First timer a little freaked about body changes

[hyz]

Can we talk about this?

I'm so, so excited to be pg for the first time, but I'm a little freaked out, too. I was reading the Girlfriends' Guide To Pregnancy yesterday, which purports to be "comforting" on the cover, but is actually quite the opposite. The whole section about how the size 4 author acquired tons of cellulite, belly flaps, a huge butt, arms the size of thighs, and smaller, saggy breasts after pregnancy (in her words) was not what I'd call "comforting".

I'm 27, and have always been fit and slim (5'8", 135 lbs, kinda pear shaped with wider hips and thin on top, with small breasts--I usually don't have any need to wear a bra ). I like my body, and DH does too. I actually think DH will be much more accepting of my upcoming body changes than I will. I had accepted that my body would change after pregnancy, but the description in that book was a little terrifying. Is she right? Is it possible to get any semblance of "MY" body back after pregnancy, or is it all over? With exercise and a proper diet, will I ever have a (nearly) flat stomach again? Will my breasts inevitably get even smaller than they already are? And sagging? I didn't think it was hardly possible for small breasts to "sag", per se. How much of this has to do with how much weight you gain during pregnancy? And how much control do you really have over how much weight you gain in pregnancy? I've actually lost a few pounds so far, down to 131-132 (I haven't had morning sickness or anything--just been really busy, so maybe that's it), but I'm sure that doesn't really mean anything.

So anyway, does anyone have some actually comforting words of wisdom? Advice?

[BakerALM]

almost time for my DD to be going to bed so I only have time for a quick answer right now.

I actually look BETTER after baby than before! Thiner by 10lbs, bigger breasts (that don't sag, they are REALLY Perky) due to BFing and starting out really small, : totally FLAT stomach, and slightly bigger hips give me more curves. the only down side is that I look really tired all the time since babe keeps me up ALOT! But beside that, which in my mind will end at some point I have to thank my DD for a sexier womans body! Hopefully #2 will work out as good!

You be the judge...
Before
After

But let me warn you that it does not happen over night, just watch what you eat while pregnant, eat healthy, not junk and after also. Your body will take the weight off when it is ready and if you exersize it will come off quicker, just watch your BM supply, it can be effected by OVER exersizing but not normal sort of stuff. Took me about 14 months to get to a point where I was better than before. But about 10-12 to get back to normal.

[meowee]

I am on my 6th pregnancy--

I am just under 5' 10" and was 135 lbs. when I conceived my first.

I was 132 lbs. when I conceived this one. So yes, it is possible to keep your body. Just don't use pregnancy as an excuse to overeat, or to eat junk "because you crave it." I gain 25-30 pounds each pregnancy. 15-20 comes off right away with the delivery and no more water retention. The remaining 10-15 comes off slowly over the next year as I breastfeed. You SHOULD have at least 7 extra pounds to metabolize into milk the first year of BFing.

I have very small boobs so I do have stretch marks on my boobs, which grow to a "huge" B cup when I am breastfeeding. But really, how many people are going to see my boobs close-up?

I have no stretch marks on my belly.

[hyz]

Thanks, guys. That really does make me feel better. The details are key, and so much appreciated. And great pics, Baker--a picture's worth a thousand words.

It doesn't help that I'm essentially the first of my friends to be pregnant, so I don't really have anyone to look at before and after. I definitely know more than a few moms that are pretty hot , but I don't know what they looked like before, so I don't know how their bodies changed. For all I know, the ones with flat stomachs were anorexic-looking sticks before they had kids.

I generally have a good diet (veg*n, homemade whole foods, lots of organic and local, good variety, etc.) and eat reasonable portions, so under normal circumstances I'm not too worried about gaining weight. I could afford to exercise more--I used to be a jock, but I've gotten pretty sedentary over the last couple years after starting a really intense job--but I do exercise some, and I think I'd be motivated to carve more time out for it if I had a solid goal in mind (i.e. returning to pre-preg proportions).

Any other encouraging stories and/or helpful hints would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

[Carley]

The GGP is probably the worst pregnancy book on the market. It shouldn't have been published, it is SO awful!

I gained 80 lbs with my first pregnancy & got back into better shape than I was pre-pregnancy in 10 weeks muay thai kickboxing 4-5x/week

2 weeks postpartum

26 weeks postpartum: http://a413.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...2f4a8b54f4.jpg

Some women don't feel pregnant & remain tiny with only a baby belly. Some women, like me, get ravenous & "huge." Every women is different! If you're athletic then don't worry! You'll punch back into shape in no time!

I don't have any stretchmarks on my stomach but I have them on my hips and breasts. You will probably get stretchmarks somewhere. Everyone has them. Even celebrities. If they really bother you put makeup on them.

