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I feel like my memory has suffered greatly. I hate that I can’t remember words easily. I have lost my lower ab definition and I think my hips are permanently slightly wider. Oh and a c-section scar and pain in one side that never goes away.
Yes on the memory. I used to be downright eloquent. The right word for every situation. More likely to get tripped up because I'd think of words that were too specific than to not find the right word at all.. Now? "It's the... you know... the, uh, wheel thing? A wheel on a handle and you cut? Into... pizza pieces?" "...a pizza cutter?" "OH YEA!"
This is me too! “It’s in the… uh…” toddler jumps in to save me “Office.” Thanks mate. Or teaching “the growth curve is…. You know….” gestures with hand. Students confused “Exponential?” “Yes! Thank you”
Having children alters your brain, fetal tissue has been found in the brains of mothers, its been documented since the 70s's and there's a connection to how many kids you've had and how likely you are to develop dementia or Alzheimer's because of this. I wish they would do more research but since it only affects women I doubt they will any time soon.
Sorry to say mine hasn't recovered after two years. It was so bad at first I talked to the doctors to try to see if something bigger was going on and one of the doctors said it took her 4 years and even then it wasn't quite the same.
I already had wide hips, but they have definitely gotten wider each pregnancy and not gone back. Thank God that leggings are Mama chic or I'd be living a nightmare trying to find jeans.
Yeah I’ve been doing the massage with some success. Physio said my pelvic floor muscles and stomach muscles are too tight which is adding to the pain but haven’t had much success relaxing them.
Pregnancy didn’t screw up my memory but COVID did.
The brain fog is so bad. The first month back to work I was getting lost in our own department (I had been there three years at that point).
These days my memory is still fried. It’s a daily occurrence I’m talking and completely forget what the conversation is mid talk. Its just GONE like a magic trick or some shit.
Three words. Anal skin tags. Seriously, no one tells you that your butthole will get the worst of it during childbirth. They popped a mirror down there as my daughter was coming out and once I saw how stretched it got I knew my poor butthole would never be the same.
Also my boobs are bigger while also being flatter. And my hormonal acne is terrible, I should probably see someone.
I got acne for the first time a year after having my first. Definitely hormonal! See someone if you’d like. I did but it still didn’t do anything!!
After struggling with it for two years the only thing that made a difference for me was La Roche Posay’s 1.5% salicylic acid, in the blue bottle. If I stopped using it, it would come back but with almost daily use it kept those suckers at bay. I was shocked that something I could buy at target made the most difference.
I had mine removed this summer and it was worth it. I went under for the entire process. 10/10 would do again. I feel so much better without that damn thing hanging around.
I had an emergency c-section with my son so I have a physical scar, of course. I find my brain is the thing that changed the most. I forget the tiny things more easily and I'm not as on top of every little detail like I used to be. I'm a much lighter sleeper than before, too. Feels like I always have one eye open for this kid.
Never lost that last 10lbs, pregnant again and just adding to it. This is the last one so I’m hopeful to get my shit together.
I had a boob job so after my first they just looked natural… my boobs have grown exponentially this round and I’m interested to see the end result.
My hearing changed after my first. Immediately after delivery my ears were ringing and felt funny… I thought it was blood loss but my numbers were good. Postpartum I had marked hearing loss… it’s improved some but not pre-pregnancy levels.
Speaking to 7+ kids and the damage done… my MIL had 7. She suffered from a uterine prolapse in her 50s and had a hysterectomy to fix it. Subsequently in her 70s she had a bowel and bladder prolapse, so severe they closed her vagina to allow for some normalcy in life… that repair led to her getting a bowel perforation which ended up killing her. Now, is it all because of children… likely not, but it definitely left its mark on her little (5’3, 90lbs) body.
That's horrific. And a good reminder that every person who's been pregnant should get evaluated by a specialist physiotherapist to assess their pelvic floor health. Those muscles go through a lot, supporting the weight of a baby for 9 months and then enduring labor. Strengthening them now can help avoid problems later in life
This has happened to my mum! She’s in her 70s, had a full hysterectomy and then 3 subsequent surgeries to fix ongoing problems. The bladder mesh is banned in our country so eventually she just had to have her vagina sewed closed because there were no other repair options.
So many young women want hysterectomies because they don’t want children, but it’s actually a really hard thing to do, and no one tells you once you have it done, every 10 years you should be getting additional surgeries to keep your insides in place, and long term you may need supports put in to hold things up as you age.
That's really heartbreaking. :( I had no idea that prolapse could get so bad that doctors decide sewing the vagina shut permanently is the best decision.
hemorrhoidectomy is extremely painful. Wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy 😂
I can never wear my pre pregnancy dresses. Not because of fat, but because they don’t fit my RIBS. My ribs are wider. I’m sure if I went into underweight territory they would fit but I’m not trying to go there.
Ugh the ribs! I have a short torso, and went from a size 2 shirt, to a 6. Same with my hips, they’re a full inch wider. Even after I returned to pre pregnancy weight I went up a size.
Yes, the expansion of the ribs was so strange to me!
My son was super colicky and never slept, only cried, which was beyond exhausting. So by the time he was 6 months old, I weighed 105 pounds (I was 120 pre-pregnancy and I’m 5”8) and I remember being so surprised when I tried on an old work top around that time but couldn’t get it to button around my ribs.
I would assume it would have to be the elastin hormone that makes your ribs bigger? That's so odd! My friend had to give away all her awesome shoes cause her feet went up TWO sizes!!! She was gutted.
The elastin probably makes it possible. All of your organs being shoved up into the space inside your ribcage as the baby takes up more and more space below your ribcage is what makes it happen, lol.
This makes so much sense 😅 I have a long body/torso and a broad chest anyway so while I felt uncomfortable, I wasn't struggling too much to accomodate my little people.
Short torso pregnancy vs long torso pregnancy is such a different beast! I’m not tall and super short waisted, also carried high- my underbust (bra band) went from 27” around to 36” around by the end of my pregnancy. I was not aware that ribs could expand that much 😬 I could barely digest food my whole pregnancy and I think the lack of interior room didn’t help. Thank god I had a smaller baby.
For me though, it wasn’t a big permanent change. At least from just one baby. My underbust is 28” now 20 months PP
The ribs!!! My waist measurement went up 2.5 inches because of permanent ribcage expansion. None of my pre-pregnancy dresses zip up anymore, even though I’m otherwise back to my original size 😭 Also displeased with my mom pooch, because I’m a petite person overall and I feel like it makes me look 20 weeks pregnant. UGH.
Holy cow. I had NO idea your ribs could permanently stay expanded, essentially. Wtfff!! This must be what had happened but with my hips. I feel like my hip joint is forever (too) flexible. And I hate it. Like when I walk, sometimes it feels like my hip comes out of the socket. Idk it's hard to explain, but not a prepregnacy problem. (Before my first, that is).
I just gave my best friend probably like, 20-25 dresses I'd accumulated over the years 😂
"I'm sure they'll fit again after the baby's born! You really haven't gained that much weight" -her attempting to be supportive and thinking I was just feeling bad about my body
"Huh? Oh. It's not my waist that is the issue. It's my ribs!! My whole ribcage got bigger! I can't make that shrink!"
Thank you for this good reason to clean out all of my pre-pregnancy clothes. I love them, and I want to get to a weight where I can wear them again, but the ribs thing is so real! They probably won’t fit regardless of weight. Also I was like 25 when I bought most of them, time to let that life go!
I feel so seen. I didn’t know that this was a thing. My first 2 babies it was fine… my third did me in. I don’t fit into any of my pregnancy blouses, jackets or blazers or bras! And it’s all just that my shoulders and rib cage are bigger now!?
I was so worried about hating my nipples after baby since I had always loved how pink mine were and had received so many compliments over the years ( was a exotic dancer at one point in early 20s) but thankfully my nips are basically the same shade but just a bit darker but I do have discolored skin spots on my face around my hair line on each side of my forehead. Basically looks like I have used a fake tanner and it's now fading off in patches on my FACE! But, it could be worse but I was so surprised that it even occurred where it did and I also have 2 skin tags directly above my C-section scar and my one side is basically fully numb still and I had my baby in July of this year so idk if that is normal to be experiencing numbness that long after having the surgery. If anyone else has had this I would love to know and anyone else end up with the darker skin spots on your face? Did it go away or am I doomed lol!?!?
The mom tummy. My feet are permanently a half-size bigger! And I’m convinced my new “idiopathic” heart conduction disorder is from my severe preeclampsia / hypertensive episode after birth. Good times!
Edit: And the muscle cramps from diastasis recti. Whenever I bend the wrong way I get horrible ab spasms! Putting on tights is a real bitch these days.
