My body was perfect before I had a baby.
Replies
-
i hate to say it, but your body will never be exactly the same as before.
Wrong!
I had a baby at 20. I look better now than I did before having my daughter. There is hope!
I agree. I have plenty of friends IRL who look the same (if not better) than they did before having babies. I think the key thing is that prior to having kids, a lot of us (myself included) might have been teeny tiny size 0s or whatever, but not necessarily in great shape. I was skinny fat when I was in college, but since I stayed in the size 0-4 range, I was happy with my body. Now that I'm getting back in shape, I might not get back to a size 0, but I'm sure as hell gonna look way better than I did then because I'm eating healthy and working out---treating my body right.
The stretch marks won't disappear, and you might have some loose skin, but work hard and focus on your health, and you can get there. Some women bounce back really quickly, like a few months (like my best friend who didn't get so much as a stretch mark and was back into her pre-pregnancy size 2s by the time her daughter was 6 months old...ugh) or me, who after 5 years, I'm still a work in progress---that's my fault though. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be where you want to be!
ETA: check out some of the success stories, there are some pretty freaking amazing mamas in here. I can't remember her name, and I'm sure some of you will know who I'm talking about, but there's a woman on here who has like 5 or 6 kids and she has ROCKIN abs (I want to say she's in her late 30s or maybe 40s?). Having babies doesn't mean your body is ruined
My best friend had her baby 6 months ago and is already in a size 0. But she starved herself to death and i dont want to do that.0 -
I think with the right food and exercise you will get there. You have age on your side. Much much easier to do it when you are younger. I am 37 yrs., 5"2' and was pushing 160 lbs. while pregnant. I was around 120 lbs. before I was pregnant. I am now around 110 lbs. My daughter is 4ys. old and I didn't start working hard at weight loss until Jan. of this year. I right now am in the best shape of my life. Keeping on this site was a great help to me. Tons of great people to learn from and get motivation. I had to get in the mind set of doing this for me and being the best I could be for my daughter.
Good luck
This website is really helping me alot and im glad i found it. Thanks everyone for your support and help. Feel free to add me!0 -
I can only speak from my own experience when I had my daughter, who is now 18 months old. I gained less than 30 pounds with her, granted she was a small baby (6 pounds, 1 oz). Within 4 months of her birth I had only 5 pounds to lose to get me to pre-pregnancy weight but I still had belly flab and a pooch. Even now I see the slightest bit of one, and I weigh less than I did before I got pregnant. Stretch marks can take a long time to fade but I hear they will eventually. I dodged that bullet.
Bottom line, you can definitely get it back but it will take some hard work (good diet and exercise) and patience on your part. I have several friends who were able to return to their pre-pregnancy size. You may never look exactly the same, but that's not necessarily a bad thing!
Enjoy your new role as a mom, it's the best!0 -
You're young and it appears that your baby is also very young. You need to give your body time to heal after that.
I know this sounds like a silly question but are you breastfeeding? It helps you lose weight faster and return to normal sooner.
Also, I've seen some bodies go back to being quite amazing after having a baby but it took some work and a positive attitude.
Don't dwell on how much having a baby has changed your body but on how amazing it is that your body supported the growth of a healthy baby for 9 months. Focus on the amazing feat it performed while you were pregnant and how resilient it is because it will transform back with work. Think about how it allows you to care for her. You cannot hate the body that allowed you to bring someone that you love so much into this world. That's what kept and still keeps me going now...
I tried to breastfeed but my body was only producing 4oz a day and it just wasnt enough for my baby. I think thats why i lost so much weight in the first month0 -
I know how you feel. After my first child was born, I cried when I saw how saggy and stretchy my tummy was. I too was 121 for many years until having children. I cried because I knew that I was too lazy to make the effort to exercise and make it the way it was. Finally the joy of having my child distracted me. You can still look wonderful but you need to make an effort to become the same weight before pregnancy. You do not have to crash diet, but you will need to be very diligent and plan to be on here with us. You may always be on her with us, even once you reach 120. Are you ready? I think you are. You might still have a few stretch marks, but you can look fabulous. Take your baby for walks in the stroller. Eat healthy and set a reasonable calorie goal for your age! It will be fine. Are you nursing? That will help too.
Hugs
Ruth
I am more than ready! Im not nursing. I couldnt produce enough.0 -
You're young and it appears that your baby is also very young. You need to give your body time to heal after that.
I know this sounds like a silly question but are you breastfeeding? It helps you lose weight faster and return to normal sooner.
Also, I've seen some bodies go back to being quite amazing after having a baby but it took some work and a positive attitude.
Don't dwell on how much having a baby has changed your body but on how amazing it is that your body supported the growth of a healthy baby for 9 months. Focus on the amazing feat it performed while you were pregnant and how resilient it is because it will transform back with work. Think about how it allows you to care for her. You cannot hate the body that allowed you to bring someone that you love so much into this world. That's what kept and still keeps me going now...
