Mumsnet Body Image survey

[CarrieMumsnet]

Hi all

For all those who've come here having done the Mumsnet Body image survey, please feel free to share your views on this thread.

For those of you who haven't got a clue what we're talking about, please click here If you need an incentive to click, it's a fun survey on the true cost of motherhood (and we're talking pelvic floors and stretchmarks not expensive buggies) plus you've got the chance to win £250 of Sweaty Betty vouchers.

And once you've completed the surgery you can come back here and talk about how you really feel about designer vaginas

I really liked that you've angled the survey to take account of post-pregnancy brainfreeze
"6a. I used to wear a bikini before having a baby
Yes
No
Don't know"

My instinct was to check "No" but the "Don't Know" option made me doubt myself ...

TBH I thought my body sucked arse before I endured pregnancy and a C-section, so I'm neither very enamoured with it now nor terribly bothered about how much of a train-wreck I look!

The idea of having things tightened up is quite appealing, I don't like that when I have a bath now the water seems to 'go up there'.
I do think I should have been stitched up after having ds2. That's the only thing that really bothers me. My figure is pretty good, except I want a firmer arse, and more toned legs. That comes from exercise though, not surgery.

Well before i ha kids i didn't appreciate my body for what it was.

now looking back with hind sight i know that i was bloody gorgeous, and now im a heffalump with saggy bits.

in my rational mind i tell myself that every lump, stretch mark and bit of wobble is earned. it has been created to prove i gacve birth to my 2 fantastic children that i love dearly.

in my less rational mind i want to hack at it all with a bread knife and then hope the NHS will save the day.
i feel fat and disgusting and terrified of teh day that i will ever actually have to stand naked in front of a man again.

(if of course i ever meet a man willing to take on a fat munter with 2 kids, one of which has ASD)

but otehr than that...i feel great about myself lol

Am I alone in seeing my body as a tool? I mean, I fuel it up and off I go, it gets me from A to B, means I can perform various tasks, and has a baby-making function. I guess it's like an old slipper - comfy, practical and hardwearing, so who cares if it looks like hell - only DP will ever see it anyway and he loves me, not just my physical attributes.

I don't love it in the sense that it's attractive to look at (I think it's pretty gruesome and I would prefer less sagging/wobbling/overflowing etc), but I love it because it works for me. I'm really not sure whether that's a really healthy attitude or a really unhealthy attitude! Having said that, I have got fantastical breastage, of which I am fairly proud.

MMJ, that's kind of how I feel. I actually feem more comfortable in a bikini post-children then I did before because I think "Pah! I've had 3 children..."

i think that it makes a difference thatthose of you (so far) that are comfortable with how your body looks post children have partners.

they have seen your body change over the period and so you know they love you regardless, and that they appareciate the changes your body has been put through.

I was about to argue with you MAMAZON but I think in my case anyway what you say is true. I was by nature very insecure before meeting DP, now I'm just not arsed! That's quite a sad thought though - we should probably feel as happy and confident about ourselves whether we're single or married or somewhere inbetween.

Dh always says he loves me regardless of my shape and he doesn't care if the boobs are a bit saggy and the thighs are crinkly! But... and he's dead right... he says that he knows that I'm happier when I'm slimmer and fitter, so he encourages me to watch my weight and exercise.

You'd be impressed with me this week - Tue out for a 5 mile walk with friend then played badminton in the evening, Wed walking/jogging in my lunch hour, today out for a walk with friend and dogs this morning (despite vile weather) and tonight I'm playing netball.

I'm hoping to reverse the decline before I hit 50 - I reckon that at my age you have to start working at it a bit. You wouldn't catch me in a gym, though.

Once I've completed the surgery - I have to have surgery?

I think, regardless of my crepey tummy/saggy boobs/cellulite, that I have body image disfunction - I think I still look like a 20-year-old. It's only when I look in the mirror that I am reminded that i am in fact 40's and it's not really me.

My body shape hasn't changed dramatically, I weigh the same, similar measurments etc (obv hips a bit broader) but it is the stretchmarks and skin tone which do get me down. And the boobs. Which used to be small and pert and now are wet socks on a washing line....

I do find when I go to the turkish baths near me, tis wonderfully healing to actually see loads of other women naked, many of whom are younger or obv not had kids and know we are all unhappy with something. Puts things in prespective and stops me fretting.

My body attracted my mate and produced 2 fine children and is reasonably strong and healthy - that's what's iportant.

What a huge assumption Mamazon.

Yorkshire and Humberland? Where is Humberland? Is it in East Angular?

[whispers] Is it just me who feels they need a bit of tightening down there?
Not for vanity reasons, but the 'not being able to have a bath without sucking up the water' reason? Plus, it kind of messes up my system, making me prone to 'ladies problems'

MAMAZON - xp with you... and as you'll see from what I've written you are so right! I wouldn't like to play the dating game again now. But I suppose if it ever happened I'd have a different agenda from when I was young - I wouldn't be looking for a 'MATE'. I've got my boys and I couldn't have any more. I'd be looking for someone to socialise with, rather than a life partner. I think I'd live alone unless a new 'Mr Right' came along. I wouldn't actually be seeking that iykwim.

I feel saggy, baggy and don't have the energy to do anything about it - pass the wine!

DOne it - although it did assume that having babies would be why I wasn't happy with my body.

My body is much the same as it was before, but I wasn't happy with it then either!!

do the Overseas lot get the chance to win the vouchers too?

Soupdragon - I agree I am more confident to wear a bikini nowe with my two children running about than I was pre children. I feel better in my body knowing it made those two little miracles. Therefore it is great .
Lazarou - I have issues if I do breast stroke when swimming . As a consequence I rarely go swimming esp as the water seems to take some time to re-emerge ....I don't have many baths but haven't noticed as much of an issue there.

Done it, I'd neevr really thoguht about it ebfore but the way I see it I have a woman's body now, before children I had a girl's body.

I certainly felt more insecure about my body when I had no reason to do so, but I think that's part of growing up

I actually think I'm pretty OK, can't see why hating my body would serve any purpose... mind you I think my standard of reference is different as from a rural community where people are generally tall and solid (I thought anyone under 5'6 was a midget before leaving for uni). I see myself (at about a 12) as being on the slim size whereas to many people darn sarf I'd be considered a heffalump! Have to say I enjoy going out at home and seeing women perfectly happy as a 16/18 or whatever and looking fabulous .