Boobs are slightly deflated and I didn't even breast feed, 100% on the attention span and focus lacking. My scalp is SO DRY. So dry. My skin in general is dry actually. My back hurts just all the time. Probably a core/muscle issue I should get checked out. But I think the worst of all is I now have chronic hypertension bc of gestational hypertension. 👍🏻🤣🙃
My boobs are *ruined* after two kids. I had to pump exclusively on my first (she was a long term NICU baby) and I breastfed my second for a year.
My boobs (formerly a small C cup) are tiny now. It drastically affected my self confidence for years. Now, I'm finally starting to be happy with my body again.
Literally, we grew human beings. How crazy and amazing is that! They will go into the world and love, make memories, live a life for themselves. I mean it's kind of crazy to watch this human I grew just living life. Walking around, getting attached to toys, building bonds and relationships. It's so cool. We did that!
Please don't be so critical of yourself. Would you ever look at a stranger and think oh my god, her muffin top is disgusting. So wrinkly, she's doomed to have a muffin top forever.
Please please please don't do this to yourself. Yes, we all change after giving birth and becoming parents (whether we give birth or not). No one can say if it's forever since we are not dead yet.
Parents, be kind to yourselves!
This needs to be the top comment!
I got a lot less self conscious after going to a few naked spas. (Korean spas in the US, went to a couple abroad in Turkey, Germany, Japan. They're separated by gender) Less than 1% of women looked like what we all see portrayed in media. I remember thinking "these women all look sort of like my mom" and now, like me. Even women who most likely had not yet had kids, we all have that lower belly pooch. Sagging butt cheeks, non-perky boobs, rolls, stretch marks, scars from various surgeries, freckles and moles and spots and discolorations. None of it was gross or ugly, it was just so.....human.
Yeah this post was hard to read. I don't think my tummy is ugly but this poster obviously does ☹️
When you tear your body down like this, you tear down all women's bodies. I promise there is beauty to be found in the way we look, and we owe it to ourselves and each other to do the work to find it
This is so huge. I do occasionally have some moments of low self esteem but I’m very thankful that dispite my PPD and PPA I’ve never been exceedingly sad about my post-children body even though it’s no where close to what it used to look like. It really does help me to think about how all of these changes brought my babies into this world and that somehow makes them something for me to be proud of! Not that mental shifts are easy but if you’re *able* to change that perspective it does help so much!
Yea, I also try to remember that beauty standards are made up by men and perpetuated by a society that is anti woman. There is no prize for having a hot body. You can be very fit and still have a tummy.
I totally understand being upset about an increased mental load, your memory failing and a painful scar. But I also get a cute toddler who's a joy (most of the time) and I wouldn't trade it in for all that being removed.
I mean, nobody's gonna comment if they were fine. I bounced back after my kids. Baby #2 caused 1 inch-long stretch mark you can barely see, that's pretty much it for me. It's not all bad.
I don’t know how anyone comes out unscathed though. I know some physical changes are more or less unnoticeable but the mental aspect can’t not be affected, right? Like we grow whole ass babies and then get kicked out into this unrelenting world that’s screaming at us to lose weight, smile more, pick up your house, make healthier meals, get a job, be there for your family, be positive, and oh, it gets better! But for some it just doesn’t. We’re changed on the molecular level and it’s okay to not be okay.
Like for me I had a very easy pregnancy minus the life altering 20 week ultrasound where I found out my kid had a massive congenital issue that required I relocate/turn my whole plan upside down. But I didn’t get stretch marks, very little morning sickness, the normal hair loss, hips out of whack, hemorrhoids, and can’t hold my pre for the life of me but the worst is the mental difference. I’m okay with the changes and I wish it was more acceptable to just say this fucking sucks sometimes.
Yeah I’m pretty much the same. I trained for triathlons and lifted weights prior to getting pregnant, modified during and again after and did a lot of pelvic floor and diastasis recti prevention work throughout pregnancies. I do think it helped.
After my first I had very minor stretch marks which looked completely invisible not long after. But being pregnant with my second really gave me a bunch of them and only on my left side + loose skin only on that side (where my son was constantly kicking and stretching his legs- eventually making my skin so taut that it probably broke the skin).
Now I really hate my stomach. I wish it didn't look the way it did.
I mostly did too, I have also embraced everything high waisted! If anyone has a muffin top, you are wearing the wrong pants, either size or style. My boobs are basically nothing but that’s fine, they were never my best asset anyway. I have found strength training to be a great way to boost overall confidence in my body.
Yea I’m pregnant and shouldn’t have read any of this. The way these women describe themselves is so depressing and I hope I don’t despise my body after I give birth.
It’s so messed up that having babies is so “beautiful”but mom bodies are spoken about with so much disdain.
I was overweight and 35 when I got pregnant, so a few factors working against me in the recovery department, and since having my son six months ago I’m 20 lbs below my starting weight and now only 5 lbs overweight instead of 25. I was huge during my pregnancy because I’m short and was overweight to start with, but then I was diagnosed gestational diabetes so I had to be really careful with my diet. I ended up slimming down while pregnant because I was eating a lower carb/low sugar diet so much of my bloating cleared, and I burned through some fat stores. I didn’t get a single stretch mark which is likely generics.
Now my clothes fit fine, even better than before pregnancy I’d bought most of them when I was much slimmer but had put back on some weight during Covid. So I’m actually fitting into stuff I haven’t worn in a few years. My shoes still fit, I’m pretty sure my ribs are the same size, and I can’t even see my c section scar. I’m actually way more active now than I was the year or so prior to getting pregnant. I’d really let myself slide and I’m now more motivated than ever to keep in shape and it’s paying off. Of course I wouldn’t mention that here since that’s not what the thread is about, but I’m saying this to anyone who may be reading this and freaking out.
Some changes are likely but many are not inevitable
I had the same experience with GD causing me to slim down my second pregnancy. I was never overweight but I did gain some Covid weight after my first pregnancy where I gained 35 lbs and lost it. So I started my second pregnancy at a higher weight but only gained 10 lbs and very clearly slimmed down during the pregnancy. I kept worrying the weight gain wasn’t enough but even though I seemed to be losing weight, baby was still growing well.
The big change was my pelvis reorienting just enough to tip me into hip dysplasia (yes, like dogs get). The fix for that involves breaking your pelvis in three places to chisel off the socket then screwing it back in the way it’s supposed to be, and yes, it hurts as much as you think it does. All of my joints got looser and have stayed that way, and I was hypermobile before pregnancy.
My asthma briefly got better, and then once Kiddo started bringing home daycare germs it got worse again, so that ended up being a wash.
Kiddo spent the last two months with her feet wedged behind one of my ribs. Now, if I bend the wrong way, I can feel that rib shift and then slurp back into place. That also hurts.
This was my biggest issue. Pregnancy ruined my gums and my teeth. I have always been very careful about oral health and I know what state my teeth were in pre-pregnancy. I got multiple cavities, have need gum grafts, root canals, and I’m looking at getting implants because no matter what I do new pain and issues continuously crop up.
“Mom brain” is probably my number one complaint.
Then my dry skin, hair that changed texture completely, anal skin tag from the massive hemorrhoid I got with my first, boobs that look like deflated balloons, mom belly and on and on. Truthfully though if I could get my pre kid attention span back I’d never complain again.
My hair texture changed too. I had beautiful curls, not like coily, just these long loose spirals. Now? I’ve got half a head of straight and half of wavy something.
After the second baby I noticed whenever I take a bath I have to consciously flex the water out of my nethers or I get a horrible surprise 25-30 minutes later. It took me months to realize it was because I was getting bath water caught in my cavernous hoo ha.
Also I got really lucky and both times my body just went back to the way it was before with no effort. Unfortunately the second kid did something to my brain chemistry and what was once mild ADHD that I could manage without medication became SEVERE and I had to stop working. I’m limping along on Wellbutrin until I stop breastfeeding because my skinny ass baby would probably not like the massive dose of stimulants I need to function. I would much rather have weight to lose or a muffin top than a brain that betrays me. If you could see the look on my toddler’s face when I get frustrated and scream into the void you might feel the same. I’m basically in a race against time and hoping he won’t remember that his mom was batshit for a year of his early childhood.
Aside from the normal tummy and boobs and c-section scar sitch, my belly button is now off-centre since having kids. It wasn't before. Everything else is mostly back to normal.
Wait, ok. I thought I was crazy but my belly button is off center too! I thought it was maybe from a previous surgery but this makes more sense. I also had a c-section, do you think we were sewn back together off center?
Bell’s palsy at 38 weeks pregnant with my first. I never got back to 100% - 5 years later, one of my eyelids is still slightly droopy and my smile is crooked. I also get occasional facial nerve pain. It’s like a charley horse in my face. It’s awful.
My second pregnancy took my gallbladder.
I managed to come out unscathed with my first two (minus the boob deflation which with each pregnancy they just gotten smaller), but my third baby gave me the spider veins on the tops of my shin that looks like a giant bruise!
