you'll loose it with time!

Stretchmarks, well there's no stopping them if they're gonna happen. I didn't gain a lb, took care of my skin, and had my smallest pregnancy ever (the twins were smaller babies but there were two in there) and I STILL got new stretch marks this time. You don't even want to know what the twins did to my belly

I still haven't lost anything... ok maybe like 5 lbs. I had an almost 8 lbs baby so I know I'm still retaining water or something! At this point I have 100 lbs to lose to get to a healthy weight... and I always GAIN post partum. I'm really hoping this time is different!

[Serenyd]

Fyrebloom I think my metabolism is shot from having kids close together. At least, that is what I'm telling myself ... I really could have watched my diet better. I had a false sense of security from DS2, having gotten no new stretch marks and not really paying that much attention to my diet, and I gained roughly the same amount as with DS1, I was back in my fat jeans right after I delivered him (DS2). Although, I think that I was thinner when I got pregnant with him even though I weighed more. I think I am losing muscle with each pregnancy, somehow. I can be at a decent weight but still not fit into my clothes the way I want to, and that boggles me. If I have anymore babies I'm putting myself on a super-healthy diet and exercise program asap! I don't think my body can handle another big gain/weight loss like this. DP asked me if I'm going to start taking pilates again, I think I may. Not for him, but for me. I'd rather skip the plastic surgery, that's a bit extreme, even for me.

My mom struggled with her weight after having kids, she gained 20 lbs with each child that she did not lose, and is now at least 80lbs overweight. So it's been a fear of mine that I will not be able to lose the baby weight. I started dieting with her when I was 9 or 10, doing the deal-a-meal diet ... then ended up being anorexic in my teens... so weight has always been a issue for me.

I hope you have an easier time getting the weight off. I guess breastfeeding doesn't help you much? Mom always said it was that way for her too.

I am so ready to shed this weight, I want to be able to fit into my old clothes, at least my "fat" clothes. I have so many different sizes of clothes I should be able to measure my weight loss without even looking at a scale!

[TIFF4NY]

I know I'm only a few days PP but I am sooo swollen right now it's not even funny. I was actually more swollen when I left the hospital than I was when I arrived. My ankles and calves are the thickest they've been yet and my thighs feel like I have a balloon in between. I'm hoping I start sweating/peeing out this excess water soon! I don't even recognize myself anymore and it's really making me feel bad. I'm excited for my pills to be finished tomorrow so I can start taking those and see how my body reacts.

[fyrebloom]

I'm really hoping it's different for me this time. I had my first three close (20 months apart) and then this baby is still only 27 months younger then the twins. Course my metabolism was shot before that LOL! I have a few theories that may explain why I can't take off weight while breastfeeding and I'll be talking to my new endocrinologist about them this month. I have a whole host of endocrine issues so it's a real PITA to loose weight. I've started each pregnancy 100-110 lbs overweight, lost weight each time and then started gaining at about 1 month PP. Might be the PPD i've had, maybe some endocrine stuff (thyroid and pcos), might be the meds I used to take, might be Celiac Disease which was sorta partially dxed just prior to this pregnancy. We'll see. So far my apatite isn't back with a vengence, but I do have to lay off the chocolate... halloween has been terrible for me! Ack! Still waiting to see what I end up at at 2 weeks PP. That's usually when I shed the weight... like in one or two days. My feet still look like sausages so there's hope I haven't filled in with all the snickers that have made their way to my stomach LOL. I've struggles with my weight my whole life too... my mom started me on slim fast at 9-10 years old and we would diet together. It just made me fatter. Once I hit 18 and started losing my thyroid it was all downhill .