I tried to breastfeed but my body was only producing 4oz a day and it just wasnt enough for my baby. I think thats why i lost so much weight in the first month
It's too bad that you couldn't get help with this by seeing a lactation consultant. If you're judging only producing 4 oz based on pumping, then you were certainly producing more as pumps are waaaaay less efficient than a baby at getting milk. If you really weren't getting enough than there is an herb called fenugreek that you can buy over the counter and it more than doubles your milk production in less than a week. It worked miracles for me! You would have smelled like maple syrup though. That's the only side effect and it's certainly not a horrid one!
If you want to try again, there is hope with that... I know it sounds odd but relactation is possible. You could look into that.0 -
By the way, you are one tall girl. It says in my nutrition book that if you are 5'10", the minimum healthy weight is 132 pounds. That could be a great goal weight for you, especially if you want some cute muscles for hubby to squeeze.
Have a great day!
Ruth
Yes my husband loves me to death but says i was way too skinny when we got together. I told him my goal weight would be 135. He thinks thats perfect and thats satisfying to me.0 -
It depends on what you do. I was in a similar boat except I didn't carry my baby to term. MC at 5 months but nevertheless. before pregnancy, i was 145 and after I was 207. This was April 2011, I started exercising almost everyday. I WASN'T really moderating my diet that well. So this process didn't do much for me. By October 2011, I lost only 10 pounds and I was devastated to the point that I just gave up. I started doing some research about different diets and exercising. Then I discovered Atkins/Low carbohydrate approach to eating. SO I started the new year off, January 2012 @194-197 lbs. I also began Atkins plus exercising again. The first week I lost 15lbs. I still follow a low carbohydrate diet to this day. This month I'm at 152. In the beginning I did a lot of cardio and now I do a lot of strengthing and toning with Jillian Michaels workout DVDs. IF you want your body back, you really got to work hard both at exercising and modifying your eating habits.
If I had of started a low carb or atkins diet right after pregnancy, the process may have taken 6 months. But It has been a year for me following pregnancy. If you want to know more just shoot me a message. I hope this helps.
This helps alot. My mother actually lost 85lbs on the atkins diet and walking on the treadmill everyday. Shes been on my butt about getting on the atkins diet. Its just really hard for me to follow. After reading your post I think I am really going to stick to it this time! Thank you.0 -
I ballooned up while pregnant with my first and I had been 115-120 before that. I gained 75 lbs with her. I did better with my next two and it may have helped that I craved watermelon while pregnant with them and went through watermelon like crazy. I do have stretch marks which are discouraging but I am actually in better shape now than I was in my 20's after having 3 babies. And, there is hope. You are on a great start!0
-
I think you should google search Olya Haidner and go from there 0
-
But isn't your life so much more fulfilling?? :-)
Babies are wonderful!
Everyone always told me..."Good luck! Nothing will ever be the same after you have a baby!"
I was more determined that it wouldn't be the same....it would be BETTER!
I may be 10 lbs heavier than when I got married but i'm 10 lbs lighter than the day I first saw the + sign on the pregnancy test.
I'm also in better shape in every way! I feel amazing!
There is hope! Do not compare your body to what you were. Just be the best you that you can be and appreciate your body for the amazing creation it is!0 -
I have two kids - they are 2 and 4 years old. I gained 27 pounds with the first and 32 with the second. I have managed to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight, but what other posters have said is true - your body is never the same as before, and we just have to accept that and work with it. I know that in order to lose the "pouch" I'll have to lower my body weight a bit more, so I am aiming for 130 lbs. (i'm 5'4" for reference). Most posters have already said this, but TIME is a really important factor. Over time, your body will start to get back to normal (or a new "normal"). Stick with the exercise and clean eating and you should see results soon. There is no rush - it's a journey and you can take your time getting there and do it the right way. Good Luck!0
-
My wife was always in peak condition, and we've been together since we were teens.
She was always great in a bikini, and I don't just mean inner beauty bologna.
We married and had 5 kids. After each delivery, she worked her way back to peak condition.
She did it - No Excuses!
One suggestion is to just work toward your own personal best, and don't set a standard that compares your results to a body before kids. That might be unrealistic. Things change, but our best is still our best.