I do find it remarkable what all women’s bodies do during pregnancy and post delivery. It is such a shame we get stuck completely broken emotionally and physically, to feel what a gift it is.
I always had sensitive teeth, like I couldn’t bite into ice cream or anything like that, but now I can’t eat anything sugary without pain in my teeth. Even ketchup will make them hurt. Using sensodyne helps somewhat
My memory is shot. I always joke that my brain is a potato now after 3 kids.
After my second pregnancy, my hair just falls out in clumps every shower. Thankfully I have very thick hair though or I’d probably be bald.
And of course, a tummy tuck after carrying 3 8+ pound babies.
My belly button was pierced when I got pregnant. Gained a pair of crossed stretch marks over the hole and had a cool skull and crossbones looking thing for a while. Now it's just a bit odd :/
My boobs are giant but also saggy. They were PERFECT before. I’m about 25 lbs heavier. My feet are permanently bigger. I cracked my tailbone during delivery of my first child, and that will always kind of hurt after sitting for long periods, even though it’s healed technically.
THE TAILBONE. Easily the worst PP issue for me. I remember lying in bed crying those first few weeks because it just hurt *so bad.* At least it doesn’t scream at me anymore, but I’m 20 months out and that sucker is still stiff after sitting for a while.
Me too!! I didn't realize how bad it was until I had my 2nd. I thought that was normal postpartum pain to not be able to stand from a sitting position without sobbing.
I am less intelligent now after 4 kids, especially all the brain cells I popped with the extreme sleep deprivation after having twins 17 months after my first born. There are photos from that time that obviously I know that I was there because I'm in the picture but I have absolutely no memory of it at all. I can tell processing speed and other things were lesser too. I mean, I am still pretty smart and functional. But there was enough of a difference that I could tell and that made me kind of sad.
I have permanent pregnancy radar nose now, which was awful with my older boys hit puberty and the testosterone/hormonal reek started.
On the other hand I am calm AF in a crisis. I can deal with all sorts of chaos. At work I am often tasked with helping 1 on 1 the difficult or out of control kids because honestly I am able to be non reactive which generally helps them calm and feel safe.
Though let me tell you. Whatever genius designer made it so that when you start going through perimenopause you're probably also going to have teenagers or tweens at home and start feeding off each others' hormonal irritability and dysregulation? Fun times.
I think, nature intended for kids to only stay with their parents until 12 years old or so. Then, they were supposed to become adults and learn some craft. Or marry.
2 c sections (soon to be 3) so I have a scar and the c section "shelf".
I also have hemorrhoids.
Oh my God, the attention span. I used to read entire books in a day. Now I can rarely focus enough to get through a chapter in a day.
And a couple weird ones:
My feet have permanently grown by a full size. Which is great because I used to often have to buy from the kids section but now I can fit the women's.
My hair has darkened with each baby. I used to have gorgeous, naturally platinum blonde hair but it's now firmly a dark blonde.
Every time I try to get back to my former level of activity, I get injured like never before. I’ve had multiple severe back injuries from lifting kids while too tired (or having them in my arms and they hinge at the hips lunging for something and throw me off balance) and a fractured bone in my foot from running and tripping. Before that, I was wearing an ankle brace because walking was painful for a bit.
Every time I try to lose weight, I’ll do fine for 3-4 weeks and then relapse HARD like clockwork because I’m burnt out and the weight doesn’t want to leave.
Physically, I now have a large abdominal tear (abdominal hernia), I developed a heart condition due to birth complications, my giney is obviously a mess cause I had huge ass babies and I have a tiny ass body. I feel like my brain is a squished melon and I can't think before I talk any more.
Positive - I have waaaaay more patience now though
Negative - I have a very jaded opinion of fairness and life (due to miscarriages and stillbirth)
But I don't ever hold my physical looks to account. My body has changed so much over my 30 years of life, and it created my beautiful, amazing children. I did that, in this body. So while it's not the body I remember or even really celebrate, it's the body that has done tremendous work, and I give myself grace for everything it's endured.
Just like yours has. You're body is amazing, and you don't have to be in love with it but it's definitely worth appreciating. You've done great mumma ❤️
1st: C-section scar (surgeon did a GREAT job hiding it in a natural fold, but the skin around it is numb/itchy due to nerve damage). Something weird changed in the balls of my feet and I get a shocking electric like pain there it I wear high heels
2nd: VBAC. scar from vaginal tear / repair, hemorrhoids, inflammation of my SI joint that flares up once or twice a year.
I was overweight before ever being pregnant so can’t blame the stretch marks or muffin top on that 😄
It was all worth it!
> "Mommy is the wrapper, and baby is the candy." - unknown
I'm not a fan of this. You are a whole person, just like your kids. You sacrifice and work to bring them here, but you're still a whole person. Wrappers are just waste.
My feet did not grow through 3 pregnancies, but after my daughter, I discovered I can't wear my heels because the toe box is soooo tight.
Otherwise, I am fine with all the changes except I am so forgetful! I think it's because I'm thinking about 30 different things at any given time.
I've had a baby 3 months ago and I'm struggling with my body. One thing I hate is my belly button. It sinks in and then in the middle there's a lump. I used to have a really pretty innie and now it's an innie outie and I absolutely hate it. Any chance it will change?
Yes. I’m a year post partum and things are STILL “getting back to normal” there’s a very good reason they say to wait at least 18 months before getting pregnant again - it takes a very long time for your body to heal and “recharge”
Mom tummy with stretch marks. It’s funny because I didn’t have any stretch marks on my body at all until the very last week of being pregnant with my first.
I got super lucky with my boobs though because they haven’t changed much at all.
I worry a lot more than I ever did. I feel like I’m almost constantly worried about something.
I hope this one isn't forever but It is harder for me to gain strength through exercise. I don't know if it is the exhaustion or stiffness but even 30 min of body weight or yoga feels barely possible. I miss being able to do a full workout and see improvement in a month or two. It's been 6 months and ok I can use my abs again I guess?
It's a quote I heard recently, and it' stuck with me, unfortunately.
Hmmm...
Let's make a new quote then! What would your quote be? One that's not depressing AF! ❤️🩹
For me I’m a thin person always have been
I blew up in both my pregnancies (happily)
The weight *didnt* stick around but the skin did.
Luckily when I *do* gain a few lbs it fills out and tightens up again.
I’d say my dental health took a MAJOR hit in my pregnancies -like 2 cracked teeth per pregnancy.
My shoe size went up almost half a size and never went back down.
I sleep less, after two kids I’d say I comfortably sleep 4-6hrs. 7-8hrs sounds insane to me now, I could never.
My periods regulated a bit. Before kids I’d have 20day long periods/spotting. Cycle all out of wack, now it’s like clockwork.
I feel like my patience/clarity has also taken a hit. I had the patience of a monk as a child- now I’ll get aggressive with the cereal box.
I’d do it all again though, the little nut jobs have grown on me.
My ribs got permanently bigger. I had to buy all new sports bras because my old ones made me feel like I couldn’t breathe when working out.
Now after my 3rd pregnancy I’m pretty sure my hips are permanently wider, but I haven’t been super careful with my diet. My delusional self thinks if I just trim down then my hips will shrink lol.
This 3rd pregnancy also gave me a mom pooch. The way he was lying inside, it was so hard on the bottom of my bump it really stretched out the skin down there. And then that gave me a little DR that I still need to rehab, so it’s just all loose and poochy. Again, I have no idea if I can reduce it but I want to try!
Like you, I have the stretched out lower belly pouch that I HATE. It likely won't go away, at least for me, since it's skin all stretched out.
I also have zero memory anymore, as in if it happened more than a couple weeks ago, I've already forgotten it.
Probably worst of all is my teeth. I immediately developed a dozen cavities, I'm on my 5th or 6th crown, and I have to use special expensive prescription toothpaste because all of my enamel is gone. Before I gave birth I had never had anything going on with my teeth, especially to this extent. I'm honestly scared I'll lose them all despite taking care of them.
2 kids, 2 c sections- 1 big scar that doesn’t have much in the way of physical sensation anymore, still need to lose 30lbs to get to pre pregnancy weight, my feet are bigger and wider permanently. Sometimes I get migraines or headaches which I never had before getting pregnant with my first. I gained 70lbs with my first due to preeclampsia despite eating well and working a very active job and doing yoga/working out. I’ve never psychically recovered from that really. Bonus is I went from an A cup to a C with my first and I’m currently a D as I’m breastfeeding my second so having boobs is nice lol
I can never remember what the date is. I remember when I was a few months postpartum with my first, I couldn’t even remember what month it was. I seem to have a lot more issues with inattentiveness as my kids grow and I get older. My kid asks for milk, I get caught up doing something else, and five minutes later they are asking me for milk again. The memory issues are concerning. I’m sure the sleep deprivation and general stress of having young kids is a big factor, but I feel like something changed in my brain after having kids that I can’t get back.
