After pregnancy body

[sepa]

This may not even be the place for this as its not really pregnancy related. Just wondering what people's figure/body did after pregnancy.
DC1 due mid March and we have a wedding mid june. I know you can never tell what you will be like 3months after birth until your there but what is realistic? I want to purchase a dress for this wedding (and hopefully use it a month later at another wedding) but ideally want to look at styles now so when I have DC1 with me clothes shopping it won't be a total nightmare
Did you find that styles that suited you pre pregnancy were the same after? Or did it change completely?

[TheCatsMeow]

Well I was in my pre pregnancy clothes when I got home and was back to normal before 3 months. I only gained 17lbs though and almost 8lb was my baby

The same styles suit me as before, apart from stretchmarks and scar you can't tell my figure is any different. Everyone's different though

[ShowYourSeams]

I weighed less immediately after having my twins than I did at my booking appointment! (I put it down to the removal of wine calories)
I measured myself today because I was buying an outfit offline and needed my measurements and I'm now smaller than I've been since I was 14!

Obviously everyone is different though. I'd wait until about 6-8 weeks after you've given birth to let all the swelling and water retention go down before you go shopping.

Shopping with a small baby that sleeps most of the time isn't too traumatic either.

Congratulations on your impending arrival.

[sepa]

Thank you for your advice. I will wait probably till early June to buy something just to be safe.

I have ordered a baby that sleeps, and also to come at 39 weeks. Not sure if the baby will get the memo though

[Runningupthathill82]

I'd lost two stone and was back in my size 12 skinnies at 6 or 7 weeks postpartum, but wasn't exactly toned. Then decided to shift the flab properly and got down to a size 8/10 over the next year or so.

The biggest change was when I stopped bfing and my boobs basically vanished. Now, at 39 weeks into my second pregnancy though, they're the biggest they've ever been

Really worried about shifting the weight this time, as I've put a whopping three and a half stone on.

[KatharinaRosalie]

main difference was that due to breastfeeding, boobs were a couple of sizes bigger. So if you plan to BF, you might have to keep that (and boob access) in mind when looking for styles.

[Everythinggettingbigger]

First time round I started off a size8-10 and after I had my DS1 I was in a 12-14 (result of putting near 3st on) I lost the bulk pretty quick and remained a comfortable size 12 until I finally had enough and got back into a size 8 😊 4 years later though I definitely do not plan to let that happen again! I have a wedding 6-8 weeks after my DS2 will be born and then bridesmaid around 10 weeks later!

[Everythinggettingbigger]

I meant to add I suit a completely different style now than I did before DS1 but that might have something to do with me not being 20 anymore haha

[sepa]

Boob access will be thought about if I can BF (i have arthritis so if the pain is really bad I will have to go back onto my meds so wouldn't be able to BF)

I have gained 2 1/2 stone so far so I know I won't be pre pregnancy size in 3 months but it could be that if I deflate enough then the same styles may suit me....

[Quodlibet]

My hips and ribcage were bigger after I had DD so lots of my clothes didn't hang right.

It all came off and by a year I was back to the same size as before (10).

3 months postpartum it's a bit difficult to tell...you might also need something you can breastfeed in. There's a good FB group called 'Can I Breastfeed in it' if that is going to be a consideration for you.

[Suzietwo]

3 pregnancies. I've ended up the same weight after each one but it hasn't come immediately. I gained between 3.5 and 5+ stone with each pregnancy.

With 2 weeks I expect to shift 1.5 stone. Then another stone within a few weeks. The rest is slower but never hangs around more than 6 months

[toffeeboffin]

I am actually lighter post birth.

However, boobs are smaller, rib cage a bit bigger and hips a bit bigger. Weird eh?

[Diggum]

I still had a bit of a tummy at 3 months pp, though weight was back to normal, so avoided the usual waist hugging dresses I'd worn before.

