To feel massively depressed about weight gain **pic inc**

[WhyTheHeckMe]

I had my second ds 3 months ago and I am seriously low about my weight. My 2 boys are my world but I can't help but feel down about my body.
After ds1 (now 2.5) I snapped back. Always had a slim waist and curvy bum but was slim so didn't mind.
Now I just feel fat. Everything is wide.
I have spent the last 3 months eating nothing but healthy food. No treats. I walk between 2 and 4 miles a night once the kids are in bed.
The first pic was 18 months ago and the one on the he right is tonight.
Do I look hideous? I have to wear this dress at the weekend and now I'm dreading it.
Also does anyone have tips on how to target my midriff?
I feel like ds2 has changed my body shape permanently and I'll always be this wide.

I snapped back after ds1 but really struggled to get anywhere near the same shape after ds2. Nothing wrong with either picture but deffo good undies required so soon after c section to deal with the effect of having your tum cut. Good excuse for a pretty bodyshaper. Carry yourself with confidence and enjoy!

With all due respect, OP, if you have a previous history of disordered eating, I don't think you should be posting pictures of your body on the internet for strangers to comment on, kindly or otherwise.

You look amazing. After I had my third DC in the space of 2.5 years I weighed almost 18 stone, was a size 18-20 and I definitely was a whale. You are not at all.

You had a baby three months ago, you need to go easier on yourself.

The op feeling gross is fuck all to do with anyone else being overweight ffs.

I completely understand op. My 2nd is 6 months and my body feels alien to me, and yes, I feel gross too.

I tend to get control underwear in a size up or I find it too tight. Some squish your belly but you end up with back fat!
I just like it stopping the wobble more than anything else.

You look great, stand tall and forget about everyone else.

However, I think a different style dress would work wonders. Something that is not quite so fitted? Try not to put too much pressure on yourself and feel self conscious all night.

There is no need to squeeze yourself into Bridgets Knickers. There are lots of flattering dresses out there that are not so figure hugging.

But if that's the dress, you will be fine. Beautiful colour too.

It takes at least as much as the pregnancy took for the body to adjust back, so my mother told me! So nine months is a fair time to aim for, and to accept it psychologically too.

The body does change, permanently, I’ve got used to being more curvy and my scar from cs is prominent. I’ve stopped trying to be as I was. I aim to be fit, healthy and in the upper ideal weight rather than lower. I can see now I’m just as attractive, took a while to believe it.

And you are too! Just as attractive. You have a body that carried, grew and birthed a brand new human life, your body is amazing!

I swim an hour a week
2 years after 2nd baby I got my body back .
healthy eating and watching alcohol intake

Also agree with poster above. You say it’s your only dress option, however how about a fitted but stretchy jersey dress? Hobbs or French connection, river island or coast? Many have summer sales. Show off your neckline and accentuate your curves.

You really do look very nice in both pictures. A little bit of tubby is not unattractive though I understand you want to lose the extra fat.
You will lose it! It's just taking a bit longer than last time but, honestly, three months is not long.

You have a lovely shape. I don’t understand why a PP said the dress is unflattering. It really enhances your curves.

For amazing results on the midriff, use an ab cruncher thing, or just do ab crunches (my technical vocabulary is downright awful). Lie flat, use stomach muscles to rise to sitting. I swear, I did 100 a day and my colleagues raved at me about my shrunk tummy. I dunno if it was just cos I toned up, but they were very complimentary and it was visibly different/improved. And give yourself a break, you pushed another human out of your own body 3 months ago!

I don’t think the dress is the most flattering but it looks perfectly nice. It’s very normal to put weight on after having a baby and it can take a while to loose it afterwards because you are tired, busy and HUNGRY (at least I was).

I’m not a fat of squeeze-you-in underwear. I’d just get invisible lines underwear. I’d rather look a bit more bulgey than feel like I’ve been trussed up like a joint.

My advice is to take it slowly and to stop worrying about it. (And maybe to not post pictures of yourself on Mumsnet, it’s a bit weird 😂)

Fan not fat.

Why do you have to wear that dress?

M&S control underwear is expensive. You'd probabaly be able to get a new dress in the sales that you feel better in for the same price. Plus control pants are really uncomfortable. if you decide to get some though, take the dress and try it all on and try moving around a bit or sitting down. If the top rolls down it will be v obvious.

I assume if you have had a recent CS you may need to be careful what exercises you do.

I've had 3 CS's. I don't recommend exercise for another 6 months. Keep up with the walking but it won't shift the weight. Every single layer of your stomach wall has been torn so you really need to give yourself enough time to recover. For now do Alexander technique. The breathing exercises are brilliant for building up your core.

The only way I can keep my mummy tummy in check is Pilates twice a week. I do one session on the reformer and the second class is a mat class.

For me, my second pregnancy destroyed my body. It will never recover. I'm ok with that. If you struggle with your body shape and feel yourself slipping back towards an eating disorder do get help. It's very common.

The second pic is unflattering compared to the first. While you are somewhat slimmer in the first, it also looks like your left hip is jutted slightly forward with your left thigh angled in front of and across the right leg. That gives a much more flattering silhouette than you have in the second where you are standing straight. Your left arm is also held out in the second, which gives a slimmer appearance. I doubt you'd look so different if you stood in the same way in both photos.

Yes, to be brutally honest, your tummy is less shapely in the second photo. But it almost certainly would be 3 months after pregnancy. But control top underwear will sort that out for the weekend. I advise getting a more 'full sized underwear of the kind that looks like really, really high waisted cycling shorts. They would not have a visible pantyline under the dress and will prevent bulges.

Same here with regards to the snapping.

Took 6 months with DS, then 18 months with DD. Brutal.

OP you look great!
I Leo agree control underwear is expensive, I just spent £40 in Debenhams on a body suit. I actually hate wearing control underwear as going to the loo is so time-consuming! So I ended up returning it and getting a nice dress in the sale instead. Loads of places have great sale stuff.

Stay healthy and have a great time at your event

I envy your figure and think you look absolutely lovely - beautiful curvy hourglass shape.

I’m in awe of your self discipline. Only healthy food and no snacks...wow! Oh, and you look fine, agree that underwear would help get a smoother silhouette. John Lewis or M&S are super helpful in finding the right one...definitely bring the dress with you.

please dont do the plank challenge or ab crunches 3 months after a section unless you speak to a gp...you could really damage yourself. I found my hips and ribs were wider after giving birth but did go back to normal after around 9 months so hang in there and yes to the magic pants in the meantime. you need to eat well and go easy on the exercise your body needs to recover properly first and that takes time not punishment!

3 months, woman! Have some patience with your body!

If you keep eating sensibly and getting out walking you will continue to regain your previous figure, but you need to remind yourself what size a baby is and consider what your body is recovering from.

Well done for the last 3 months, I aspire to be so well behaved!

For a pp trying to get attention saying "you're slim and I'm fatter so what would you think of me?" not relevant at all, not even a little bit.

Instead of walking, look into the 21 day fit extreme. Amazing results. Get some control pants and I'm sure you will look the same as in the first pic.

There are women who would do anything for a figure like yours, let alone so soon after having a baby. You look absolutely lovely in that dress. Another thing to think about is that beyond envying you that wonderful hourglass figure, most people won't be thinking about how you look, they'll be worried about what you think about how they look!