Good Luck:flowerforyou:0 -
You body could look even better. I had my daughter at 20, I'm 24 now...and I look better than i did before. Remember it took 9 months to put on... it will take at least 9 months to take off!! Add me if you need support!0
-
i was in the same situation as you, perfect body before the baby, yucky body after the baby.... but now, i'm on my way to getting back to where i was.... but it doesnt happen without a CRAPLOAD of work.... >.> i've been busting my butt. But keep in mind, you are not a celebrity, you dont get to pay thousands of dollars a week for nutritionists and fitness instructors... nor do you get to call nannies and get them to do all the hard work for that cute little baby of yours. give yourself time, but dont lose your hope!!0
-
You can get your body back after having a baby, it just might take some time. I'm 34 and my son is just about 21 months old and I was able to lose all of my baby weight by 6-7 months post partum (I gained 36 lbs and 22 lbs came off after the first week). Granted, I worked out 6 days per week while pregnant with modifications toward the end and I only took off 1 week after delivery but it can be done. I also breast fed for 12 months and I know that helped get my abs back, but it also took a lot of hard work and dedication on my part. Being up with my son every few hours and being sleep deprived while pumping breast milk at 3am didn't stop me from going down to the basement at 3:30-4am to do my workouts. Didn't stop me then and hasn't stopped me now.
In fact, I weigh 10 lbs less post baby then I did before I got pregnant and my body actually looks a lot better now than it did before I got pregnant. When I got pregnant, I weighed 132-134. I am currently maintaining my weight at 123-125. So it can be done! Just believe in yourself.0 -
i hate to say it, but your body will never be exactly the same as before.
Wrong!
I had a baby at 20. I look better now than I did before having my daughter. There is hope!
I also look better now at 32 than I did before having children. I have two. However I never got that big while pg. The most I gained while pg was 40lbs.0 -
i hate to say it, but your body will never be exactly the same as before.
Wrong!
I had a baby at 20. I look better now than I did before having my daughter. There is hope!
not, Wrong! Every woman's body is different. Consider yourself lucky. I have 3 kids, body will never ever be the same. Body wasn't the same after the first.
to OP, time will only tell. Take care of yourself & that little one! Most importantly, love yourself. That's what I am trying to do.0 -
Tummy tuck!
Well, possibly. How long ago did you have your baby?0 -
i hate to say it, but your body will never be exactly the same as before.
Wrong!
I had a baby at 20. I look better now than I did before having my daughter. There is hope!
But I bet you still have some stretchmarks! That's what I was talking about. Sure, she can lose the extra weight, but her skin will never be the same after being stretched during her pregnancy.0 -
I'm in the same boat, my dear. After my first daughter, I was well on my way to being right back to thin and hot but I got pregnant again just 9 months after having her. My second pregancy was just a wrecking ball on my body and now I'm working on losing the weight AGAIN and toning up AGAIN. I actually told my husband that there would be no more children just because of what it did to my body. Hope he doesn't want anymore.0
-
First off...chin up, buttercup! It takes a while, but yes it can be done.
Secondly, I wanted to respond to this because some of those amazing moms previously mentioned are on my friends list and I wanted them to see this so they can share their success stories.0 -
So, will you look great again? With some work, yes! I have had 3 kids. All weighed in at 9 lb 12 oz, 10 lb 1 oz, and 9 lb 12 oz. My stomach is so stretched out that not much can be done for it. On top of it, I have diastasis recti, where the stomach muscles did not come back together after the kids were born.
I was a size 14 for a long time. I breastfed all 3 kids. 18 months for the first, 12 months for the middle (I got preggo with my last and lost my milk), and 18 months with my last. I had tons extra milk with my first and ended up donating 760 oz of frozen pumped milk to the Milk Bank at Christiana Hospital for the preemies and "failure to thrive kids". With my middle one, I kept using the milk I froze in the deep freezer once I lost my milk. With the last, I stopped pumping at 12 months and she had pumped milk until 15 months.
After the first, I was able to get down to size 10, but that was with pumping extra 10 oz a day to freeze on top of what he was nursing. The timing btw 2nd and 3rd was 17 months, so no time for my body to bounce back. I looked 5 months pregnant long after my 3rd was born. She is now 2.5.
I took control of myself last september and with watching my calories and exercising, I dropped from size 14 then to size 8 now. I am not done yet. However, my stomach looks like the skin of an old woman. It's thin, stretched, and hangs there all wrinkly. My mother is after me to get the diastasis corrected and the skin tucked. I will never be in a bikini otherwise, no matter how much weight I lose. I might do it. Just not yet. I want to be done and maintain my weight for a while.
