Coping with body changes

[EmmaLSmith]

Hi all

I am 26 weeks pregnant and new to Mumsnet. I am struggling to cope with my changing body. I've noticed an increase in cellulite on my lower half and have even noticed it developing on my arms! It's really starting to get me down.

I've always been fairly active and slim before I was pregnant and any weight shows easily as I'm only 5 foot. Although I love being pregnant and can't wait for our baby to arrive in February, I find myself worrying about whether my body will ever be the same again after pregnancy.
Is anyone else feeling this way or experiencing this? I'm hoping the cellulite will reduce after pregnancy but I'm not so sure!

Anyone else feeling this way?

Hello Emma My legs have gotten huge (thighs) with loads of cellulite on them :-( Im 5'4 and was running and hammering the gym before I got preg. I had really bad ms in the beginning and did nothing for 2 months on top of which I couldnt stomach salad/veg/fruit/water/meat. all I could eat was bread/potato/pasta/cheese so it was double whammy! Im worried mainly because it put me in the high BMI consulant category so I am fed up because of the weight gain and diet and also a bit defensive because I dont want to be lectured every time I see a mw/health prof. I have been quite shocked at the changes of appetite! I guess it is what it is and I hope to enter a half marathon next year in October to have a focus...

Forgot to mention I am 17 weeks.

I'm 36 weeks now and I was just looking at my previously slim self (5'8, 10.4 stone) and thinking how much I now look like a blancmanche - puffy, shapeless and pale! Oh dear.... I don't know if this helps at all but from the number of weeks you are, to about 34 weeks, I didn't feel that the changes were that great - the bump got a bit bigger, but nothing else really changed and my boobs calmed down - I also got the lovely skin/hair thing, and it's only now as home in on delivery date that I feel puffy, alot of which is water retention. One tip is to choose 3 healthy habits (just for an example vits, walking, home-made juice etc, whatever works for you) and just stick with those and then everything else is a bonus and you know you are doing your best. Good luck!

I am almost 40 weeks. It has taken a good few months, but I am accepting of my pregnant body now. (Cellulite, stretchmarks and generally feeling like an ogre)

I am looking forward to getting back in the gym (and into my size12 skinny jeans), but my outlook has changed somewhat, and my priorities have certainly changed. So I worry about my body a lot less now than I did in early pregnancy.

Remember that any fat stores you are laying down are a resource for your baby - if you BF, it's going to come from there. I would worry more about the possibility of baby not putting on enough weight and being born small and vulnerable as a result. Babies need fat! I find it helpful to think about this, and about how for this short period of our lives this trumps our own body image concerns and the often-unreasonable media/social pressure to look a certain way.

I would try not to worry yourself too much.
I am 29 weeks (the time really is starting to fly by!) with my first and feel very lucky that I love my pg body as I think I took dieting and weight loss too far before I got pregnant. I am finding that the last 6 months or so have really changed my thoughts on my weight etc. My bump is massive, my thighs are like tree trunks and my boobs have not grown much at all. I seem very bottom heavy!

I know a lot of people who have taken no time at all to get back to their pre pregnancy size and a lot of that was due to breast feeding and healthy eating so don't worry about things never being the same again.

Try to remember that this is all for that baby growing inside you and in no time at all the baby will be here and you will have your body back.
Don't bow to pressures from the outside world to lose any weight too fast. Be proud to be a mum and take your time getting yourself back to a shape that you are happy with.

frizz1986 that is really sensible advice. We women harass ourselves and each other far too much about body weight and shape. Being pregnant and then a mum really gives you freedom to just let it take a back seat. There is plenty of time once baby has arrived to adjust and change what you are eating if you want to. Breast feeding is great for weigh loss.

My ass is huge at the mo. I have given up trousers and am just wearing dresses but feel pretty ok about it. Might always have a huge ass but it doesn't mean that I am any less sexy than before.

emmalsmith I am sure you look beautiful.

I know that feeling, after being slim and gaining 3 st with my first dc after I had him sat crying in the bathroom to dp telling him I was fat and ugly coz my belly was saggy ds was only about 3 week old, looking back on it now it's laughable I quickly lost the pg weight and was back to normal, 4 dc and a million takeaways later What I would give to be that size again.

I'm 34+4 and my bum is as big as my bump but hey, you know what, I'm growing a freaking human so I can look like a blimp and not care because all this is pretty amazing! There will be time later for super healthy eating, crazy exercise and dreaming of tummy tucks, but for now just marvel in the amazing thing you are doing and enjoy what you can as it'll be over before you know it.

In the first few weeks after I had my DD lots/all of the puffiness and bloating vanished and the cellulite looked loads better. Yes I had weight to lose and muscles to tone (which I personally never managed )

Try not to worry about it, as others have said do what you sensibly can when pregnant and then think about it many, many months after your baby is here.

Emma, thanks for starting this thread! I am 22 weeks and before I got pregnant, ate healthily, went to the gym regularly and loved my skinny jeans. It took me until now really to come to terms with everything getting bigger. Having been a 10-12 pre preg, I went into M&S yesterday and got some vast, size 16 cotton pants and was fitted into a bra which could work well as baby's first crib (seriously.)
I nearly cried when the sales assistant steered me towards the maternity bras and she really put it into perspective saying this was just a short period of my life and the sexiness would return! She also reminded me that a lot of women don't get to go through pregnancy and I should bear that in mind. By the way, she had 3 kids under 3 and looked amazing.

@firstimer, this might not help much but if you go online to www.figleaves.co.uk you can find maternity bras that are much sexier and stylish than the ones at M&S!

Thanks for all your lovely replies ladies. I feel like I'm being selfish worrying about this when I should just be thankful I am pregnant, and my baby is healthy. I think hormones do strange things to your emotions and thoughts! I have a really supportive hubby who still tells me I look beautiful, so I think I shouldn't be taking anything for granted.

I'm trying to exercise as much as I can by doing the Tracy Anderson pregnancy project DVDs, but as you all say - there's plenty of time to get back into shape afterwards. I do think there's a lot of pressure for women to snap back and even criticism of their weight when pregnant.

Thanks Cariad!
Good luck Emma and remember... A lot of us feel this way