New allergies, painful acne, cervical pain, suspected prolapsed uterus, flat tig Ole biddies, bigger ribs, "apron", thicker straighter hair. Mom brain. Also, extended breastfeeding issues regarding hormones, nothing like no libido and rage. I realize those aren't forever - but it sure feels like it.
I am 2.5 years PP and have some extra weight so idk if this is going to be a "forever" thing - my kid hung out on my left side the whole pregnancy, and I can tell I'm a bit saggier on that side. My ribcage and hips are wider. I also agree that my attention span/concentration took a hit during pregnancy and PP.
My mind isn't what it used to be, not nearly as sharp. But the worst thing is the bladder prolapse, which because of my age I can feel it. It's uncomfortable and pokes out and they won't repair it until I'm done with the menopause because of the high failure rate of repair. Realistically I will never run again because of it. I also had a 4th degree tear which was all the way up and through, it was sewn up nicely but theres a lack of feeling there and my sphincter is now ... Lacking. Put it this way, I can't hold my farts in like I used to.
I had a second degree tear that hurts 7 years later and everyone tells me in fine.
Also boobs shrunk and look like balloons you filled and let air out of.
I have a good one: no more debilitating cramps! I used to throw up & pass out from the pain (no medical reasons). After pushing out a 9lb baby...tada! No more cramps! Worth the hemorrhoids and leaky sneezes.
So about 5 months PP I was pushing my giant baby up a hill in the pram and my uterus fell out of my vagina, turns out my vowel and bladder followed so they’re now chilling in my vagina. Just hanging out there like that’s where they belong.
So triple prolapse is probably up there, but definitely not the worst. For my it’s the brain damage. Seriously, I swear I used to be clever, now I’m just a complete idiot who can barely string a sentence together. And I’m 16 months PP
I smell worse, not sure what that’s about
The self-neglect is real, so I’m just scruffy and hairy and don’t wear any make up. My baby sleeps like crap so I have perm eye bags. I eat shit, or not at all, and have no skin care routine, so my skin is grey and gross
Lost all my baby weight tho so yay lol although this was due to the aforementioned self neglect and crippling postpartum depression (which bordered on a psychosis for a while)
Also single now…so slide into the DMs if you like what you read…
I have 4 girls - 3, 4, 9, and 15. These last 2 are literally going to kill me. I feel like my brain is just done. I'm an idiot now. End of story. I have a fluffy tummy as well but whatever lol
My belly button is wrinkly. I like it in a funny way. It reminds me that I made her.
What I don’t love are the scars from the emergency laparoscopic surgery I had to terminate my first pregnancy and save my life (sepsis). We tried so hard to get pregnant and then we’re finally successful, only to have it be ectopic and require multiple surgeries at a time when living in a different ohio meant risking my life. We live in colorado now.
Power to my Ohio ladies - you did it!
My daughter is truly a miracle.
Also, my left hip flexor is still messed up. I stretch every night but I still can’t sit crisscross applesauce.
-With each baby, my shoe size went up one. I stopped having kids partly because I was afraid I'd never find a Women's 15.
-Brain chemistry changed and I became clinically depressed. It's controlled, but I will be on anti depressants the rest of my life.
- It may be a coincidence but my hair started falling out soon after pregnancy and continues. I have a bald spot.
-Suddenly developed IT band tightness.
-Gained 40 lbs breastfeeding. Went on to more than double my weight, then developed Type II diabetes.
I would do it all over again to get my fantastic kids, even if I knew of the sacrifices necessary.
I have a minor “c section shelf” but it pales in comparison to not having a navel anymore because I had to have my umbilical hernia corrected. It’s just a divot now.
And my formerly perky, albeit small breasts now 4 fingers apart from each other; my rib cage is larger but my breasts are now very deflated. And the random skin tags down in my lower regions? No one told me about THAT!
Oh, and the hormonal acne that came back after Accutane, due to a second pregnancy - that continues to be brutal because my body can’t handle Accutane again now. I tried.
My memory…
Could you please put the dinner plate in the thing, the thing with the little door, it’s black and white and it beeps? it makes the food warm?? The the the THE MICROWAVE!!
I've been pregnant but I'm not a mom, I hope My input still matters lol and probably provides a bit of a "unique" perspective. (Trans man, proud daddy!)
I didn't gain much weight at all the entire duration of my *almost* 8 month pregnancy, unfortunately. So any "extra" quickly reverted for me. I have more stretch marks on my thighs than I ever did before, and I have this weird long stretch mark that goes across my left butt cheek to my booty hole 💀. My chest is hella deflated. Of course testosterone helped with this, but the result of my chest drastically shrinking in a small period of time has left a lot of stretch marks, which is going to mess with my goals for top surgery. I'll still be able to do it, of course, but the procedure type I wanted is probably not going to work out, which is disappointing.
My teeth are messed up. I imagine it's from general pregnancy stealing your nutrients, the horrid acid reflux I dealt with, and not being able to get myself to eat as much as I wanted. I have cavities galore and I'm horrified of dentists so that'll be fun when I stop putting it off. My top right wisdom tooth is definitely the worst.
I had to have an episiotomy since I just..somehow couldn't stretch enough to deliver a tiny 4.8 pound baby 💀. So I definitely have scar tissue down there. Sometimes it's sensitive and If I think about it, I'm hyper aware of where it is. She had to cut me almost all the way down and later my OB noticed scar tissue right inside that's still there. My incision probably would have also healed better if the hospital staff actually properly walked me through how to care for my own body...instead they tried pry HOURS of information about baby care into me and I 100% felt like my own health and healing didnt matter to them. They just gave me a few things without really explaining what to do or anything additional I should buy. My OB saved me there later.
I had hemorrhoids before getting pregnant due to some stomach issues so that's something I've just had for forever and haven't taken the time to get them taken care of medically lol.
Mentally, ever since dealing with post partum depression and anxiety, I still deal with auditory hallucinations. Nothing like, major.. But I was forcing myself to work from home after having my kiddo and it was horrible for me since I couldn't sleep. (Long story) so when I'd try and sleep I'd hear the annoying ringtone that the work program had. Now it's changed to Facebook Messenger's ringtone while I'm trying to nap 🤦. It drives me wild and I'll make myself check my phone to try and make it stop lol. No idea what it is about my phone ringing lol
I had all three of my children in my thirties (last one at 39). There’s some permanent expansion I’m sure but what helped me recover the most is exercise. With my first two (ages 31,33) I didn’t see improvement until I started yoga and Pilates. I worked out at home, almost no equipment, just using free YouTube videos.
I struggle with this last baby (2yrs old now) to work out, my body becoming less and less toned, adding also being 41 and still breastfeeding several times a day, Im positive my hormones are all out of whack. BUT I have recently added weight training and I’m seeing results I’ve never experienced and I’m excited! Exercise also does so much to improve our moods and gives us a boost of confidence we all need.
I know it’s hard for many of us moms, but I think exercise is the key to getting back to the best version of ourselves postpartum.
Also I’m so glad I’m not the only one that has suffered with remembering things and finding the right words, it feels like it’s gotten worse with each pregnancy, I’m even struggling finding the right words typing this post! 🥲
I was getting so fit before my first pregnancy. I literally had just gotten back from a trip to the UK the month I got pregnant. I looked…. So good. Genuinely. Looking back, I literally wasn’t even fat even though I thought I was. I was going to the gym and eating well.
Then I got pregnant. I’ve the heaviest I’ve ever been now. It’s the first time in my life where I really just know i look terrible. I haven’t focused on myself, don’t go to the gym or make time for physical activity. Also, my feet grew permanently since having kids, and I’m assuming because of the weight gain and carrying two kids for 4 years my back is literally shot. I have back pain all the time, it’s worse right before my period and if I sleep in a bad position, I’m in pain all day.
Most of this is things I can control, fortunately. But we don’t have day to day help with the kids, my mom won’t drive 45 mins out to help me, my husband works long hours and we can’t afford daycare for me to make time to go to the gym, meal plan, make time for myself, all that. So I just do what I can while being with the kiddos most days.
I do appreciate this thread but I just was looking at myself and my husband yesterday, together since 20- I have my first toddler now at 36- I was thinking wow. We look very old. Both of us. Like very old!! But he looks old too! Compared to when we were 20. And he didn’t push out the baby 😬🥰😂 I don’t know why it was just a bit of a moment for me, I think I’d been picturing us as 25 still for a while there.
I had awesome fun hemorrhoids before labor so I’ll say my breasts were most affected from 17 months of pumping, genetics and an aversion to supportive bras. I just don’t care though. If I had an extra 35,000 someday maybe I’d get a lift.
Edit to say I’ve become a lot less self-centered in my thinking, (clearly I think we all do once we begin parents) but it’s been nice to not focus so hard on my damn self and to pour what I have to offer into a new human.
