A question about after birth bodies!

[skatty]

Hi, I hope some of you ladies that have already given birth wouldn't mind giving an honest answer to how your bodies are now. My midwife, pregnancy books and éven my Mum say that as long as you are quite healthy you have to trust your body will go back to normal after. I find this hard to believe, 'm only 14+2 and I can't believe I will ever have a small waist again! Does the loose skin on the tummy tone up eventually? Does it take a lot of excercise and are you too tired and busy to do any? I'm not excessively vain and I've always beeen curvasious with a bit of a tummy anyway but I am only 5ft1 and just feel i need to get back to a 12 again after I give birth (though not immediately!). Also did breastfeeding help you because I have two friends that say they couldn't loose an ounce while they BF. I'm not obsessed with losing weight quickly after the birth but would love to know how long realistically it takes to feel yourself again.

Thank you, hope its not too personal a question! Katt x

 

[hels]

I was actually 1/2 a stone lighter than my PP weight! And with BF i am now a stone lighter than PP. Although the weight loss has got stuck now!
My body is a bit worse than before, but im proud of my mummy tummy, the stretch arks are fading!
I guess everyone is very different, and i always imagined id be like a house after having Charlotte, but its not that bad!

 

[tracyM]

After 4, I'm the same size now as I was before I had Daniel 13 years ago, it's just wobblier. I find it creeps back on in between babies and I lose it again whilst pregnant, so this time I'm going to eat sensibly to stay at, what I think, is my natural size - between 14 and 16, even though technically it makes me obese.

I've never exercised or dieted to lose weight, after watching my mum yoyo between size 12 and 22. I always wonder if I did some toning whether I wouldn't be so wobbly, but HV told me that after 3 c-sections it would never be toned - it's the only thing she's ever told me that I'm happy to listen to

I suppose I trust my own body

 

[Rachael]

Hiya

I think this is a concern most women have - Including me who at 5ft tall thought I would end up rounder than tall.

Everybody is different so its hard to give you a guarentee that everything will return to what is was because there are lots of things to factor in, but I can tell you how it was for me.
I put on 2st 7lbs in pregnancy. I weighed myself after giving birth and had lost 11lb straight away (61l 9.5 oz baby). The first week alone I lost 9lbs - Purely because I was so preoccupied with Ky, I just didn't know how to fit the time to eat or get dressed in a day.
My weight loss stalled for a few weeks, then I managed to lose another half a stone. Im proberbly around 5lbs heavier than before, but my clothes fit me so I'm not too hard on myself about it. My body shape has changed a bit, I seem to gather any extra weight around my waist rather than my bum, but I can live with that but I do not have a jelly belly, which I am pleasantly surprised about.
I now walk everywhere with my pushchair, as opposed to jumping in the car just to go 2 mins down the road. Oh and I am still breastfeeding! (Which for me, has helped with the weightloss massively)

This is me at 11weeks gesatation

This is me now

Sorry about the white belly this time - I've stopped being a sunbed slave!

 

[Minxy]

Hi Skatty,

I'm the same size as you (five one, size 10-12) so share your concerns, especially as other women in my family are bigger after childbirth.
As the girls on here demonstrate, there's no reason why we can't regain shape after, I guess the secret is not to rush yourself.

As for breast feeding, I have a petite friend who swears that breastfeeding was THE thing that helped her get her figure back and she always looks amazing after each pregnancy (3 kids)

On another note, I notice your only early on, but if you're anything like me, people are already commenting on your size. DAILY, people tell me how huge my bump is, usually women!

If this happens to you, look at the bump pictures here. I realised my bump ISN'T that big for my time, it's just maybe when you're little it goes right from my boobs to my thighs with not much definition!

Here's to looking like a teletubbie.....

 

[Lauz_1601]

I was surprised immedietly after having birth, my belly wasnt half as bad as I expected it to be, I was scared to look at first lol, I expected lots of loose skin to hang down but it wasnt like that atall, just had a bit of a jelly belly.

Then with breastfeeding it went down really quickly and was flat before I knew it just not as toned as PP

 

[skatty]

Thank you, I'm quite relieved now!

Rachael all I can say is wow! I have never had a stomache as flat as that!! I will be pushing a pushchair everywhere too so I hope this helps!

Little Minx, yes we do sound about the same size! I have expanded in the waist but I don't look pregnant yet, no bump It is like its all gone to my boobs instead! they are huge! I am surprised so far that I haven't put weight on all over but I was very sick throughout the 1st tri. My friend is small and she said her baby spent all day and night resting their feet on the inside of her ribs, how painful! Do you know if you are having a boy or a girl? I'm hoping for a boy but it doesn't matter really!

 

[K X]

Well my tummy is horrendous and I have this kangaroo puch of excess skin. i must be the only fatty on here!

I was a 10-12 pre preg, and at 5" 11" that was slim, now i'm moby the whale with tonnes of stretch marks!

