How did pregnancy affect your body?

[Rose18778]

Im quite petite but was a bit obsessive about my weight pre-pregnancy and dieted/worked out a lot to stay at a size 8. My daughter is 6 now and I’m about the same weight as I was before having her but I’m a lot more relaxed and comfortable in my body. I don’t know if that’s motherhood or just getting older or a bit of both? I wear a size 10-12 (always a 12 in jeans!!) and my shape has changed, my hips are definitely wider and my stomach is a big saggy. But I’m happy and thankful for my body growing and birthing my daughter, I’ll definitely never be a size 8 again but that’s fine by me

 

[MrsJones83]

Somehow i manage to lose weight during pregnancy, and end up lighter at the end. Once the baby is born and the swelling has gone down, I’m the skinniest I’ve ever been, but I can’t stay that way and soon put it back on.

But three pregnancies, three large babies and three c-sections have left me with a mum tum that I can’t shift.

My last baby was 18 months ago, and my tummy is still numb.

 

[Lillypot221]

After my first pregnancy 6 years ago I bounced back straight away. I had a awful birth and had a bed bath and the hca was shocked how skinny I was after. But deflated but that went quickly and a few stretch marks.
My second pregnancy (baby's 16 months) I ballooned and haven't manage to lose the weight properly not that I've really tried and with lockdown that's not helped. Lots of stretch marks. Boobs that if I'm not wearing a bra come dangerously close to my belly button. I was a ff/g. Before kids I haven't had them measured since but I have the same volume it's just alot lower.

 

[Keepitw0nky]

I feel like there’s lots of layers to how you can feel about your body during/after pregnancy. For me I loved my bump and feeling kicks etc, didn’t like how my face rounded and boobs got stretch marks. Loved my baby and being a mom, proud of what I had made and what my body went through but didn’t feel like ‘me’ after and held onto extra weight. It’s a bit like someone giving you a million pounds but kicking you in the vag and taking all your good clothes all sorts of feelings exist at the same time.

 

[Theyallneedarealitycheck]

I was overweight anyway so didn’t end up with lots of stretch marks but I have had 2 sections using 2 different incisions, this means that I can’t do some of the things I could easily do before, for example, lifting heavy things can be uncomfortable and I slipped on ice last year and where I twisted as I slipped my scars pulled against each other, I was laid up for a few days.

I’m not body confident and I’m far from perfect but my body gave me two beautiful children and for that I will be forever thankful.

 

[NeighbourhoodWatch]

I didn't gain any weight during pregnancy, just the bump and I bounced back straight away. Like other posters I've been left with a jiggly belly which I hate. I was actually thinking today of looking for some high waisted underwear to try to flatten it out.

I wouldn't worry about gaining weight, just remember you aren't eating for two! Also bare in mind that your 'weight' will increase but if you calculate the babies weight they should tally up.

I gave birth in November and was keeping my weight off, til lockdown happened and now I'm about a stone heavier, cant blame pregnancy for that

 

[ChloChlo]

I feel that I was far too slim before I had children. I was always scoffing my face in a bid to try and get over a size 8, as at 5'6" I always wanted a more curvier figure or at the very least a bottom that would fill a pair of jeans and that was exactly what I got and was very happy with.

However, I am left with stretch marks- not particularly big ones but they are every where. The excess skin round my belly wounded me more than anything, I had to change my whole style after I had my first as no matter what clothes just didn't fit well around my post partum flabby belly.

My vagina was of course "different" and perhaps I would go as far to say I felt tighter after my first, indifferent after the 2nd, noticeably damaged by the 3rd and a complete write off by the 4th.

Also I suffer with hyperpigmentation when pregnant (mask of pregnancy if you will) which is unfortunately around my top lip and needs alot of concealer or looks like a 5 o'clock shadow. It is a real ball ache as it takes a good year for it to fade away again.

 

[Platypusfattypus]

I'm bigger then I was pre children but that probably has to do with the lifetime of drinking, bad eating and not giving a fk more then the pregnancies.

I carried big babies so my poor tum will never be a washboard (then it wasn't for ages before hand). I went from a b cup to a dd, and then repeated that twice more so that's hit my poor boobs hard more so then the breastfeeding. I miss my breastfeeding boobs, they were glorious

I always lose weight when pregnant due to severe sickness but the breastfeeding munchies soon sort that out