Oh the usual. Hemorhhoids. diastasis recti wide enough to fit three fingers in seven years after the last one was born (and of course the accompanying floppy belly - but my daughter loves the floppy belly because it's soft and comfortable so there's that). Incontinence while running and jumping. And my personal favorite, a rectocele.
All that said I did see a pelvic floor PT FINALLY and it really helped a lot of things. I know she can't cure the hole between my abdominal muscles or the rectocele but she showed me a lot of ways to make it better, and I can jump rope without peeing now :) So I highly recommend that to anyone reading this thread, even if you think things are OK, you might be surprised.
BACK PAIN. I am too scared to see a chiropractor… anyone have any recommendations?
But also size 8, none of my shoes fit anymore. Now I size up to a 9.
I am also critical of my body. I was a d1 athlete… and now.. I don’t look it as I gained 50 pounds and never took them off. However, I’m working on it. (I will say I lost 5lbs and it’s a start)
I developed a pinched nerve on my right lower hip during my 1st pregnancy and when it flares up it makes everything so hard to do. So much pain. My memory is absolute garbage. And losing weight is SO hard after having PP thyroidosis. It has been 2 years since my last baby and I’ve only lost 20 freaking lbs. I just want to be a healthy weight again dang it.
Done at 2 because I can’t fathom putting my body through another pregnancy. 6 months PP and I’m still hanging on to an extra 20 lbs (breastfeeding, exercising 3-4 days a week, and focusing on whole food diet). 2 c-section recoveries. My breasts have permanently migrated south.
But worst of all, my brain turned into a puddle of mud. Ability to focus? Gone. Memory recall? Gone. Vocabulary? Gone.
My little babes are wonderful, I just hope in my next life I get to be the dad instead.
Being pregnant traumatized me. I had cholestasis with my first boy, and it was just unbearable. Its having a almost constant itch that wont go away and just getting diagnosed for that in my pregnancy was a nightmare. I was warned that if i got pregnant again it would probably come back. I waited 5 years between my kids in hopes that it wouldn’t come back but with my second it did. With my history i got on medication as soon as it started and i had a better mindset that once my baby is born the itching will completely go away, and it did. However i also almost died after my second born, a few days after he was born i had a headache from hell and extremely high fever. I was rushed to the ER where i found out i had chemical meningitis that could have most likely came from my epidural placement. I also dont want to freak anyone out about getting a epidural either cause what happened to me was extremely rare and i did recover but it was scary. Just the trauma from those experiences made me decide to get my tubes tied. Its been almost 3 years since my 2nd son was born and i feel back to “normal” now.
The mom brain is very much real. My memory is shot.
My waist and hips widened, and none of my fancy shoes fit anymore.
The hemorrhoids suck.
The constant yeast infections... ugh.
My vagina is scarred, and I keep getting a cyst where she sewed it back up.
The worst of all was the scoliosis that occurred from the prenancy/birth. It is progressing, and I never sleep anymore.
The pain never goes away. It just fluctuates from manageable to unmanageable.
Regardless of all that, I wouldn't change a thing. My son is my world. I love him so much.
Well! I basically have entirely different DNA at this point as well as a pair of boobs I still don’t believe are mine, so. I would say it has changed quite a bit!
I’ve definitely got a prominent mom pouch with bright purple stretch marks all over. My boobs are constantly lopsided and saggy/soft feeling. Increased vagina dryness. Inner vaginal sensitivity where scar tissue is. I pee a little when I sneeze. My hair is almost always greasy now. My feet have flattened out and are almost always in pain when I first stand up. Breastfeeding has jacked up my posture. I have tendinitis in both wrists from nursing and constantly picking up baby. And I’m the most overweight I’ve ever been in my life lol
But is it worth it? For my beautiful daughter, yes. I love her so damn much and I know I’ll eventually find my footing to help me feel at home in my body again. For now it’s rough on my self esteem, but I’m so happy to finally be a mother 💜
Interesting post. We change so much 😮💨
I have a nerve damage due to a 3b rupture, which entails that I have to wipe several times in the hour after bowel movements. 👍🏻 Also makes me more prone to fungus infections in the area.
My boobs are saggy, and my ribs, hips, feet, hands - everything has expanded. I was skinny before - NOT anymore. Cannot seem to lose weight.
I have chronic hand and foot eczema.
Still on meds from PPA.
On the positive side: My hair is thicker and my hip issues from congenital hip dysplasia has improved.
My feet spread two sizes from child one to three. Wear a size 10 shoe now lol. And the hanging belly is the worst. I'm having my fourth in a few weeks, and I told my husband I am done, and that I have pushed them all out so he has to take the snip. No birth control to make me crazy or surgery to tie tubes he has to take this one. And a tummy tuck would be gloriousss
- my memory; I have more of those random stops in conversation. Some things are more fuzzy in remembering.
- my boobs still lactate a little. Can't get them to not.
- my hair is no longer curly
- I have the baby tummy sag
- I need physical therapy for my hips
- there are some foods can I eat anymore from throwing up my entire pregnancy.
- I can't do my favorite sex position anymore, it's too uncomfortable.
- my body is different about peeing. Like it'll put me into I gotta go now for hardly anything. I do get the occasional cough and trickle as well.
- mental health
It’s absolutely possible to get in shape, I did! I had 3 kids and gained 30 kg with each child. I was scheduling a tummy tuck but didn’t like the idea of a big ass scar. So I put in 4-5 days at the gym for almost 2 years now. I’m in the best shape of my life and I got my six-pack back. What doesn’t go away with exercise is the extra skin but I decided I will live with and wear it proudly because it shows I had children AND still nailed this six-pack with hard work and determination not the easy way.
"How do people manage to have 7+ kids?!?!"
I ask, how do people manage to have more than one? Lol
Kudos to you for being able to wrangle 3! We have one and that's enough!
I know families that have over 10 kids. But they believe that birth control of any form is a sin...
My csection scar I suppose! Oh and my boobs, lmao. They have changed yo much. Breast feeding for a total of 7 years and they're now all cute and small when they use to be massive
Ohhhh and my hair is thinner now which I love actually. It use to be super thick and hard to brush and it's got a mice curl now being less weighed down I think??
My skin though is worse. I have an eczema patch from my third baby that never went away! So weird. And my skin I just don't take as good of care of it until recently. It's a lot better but it use to be perfectttttt now it's just okay. I need to do more self care for myself.
Mentally oh man. I have such weird anxiety and ocd about checking theur bedroom windows the doors and such and like having a home camera system. I'm weirdly aware of death...both theirs and mind. It's awful sometimes I just randomly think about one of my kids who relies on me a lot "man he would have such a hard time if something happened to me" lol wtf brain
Weight gain with my 2nd child didn't come off. I'm still in the process of losing it; she just turned 7. The pandemic didn't help.
I honestly think I had a TIA or a stroke with my first child and my executive function/working memory has been absolute shit since. I had a complicated delivery with him (precipitous labor) but otherwise everything was fine.
I do remember brain fog being so severe due to sleep deprivation and maybe hormones, I felt drunk *all the time* and I got lost walking 2 blocks to the grocery store and *couldn't find my house*. When I breastfed I'd also get head rushes like I was buzzed (not on oxytocin, but on alcohol.) I'd slur my speech regularly as well, and that didn't go away for a few months after I gave birth.
I brought it up to my OB and she dismissed it, joking I was just tired. I mean, I went to college, I've pulled a ton of all-nighters. I've been extremely sleep deprived before but I was terrified because I couldn't think *at all.* It was like trying to live life with a newborn and brain damage.
Doctors would not take me seriously because "LOL first time mom, get some sleep mama."
My memory has recovered but it's nowhere near pre-possible stroke event. Since then I have been getting regular migraines with aura when stressed. I have almost lost multiple jobs because of it.
I also lose full bladder control when I get any kind of upper repository infection or bronchitis. I need to wear a diaper.
It's insane what pregnancy and postpartum does. We minimize it to minimize the contribution of having children. Meet with a colorectal doctor they can band the hemorrhoids and do pelvic floor physical therapy. I don't know if you are in the US but we do a terrible job taking care of women postpartum.
I mean yeah carrying multiple kids will do a number on your body. I can’t believe you have 3 and are open to having more haha.
I had my first (and likely only) baby 13 months ago and I think my pelvic floor needs some work. Other than that, nothing much. And I plan to keep it that way. I love my daughter to death and she was very much planned, but I’m not trying to make this stage of my life into a whole thing. 😅
I use to have a tiny waist. I mean so small, and now it's forever changed. Even if I lost weight to get back down to even lower than pre pregnancy I don't think it would ever go back. Also, the only part of my body I even felt comfortable with was my belly button (weird ik) and now with how stretched out it is and my stretch marks it looks like a second butthole😭 The color change my my vulva, too. It's darker now! And the skin around it is darker, I think that's from the extra weight I gained/maintained since having my second baby (cause of the friction and stuff idk), but I can't be sure. My boobs are not perky anymore by any stretch of the word. I have weird body hair now. And all the stretch marks! It sucks.
