Do you really like your postpartum body?

[34and3]

Because man I'm struggling. I'm 8 months postpartum, baby no 3. After baby no 2 I thought I had a decent body. But now nooooo!

I'm 5'5, use to be 8st 10lb now can't lose the last half stone for love nor money. I have hips when I've never actually had hips. A delightful csection overhang and a pair of spaniel ears for boobs when I didn't even breastfeed .

I'm back to work in January and that's my own set deadline to look and feel better but I'm exercising and eating pretty decently and yet nothings moving.

I guess I have to accept my new body. I KNOW I'm grateful to have three babies and please don't say that's the most important thing because I KNOW but us women should be able to like our bodies too, right?

Rant over! Anyone else?

8 months is nothing. After my 3rd my boobs were still changing after a couple of years. Obviously they didn't go back to pre baby level but they're definitely not as bad as 8 months post partum. Same with the belly. I think mentally you'll grow into it too. Half a stone is not a great amount give yourself a break and lose it half a pound at a time. Take some time for self care and exercise whenever you can too.

(Then brace yourself for menopause when your body completely betrays you and you don't even get a cute baby out of it 🤦🏽‍♀️)

Also if you're struggling with weight loss use calorie counting for a week to see what you're eating you might be surprised. Healthy food isn't necessarily low calorie.

I’ve got 2.5 stone to shift and I look like a ducking potato.

Not at all and it’s been 4 years since the last baby. I’ve lost quite a bit of weight but there’s this bit on my stomach that won’t fuck off.

7 months postpartum with my second baby and have struggled too op. Trying to change my mentality but not always easy.

I feel your pain.

I had an amazing body before my kids. Put on half a stone after my first but luckily was so thin before that it still looked in good shape. Had my 2nd kid, put on a stone. Size 10-12 but I've got a bit of overhang, have a tummy that I never had before, tits are terrible. Tried losing weight several times and it won't budge.

Hoping when my youngest starts to sleep that I might have the energy to work out again.

It's shit.

My body was ruined. I had a c section which left me with an overhang that gets sore and red under the fold. It flaps when I run and it’s difficult to exercise. The NHS says it’s cosmetic and won’t fix it. I’ve lost all sensation right up to my belly button, my tummy is completely numb. Again the NHS has just shrugged. My hips and ribs have expanded, I weigh less than before pregnancy but my clothes still don’t fit. I’ve thought about killing myself because I don’t want to live like this, but my kids need me.

@Asparagoose I urge you to seek medical help

I was a size six before I got pregnant and two years on I'm a size eight. I weigh about half a stone more than I used to, my hips and ribs are bigger and I have a round tummy instead of a flat one. I had to give away two thirds of my wardrobe and don't feel like myself at all :(

It doesn't sound like a lot but I'm very short so any weight gain makes me look squat and chubby 😢

I’m a stone heavier than before kids (I’ve got 3) and now a size 12. Tummy is huge and flabby, boobs saggy and bum is flat. I’m not happy with my body but would I’m proud of it after all it’s been through. I’m sure that sounds wanky but it’s true! Am too busy and tired to comity to diet and exercise as youngest is only just 2.

@Asparagoose please speak to your GP urgently about how you’re feeling.

OP, I felt like you after 8 months but my youngest (I only have 2 though) is now 3 and I like my body again, give it more time it might be ok.

Although the one thing that has never gone back to its old size is my ribcage! Annoying!

I think it's not really about liking your body per se but accepting that it's your life vehicle and that's it's main function. That said 8 months is very soon, this is the reason I'm not having a third, I find the physical changes and recovery hard to cope with. It does change though

Mine's not that different, apart from intimate scaring if you catch my drift. I have a small bust so that probably helps.

I am 19 years post-partum. 😂

Btw saggy breasts are due to pregnancy hormones and nothing to do with breast feeding.

I had 4 babies in 4.5 years- I’m 15 months pp after the last one. And for a VERY long time no I wasn’t happy. I exercised A LOT during pregnancy and afterward to what I felt was no avail. However, I’d say in the past month it’s all sort of come together and clicked.
I did months of painful boring physio where I was basically just breathing then progressed to moving one leg! Felt like I would never get anywhere. But I carried on as I didn’t know what else to do.

now a days, I’m not going to win any body competitions but I’m tremendously proud of my body and actually look pretty damn good if I do say so myself 😂

also I’ve finally learned that I like the exercise for my mental well-being too so it now not
all about how I look

8 mths is very early days, just the fact you’re up and moving and are keeping little humans alive is amazing! You’ll get there, but it’s a brutal sport pregnancy and birth let alone the sleeplessness and child rearing afterwards! But you’ll get there. It has taken me significantly longer with each child though so maybe just alter your expectations of how long it will take.

you’ve go this xx

I’m not what I was looks-wise pre-baby, but I’m alive and I’m fit and strong. I can spend a day hiking or mountain biking, I can run around after DC. So I focus on that.

Sometimes I beat myself up about what I look like. But then I look around me and I don’t compare badly to real life other mums (as opposed to Instagram)

Also depending on your age it could be menopause related aging rather than pregnancy

@WinneyWasherWoman I bloody hope not I'm 34!!

One baby, menopause and breast cancer: it's okay considering what it's been through, but it's not the same. In fact, the tits are the best they have ever been after a bilateral mammoplasty, I can finally go bra-less!

It’s pregnancy that fucks your tits, not breastfeeding. Had a section with my first, piled on lots of weight, lost all the weight with the aid of gastric surgery and still have an overhang which is part section part former fat bastard, so I’m having a tummy tuck next year before I turn 40. Life is too short to feel shit.

I would say do not rush into anything I had spaniel ears after my third child and I went off and got a boob job. In retrospect I wish I’d given another 12 to 18 months after I’d stop breastfeeding to see what the actual accurate picture was because all of my friends who also had spaniel as at the time don’t look too bad now without the big fake tits

My body was the same after pregnancy but I 'only' had 2.
You are so young you can transform your body. It's ok to think it could look better but look, your body is amazing it had 3 children!! You can love yourself and still work on improving. xxx

My body is completely ruined. I had 3 tough pregnancies and 3 c sections in under 5 years. I clearly have a problem because it’s very difficult to stay below 170lb. I’m the queen of plateau it seems.

My son was 10lb6oz, so my stomach area is completely shot. I somehow have a huge fatty deposit on my mons pubis which I hate. The skin is silvery because of all the stretch marks. Wearing a waist trainer helped and I need to go back to it. It was so expensive but it did work really well.

Just stood on the scales and am 129lbs. I'm definitely factoring in being end of the day and I've just had a korma I'd really like to be 123lbs. Maybe now I've written it out here I'll be accountable. Maybe...

But the spaniel ears, overhang and love handles are defo here to stay. If the weight could come off my arse and thigh slappers that'd be great ✌️

My tummy has come off ok - I don’t have any noticeable stretch marks and when I’m on it with my fitness looks pretty good.

im sad about my saggy boobs and my lady bits have been done an absolute number - I had a third degree tear and episiotomy and honestly I struggle to pick out my ass hole how it’s so mangled. Also have a prolapse. That really gets me down. I couldn’t imagine ever having another relationship with anyone that wasn’t my DH now.

I'm so glad you've said that, I have some fitted dresses, could do them up apart from the last couple inches (side zip) if anything my boobs are smaller so it's def my ribcage!

My youngest is four. I still hate my body. Bloody diastasis recti has ruined my body and long covid means I struggle to do enough physio exercises to make a difference.