Did childbirth/BF'ing/etc. permanently change your body? (Decluttering clothes)

[crunchy_mommy]

So I have done great with decluttering clothes I just don't like/out of style/etc. but I still have a ton left. 80% of them don't fit me AT ALL.

I am 5-10lbs over my 'ideal' weight (which, in my mind, is what I weighed before I got pregnant with DS) but it also seems my hip bones are wider... and my shirts are all too short because my chest is... um... bigger... and I expected all that but DS is now 2yo (still BF'ing tons) and it doesn't look like my body is ever going to go back to 'normal'!! Plus we are (rather unsuccessfully) TTC #2 and would like a large family so I imagine I will be nursing or pregnant for many years (if we ever succeed with conceiving). AND I can no longer stand tight clothes (I used to be the opposite, loose clothing annoyed me!) And everything has to be BF'ing friendly (I lift my shirt up, don't like to pull it down).

Do I get rid of all the clothes that don't fit? Even the ones I love? Is there any chance that they will fit again when DS is nursing less? Or maybe if I exercise a ton more? Or are the wider hips and larger chest irreversible???? I would donate (not sell) the clothing and would not be able to afford to replace it all if I shrink back to normal so that's why I want to keep them...

[bonjourmama]

Hahahaha! Great question Crunchy mommy! Actually it is hilarious because I have boxes of gorgeous clothes and shoes that don't fit me anymore and I am wondering if my feet will shrink or clothes will ever fit again!

[beebalmmama]

I found that my breasts didn't go back to pre baby/nursing until well into the 2nd year of nursing. I am one of the lucky ones that can't keep weight on while nursing (minus in the chest). But with ds 1 it was tempting to get rid of my clothes (bottoms mainly) that were too big, only to find that around 2.5 -3 yrs, ds nursed less and I started regaining weight and needed those bottoms. My hips did gradually move back to their pre pregnancy position, it seems like it happened faster with ds2 than it did the first time around with ds 1.

I would probably keep the clothes you absolutely love and consider getting rid of those that are not favorites. Also keep in mind seasonal clothes. You may have summer clothes that didn't fit last year but may this year (have yout tried those on this year?)  I've also found for myself that I have certain tops I don't mind bfing with when I'm nursing a couple of times a day but not all day long. I still have a swimsuit that I can't get my breasts into (or should I say breast, it's just the right). But it's a cute suit and not very worn so it's still packed away.....althoough I can see myself wanting a new sexy suit once the babies are all done being babies and I have time to lounge and be sexy.....hah ha!

[philomom]

My feet permanently went up a half size with each baby. And while I did get back to my ideal weight.. my chest was larger all around as if I'd been stretched from the inside.

[bonjourmama]

OH NO! Permanently a half a size! For crying out loud, I was already a size 10! Yikes!

[Caneel]

I also went up half a size in shoes.

My rib cage expanded and has remained, over 5 years later, the same larger size.  My breasts are about a cup size smaller and I don't carry much excess weight up top. 

[K'sMama]

Everyone is different and it is hard to predict how your body will change.  After 2 kids I am smaller everywhere (including chest).  I did get rid of everything that is too big now - but I know that we are done having babies so I'm hoping that I can maintain my current body size.  My rationale for getting rid of everything was that it likely wouldn't be in style anymore if it ever did fit me again.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by bonjourmama 

OH NO! Permanently a half a size! For crying out loud, I was already a size 10! Yikes!

Yep, it doesn't happen to everyone but it has happened to some of my girlfriends just as it did me. I was a size 6 shoe before babies. Now, a size 7 and half.

Don't buy any expensive shoes during your childbearing time.

Oh, and if you wear glasses.. don't change your prescription during pregnancy. Just try to do without until the hormones settle down after. Sometimes the vision change is not permanent and you don't want to over-correct your self.

[Mosaic]

My body changed permanently after #1: my waist and hips were just bigger, even when I weighed LESS than I did pre-pg (and I'm on the small end). My breasts went back down after 2 years, but they had changed shape so I needed new bras (and that also makes your clothes fit differently). I'm still nursing my 2nd (almost 1yo) now and everything is larger this time around, even though I'm, again, about 12 lbs below my pre-pg weight. I honestly don't know how it's possible!!

I only WISH my shoe size would change... I have super-narrow feet and can't find NN shoes anywhere!

Anyway, ditch the clothes. They will make someone else very very happy.

[crunchy_mommy]

Aww bummer, all my best clothes are the ones that don't fit

On the plus side, I guess I'll have more room in my closet now.

And why oh why can't I be one of the 'lose weight while BF'ing" people? I have never weighed this much in my entire life (well, except when I was pregnant)!!!! I got within a lb or two of pre-preg. weight and then ballooned up again sometime over the last year when DS became a toddler... *sigh* I'm the only person I know who exclusively BF (no bottles or paci) and still nurses a 2yo 10+ times a day yet got AF back by 9mos and GAINED weight...

[Mosaic]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

And why oh why can't I be one of the 'lose weight while BF'ing" people? I have never weighed this much in my entire life (well, except when I was pregnant)!!!! I got within a lb or two of pre-preg. weight and then ballooned up again sometime over the last year when DS became a toddler... *sigh* I'm the only person I know who exclusively BF (no bottles or paci) and still nurses a 2yo 10+ times a day yet got AF back by 9mos and GAINED weight...

