Are You OK With Your Post-Baby Body?

Rounder tummies, stretch marks, and big changes, um, "down there." A woman's body gets knocked around during pregnancy, and it usually doesn't bounce right back after giving birth. In fact, most women's bodies are permanently changed, and that can be hard to accept. Mindy Roberts of The Mommy Blog asks our panelists (including Kierna Mayo, Big Kid Buzz Editor of CafeMom), "Are you OK with your post-baby body?"

How do you feel about your after-baby body? Do you beat yourself up about the changes? Do you accept them as a part of being a mom? Or do you like your body better now? Join the Momversation by answering our poll or commenting in our related forums.

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Showing the Latest of 29 Comments

CCBC
5 months ago

I am Childfree by Choice, so I will never go through the pregnancy process. However, I do strongly feel that mothers are pressured to bounce back so quickly after having a baby. In our society a woman's body after pregnancy is imperfect or not in the best condition. If our society respected a woman's body after giving birth then maybe mothers would feel better. You can become healthy or fit again, but realistically you probably won't bounce back like Heidi Klum, or Halle Berry. It may be very disappointing for women to realize that the way in which these women get their bodies back isn't the norm. It sets an unrealistic goal of physical fitness for mothers, and it needs to stop. I will say this though, I find it very admirable that one can sacrifice their body to bring a life into the world and still give off a sense of security of their looks. Living with that is very admirable to me.

Kolleen77
3 yearss ago

Before 2 babies I was 135 pounds & after 2 babies & gestational diabetes I am 215! I am in a HUGE rut & am trying to get out but the thought of having to loose nearly 100 pounds overwhelms me completely to the point of giving up. I love my babies & am soo glad I had them but didnt expect to pay the price with my body. I am going to get healthy & see where that gets me, honestly anything will be better than this. I am trying to stay positive & NOT look at junk food anymore!

the monster wrangler
3 yearss ago

Mindy- Sorry, I didn't realize it had already been pointed out or I would have never mentioned it. And now that I watch it after you stating that it was part of your convo with your 7 year old I can see how it was more appropriate. The editing and having different people's clips in between yours makes you forget that you are explaining something to a child. It just sounded like a statement. Thanks for clearing that up.

Ally
3 yearss ago

I had a healthy pregnancy, not sure how much weight I gained but not much past my 9'10" baby and accessories; two months later and I'm back in my jeans with an extra cup size to boot. And yes, the VJJ is different, but I was so tight before that sex was nearly always painful, and now it...isn't. So that's an improvement. And yet I feel mutilated. I have stretch marks from ribcage to thighs, not just stretched but ruined skin, angry purple, sagging and alien. My breasts (which aren't even that much bigger!) have radiating lines like little suns, with giant brown areolae where my cute pink nipples used to be, my previously perky little breasts running down my ribcage like melted marshmallows. My butt is gone and my ankles went from slender to waterlogged-beyond-recognition to emaciated. My darling little boy is sweet, and I'd take worse for him...but it still hurts. I don't care who sees a nipple when I'm nursing but I'm ashamed when my belly shows; my husband says I'm beautiful but I can't believe him. I'm 23, I want more children, but I'm scared of what they'll do to my body. For those who have suggested that how different your body is post partum depends on how much weight you gain...it ain't necessarily so.

the monster wrangler
3 yearss ago

Not to be a whiner or complainer, but just as a 'you might want to re-word this quote next time,' saying that giving birth makes you a woman, and that before giving birth you are a girl, may not sit well with women who cannot or choose not to give birth. Just something to chew on. As for me, my body has not bounced back from birth, and it's been 18 months. But I'm to blame because I have not worked at it like I should.

Mindy
3 yearss ago

Oh MW, you have no idea the shit storm that comment caused on half a dozen blogs, Twitter, and now my site. I thought it sounded offensive, too, when I saw it, even though I was describing a conversation I had with a seven year old and not stating a gender/political view. It had nothing to do with whether someone can have a baby. I was especially surprised that no one (until you came here) said anything in these comments, or came to my blog to ask for clarification. Honestly, people. I had already published a retraction and was on the same page. However, I now have thirty thousand arrows in my back, and while I was apologizing everywhere everyone came over to my place to wrestle, and then we offered Jello and everyone calmed down. Notice I asked that my sidebar quote be changed - and they did it immediately - at midnight, no less. I think it's run its course, and now I am going to draw a hot bubble bath and look for some wine. I've gotta have some wine somewhere, right? RIGHT?

badmummy
3 yearss ago

You know, I hated my pre-baby body and I reserve the right to hate my post baby body.

kk
3 yearss ago

@badmummy -- Me too. On the other hand, because I was not what one would call petite before I got knocked up the first time, I already had the belly-in-need-of-creative-disguise, stretch marks, babylicious breasts, etc. So I looked completely unpregnant and prebaby (minus some ridiculous missile sized breasts) the day I left the hospital. *Looked* is the operative word here. I managed to lose all but ten pounds of the 25 I gained before I caught preggers again. Nearly 4 years later I've managed to lose and relocate the same 20 pounds several times. Highly frustrating since I gained a total of 47 with kid 2. Must be even more frustrating for my darling husband who never knew me as the Fat Girl. This is old territory for me, but before wifey and momma, he's only ever known me as the Hot Record Chick, 60lbs lighter than I am. God bless him for still wanting to grab my enormous ass.

enyo
3 yearss ago

Oh, wow. My post-baby body is way better than my pre-baby body. Pre-baby, I never broke 100 lbs. Six weeks post-baby, I weighed 108 lbs. Pre-baby, I was flat-chested and had no butt. Well, no curves at all, really. Post-baby, I got to *keep* the D cups that I suddenly developed. I had curves. I had hardly any stretch marks. (A few on my boobs, but you had to really look for them to see them. They were never violent purple streaks.) Pre-baby, I was cute. Post-baby, I was *hawt*!

eringremlin
3 yearss ago

Just wanted to add- check out theshapeofamother.com. Its so inspiring to see women, large and small young and old, saying "here I am". Its really given me a lot of perspective through my pregnancy and post baby body.

Are You OK With Your Post-Baby Body?

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