to ask when you started feeling normal again...

[LaureHea]

... in yourself after having a baby? Specifically in terms of what your body looked like...

I used to be in great shape, now I look like a sack of potatoes. Will absolutely not go naked in front of DP. Convinced it's not physically possible to look decent again.

Has anyone successfully gone from flabby to toned after having a baby? Or is that just a bit of a lie?

Feeling pretty bad about myself..

I mean, I was a bit sack of potatoes like before but honestly, your DP wont care if he’s worth his salt. My husband has only ever said how amazing my body is since I had children and have breastfed. Talk to him about how you feel.

In terms of how long until I felt “normal”, probably six months. But be kind to yourself, you’ve just grown a person! Instead of looking at your body and thinking it is depressing, think about how amazing it all is that you’ve grown and nourished a baby and how empowering that is.

You will probably get responses here ranging from 'normal two weeks after birth' to 'never felt myself again'. There will be those who go on extreme diet and exercise regimes from six weeks PP, and those who never exercise or eat healthily again. It is possible to shape up after having a baby, but having been there myself (LO 11 months old), my advice if you are interested would be - don't worry about it for now. You have your whole life to get toned, eat right, slim down etc if you want to. It's absolutely normal to not look like yourself after having a baby and takes months for your body to recover. Just try to eat healthily most of the time, wait until you get sign off from GP to start gentle exercise, and look after yourself. The rest will follow.

hmm, difficult question.

tummy sort of went back to normal in a few weeks, but has never been as good a before. But then I didn't do loads of exercise to tone up.
I was bf, so boobs were odd for months!

varied with the different kids too, I lost loads of weight with dd2, and then put it on again while bf, so went from better to worse.

You sound as if you are in early days. How old os your baby?

@steppemum hi. I'm 8 weeks pp. I just feel really down :(

I’m 12 weeks pp and still not fully myself. I’m getting there though.

I’m nearly 7 months pp and just starting to feel happier with my body. I started the couch to 5k running program in September and have been running 5k 3x a week since then. It’s made a huge difference to my weight. I’ve lost more than a stone since then and am the lightest I’ve been in years. I’d really recommend it. I bought a second hand running buggy for £100 and go out with my children tucked up warm. Always makes me happier even though it’s freezing!!

It varied with my three, I got pregnant quite quickly after ds1 so didn’t really regain my body. Between ds2 and 3 (2.5 years) I lost weight and then recovery took longer after ds3 as I was poorly.

My body will never be the same, I wasn’t slim and toned but I had a lovely hourglass figure but now I am bigger, my stomach is soft, I have a c section pouch, stretch marks and my boobs are not what they were. DH doesn’t care, I am more than just my body,

I was ‘back to normal’ in physical appearance after 4-5 weeks with DS1 but that was because I was very, very ill and lost all the weight extremely quickly. I can’t recomend it. It took probably about a year with my second baby but some things weren’t and will never be the same again - overstretched stomach skin doesn’t respond to exercise or diet.

Please do try to see that your health is 100% more important than how your body looks just a few weeks after giving birth. You have just been through a huge life changing event. Give yourself and your body a bit of time to adjust. You can diet and exercise in time, if that’s what you want to do, but for now do just prioritise being as healthy and rested as you can be.

10 months, half stone lighter than pre baby but my arms are bigger and tummy is still an empty sack! I am trying to learn to dress my new body as used to just wear tight everything, it's upsetting but worth it, makes me feel old! I don't excersise though, every time I try to baby is crawling all over me and not ready to leave him for gym yet I don't think, probably might start next year so I can get some confidence back.

I’m 11 weeks pp and certainly not back to my old body and probably never will be. Well in fact definitely never will be as my boobs are about an inch lower, I have stretch marks and my feet have gone up a size . I’m fine with that though, I grew a baby in there. Our sex life is better than it was when I was pregnant and I’ve been going to the gym a few times a week.

One thing I am finding frustrating is finding clothes that fit as I seem to be an odd shape at the moment.

I have to say OP I’m not overly preoccupied by how I look but Christ, after I had DD it affected me and after DS - a second CS temporarily ruined my whole middle bit, with crazy lumps and bumps and a bad heal.

However the rough rule (I’ve heard) is 9 months. I’m not going to insult your intelligence but talking about how amaahhhhhzingggggg the human body is and that “you’ve created a life hun, that’s all you need to think about” but patience is key.

I tried to shift weight and tone after DD. I didn’t (couldn’t) after DS. Outcome was the same and my weight returned to its “normal” stable position after 12 months, body shape after 9.

Congrats on the new baby, please try and accept this is a temporary state of physical affairs that will get better as your adapt, both mentally and physically to your new life x

5 months PP and I'm about half a stone away from pre-pregnancy weight, well I was before all the Christmas food came out! My body hasn't changed shape though, same as before.

Please don't be ashamed of your body, especially in front of DP, it's done an amazing thing and it's given him a child.

You will get there but it's very, very early days. Take your time and enjoy your baby. Get out for some lovely long walks, you'll feel better and it will benefit your body.

Oh wow OP, really, really early days.
Your body has barely recovered from birth.
It takes time, be nice to yourself.

Totally agree with what a PP said - dh doesn't care, I am more than my body.

If you're feeling really down please talk to someone.

I’m 15 weeks PP (tomorrow I will be anyway!). I’m now very slightly lighter than I was when I got pregnant but I’m still a fair bit wobblier. According to the boditrax machine at the gym, my body fat percentage is about 3% higher than it was just before I got pregnant although varies a bit depending on when I last fed DS. I look okay though I think. I’ve been running since 6 weeks PP and do so 3-4 times per week (20-25km total approx) now, I also do a bike session or two, a gym session and try to squeeze in a swim as well (sounds like loads but I’m only really doing about 7-8 hours per week which is very doable with a supportive husband and I finally left him in the crèche the other day too!). Sport is a massive part of my life and it’s also my time to relax and decompress so I’m training a lot more than most new mums (I think?!) but it’s more for my mental health than because I am concerned about my appearance (happy mum, happy baby and all that!).

I didn't feel properly 'normal' until
I'd lost all the baby weight, which for me has taken this last year of strict diet and exercise, and my youngest is 3y3mo. However, I think my head also didn't feel 'normal' until I started running and eating well, which could really be the reason why my body didn't feel right either. My actual physical body will never return to 'normal' because I had 3 giant babies and 2 sections over my pregnancies, but I've made peace with my new normal and I'm happy with my body.

Just the last few weeks I've started fitting (comfortably) into my old jeans, my baby is 10 months old. I had an emergency C Section so have a big, wonky and high up scar to get used to now. My stomach skin is a bit loose but hoping it tightens up a little bit at some point.. may not I suppose! I just kept reminding myself I grew a baby and my DP really didn't seem to mind. In fact, he keeps saying I'm too skinny now and I'm not even quite down to my pre-pregnancy weight. Try not to worry and enjoy every second of baby time.