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.

@WatchWatch

It doesn’t matter though, your new little baby becomes the most important thing and your body image just falls off of the importance scale.

That wasn't true for me. I felt like a shell of myself and like I no longer existed as a person because people told me that what happened to me and the resulting injuries and side effects weren't important, because DC was ok. To some people their postpartum bodies DO matter. And that isn't wrong.

Ah yes, I felt the same way, also told that it didn't matter about my body as long as the baby was ok. But it matters to me. I'm not just a baby growing machine. It's been good to read this.

Be kind to yourself afterwards. It's tough and most people do not bounce bk!

I was a size 6-8 before baby and just assumed I'd go straight bk to that size. I was probably more like a size 8-10 but with me being so petite I hated it, I really felt the extra weight even though it was only about 10lbs. After 4 months and no improvement I went to the gym for about 2 months (then gave it up lol) and lost it.

A year after giving birth I was a few lbs lighter than before. So what looks different. My boobs were 30E/F before having babies and were so full and I loved them. They lost a lot of volume from the top, I went down a cup size but they didn't go saggy but just not as good as they used to be. My stomach still quite toned but not as gd as it used to be and as I had a section there is a little bump where the scar is at my bikini line. I really hated it at first but now it doesn't bother me.

After second baby it was pretty much same again. My appetite was bigger than it used to be I cldnt stop eating crap and nothing was coming off again. After 5 months started back at gym then lockdown happened 2 weeks later. When I eventually got back to the gym she was 9 months old, I had lost maybe another 2/3 lbs by then. Took about 6 wks (gym 3 times a week no change to my eating) and the weight was off.

I'm very happy with my post baby body now. It is not as toned as it used to be, I cld never get it looking like it used to because u can't add volume to ur boobs and I can't change the little bump where the scar is. If you'd have shown me before having a baby what I'd look like after I'd have been happy (not with the initial post baby body though lol).

I didn't get any stretch marks so that was a bonus 😁

with dd (2.5) I gained just over 2.5 stone, weight wise I gradually shrunk back enough to fit into my old clothes over about 5 or 6 months. Never lost the last few pounds tho. I am now almost 7 weeks pp with ds and I gained about 3.5 stone in pregnancy and I've lost almost 2 stone. Stomach still feels big and very squishy but I know I do bloat easily if I eat rubbish so I'm trying hard to minimise junk food (buy y'no, lockdown) post birth wise tho I felt absolutely battered after giving birth to dd. Was induced with both, dd was a 17 hour labour, over and hour pushing and no years but lots of grazing. Couldn't even walk properly for a good few weeks. This time however I felt amazing pretty much straight after birth. Pp bleeding stopped around d o days after birth and everything felt healed by then. no stretch marks with either babies as well

@Shrivelled

A postpartum body is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.

It doesn’t matter though, your new little baby becomes the most important thing and your body image just falls off of the importance scale.

To a point, I think lots of people do worry about it and it's not because their baby is not the most important thing. It's because we are complex creatures and our self image generally IS linked to our feelings of confidence, to feeling sexy, etc. Those are not unimportant things and while we might wish it were otherwise, it's not

@WatchWatch

It doesn’t matter though, your new little baby becomes the most important thing and your body image just falls off of the importance scale.

That wasn't true for me. I felt like a shell of myself and like I no longer existed as a person because people told me that what happened to me and the resulting injuries and side effects weren't important, because DC was ok. To some people their postpartum bodies DO matter. And that isn't wrong.

Totally agree, this is a very natalist perspective, we are more than mothers and baby incubators

Breastfeeding helps. It makes the womb contract and shrink, expelling excess fluid and blood. And burns calories very fast!

As soon as baby was out the midwife commented on how my bump had disappeared! I felt a bit sore and my abs and hips ached, had some loose skin etc, but I wore a waist binding/back support thing and my tummy was completely flat after a few days!

I was surprised to go straight back into normal clothes.

I was just under 10 stone (and a size 8) at 5 weeks pregnant, 13 stone 8 pounds at 39 weeks pregnant and I'm now 10 stone 13 at 3 month PP.

I had a forceps delivery that required an episiotomy. Unfortunately my stitches got infected and I felt awful for 2 weeks PP (until I got antibiotics). I looked around 20 weeks pregnant straight after giving birth. My stomach is flat now though and I have no stretch marks.

I only really felt like myself around the 10 week mark. I was pretty fit before I got pregnant as I regularly ran half marathons and did other endurance sports but I found exercise quite difficult during pregnancy. I gave up running entirely by 20 weeks, but continued to walk at least 3.5km every day. I also ate healthily and drank 8 glasses of water every day.

I still have my episiotomy scar, and it took 8 weeks for the wound the heal completely - I'm not sure why. I don't look completely the same down there. My vagina looks more 'open' but sex feels pretty much normal now.

The only ongoing issue I have is that I fart a lot more than I ever used to. It's a little embarrassing but fortunately (unfortunately for DH) it mainly happens when I get into bed! I think this may have been caused by the fact that my baby was born back to back and also by forceps - something got damaged anyway! Hopefully it isn't permanent!

I looked like I was about 9 months pregnant after I had my DTs. I started to feel better about my body when I was able to put non maternity clothes on (albeit a size larger) at 6 weeks. The hair loss was horrible and went on for at least a year although I’m lucky I had thick hair.

They’re 3 now, and my stomach has an overhang, I’m covered in stretch marks and my stomach feels papery thin like elastic that’s lost its stretch. I feel incredibly lucky though as I’ve never had any pelvic floor issues. I’m currently on a diet to lose my lockdown weight, and have made peace with the jelly belly that’ll never go away. My kids find it hilarious when I jiggle it at them 🤣