 

[beanie]

Well my tummy is horrendous and I have this kangaroo puch of excess skin. i must be the only fatty on here!

I was a 10-12 pre preg, and at 5" 11" that was slim, now i'm moby the whale with tonnes of stretch marks!

Not on your own, I still have a podge too x

 

[Dee1985]

i no i only had Harley not even 2 weeks ago but my stomach makes me feel sick i think its going to bring on depresion at this rate. if i think about it i want to cry, after Dior it wasnt bad atal just chubby and i lost it straight away, but with Harley i got so big and now im left with the saggyest skin covered in stretch marks big deep purple things im bloody 21 and will probly never be able to wear hipsters again

usualy i dont care and would post a pic but im just sooooo ashamed!!!!!!

 

[skatty]

Oh no, sorry if I touched on a bad subject! I am sure I will also struggle as I have that curvy kind of body that is never really toned however much I exercise.

Dionne, you only just gave birth to Harley, I am sure you will be slim again in no time!

 

[K X]

Dionne I feel the same. I'm 23 and will never be able to wear any midrif showing tops or hipsters, like I used to. I have this massive pouch of saggy skin that hangs over everything, it will never go back as the elasticity has gone and there is no life in it!

I feel the same I get mega down thinking and looking at it, and I am sick of hearing "well you're a mummy now", yeah but I'm still me, more than just a mum!!!

Tried the sunbeds to disguise the stretchmarks, well all I can say is that i still look like i have been attacked by Freddie Krueger. Big and really deep one's...minging.x

 

[beanie]

Dionne I feel the same. I'm 23 and will never be able to wear any midrif showing tops or hipsters, like I used to. I have this massive pouch of saggy skin that hangs over everything, it will never go back as the elasticity has gone and there is no life in it!

I feel the same I get mega down thinking and looking at it, and I am sick of hearing "well you're a mummy now", yeah but I'm still me, more than just a mum!!!

Tried the sunbeds to disguise the stretchmarks, well all I can say is that i still look like i have been attacked by Freddie Krueger. Big and really deep one's...minging.x

It gets me down too, I hate wearing anything that might show off my tummy, thatnk god that really long tops are in this year. Can't believe how upset I get about it, especially my stretch marks, people keep saying "they are your mummy marks you should be proud" but its not on their tummy is it.

 

[weestar21]

i feel the same as u dionne, i went from a size 6-8 with adele no streatch marks nothing was still only 6 1/2 stone and my height is only 4'9. after giving birth to her at 29weeks my tummy went back to being flat and i still looked really skinny (too skinny infact). Once i fell pregnant with colby i thought iwas going to be one of these mums who would just stay slim untill i got to 30 weeks i just blew up like a balloon my tummy was coverd mostly around my tummy button was horrible and all i could think about was after giving birth i would have this huge jelly belly hanging down to my knees. After giving birth to colby it took at least 3 weeks for my tummy to start to flatten back. im now 7stone and back into a size 8 but i do have lil love handles as my OH calls them and a lil jelly belly but the stretch marks arent as bad as i thought, i do have loads but i thought they would be bright red and purple for a few years but they are just a pinky colour so iguess its not so bad as i thought.

 

[*saulino*]

Hi

Everyone is different.
I lost a lot 38 pounds so far and hopefully will lose more.
But im full of stretch marks and my tummy is flabby and i already hated my size before preg.
Im a 17 now and was 11 before having Kiara but i swear my hips grew cuz my tummy dont stick out that far? lol
but as long as you walk and stay healthy what else can you do?
Katrina

 

[Minxy]

Hi Skatty,

I'm having a boy and can only hope he won't be big like his dad (six FIVE! )

Like you, I've always been a little curvier and never appeared very toned. It does mean even my bump has a softness to it, and I'm hoping (with enough cocoa butter) to escape the stretch marks!!

Lucky you if it's going on your chest at the moment. The 'booby bonus' has so far escaped me!!

 

[x-kirsty-x]

thank god its not just me! after i had josh 3 years ago i was left with loadsa stretchmarks and a horrible 'pouch' which to be honest still hasnt gone! anyone else the same?? it gets to me when i see people wearing cute little tops and low cut jeans but theres nothing i can do now lol!!

 

[weestar21]

i get upset to when i see people with low cut jeans and sexy lil tops on, i got loads of them to but refuse to weare them as i have seena few people wearing them who have had children and its not a pretty sight. I guess if i was more confident in myself then i wouldnt care what other people say about my figure at the end of the day they mark reprisent your amazing kids. It could be worse i guess for every kid you gave birth too you could grow an extra toe or something so the marks arent that bad and they do fade just give it time. I do recomd the cocabutter from palmers its cheap and it does work if you start using it while pregnant. Colby is 7 weeks now and my stretch marks are no where near as bad as they were and now my tummy has gone down im back into mu age 11 jeans *sorry im a short arse...lol*

This is my tummy now after having 2 lovely daughters





Hope this helps

xxx