Just wondering what others are experiencing with their body image after having a baby. My wonderful baby is 5 months old and I'm really struggling with losing the weight I gained and with feeling pretty crappy about the way my body looks after being so stretched out and then having an unplanned c-section. Like to hear other women's and men's honest perspective on this.
2006-11-07 19:59:51 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Stick with it. I know it is hard. I am 9 months post baby and I run 4-5 miles a day for 3 months 5 days a week and have only lost 5 of the 65lbs I gained. I get so discouraged and lately I have been eating crappy because I feel like what is the point!!!! It is so hard but stick with your diet and exercise, because if nothing else it is setting a good example for your little one. My son is fascinated with my elliptical machine!! LOL. good luck and really keep with it. There is a website http://shapeofamother.blogspot.com/
where woman share their stories and pictures ( sometimes they are graphic) and I find it encouraging sometimes to hear that others have some of the same struggles with this.
It is also important to remember though that you may never get your body to look like it did before baby. Some people are changed forever and if you are one of those people ( I think I may be) I hope that you will someday be able to love your new body as much as you loved your old one. I am realizing now that I took my old one for granted and plan to really take care of my new one, whatever shape it is! GOOD LUCK!!
2006-11-08 02:24:52 · answer #1 · answered by deans_mom 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had a baby girl also 5 months ago c-sec. I also have a 7 yr old, and it is not going to be as easy for me to lose the weight with this one as it was my first . I feel really bad about my image on some days but i know it won't be like this forever,I have set a goal for my self to cut out all Soda and hopefully this will help me drop a few pounds . I know the only way i can lose the weight this time is i actually have to work at it a little. So i'm going to do one thing at a time and try not to get stressed. I hope you can do the same.
2006-11-08 04:45:51 · answer #2 · answered by Amy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was very careful with my diet and continuously exercised during my pregnancy (light aerobics, light weightlifting and aquagym) so I only gained 23 lbs (my baby boy weighed 7.2 lbs)
I also breastfed just for the 1st 3 months and I was able to fit into my jeans (size 2) just after 8 weeks. My son is now 8months old and my clothes size did not go up one notch at all.
I also had a c-section and wasn't thrilled with my belly the first few weeks, but as soon as I had a go signal from my ob-gyn that I could go back to exercising, I did.
I guess it really just takes a lot of self-discipline if you want to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight after giving birth.
When we plan for baby no. 2, I would definitely do the same thing all over again.
2006-11-08 14:17:33 · answer #3 · answered by Sexy_Momma 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its very normanl to be feeling like you are feeling right now!! I have an 18 month old and also an unplanned c-section along with the nast scar and all that fun stuff!! I am smaller now than before which is great only i have the stretch marks as well too. .and that makes me self conscience, but I worked my tail off to get where I am now!!! When your feeling really down...just think how blessed your are to be able to have your own children naturally many women would kill to be in our positions! Just a thought! Other than that I feel great and love my little girl to death and know that it was worth it!! Good luck!!
2006-11-08 10:21:46 · answer #4 · answered by MLP 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My body got back into shape pretty quickly after my son was born, hes 20mths old now. I was very happy with it after all the work i had done. I had a kidney operation 6 wks ago and since then 5 people have congratulated me on being pregnant. I feel like crap now and have a lot of swellng that just wont go away. Atleast with baby weight you can work at it to make it go away but now ive got the problem of making this swelling go away and putting up with peoples comments in the mean time.
2006-11-08 04:52:35 · answer #5 · answered by Kylie P 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can really relate to what you're feeling as I worked very hard to lose weight after my last pregnancy and am now 36 weeks gone with another baby and dreading having to start all over again!
That said though, try to give your body some credit for the miracle it has just performed. Isn't it amazing that it was able to create this wonderful little being without you having to think about it?! That may help you feel more positive about your body despite its 'battle scars'!
2006-11-08 10:56:03 · answer #6 · answered by The Landlord 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
my little one was born 3 months early and 540 grams i had a bump but not a real full like a normal pregnancy, i had pre-eclampsia so i got really puffy and big in 2 weeks and took a while to go away but i had an emerg c section and i have a huge scar so i was really self concious about it with my fiance he is so supportive and says it only makes him love me more just to think of what i went through just to have our beautiful baby girl hannah. that was 8 months ago and i have lost a lot of weight but in the back of my mind the uncomfortability is still there a little when i get out of the shower. I wouldnt change it for the world though to look at what it has given me. my hard part at the moment is coping with my increasing blood pressure from my pregnancy, still... your body image will always change but you, your personality and who you are, never will.
2006-11-08 06:30:46 · answer #7 · answered by nicci2381 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hey my daughter is 14 months and im still having problems with my body! ive lost most of the weight but with the stretching and ripping an abdominal muscle while pregnant my stumache just looks like a big flap! But i guess thats what comes with the teritory... I just look at it as I have a wonderful little girl and the stretching and extra skin is worth seeing her smile everyday! it took me a while to get there but now that I am there i couldnt be happier!
2006-11-08 04:06:08 · answer #8 · answered by Kevan S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My daughter is 11 weeks old and I've lost 44 lbs. I only gained 25 when pregnant - breastfeeding is helping to shed the pounds. I was already a large woman when I got pregnant so I'm doing pretty good. It's hard to get back into feeling like a woman rather than a mother but you have to set your mind to it and try to separate it...feeling sexy....just keep trying!!
2006-11-08 09:03:08 · answer #9 · answered by Tammyorr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's normal to be insecure after having a baby!! My c-sec was unplanned as well!! If you really put your mind and body into it you can lose the wieght, but i'm a lazy SAH mom and still 30 lbs over wieght!! So, don't beat yourself up. i hate for my hubby to touch or look at my tummy.... but we still need to feel loved and sexy, so tell your hubby and he'll reasure you that you're beautiful... i tell mine to tell me that everyday, especially when i'm in a bad mood... GOOD LUCK!
2006-11-08 06:10:49 · answer #10 · answered by vetsmom_rgv 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