Baker I'm jealous of your perky breasts!?! Mine haven't been perky since engorgement. I'm still breastfeeding & mine require some serious support to look "normal."

[hyz]

Carly, thanks! Wow, 80 lbs up and down is intense, but it sounds like you came out the other side even stronger. Oh, and by the way, your daughter is gorgeous, and she looks JUST like you! I wonder if I'll get ravenous, too. I haven't really felt pregnant yet, except for sore breasts, and some twingy cramping, which I guess is a sign.

As long as we're sharing pics, I guess I should add one of myself. I don't often wear clothes that are too form-fitting, so it was hard to find one that showed my shape even a bit. This is me in June, on our honeymoon in Switzerland:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1183/...591d3ba78e.jpg
I took some "before" body pics recently, but I can't find my cords to upload them from the camera to the computer. We're doing some renovation, and the house is a wreck!!

And since I saw your reference to your dobergirl, here's mine, Elke:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/...9a78f38623.jpg

We're animal lovers here--2 big dogs (3 until recently--we lost my best boy in May ), 2 Angora rabbits, I ride horses, and we're hoping to get a few hens for eggs and entertainment in the spring.

[BakerALM]

Originally Posted by hyz

Thanks, guys. That really does make me feel better. The details are key, and so much appreciated. And great pics, Baker--a picture's worth a thousand words.

Thanks but I forgot the best, all the stuff in the middle
A month before I was due (I am the girl on the right, I gained like 35lbs total)
Fat & happy In Labor (I was like 9cms in this picture but doing fine (with NO drugs in case you were wondering))
2 weeks PP (we had a TON of BFing problems so I look so tired, I was up all the time pumping.)

Originally Posted by Carley

I don't have any stretchmarks on my stomach but I have them on my hips and breasts. You will probably get stretchmarks somewhere. Everyone has them. Even celebrities.

Yep forgot that part, I have clear shiny ones on my hips and the outside edges of my breasts but I hardly even notice them.

Originally Posted by Carley

Baker I'm jealous of your perky breasts!?! Mine haven't been perky since engorgement. I'm still breastfeeding & mine require some serious support to look "normal."

Thanks! I am still BFing also, well actually EPing :. But they have decreased in size alot when they are empty just in the past month due to all the preg hormone. I MCed last cycle so my body had not had time to really get Milk production back into full swing before I became preg this cycle.

I never wear a bra, they actually cause me to be really uncomfortable no matter the brand, just tank tops. I think I ballooned up to a C/D cup when engorged in the AM for about a year (I stopped pumping at night early on) so they looked like a really bad boob job, all tight with no sag. Now I am an A/B but still no bra and really perky, I do wonder what they will look like completely empty and a few babes from now:

[Lorette]

You gals are all gorgeous.
I second the opinion--- don't read "Girlfriends Guide...".
I guess I am in the minority in this thread.
I gained 50lbs with ds (27months). I never lost 25 of those pounds. I think my metabolism changed after pg, birth and bf'ing (still bf'ing). It is much harder for me to loose weight than it was before I got pg.
But, my priorities have changed. Being a mom-- now being pg again-- I'm not as obsessed with my body image as I was before. Being a mom has changed my body and IT'S OK!

Lorette

[LAMommy]

I am 5'4" and started my 1st pg at 136 lbs (I had gained 15 lbs from working ~ There was always food at meetings and we had lunch out several times a week!) and I'm now back down to 125 lbs at 14 months PP. I have very small boobies (A) and they look fine as long as I don't lean over .
I have stretch marks on my side but they are not very noticible.

I will say that I think it's important to continue to excersise during pg and after. BFing helped me (well, EPing for 9 months) and I'm getting back into my Yoga and Pilates. You should be able to get your old body back if you work at it. It just may not happen over night but it's possible!

Congrats on your pg!!

[hyz]

Thanks, guys! I'm already more motivated to get some exercising in where I can. I took the dogs on a brisker walk the last couple days, and am taking the stairs more often at work (I always walk up the 14 flights to my floor in the morning, and a few floors up or down during the day, but now I'm doing the 14 flights 2-3 times a day, depending on how much time I have). I've been doing a lot of (semi)heavy lifting and other manual tasks, too, with all the remodeling we've been doing. The only unfortunate thing is that I can't do the painting anymore (toxic fumes and whatnot)--if I have to wait for DH to do that, I could be waiting awhile! Anyway, once the remodeling settles down a bit (AND work! sheesh, it's been a gulag around here lately), I'm going to get back on the treadmill and doing other "official" exercises in earnest.

Baker, you looked great--in your 8 month pic, you did seem to have gained almost all of it in that big bump in front!