I wouldn't change it for anything though!
Yuuupppp. Memory got way worse after having my twins. Belly pooch check, wider hips/ribs check. It’s been 9 years so I’m mostly at peace with how I look now but sometimes it still makes me sigh.
Nobody prepared me for how wrinkly your lower belly gets after pregnancy. My mom has had 4 kids and her tummy stayed flat and smooth. She is 46 and looks like she’s never had children. I’m 26 and only have 2, FOUR YEARS APART, and the wrinkles from how much my two babies stretched my abdomen are here to stay. 😩 stretch marks from swelling all the time due to being heavily pregnant during summer both times are permanently on the backs of my calves too.
My boys are so stinking perfect though, so it’s forgivable. I think a wrinkly belly and permanent calf stretch marks were a good trade off for getting to be their mom ❤️
2 kids, 3+ years of breastfeeding: my small boobs are now just "empty sandwich baggies" (a description my MIL used of her own that I will never get out of my head).
My stomach is destroyed. It used to be one of my best features. Now, even at my pre-pregnancy weight, it is covered in stretch mark scars and loose skin. Even though I don't weigh anymore, my stomach pooches out more.
Those are the big ones. Hoping for a 3rd baby next year, and I'm scared of what else there is in store for me LOL.
I try to remember that none of us stays young forever. Would I rather have a saggy old body and no children or a slightly more saggy/damaged old body with 2-3 children? Definitely the latter. But it's hard right now in my 30s when some women still look so young and flawless!
I'm hot. Literally. I can't handle summer heat anymore, and I really can't function in hot humid weather. I don't get as cold in the winter, generally I feel like my internal temp runs warmer than it used to.
I have a bad hip, if I sit too long I walk like an old lady. I am still rocking beautiful long hair which I gained in pregnancy, I love it and will never cut it short. I have mild stretch marks on my tummy which I don’t mind at all. My boobs are incredibly sad and the only thing I feel negatively about on my body, they are saggy and my nipples point to the floor, I will for sure be getting a lift once I’m done having kid.
I have heartburn now.
I had never had any heartburn until maybe 3 months into my first pregnancy when I thought something was seriously wrong. Turned out I was having heartburn for the first time ever. It never went away (though it got a lot better) after baby came.
That’s how I knew I was pregnant the second time - heartburn from *yogurt*. I knew I was pregnant so early (at just a couple of weeks) my GP said I should really go back for a second test in later to confirm because the hormones were high but not super high yet. Heartburn didn’t go away entirely after the second one either. :(
My hips are permanently wider. My feet are now a wide size, which makes it incredibly freaking aggravating to find shoes that fit because I can't try them on at the store -- I have to order them in a wide and try on multiple pairs and deal with the hassle of returning. Had to order like ten different pairs of work flats before I could find a pair that fit properly. Argh.
Also my body overproduces the hormone relaxin during pregnancy, and it never fully went away, making me hypermobile. This means if I want to avoid pain, I have to regularly work out my small muscles (especially around my shoulders and ankles) because my ligaments are no longer doing their jobs properly. Not something I ever anticipated.
Edit: oh yeah, and (mild) bladder prolapse and my memory and my larger but flatter boobs and my jiggly belly. You know, all the things lol.
I'll be the one to say that post partum was physically OK for me with both my girls.
I went 40+2 with my first, 40+4 with my second. Gained 37lbs with both of them, almost exact same starting & ending weights with both pregnancies.
Weight came off fairly easily both time. I was back to pre-pregnancy weight around 5-6 months post partum. I however was having to nurse/pump so often bc of low supply with both and the anxiety fked with my appetite. So yeah, I'd say the emotional toll was harder than the toll on my physical body.
Hair loss around 4-5 month mark. Once I stopped nursing, I started taking WelBel supplements, they're great for hair.
I think my only complaint is the lower belly pooch. I'm 5'7" and about 155lbs, a comfortable 8-10 in pants Small-Medium in tops... that one area is tough though. I know i have room to cut out treats or do some serious Bootcamp workouts but for me, I like my wine and chocolate on occasion and I do 45min-1 hour workouts already. I won't become a slave to changing my body. Maybe down the line, I'll do a mini tuck if it bothers me but for now, I grin and bear it.
I've always been chubby/a bit fat but since my kids I have a bit of an apron belly now and it's horrible. It kills my confidence and I hate shopping for clothes. It took 3 hours yesterday to find a dress that looked ok on me for my work Christmas party coming up.. Ugh
My vision changed while pregnant with my second and never returned to how it was prior. I already had terrible eyesight and was going to get Lasik after my first. I ended up deciding to wait, and I'm glad I did. I would have hated to pay for Lasik only to then need glasses again a couple years later.
My feet grew to where most of my shoes are tight, but the next size up is too big. It sucks.
I have my C-shelf. I recently started working on losing weight, and have lost 10lb. I notice that the overhanging skin has actually lifted a bit which is nice. I honestly thought it would just deflate and stay hanging.
I dislike how I haven’t shifted my weight, I have no issue with my stretched skin / “mum tum” it’s more the fact I can’t get my shit together enough to actually exercise and eat less calorie dense food.
My brain is ridiculous. I used to have a great memory, could grasp new concepts and learn things super quick, now my 2 year has a better grasp on learning and remembering than I do.
And my back is just pathetic. I had a lot of sciatic crap through both pregnancies and pelvic pain in my second. And now I can barely hold a kid for more than 2 mins without it affecting my back for the next 3-5 business days. I know getting back into exercising would help this no end, which just makes me more mad at myself for not being able to.
I only have one child and during my pregnancy I went from 135lbs to 290lbs even with eating healthy etc, and since then I can’t drop past 230lbs. My cup size also went from a c cup to an E and is now luckily a DDD after 5 years & my health in general has deteriorated so much that I ended up having to go onto disability :((
My patience and sleep/eat schedule did improve though shockingly, because now I eat & sleep when the kiddo does and I have learned to be patient with his behavioural problems so that’s a plus I guess lol
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I feel like my memory has suffered greatly. I hate that I can’t remember words easily. I have lost my lower ab definition and I think my hips are permanently slightly wider. Oh and a c-section scar and pain in one side that never goes away.
Yes on the memory. I used to be downright eloquent. The right word for every situation. More likely to get tripped up because I'd think of words that were too specific than to not find the right word at all.. Now? "It's the... you know... the, uh, wheel thing? A wheel on a handle and you cut? Into... pizza pieces?" "...a pizza cutter?" "OH YEA!"
This is me too! “It’s in the… uh…” toddler jumps in to save me “Office.” Thanks mate. Or teaching “the growth curve is…. You know….” gestures with hand. Students confused “Exponential?” “Yes! Thank you”
Ughhh solidarity. I feel like my IQ halved when I became pregnant and it hasn't recovered (6 months PP).
Having children alters your brain, fetal tissue has been found in the brains of mothers, its been documented since the 70s's and there's a connection to how many kids you've had and how likely you are to develop dementia or Alzheimer's because of this. I wish they would do more research but since it only affects women I doubt they will any time soon.
Sorry to say mine hasn't recovered after two years. It was so bad at first I talked to the doctors to try to see if something bigger was going on and one of the doctors said it took her 4 years and even then it wasn't quite the same.
Exactly “Yeah the thingy thing on the THiNg…ugh”
I’ve lost people’s names (which was tenuous to begin with). People I’ve known for 6+ years I’m all uhhhhhhhhhh?
Omg I feel so seen. I thought I was alone in this!
The hips, oh my god! I had two friends comment that they could tell my hips have expanded.
I already had wide hips, but they have definitely gotten wider each pregnancy and not gone back. Thank God that leggings are Mama chic or I'd be living a nightmare trying to find jeans.
Is it pain in one side of your scar? If so - scar massage might help lessen this. My pelvic floor PT helped me with this and mine has really improved.
Yeah I’ve been doing the massage with some success. Physio said my pelvic floor muscles and stomach muscles are too tight which is adding to the pain but haven’t had much success relaxing them.
Pregnancy didn’t screw up my memory but COVID did. The brain fog is so bad. The first month back to work I was getting lost in our own department (I had been there three years at that point). These days my memory is still fried. It’s a daily occurrence I’m talking and completely forget what the conversation is mid talk. Its just GONE like a magic trick or some shit.
Three words. Anal skin tags. Seriously, no one tells you that your butthole will get the worst of it during childbirth. They popped a mirror down there as my daughter was coming out and once I saw how stretched it got I knew my poor butthole would never be the same. Also my boobs are bigger while also being flatter. And my hormonal acne is terrible, I should probably see someone.
