To ask how your body was postpartum

[wickerly]

I'm due in a couple of weeks and really curious to know how quickly others felt they were back to normal and did you ever look exactly the same? How long etc?
Also did anything help? and just what to expect really. I know everyone is different I'm just interested in some experiences.

I'm due in a few weeks too, and curious about the same thing! Hope you don't mind me joining your thread.

Just from my friends, I can see that everyone is different, but for me, I have never felt back to normal.

However much weight I lose, I have stretch marks and lose skin on my stomach and my breasts aren't as perky as they once are. I lost a lot of hair in the months after giving birth (although I have really thick hair so this didn't bother me) and I also look tired a lot of the time!

However, I am now lighter than I was before either pregnancy, and I actually feel healthier, fitter and stronger, mainly because before I took it all for granted and now I have made a conscious effort to work at these things.

I would say for the first few weeks post partum, I didn't recognise my body at all and I basically didn't look in the mirror, wore a lot of leggings and baggy tops etc etc.

After about 6-8 weeks, I started to feel more ready to assess myself and think about what I wanted to change - so I saw a women's physio to check my back, my hips and my pelvic floor. I started seeing a PT who specialised in post partum women, and I started putting in a little more effort to my clothes, skin care etc. But all in all, I would with both of my kids, it took me nearly a year to feel like I actually owned and controlled my body again (and actually in hindsight both times that coincided with me stopping breastfeeding)

I think it took me 10-12 months to feel myself again, in terms of my body looking and feeling less battered, losing the weight, getting more sleep, and feeling less like the baby and me were a single being

I looked like a melted ice cream

Someone told me that immediately post-birth, your stomach goes to the size it was at 7 months and I found that to be accurate. Within a few days it had shrunk down. I think my non-excess fat weight went within two weeks. The extra fat gained didn't go until I stopped breastfeeding but that might have been because I was not willing to restrict my diet or calorie intake whilst breastfeeding. Once that was done, normal weight loss rules applied (eat less, move more etc!) so it takes as long as you want it to.

@Floopyandtired

I looked like a melted ice cream

Hahaha I used to say (in fact still do) that I look like a melted candle with my clothes off

DC1 - Age 25 - Snapped back. Had a roundness to my stomach that wasn't there before but had HG and weighed 8 stone at 42 weeks pg so nothing to lose.

DC2 - Age 29 - Struggled as I piled weight on after birth. Had HG again. Weighed 9 stone at birth. Precipitous birth that damaged my sacro iliac joint. 3rd degree tear. Went up to 10.5 stone after. Stomach pretty much unchanged.

DC3 - Age 33 - Weighed 7 stone 2 at 40 weeks. HG very bad this time as was a twin pg then miscarried one twin. Carried DD to full term. Rectal prolapse. 2nd degree tear. Have had bowel issues since. Again put weight on after. Stomach has pouch and overhang. Weight gain after birth caused lot of damage to stomach - stretchmarks etc. Diagnosed with endometriosis which has also caused bloating and surgery to abdomen.

My DD is almost 14 months now and I'd say I only just started feeling properly "normal" a couple of months ago - and even then, as PP have said, some things will never be the same (and that's ok!).

Two things that came as a shock after birth. The first was shortly after. I had a vaginal birth and a second degree tear and didn't get to have a shower until maybe 20 hours after giving birth. So everything had had time to swell etc... I was kind of horrified at the sight of my pubic area in the mirror. It all looked so puffy and wrong!

The other thing was more long term. All the leaflets about a year said it would be "back to normal" in a matter of weeks. I got an infection which didn't help, but even once the wound had knitted I still felt pain around the scar site until maybe 9 months postpartum. A physio I spoke to said there is a lot of "refashioning" that has to go on after the initial healing. I think I'd have found it more helpful to know from the start this was quite normal than to worry something was wrong when I was still feeling pain months later.

But I like my postpartum body as it is now. I'm strong and fit and any extra cuddliness is almost certainly thanks to lockdown cakes and wine.

For me, I didn't put on much weight and lost it all pretty much immediately. But to be fair I've been underweight my whole life and struggle with putting on weight so my lack of weight gain in pregnancy was actually slightly concerning to my midwife, even though it didn't cause any problems.

I lost a lot of hair a couple of months after birth, even though I knew it happened, the sheer volume shocked me, I don't know how I wasn't bald!

Everyone will be different but I think the best thing for your mental health and body long term is to not get too obsessed in those early weeks/months and remember your body has just gone through a huge thing!

I had my first baby at 24 and felt like I lost all the weight in the delivery room, stomach I could feel retracting with those early breastfeeding cramps and was flat in a fortnight. Got stretch marks on boobs at first but they had disappeared by the time I stopped breastfeeding.

Second baby (28) was four months ago and I definitely put on a lot more weight during the pregnancy. Found myself stressing out for the first couple of months but then made a mental decision to stop obsessing and just eat what I fancied, go on some walks etc. Trust my body will level where it wants to be. Weighed myself the other day and I've lost about 6 kg in a month with a lot of brownie and pizza eating. I do think relaxing and looking after yourself is always better than working yourself into a frenzy, especially if the goal is returning to the place you were.

In terms of physically feeling normal, first baby I think that took maybe a year. This time I already feel back to normal but then everything recovered quicker. I definitely wouldn't encourage anything too active for the first six weeks or maybe even ten weeks - I remember attempting a run 5 weeks in and felt like my uterus was about to fall out!!

First baby age 27 and second just before 30. Initially had a bit of a tummy low down post birth but my overwhelming feeling was how comfortable I felt not being pregnant! Wasn’t bothered what I looked like really. Now 8 months post second and last baby and I feel ok. Around 4kg heavier than my ideal, NO tone whatsoever 😂 and boobs less full and pert than before. But generally I feel positive and ok. I was lucky as never got stretch marks and didn’t put on loads of weight. I sort of look how I imagined after 2 kids and I’m ok with that. I also dress like a Mum now.

Very wobbly both times.

After my first pregnancy it took over a year to slim back down. I wasn't huge by any means but bigger than pre pregnancy. But I wasn't putting any effort in. I ate far too much crap and didn't do any exercise. I had stretch marks but they went a silvery colour after a year and you couldn't really see them unless you was up close and really looking for them.

I am 8 months post partum with my second and I am already down to pre pregnancy weight and a lot less wobbly. This time I slowly started exercising from 6 weeks post partum and slowly built up how much I'm doing, and I'm watching what im eating. I still eat my fair share of cake and pizza, but otherwise eat well enough that I can eat some junk without feeling guilty.

My main advise would be to listen to your body and don't put too much pressure on yourself. It takes a long time to heal after having a baby. Your uterus takes time to shrink down and your organs have to rearrange themselves. Eat plenty of healthy food and don't cut down too much on calories, especially if your planning to breastfeed. Wait until you get the all clear to start exercising, and ease into slowly

I am at about the weight I was each time I got pregnant but my boots are less pert, I have a c section overhang, scarring from a fourth degree tear and my pelvis still pulls a bit when I exert myself (SPD hangover). My youngest is 3 years old, I'm almost 40 which might explain some of it too.

Thank you, I can see from the responses that each experience is so very different.
I hope my pelvis doesn't stay the way it is for long I have been doing the exercises but can't sneeze without crossing my legs anymore but hopefully that's just the weight of baby and not permanent 🤞

I put on a lot of weight due to excessive cake intake and the mindset of "meh, I'll be ruined after this anyway, why not consume a few extra thousand calories a day".

Took a year to feel normal again and get back to the pre baby weight. Can't seem to lose the kangaroo pouch but still trying. Sometimes when I see a mum who's bounced back quickly I consider throwing sausages at her face. Lucky sods.

Everyone's different and there's plenty of time to get back to a stage you're comfortable with.

Enormously bloated. No idea if this is linked the EMCS or not, as I had two and have nothing else to compare. But even after I'd lost some of the weight that I'd gained (which was over two years with DC1 as I didn't eat well due to me being quite knackered, and over five months with DC2), I was still more bloated than I'd expected.

Stretch marks where I'd never expected - groin area, of all places!

Even finer hair than before.

Bigger rib cage - this is a permanent change as DC1 is 12yo!

When I was pregnant I worried about what my body would look like afterwards. I didn't give much thought to the bits you can't see (who would?). Turns out I look exactly the same from the outside but I've been left with birth injuries from a traumatic forceps delivery. If I could swap my prolapses for stretch marks, saggy tits and a mum tum I would do it in a heart beat.

Everyone is different and you just don't know what will happen as a result of the birth/delivery. Don't worry about it for now - cross those particular bridges if and when you get there.

Nearly 2 years later I'm still 2kg heavier than I was before pregnancy. I have been working out regularly and diet is much better than before I was pregnant but weight loss has been slow (but I'm getting there.)

In fairness, I put on quite a bit of weight while pregnant and had problems with my pelvis afterwards so exercise wasn't comfortable until about 6 months ago, and sleep has been an issue until recently. My tummy is now getting back to flat but the skin is still a bit crepe papery.

I'm so jealous of people who feel close to normal quickly after birth. Some of my friends were able to run again after a few months - I was still wetting myself slightly when walking so running without leaking has only been possible in the last few months.

Fine after kid no 1. Never the same after kid no 2. I think my body was just too traumatised from it all.pelvic floor bad. Woomb shifted lower .pain when i have sex. Abdominal seperation that after so many years still hurts . Kangaroo pouch. Saggy skin. I feel ruined. Thanks kids :p

Bigger feet and ribcage. Bigger boobs. Weight for me hasn't been something I've really thought about to be honest, but I don't tend to lose the last half a stone or so when my periods come back (for me this is about 14 months postpartum as I breastfeed).

My whole body is "softer" - I suppose I'm just less toned than before.

I've given birth vaginally to 4 babies (all 8lb+) with only one stitch required in total so I've been very lucky, but it might reassure you that tearing and stitches aren't necessarily going to happen.

A mess. I was never stick thin before but I’ve struggled to lose weight and I think I still look pregnant a year on.

I'm almost 3 weeks post-partum and I must admit I'm almost feeling back to normal. I had a second degree tear at birth and had a few stitches but I honestly haven't felt it since they were done. My plan is to see a women's physio at 6 weeks to check on my pelvic floor etc but so far everything seems fine. And it's definitely better than during pregnancy - sneezing or coughing was always a risk 😂

Looks wise I'm not too far from pre-pregnancy either but I didn't have biggest of bumps and I gave birth at 35 weeks so possibly missed out the bit of pregnancy where I would have grown the most. I wasn't skinny pre-pregnancy (size 12) but did make sure I ate healthily during pregnancy and I think it massively helped I didn't get any nausea or issues around food which can be such a struggle.

I've been surprised at how 'normal' I feel and look but I really don't think you can predict what will happen or how you will feel. And to be honest people have said how lucky I am to have 'bounced back' so quickly (hate that term) but honestly I feel sad that I missed the last few weeks of my pregnancy and I have a prem baby who is tiny and just wants to sleep all day and the guilt that something I did caused that. I'd take the stretch marks and wobbly belly all day long. I guess everyone has different challenges.

like a roasted marshmallow

Everything that comes to your body postpartum is entirely dependent on how you treated your body during pregnancy.

If you stayed active, ate well, stayed hydrated, kept weight gain to a minimum and worked on your pelvic floor, you’ll feel yourself again pretty quickly. Albeit with perhaps a few stretch marks, softer boobs or some slightly loose tummy skin.