Wait till closer to the time but maybe aim for something a little swishier or with ruched (sp?!) fabric so you don't have to worry about holding anything in!

[Whenwillwe3meetagain]

Well not so easy for me but I didn't try that hard. I'm a stone over pre preg weight and I feel less hourglass than I was before as tummy big. And don't mention the C section ridge

[ApplesTheHare]

Good decision to wait and see how you feel. I was never any bigger than pre-pregnancy after having DD but my taste in clothes changed completely.

[Scarydinosaurs]

I think it depends upon how much you gain and where you put it on during your pregnancy. I found my weight was mostly around my thighs.

I would expect to be at least a dress size bigger, and to not worry about it. Hopefully the weather will be nice for you.

[Dixiechick17]

It's so difficult as everyone is different. I was a bridesmaid when my DD was six weeks old and we had chosen my dress when I was five months pregnant. I got a maxi dress to be on the safe side, I put on four stone and had lost almost three stone by the time of the wedding. The dress was perfect though as it allowed room for my new boobage and I was comfortable in it.

[Gunting]

I put on 3lb during pregnancy and lost 1 stone as I gave birth. (10lb baby and giant placenta)

I absolutely don't look smaller than before I was pregnant and my tummy is still not good 3 months on.

[Saphwoodman]

I didn't really ever have a bump and never wore maternity clothes. I was back to normal almost straight after, few midwifes commented on how I didn't look like I had a baby at all lol and I'm not that slim either around a size 12. For me I was a bit bigger than pre pregnancy But it just dropped off after with out doing anything really. Was back to completely normal in about March then went back to smaller than pre pregnancy in the summer

[OwlinaTree]

My weight and body shape have changed, so I second waiting till after the birth to shop. Bear in mind you can shop on line so won't have to deal with taking the baby round the shops with you.

[Luckygirlcharlie]

I'd say 3 months is about right for getting back to normal overall (ribs and bones all move!) but depends how much weight you gain during pregnancy I think. I was back in skinny jeans after a couple of weeks but couldn't get into tight dresses for a few months. Bust and ribs still bigger. Also I hung on to a bit of fat until I stopped bf-ing at around 8 weeks - despite the propaganda they tell you!

[sepa]

Thank you for your replies.
I don't really want to do online shopping as I usually hate everything I order then it's more of a faff then bringing it back

[Runningupthathill82]

You'll be fine going shopping with a newborn anyway, so don't worry about that. You can wait til they're a couple of months old and then buy something you know fits and looks good.
Much, much easier to shop with a baby who doesn't go anywhere, than with a toddler who runs out of the changing room and into the crowded shopping centre while you're semi-naked and trying things on...

[Sunshine511]

I had to go to my brother's wedding when dd1 was 3 weeks old! Which meant a hellish day at the bullring in Birmingham with a 2 week old who decided she wanted to suckle all day! My tummy was bigger, chest was bigger, but thankfully I managed to find something I felt semi decent in! Then we had to travel 7 hours in the car to get to the place where the wedding was! It was very stressful but I managed it! You'll be absolutely fine since you've got 3 months. Even if you had a day like mine, you could always shop another day! And, generally speaking, young babies can be quite cooperative with shopping, for the most part. Even if you were still to weigh more than pre-pregnancy, your body shape will probably be a lot less odd than they often are in the immediate weeks after giving birth. Your stomach will have contracted lots etc. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that you look and feel great in :) x

[Julieb85]

It took me a while to lose my baby weight, I even three out ALL my pre pregnancy clothes thinking I'd never get into them again. Once I started back work it just seemed to come off easier and I now weigh over a stone less that I did pre pregnancy. Although I must say my shape is not the same...

[SkiptonLass2]

I went home in pre pregnancy clothes and it took me a couple of weeks gofer back to pre preg weight. however as others have said I was not the same shape after pregnancy. I still have a very poochy tum almost four months after. And my feet are bigger.