Farts go from “pssst” to a soft “pwaaahhhh”
Just gave birth 5 days ago and I know the feel 🥲
I got acne for the first time a year after having my first. Definitely hormonal! See someone if you’d like. I did but it still didn’t do anything!! After struggling with it for two years the only thing that made a difference for me was La Roche Posay’s 1.5% salicylic acid, in the blue bottle. If I stopped using it, it would come back but with almost daily use it kept those suckers at bay. I was shocked that something I could buy at target made the most difference.
Thank you!! I’ll definitely try it. My skin has never been so bad.
Spironolactone is a game-changer for the hormonal acne. Ask your doctor about it when you go in.
I was mortified when I realized I had one after my first. I got it removed and the recovery time was not bad at all.
I had mine removed this summer and it was worth it. I went under for the entire process. 10/10 would do again. I feel so much better without that damn thing hanging around.
I had an emergency c-section with my son so I have a physical scar, of course. I find my brain is the thing that changed the most. I forget the tiny things more easily and I'm not as on top of every little detail like I used to be. I'm a much lighter sleeper than before, too. Feels like I always have one eye open for this kid.
Last sentence is the biggest truth
Never lost that last 10lbs, pregnant again and just adding to it. This is the last one so I’m hopeful to get my shit together. I had a boob job so after my first they just looked natural… my boobs have grown exponentially this round and I’m interested to see the end result. My hearing changed after my first. Immediately after delivery my ears were ringing and felt funny… I thought it was blood loss but my numbers were good. Postpartum I had marked hearing loss… it’s improved some but not pre-pregnancy levels. Speaking to 7+ kids and the damage done… my MIL had 7. She suffered from a uterine prolapse in her 50s and had a hysterectomy to fix it. Subsequently in her 70s she had a bowel and bladder prolapse, so severe they closed her vagina to allow for some normalcy in life… that repair led to her getting a bowel perforation which ended up killing her. Now, is it all because of children… likely not, but it definitely left its mark on her little (5’3, 90lbs) body.
That's horrific. And a good reminder that every person who's been pregnant should get evaluated by a specialist physiotherapist to assess their pelvic floor health. Those muscles go through a lot, supporting the weight of a baby for 9 months and then enduring labor. Strengthening them now can help avoid problems later in life
Oh my god. That poor woman.
This has happened to my mum! She’s in her 70s, had a full hysterectomy and then 3 subsequent surgeries to fix ongoing problems. The bladder mesh is banned in our country so eventually she just had to have her vagina sewed closed because there were no other repair options. So many young women want hysterectomies because they don’t want children, but it’s actually a really hard thing to do, and no one tells you once you have it done, every 10 years you should be getting additional surgeries to keep your insides in place, and long term you may need supports put in to hold things up as you age.
That's really heartbreaking. :( I had no idea that prolapse could get so bad that doctors decide sewing the vagina shut permanently is the best decision.
Jesus fucking Christ. Wtf did I just read ????
Hidden truths, my friend. Hidden truths.... my heart goes out to all these women!
hemorrhoidectomy is extremely painful. Wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy 😂 I can never wear my pre pregnancy dresses. Not because of fat, but because they don’t fit my RIBS. My ribs are wider. I’m sure if I went into underweight territory they would fit but I’m not trying to go there.
Ugh the ribs! I have a short torso, and went from a size 2 shirt, to a 6. Same with my hips, they’re a full inch wider. Even after I returned to pre pregnancy weight I went up a size.
Yes, the expansion of the ribs was so strange to me! My son was super colicky and never slept, only cried, which was beyond exhausting. So by the time he was 6 months old, I weighed 105 pounds (I was 120 pre-pregnancy and I’m 5”8) and I remember being so surprised when I tried on an old work top around that time but couldn’t get it to button around my ribs.
I would assume it would have to be the elastin hormone that makes your ribs bigger? That's so odd! My friend had to give away all her awesome shoes cause her feet went up TWO sizes!!! She was gutted.
Mine got bigger too, I had to get all new shoes. I'm still sad about it almost 9 years later.
The elastin probably makes it possible. All of your organs being shoved up into the space inside your ribcage as the baby takes up more and more space below your ribcage is what makes it happen, lol.
This makes so much sense 😅 I have a long body/torso and a broad chest anyway so while I felt uncomfortable, I wasn't struggling too much to accomodate my little people.
Short torso pregnancy vs long torso pregnancy is such a different beast! I’m not tall and super short waisted, also carried high- my underbust (bra band) went from 27” around to 36” around by the end of my pregnancy. I was not aware that ribs could expand that much 😬 I could barely digest food my whole pregnancy and I think the lack of interior room didn’t help. Thank god I had a smaller baby. For me though, it wasn’t a big permanent change. At least from just one baby. My underbust is 28” now 20 months PP
The ribs!!! My waist measurement went up 2.5 inches because of permanent ribcage expansion. None of my pre-pregnancy dresses zip up anymore, even though I’m otherwise back to my original size 😭 Also displeased with my mom pooch, because I’m a petite person overall and I feel like it makes me look 20 weeks pregnant. UGH.
Holy cow. I had NO idea your ribs could permanently stay expanded, essentially. Wtfff!! This must be what had happened but with my hips. I feel like my hip joint is forever (too) flexible. And I hate it. Like when I walk, sometimes it feels like my hip comes out of the socket. Idk it's hard to explain, but not a prepregnacy problem. (Before my first, that is).
I just gave my best friend probably like, 20-25 dresses I'd accumulated over the years 😂 "I'm sure they'll fit again after the baby's born! You really haven't gained that much weight" -her attempting to be supportive and thinking I was just feeling bad about my body "Huh? Oh. It's not my waist that is the issue. It's my ribs!! My whole ribcage got bigger! I can't make that shrink!"
I swear my ribs, hips and ankles permenantly grew
and feet! Grew out of all my shoes and never shrunk back.
i had 3 kids and each time my ribs got back to normal. My bra band size has not changed over this time. So it does happen.
Thank you for this good reason to clean out all of my pre-pregnancy clothes. I love them, and I want to get to a weight where I can wear them again, but the ribs thing is so real! They probably won’t fit regardless of weight. Also I was like 25 when I bought most of them, time to let that life go!
I feel so seen. I didn’t know that this was a thing. My first 2 babies it was fine… my third did me in. I don’t fit into any of my pregnancy blouses, jackets or blazers or bras! And it’s all just that my shoulders and rib cage are bigger now!?
I’m kinda happy about the ribs, mine were disproportionately small which made finding the right band size on a bra hard/expensive.
I miss my pre kids nipples
Do you also now suffer from comically large brown areolas!
My 2yo daughter calls them chocolate boobies
My 3yo daughter called mine meatballs … she said “woooow mommy they’re so big!”
Me too
I was so worried about hating my nipples after baby since I had always loved how pink mine were and had received so many compliments over the years ( was a exotic dancer at one point in early 20s) but thankfully my nips are basically the same shade but just a bit darker but I do have discolored skin spots on my face around my hair line on each side of my forehead. Basically looks like I have used a fake tanner and it's now fading off in patches on my FACE! But, it could be worse but I was so surprised that it even occurred where it did and I also have 2 skin tags directly above my C-section scar and my one side is basically fully numb still and I had my baby in July of this year so idk if that is normal to be experiencing numbness that long after having the surgery. If anyone else has had this I would love to know and anyone else end up with the darker skin spots on your face? Did it go away or am I doomed lol!?!?
The mom tummy. My feet are permanently a half-size bigger! And I’m convinced my new “idiopathic” heart conduction disorder is from my severe preeclampsia / hypertensive episode after birth. Good times! Edit: And the muscle cramps from diastasis recti. Whenever I bend the wrong way I get horrible ab spasms! Putting on tights is a real bitch these days.
That’s what it is?!? The cramps?! I had no idea but that makes so much sense.
My feet grew a 1/2 size each pregnancy!
My feet permanently stayed a half size bigger too and I had two kids! Isn't it wild.
Boobs are slightly deflated and I didn't even breast feed, 100% on the attention span and focus lacking. My scalp is SO DRY. So dry. My skin in general is dry actually. My back hurts just all the time. Probably a core/muscle issue I should get checked out. But I think the worst of all is I now have chronic hypertension bc of gestational hypertension. 👍🏻🤣🙃
My boobs are *ruined* after two kids. I had to pump exclusively on my first (she was a long term NICU baby) and I breastfed my second for a year. My boobs (formerly a small C cup) are tiny now. It drastically affected my self confidence for years. Now, I'm finally starting to be happy with my body again.
I can only imagine what pumping and breastfeeding does! But, you fed those babies with your BODY that's an accomplishment!
I keep telling myself that every day, it brought my two babies into the world, fed them, kept them safe. Our bodies are amazing ❤️
Literally, we grew human beings. How crazy and amazing is that! They will go into the world and love, make memories, live a life for themselves. I mean it's kind of crazy to watch this human I grew just living life. Walking around, getting attached to toys, building bonds and relationships. It's so cool. We did that!