So, will you look like you did before? Nope. Will you look great? Absolutely. Baby steps!0 -
<
This is me taken a few months ago. I'm 40 and have had two kids. It can be done, most definitely. My stomach looked like a train wreck especially after the second pregnancy, lol. i never thought I'd have a flat stomach again. I lost the weight fairly easily but the stomach stayed. It took me a solid year of effort to get to the point I'm at in the profile photo. I'm telling you, if I can do at 40, anyone can do it. People tell me I look better now than I did prior to having kids. Good luck and enjoy your beautiful baby. 0 -
Before I got pregnant I was 120 lbs. I am 5'10" so i was a size zero forever.I worked at Hooters and was doing alot of modeling on the side. I got pregnant and almost got up to 200 lbs. I had a baby girl that was 9lbs 12oz. My stomach was ALWAYS flat. Now I am wearing my husbands clothes because nothing of mine fits (not even shirts, or shoes) My stomach is so stretched out the skin is just saggy and stretch marks everywhere. I just want to know how long it takes for your body to recover after having a baby? Is there any hope for me to get into at least a size 5? I NEED HELP
Welcome! Your stomach IS NOT the ONLY part of your Body that is Stretched out, for good, or maybe bad...anyway. Didn't you understand the "having a Baby thing...having a Family thing" YES, It IS WORTH ALL OF THE WORK YOU WILL HAVE TO PUT IN EACH TIME YOU HAVE A BABY!!! You will be alright whether size 0, 5 or 8. Just don't forget to STOP gaining, especially if you have "Stair Steps." And take some "ME" time to make the changes needed; try not to feel guilty.
OHHHH, you might want to start working on that OTHER Body Part that was Stretched, Quietly your Husband is saying YES, for that!!!0 -
First of all - you are beautiful at any weight. So be kind to body. It grew and birthed a baby and that's pretty awesome. I'm a doula - I've seen a lot of women make the journey into motherhood (and have done the work a couple of times myself) and we all rock pregnancy and childbirth uniquely...and uniquely for each pregnancy for that matter.
Realistically you may not ever look the way you did prior to having a baby. Some women surely can and maybe you are one of them. If you are anything like me the weight can come off, the abs can come through...but the stretchmarks are there to stay. After having my first I was horrified and thought I'd surely have corrective surgery but after having my second and growing two healthy boys I've come to fnd I'm a little more accepting of my imperfections. I lost the weight after the first within a year (9 months to put it on and 9 months to take it off!) and have almost lost the weight after having the second What ever you decide to do: be healthy.Mentally and physically. And if acceptance isn't easy for you -- that's okay too. Sometimes *that* takes time as well. Even if you make changes to your body appreciate the capacity for it to have grown a healthy child.
xoxo
Visit: http://theshapeofamother.com/0 -
My body is better now than it was before I had babies (and I'm 32 and have had 3). But I also got very lucky and don't have stretch marks on my stomach and have very minimal extra skin.
Having babies IS rough on the body AND the mind. Make sure you are being check for postpartum depression and get treated for it if you are suffering. I know I had a minor case and I turned a lot of the negativity toward my body. It's hard but give yourself a full year to recover. Eat sensibly at a moderate calorie deficit. Exercise. Lift weights. Try to get a more positive sense of self-worth that doesn't depend so heavily on your appearance. You are a wife and a mother now. Surely your appearance isn't the best thing you have going for you. If you do have a lot of skin it might not go away with time but I bet most of it will. The stretch marks will fade and they don't need to be hated / feared / or hidden. Birthing a life is worth a little bit of scarring. Be patient. Give yourself some time. You can do this.0 -
You absolutely can. Your body may have a different shape, but it can be better. I am in better shape now than I was before. I have always been slim and really, REALLY struggled to lose my baby weight. Finally, when my daughter turned 1, I decided enough was enough and worked really, really hard. 8 Months later I surpassed my goal and now weigh 3 kgs less than my pre-preggy weight. It is possible. Just work hard and stay positive 0
-
I lost all my baby weight twice now. I however only gained 28 with my first and 22 with my second and since I was so low on the gain, I only had a couple of stretch marks in my boobs, nothing else. I went from an A to a D tho with my first. Went from an AA to a B with my second so no added marks on the second baby. I lost alot of muscle with my second baby tho. You can get back it just takes a while. I am 8 months post partum and I am finally below my pre prego weight, was at 5 months post partum however, I am missing alot of muscle and trying to tone in some areas. If you plan on having any other kids I would recommend staying active and eating as healthy as you can when you are pregnant. Alot of women gain alot of weight and it takes much longer and does more harm to your body in the way of stretch marks. Sometimes they fade over time btw. Mine on my chest you can’t really see anymore. Not for all but for alot. Just so you are aware at 5’10 your ideal weight should be anywhere around the following. Small frame (132-145) Medium frame (142-155) Large Frame (149-170) When you become pregnant and are under weight your body kicks it into high gear to get you at the proper levels that are healthy to have a baby. Meaning you were really low so your body kicked you up high. Just like you see some larger women not gaining so much, sometimes nothing at all, you see really skinny girls gaining a truckload especially if they are not careful. For a size 5 you probably will be around 135 I am guessing which is still on the low end for your height but completely obtainable! Where are you at right now?0
-
Sending you a friend request and message!!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 423 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions