Does anyone else feel a complete mess?

[NETTEYJC]

I am 27 weeks pregnant, feel like a mini elephant, my clothes don't fit me and I feel like I am living in leggings and baggy tops, my face is covered in spots ( which I've never had before), I seem to be getting more and more cellulite by the day on the top of my legs and generally feel very ugly! I usually don't go out the house without make up, can't seem to be bothered though lately as no matter what I do I still look a mess, no amount of foundation will cover these spots! Where is my flawless pregnancy skin and shiny bouncy hair that we read about in the media? Why don't I look as glamorous as the pregnant celebrities? I looked at myself naked in the mirror this morning ( wasn't a pretty sight I tell you), and decided If I had to do a naked Demi Moore style pregnancy pose for a magazine it would take a hell of a lot of airbrushing! Anyone else feeling a complete mess?!

[japhrimel]

I don't think many people feel glamourous in pregnancy. I read an interview with Myleene Klass a while back in which she said she felt awful throughout her pregnancy, was puffy, had bad skin, etc and it used to take about 3 hours of hard work from stylists and make-up artists before she was ready for big events! Most of just don't bother.

Are you in maternity clothes? Getting a few bits and sorting out my wardrobe so it's not full of clothes I can't wear has helped me. It was just too depressing trying to get dressed and going "nope, can't wear that. Nor that. Nor that...."

My skin is very variable. I'm finding that if I neglect my skin care routine, it gets worse really quickly. My Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser seems to help though.

[PixieCake]

Hi Netty,

My skin is crap too (never had many spots before but feel like a teen again now). Cellulite appearing over bum and thighs (will this go away after birth?? Please someone say yes).

I find that I can look nice in the right maternity clothes, but that it takes longer to get presentable. I've been pretty tired though so haven't really bothered.

I've been looking at celeb pics in disbelief too!!

Don't worry, we will get through this! x

[Threelittleducks]

I also look like shit. I'm only 20 weeks. It's hot, I only have a choice of 3 pairs of trousers and am living in the same 3 long tops. I am sweaty inplaces I never thought it was possible to sweat. It's only June.

I went to a photo shoot for a posh magazine last week, which involved us travelling down via plane with 20 month ds in tow. Got there, having travelled for 7 hours, all minging, sweaty....yum, lol. Had hair done - which was fine. The proceeded onto make up where the make up lady spent a lot f time painfully dabbing concealer over every single one of my spots whilst bemoaning the fact that "hormones are crazy - usually pregnant women have lovely skin".
Thanks for that lady.
I was exclaiming how I didn't even have skin like this when I was a teenager. She just kept saying "really?" in a patronising tone.

She then touched me up pointedly during the next hour, stabbing at spots with her damned brush.

She curled my lashes too while saying "see the difference that makes? You shoud do this more often!"

Yeah, I feel great, I really care about how curled my eyelashes are. Especially after 7 hours travel with ds in tow.

I do do my make-up sometimes, I just can't be arsed all the time.
Especially when pregnant.

Just aggrivates the bloody spots anyway.

Grumble

[japhrimel]

I helped with a charity nude calendar a while back and anyone having a nude professional photo shoot (a la Demi Moore) will have body make-up all over them. It's amazing stuff for photo-shoots - can get rid of deep tan lines, never mind blotchy skin and veins on a pregnant tum! So even if the celeb photos aren't touched up afterwards (and they usually are to some extent), they won't be true to natural anyway.

[Jacksmybaby]

It doesn't help that our image of what it "should" look like to be pg consists of

a) celebs in magazines who are stick thin and gorgeous anyway, AND have teams of personal trainers, diet experts, stylists and make-up artists etc, PLUS are hugely airbrushed in the pictures, and

b) actresses in films/tv who just have cushions stuffed up their tops.

Most REAL people do not look like this pg!!

[NETTEYJC]

Well it's refreshing to know that other people feel and look rough too!

Pixiecake - Sorry to tell you but I don't think the cellulite does go away after the birth, my bum looks like the moon ... it's covered in cellulite craters! At least my hair is thicker than it has been in years ... but then i've read that even that will fall out once my baby is born!

Might just stop buying trashy magazines so I don't have to look at gorgeous pregnant celebs anymore!

[clairejs]

Hey Netteyjc, i know exactly how ya feeling!Skin is awful, can't be bothered to get a hair cut as its growing at astronomical speed, my roots are several inches long, im longing to wear gorgeous sandals and heels yet my swollen feet won't let me, can now only fit into my leggings or one pair of maternity trousers (no point buying anymore with only having 3 weeks to go!) I now have the flu this week which has not helped in the slightest.

Sigh

So far I have ignored all glossy magazines as unlike the celebs i can't afford a stylist to do my hair and make up and dress me or tell me what i should eat etc. Luckily tho they are the minority!

[DomesticG0ddess]

Yes, I feel crap. And look crap. Noticed cellulite/fatty deposits around knee area as I sat in the park yesterday - was mortified. Roots showing/crap hair, but have at least brought hairdressers app forward to next week to try and remedy that. Mainly though I hate that sort of puffy/fatty look as I normally look fairly fit. I have been exercising regularly but it doesn't seem to be helping (or maybe it is and I would look even worse otherwise). And I look shattered even though DS finally sleeping better after 3 years of not!

And look really frumpy without a waist.

Ah well, 4 months left and then I am not going to do it again - twice is enough for me. And of course am going to look instantly glamourous after the birth.... took me 2 years to shift the weight last time, sob, but to be honest I put most of it on after I had him, when I stopped bfing.

[daisyella]

I'm 28 weeks and feel exactly the same as you - and have done for a few weeks now.

My hair is worse than ever before, I have spots like you NETTEYJC and looking in the mirror is horrific due to a combination of stretch marks and how absolutely huge I am.

It's nice to hear some other people feel the same though, I was beginning to get a bit down about the whole thing!!!

[MadameG]

I'm late to this thread but I am the same as you guys- I feel like a sack of shit. My pregnancy acne has been abysmal- all over neck, back, chest and face- even the bump! I try to keep it calmed down with antiseptic lotion but it only does so much good.

I've got big purple stretch marks on my boobs, lower back and thighs, I feel like a giant heifer and despitehaving a number of maternity tops to choose from I've only got 2 pairs of bottoms (1x jeans and 1xblack jersey trousers). I've got bad sciatica so it takes a huge amount of energy to haul myself to town and search for more.

I have got 12 weeks to go and I can't wait for it to end, both so I can meet our son and also so I can start getting my body back!

Could cry most days cos I feel so poo!