to feel so fat six weeks after giving bith?

[Iwishthestorkwouldbringmybaby]

I just feel disgusting. I have a giant fat apron belly and huge thighs and am wearing a size 16. I feel I am surrounded by people who were back in their normal clothes a couple of weeks after the birth. My friend is
5 months pregnant and complaining that she had to wear size 12 clothes! I would lobe to be a size 12! I am still wearing my maternity leggings. I just forced myself to look at myself in the mirror and I look like someone from a before picture., my belly is so huge and droopy. I am breastfeeding, counting calories and walking lots but feel like a fat freak. Please don't flame me, I know there is more to life and I love my baby so much but feel disgusting.

Your baby is only 6 weeks old, please dont give yourself such a hard time. There is no reason you cant lose weight and tone up if you so wish well apart from eating too much like me, but all in good time.

I could be way off the mark but are there any other issues going on e.g whats your mood like generally and did you have any body issues or self esteem issues before getting pregnant?

Give yourself a bit of time - it will come off. I breastfed and walked into town loads, but also ate loads of junk. After 1 year I had lost all the weight I had put on, in fact possibly I was lighter than when I had started. However, like I say, it takes time. Meanwhile, remember what an amazing job your body has done - it has grown your baby from an invisible dot to the size your baby is now ALL BY ITSELF! Your body has been your baby's sole food source all this time! Of course your body is a bit out of shape but the end and of course it's going to take a while to get back to feeling like your normal self! But it will...

Thank you all. I guess I was just a bit horrified at the flabby mess my tummy is in but you are all right, am going to forget about it for a couple of months, its time to enjoy my little boy, not be constantly hangry and obsessed with my weight. Unfortunately I have a few body fascist friends and family members and I just let them get to me a bit. Thanks to all of you.Xx

Can anyone reassure me though....my tummy is so droopy it is like an apron. Can I get rid of that through diet and exercise alone? I have convinced myself I will need plastic surgery to get it off, which is obviously not an option!

6 weeks is nothing! I had a big belly until at least 4 months and then I realised that it had gone at about 6 months. Then I was the thinnest I had ever been by about 10 months. Don't worry about it - you are doing everything right: breastfeeding, gentle exercise and eating well. I would say don't even worry about counting calories at this stage - you need energy to get through the first few months.

My tummy is probably still a little more "saggy" than it was but definitely thinner ( at least it was before I become pregnant again - hoping it is as easy 2nd time round).

And tell your "friends" and family to bugger off - jeez, 6 weeks!

Please remember that it takes 9 months to get all that extra blood and fat and grow a human, therefore it is reasonable to expect 9 months to shift it (at least).

At six weeks i still couldnt walk, so at least youre managing that i would have given anything to be walking round pushing my pram.

After dc2 and dc3 i would say it took me bout 12-18 months to get back to normal. I was a size 8 but i put on 4 stone when pg and was a size 14. It was hard work wirh exercise and sensible eating but am now back to size 8.

Good luck, dont push yourself too early

I was a size 8 before dd1 then a size 10 before DS and dd2 is now 9 weeks old and I am a size 14. I feel so fat and horrid. My belly is saggy and still has the dark line down it. My legs are huge and I have fat arms i even have a fat back.....

I do however have three stunning children. And if I never get my figure back then to hell with it I have three stunning children lol.

My dd1 asked a couple of weeks ago why my belly was made of Jelly and I told her it was because I had kept dd2 warm. I got out the bath (she was still in it)and she said mummy did you keep ds warm in your bottom.... Great so I also have a big fat jelly arse as well!!! But at least I cant see that!

At 6 weeks I was still worried about my insides falling out when I sneezed! I was still in maternity clothes until around 16 weeks and even then had to buy new clothes because my old ones didn't suit my post pregnancy body, tbvh my little pouch has never left, but thru diet and exercise and a LOT of time, its not half as bad, especially now the stretchmarks have faded away and because I feel happy enough with the rest of it, it's not such an ishoo, oh how I remember bursting into tears tho when bil (who I love) marvelled at the fact I still looked pg after 6 or so weeks, just remember op you are in the majority here and people, especially friends and family, should empathise not bloody criticise!

When the facists start simply say, in a bright and breezy way "Oh I think its so sad when people worry more about their body than their newborn when they have just had a baby! I mean, how shallow to care more about your weight than your precious little one!" and laugh!

And if they ask if you arent bothered about dieting say "Of course not, I am BF, the weight will come off when its ready!"

And call them every name you can think of under your breath for trying to undermine your confidence....bitches

my youngest is 22

sobs .....

Awh op, it's ok :) My baby is 7 weeks and I'm a 16 too.

What's made me feel a million times better is going out and buying a new mum wardrobe as I felt like shit in my old maternity clothes as they fit so badly. I spent about £80 (so not too much) in the sales on some leggings, boots & long tops/ dresses as I don't want to wear structured things around my waist yet which rules out most of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe. I may not be winning style awards but I look alright, I'm comfortable and I feel better and more in control. You're doing really well :)

You are being unreasonable to expect to have lost "baby weight" by 6w.

Maybe 12months, I could see being a reasonable expectation (some will lose it before that, others not). At 12m you can stomp your feet and complain that the baby bulge is still hanging around.

The uterus is a muscle that has gone from the size of an orange to bigger than your baby. It doesn't snap back. Your body stored nutrition to feed baby inside you and now when it's born...

Eat sensible, exercise moderately and buy clothes that fit your body shape now - non point squeezing into unsuitable stuff, looks bad, feels bad and generally bad mood inducing.

Get a haircut, buy some new jeans and lie on the floor with your bubba, hopefully it will seem better tomorrow.

Aaah don't worry! I lost baby weigh much easier with my first than with my second. Took me a year to lose the last stone. Do not put yourself under pressure at all. I am now back to size I was before I had my children and feel great, it's all the running around and fetching and carrying! Don't be hard on yourself nine months up and nine months down. Count calories when you want to lose the weight, the my fitness pal app on iPhone is fantastic. Good luck and cheer up. You have a beautiful baby and your body has just done something amazing for you. Don't squeeze yourself into clothes you are not ready for. Wear your clothes a size bigger, you will automatically feel better. I am sure you look beautiful anyway ;)