To think pregnancy ruined your body?

Unfortunately yes, I was let down a lot by healthcare professionals which made my recovery harder.

I had pgp/SPD during my last 3 months before birth and it didn't clear up after birth and no midwife would listen to me and said "well, you should be able to walk"

My blisters were missed and noone came to see me for a day after I pointed it out, I had an infection after birth they couldn't work out and I think it was the reaction causing it, they told me I had sepsis and didn't realise until day 3 post birth and they bit of an "oh shit, yeah that could be it, oops"

I was also due to have physio to help with my limited movement but COVID cancelled it.

My NHS trust is currently under investigation for it's negligence for maternity care tbf.

Maybe I was just unlucky, I don't know but the whole pregnancy and birth process has definitely left with me physical and mental markers that I still struggle with over 3 years later.

No - wait until the baby is 5 years old.

I looked great a year in. It was juggling work and school aged children that has really done for me in terms of appearance.

I had a massive 10lb+ baby. Ate what I wanted, did no exercise ( it was lockdown) during pregnancy.

Amazingly I only put on 2 stone, lost it without trying and no stretch marks. I've no idea how or why - sheer luck I think.

I do have a c section pouch though that makes a slapping noise when I dance with my child but it just makes me laugh!

I’m pleased for you OP. Some definitely seem to sail through pregnancy in a way I didn’t. I feel that visually I recovered within a couple of months but having a child makes it much harder to do all the fitness/sleep stuff I need to do to feel like me. Maybe by the time DD is in primary school 😂.

I was the same after baby number 1. And 2. Then with my 3rd I suffered severe birth injuries that I’ll never properly recover from.

Oh and i gained weight in pregnancy, my baby wasn't growing enough so I ate a lot in desperation to try and make her gain weight.

I don't regret it, she made it through a tough pregnancy. My stretch marks are a life lived. I don't define myself by how my body looks or if i fit the same jeans, I've changed and that's okay.

You’ve been lucky. I have life altering changes because during the emergency c section the surgeon cut my nerves and caused permanent numbness. Then breastfeeding deformed my breasts and made DC’s favourite one bigger.

Similar. My body looks mostly how it did prebaby. Slightly softer tummy, a few stretch marks on thigh. Breasts are a bit lower, but have gone from C to G Cup.

But I had a forceps delivery and my pelvic floor is destroyed. Two types of prolapse- I can feel my bladder move when I jog, sneeze, shout, cough. In discomfort from walking 65% of the time. Fully continent for now (let's see what menopause does) but feel profoundly unsexy (have not had sex in almost 2 years) and may well need surgery to shove everything back up.

I find the focus on the aesthetic changes to a woman's body completely infantilising, tbh. Who gives a shit.

I had four children, the last when I was 41, and don't have a single stretch mark. I don't think I'm in worse or better shape than childless friends, friends with one child or my DH come to that! All kinds of life events can and do change our bodies- losing/ gaining weight, ill health and general wear and tear.

Wait until the baby is 5 and you don't have time to exercise, then come back & post

Urrrm no unfortunately. I don't look the same and this post makes me feel rubbish :-(

I thought the same - after a tricky start, I was well enough to run until I was about 30 weeks, was sick twice the whole way through, didn’t put on too much weight, felt great the whole way through. 36 when my beautiful little boy was born.
Tough birth but recovered quickly, running again after 8 weeks and looked great. Then a year after birth…literally all my hair fell out (alopecia universalis) and I developed arthritis in my feet. So now I’m completely bald and feel like I’ve aged 20yrs overnight. Definitely wrecked my body, just took its time!

From what I’ve seen in my friends and experienced myself, the effect is cumulative and down to age. I had my first at 31 and second when I was nearly 35. First it did not impact me in any way, I ‘glowed’, I swam and exercised throughout, baby weight naturally dropped off after a few months. Second, my body felt drained- I needed two fillings, my skin and hair weren’t great, I was exhausted, ached and struggled to walk, never mind exercise. I felt like I had aged afterwards too and I’ve never quite got it back. It was a factor in deciding to stop at two for sure.

No op I am not as amazing and incredible as you. I never swam so it must've been that.

I agree with you; I was led to believe it’d ruin my body but it’s actually been fine. Lack of time to myself, money and sleep deprivation have probably done worse for me than pregnancy

I had my first baby 7 months ago via EMCS, I'm in my early 30s. My body is definitely different but not THAT different as everyone would have me believe. It definitely hasn't ruined my body, and I fit back into my size 8 jeans. It is satisfying proving wrong all the women who said horrible things to me while I was pregnant about how I'd look after the birth.

pregnancy was fine for me, it was the birth. 4 degree tears and 1.5l blood loss. Very lucky to not end up with a bag to wee in! Kind of puts into perspective whether your pp jeans fit!!

with my 3rd I was very lucky to be able to workout until my final week. I was even more lucky that my abs did not stay separated for long and I was able to return to working out. I’ve had friends who required surgery.

For me pregnancy and hormones does change your body. This can be incredibly hard for a lot of women .