Argh, I know what you mean! FWIW, the same thing happened to me with my first (though I don't think I was nursing 10 x's/day at that point, probably more like 6-8), but now my second is 11.5 months and we're still going strong, no AF and I can eat a lot more than I can when I'm not nursing! So maybe you'll have a similar experience with your next one!

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

Originally Posted by Mosaic 

My body changed permanently after #1: my waist and hips were just bigger, even when I weighed LESS than I did pre-pg (and I'm on the small end). My breasts went back down after 2 years, but they had changed shape so I needed new bras (and that also makes your clothes fit differently). I'm still nursing my 2nd (almost 1yo) now and everything is larger this time around, even though I'm, again, about 12 lbs below my pre-pg weight. I honestly don't know how it's possible!!
 

This is me too. I changed after DD was born, and again after DS was born. I lost a substantial amount of weight after DD was born, and bought a bunch of size 2 and 4 pants. I'm almost back there again now that DS is 13 months, but they were low-rise pants, and while they looked ok after DD, there's something about the way they fit now that is not flattering, even though they fit "fine".
 

[LeighPF]

I am the lucky one who lost more than the baby weight nursing (and pumping for a milk bank) very quickly. I ended up packing up my pre-pregnancy bottoms as all too big (In a few weeks they will come out as my post partum clothes). I plan on more kids yet and realized that I will probably spend a decade nursing and pregnant (and both). So I took another look at my clothes with that perspective. I also have a strict rule of keeping only in my closet what fits now.

I finally gave away most of my pre-pregnancy button down shirts since I hate wearing them nursing. I also got rid of most of the pants that don't fit my post baby body (except a handful for post partum). I realized that when things I like might fit again, they will probably be outdated, I will be ready for a few treat clothes and I don't want to devote the resources to storing and moving them in the mean time. At the same time I also purged the clothes that fit, but that I just don't really like and thus rarely get worn.

[mkksmom]

It took a long time, but I did eventually lose the weight, and I only saved a few favorite pieces. I'm very glad that I saved a favorite pair of pants. Can't fit in them at the moment, but they are classic and won't go out of style. My hips did go back, but my feet did not. For me,, that's a good thing. I used to wear a 5-5.5, and it was so hard to find shoes. Much easier at a 6-6.5.

[clutterwarrior]

Another thing to consider is that for women (my female doctor told me this), that from the age of 30 onwards, we gain between half to one kilo (approx 1 or 2 pounds) every year! So if your weight is around 55 kilos at age 30 it could very easily be 65 kilos by age 50, even if we are still healthy and eating well/exercising. 

So it is likely for the majority of women that many clothes that fit you at one age may not fit you ten years later, besides the fact that they are probably out of fashion anyway by then!

[JesKace]

My body has changed.  Then again I was also 20 when I got pregnant the first time, and now I'm 28 and pregnant again (due in April, with 4th child).  My feet are about a 1/2 size bigger, and that has never adjusted after pregnancy.  Luckily I didn't gain a 1/2 a size with each one!  I just notice that shoes that I have from pre-pregnancy are slightly too small and uncomfortable to wear.  I do feel like over the past 8 years when I gain weight I gain it differently than I did before.  I tend to hold a lot of my weight in my hips/thighs now.  Even when losing weight after each pregnancy it seems like my pants just don't fit right.  It could also be because of the way that most pants are made to fit now a days with the lower rise and slimmer fits.

I'd say keep a few things that are your absolute favorites just in case (maybe 2 pair of pants/ 2 shirts) and I'd get rid of the rest especially if you're going to be TTC #2.
 

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

Aww bummer, all my best clothes are the ones that don't fit

On the plus side, I guess I'll have more room in my closet now.

And why oh why can't I be one of the 'lose weight while BF'ing" people? I have never weighed this much in my entire life (well, except when I was pregnant)!!!! I got within a lb or two of pre-preg. weight and then ballooned up again sometime over the last year when DS became a toddler... *sigh* I'm the only person I know who exclusively BF (no bottles or paci) and still nurses a 2yo 10+ times a day yet got AF back by 9mos and GAINED weight...

I didn't BF that long, but I didn't lose weight either like other people rave about.   I felt like it was harder for me to lose weight even though I was eating better than before.

[lolar2]

I went back to the same weight after giving birth, eventually, but my feet stayed bigger and my shape was a little different. So I would get rid of the clothes that don't fit.

[Coconut Chronicles]

Everything went back to pre pregnancy size and weight. My breasts went right back to their pre pregnancy size after I finished breastfeeding. I would save the clothes that are your absolute favorites and ditch the rest.

[mammamo]

I got rid of everything pre-preg except 3 pairs of rather expensive jeans that were new-ish. I still haven't gotten back into them, but I'm thisclose

[Amatullah0]

I have the same issue! I lost weight in early pregnancy, only to gain it all back+more before delivery, and I GAINED weight BF(despite eating well.) I've got 2 or 3 huge bags of clothing in my closet. My clothes are ethnic clothing though, and never go out of style. I'm saving them for me(if I ever get back to that size!) Or future DDs(I can trim the clothes down to fit her, if its even only when she's a baby/toddler might even make them into something else) But, maybe I'll just stitch them up to remove the wear on the edges, and sell them. If I find the extra time, we could certainly use the extra cash.