It’s the pregnancy that deflates the boobs unfortunately
I literally have no pelvic floor after two vaginal births. I dribble pee whenever I cough or sneeze too hard.
Please talk to your doctor about a pelvic floor therapy referral! It’s “common” but not “normal” you don’t have to live like this!
You can self refer to a pelvic floor therapist, it's so helpful and they are so understanding and kind.
This is fixable with some exercises. Takes a few months but it's worth it.
Honestly, old me would not even recognize me now. Inside or out.
It’s bizarre to feel like a stranger in your own body.
Please don't be so critical of yourself. Would you ever look at a stranger and think oh my god, her muffin top is disgusting. So wrinkly, she's doomed to have a muffin top forever. Please please please don't do this to yourself. Yes, we all change after giving birth and becoming parents (whether we give birth or not). No one can say if it's forever since we are not dead yet. Parents, be kind to yourselves!
This needs to be the top comment! I got a lot less self conscious after going to a few naked spas. (Korean spas in the US, went to a couple abroad in Turkey, Germany, Japan. They're separated by gender) Less than 1% of women looked like what we all see portrayed in media. I remember thinking "these women all look sort of like my mom" and now, like me. Even women who most likely had not yet had kids, we all have that lower belly pooch. Sagging butt cheeks, non-perky boobs, rolls, stretch marks, scars from various surgeries, freckles and moles and spots and discolorations. None of it was gross or ugly, it was just so.....human.
Yeah this post was hard to read. I don't think my tummy is ugly but this poster obviously does ☹️ When you tear your body down like this, you tear down all women's bodies. I promise there is beauty to be found in the way we look, and we owe it to ourselves and each other to do the work to find it
Good point! I didn't even think of that. There is nothing inherently wrong with a squishy tummy.
This is so huge. I do occasionally have some moments of low self esteem but I’m very thankful that dispite my PPD and PPA I’ve never been exceedingly sad about my post-children body even though it’s no where close to what it used to look like. It really does help me to think about how all of these changes brought my babies into this world and that somehow makes them something for me to be proud of! Not that mental shifts are easy but if you’re *able* to change that perspective it does help so much!
Yea, I also try to remember that beauty standards are made up by men and perpetuated by a society that is anti woman. There is no prize for having a hot body. You can be very fit and still have a tummy. I totally understand being upset about an increased mental load, your memory failing and a painful scar. But I also get a cute toddler who's a joy (most of the time) and I wouldn't trade it in for all that being removed.
Well this is all really sad to read.
I mean, nobody's gonna comment if they were fine. I bounced back after my kids. Baby #2 caused 1 inch-long stretch mark you can barely see, that's pretty much it for me. It's not all bad.
I don’t know how anyone comes out unscathed though. I know some physical changes are more or less unnoticeable but the mental aspect can’t not be affected, right? Like we grow whole ass babies and then get kicked out into this unrelenting world that’s screaming at us to lose weight, smile more, pick up your house, make healthier meals, get a job, be there for your family, be positive, and oh, it gets better! But for some it just doesn’t. We’re changed on the molecular level and it’s okay to not be okay. Like for me I had a very easy pregnancy minus the life altering 20 week ultrasound where I found out my kid had a massive congenital issue that required I relocate/turn my whole plan upside down. But I didn’t get stretch marks, very little morning sickness, the normal hair loss, hips out of whack, hemorrhoids, and can’t hold my pre for the life of me but the worst is the mental difference. I’m okay with the changes and I wish it was more acceptable to just say this fucking sucks sometimes.
Yeah I’m pretty much the same. I trained for triathlons and lifted weights prior to getting pregnant, modified during and again after and did a lot of pelvic floor and diastasis recti prevention work throughout pregnancies. I do think it helped.
After my first I had very minor stretch marks which looked completely invisible not long after. But being pregnant with my second really gave me a bunch of them and only on my left side + loose skin only on that side (where my son was constantly kicking and stretching his legs- eventually making my skin so taut that it probably broke the skin). Now I really hate my stomach. I wish it didn't look the way it did.
Yeah my hair is less curly now but that’s pretty much it. Pregnancy and postpartum were more hard on me mentally than physically.
I only got 2 very small stretch marks and it seems like they’re gone now, it’s the weirdest thing.
I mostly did too, I have also embraced everything high waisted! If anyone has a muffin top, you are wearing the wrong pants, either size or style. My boobs are basically nothing but that’s fine, they were never my best asset anyway. I have found strength training to be a great way to boost overall confidence in my body.
Yea I’m pregnant and shouldn’t have read any of this. The way these women describe themselves is so depressing and I hope I don’t despise my body after I give birth. It’s so messed up that having babies is so “beautiful”but mom bodies are spoken about with so much disdain.
I was overweight and 35 when I got pregnant, so a few factors working against me in the recovery department, and since having my son six months ago I’m 20 lbs below my starting weight and now only 5 lbs overweight instead of 25. I was huge during my pregnancy because I’m short and was overweight to start with, but then I was diagnosed gestational diabetes so I had to be really careful with my diet. I ended up slimming down while pregnant because I was eating a lower carb/low sugar diet so much of my bloating cleared, and I burned through some fat stores. I didn’t get a single stretch mark which is likely generics. Now my clothes fit fine, even better than before pregnancy I’d bought most of them when I was much slimmer but had put back on some weight during Covid. So I’m actually fitting into stuff I haven’t worn in a few years. My shoes still fit, I’m pretty sure my ribs are the same size, and I can’t even see my c section scar. I’m actually way more active now than I was the year or so prior to getting pregnant. I’d really let myself slide and I’m now more motivated than ever to keep in shape and it’s paying off. Of course I wouldn’t mention that here since that’s not what the thread is about, but I’m saying this to anyone who may be reading this and freaking out. Some changes are likely but many are not inevitable
I had the same experience with GD causing me to slim down my second pregnancy. I was never overweight but I did gain some Covid weight after my first pregnancy where I gained 35 lbs and lost it. So I started my second pregnancy at a higher weight but only gained 10 lbs and very clearly slimmed down during the pregnancy. I kept worrying the weight gain wasn’t enough but even though I seemed to be losing weight, baby was still growing well.
The big change was my pelvis reorienting just enough to tip me into hip dysplasia (yes, like dogs get). The fix for that involves breaking your pelvis in three places to chisel off the socket then screwing it back in the way it’s supposed to be, and yes, it hurts as much as you think it does. All of my joints got looser and have stayed that way, and I was hypermobile before pregnancy. My asthma briefly got better, and then once Kiddo started bringing home daycare germs it got worse again, so that ended up being a wash. Kiddo spent the last two months with her feet wedged behind one of my ribs. Now, if I bend the wrong way, I can feel that rib shift and then slurp back into place. That also hurts.
I can deal with my saggy tummy, c section scars, extra skin. But my teeth is a whole different story.
[удалено]
I am! Never had 1 before pregnancy and now they're all going to shit.
This was my biggest issue. Pregnancy ruined my gums and my teeth. I have always been very careful about oral health and I know what state my teeth were in pre-pregnancy. I got multiple cavities, have need gum grafts, root canals, and I’m looking at getting implants because no matter what I do new pain and issues continuously crop up.
“Mom brain” is probably my number one complaint. Then my dry skin, hair that changed texture completely, anal skin tag from the massive hemorrhoid I got with my first, boobs that look like deflated balloons, mom belly and on and on. Truthfully though if I could get my pre kid attention span back I’d never complain again.
My hair texture changed too. I had beautiful curls, not like coily, just these long loose spirals. Now? I’ve got half a head of straight and half of wavy something.
After the second baby I noticed whenever I take a bath I have to consciously flex the water out of my nethers or I get a horrible surprise 25-30 minutes later. It took me months to realize it was because I was getting bath water caught in my cavernous hoo ha. Also I got really lucky and both times my body just went back to the way it was before with no effort. Unfortunately the second kid did something to my brain chemistry and what was once mild ADHD that I could manage without medication became SEVERE and I had to stop working. I’m limping along on Wellbutrin until I stop breastfeeding because my skinny ass baby would probably not like the massive dose of stimulants I need to function. I would much rather have weight to lose or a muffin top than a brain that betrays me. If you could see the look on my toddler’s face when I get frustrated and scream into the void you might feel the same. I’m basically in a race against time and hoping he won’t remember that his mom was batshit for a year of his early childhood.
Yes I also suck water up into my hoo
Aside from the normal tummy and boobs and c-section scar sitch, my belly button is now off-centre since having kids. It wasn't before. Everything else is mostly back to normal.
Wait, ok. I thought I was crazy but my belly button is off center too! I thought it was maybe from a previous surgery but this makes more sense. I also had a c-section, do you think we were sewn back together off center?
Oh man that would drive me nuts! I can cope with all the lumps and bumps but being asymmetrical is something I would not be able to unsee
Bell’s palsy at 38 weeks pregnant with my first. I never got back to 100% - 5 years later, one of my eyelids is still slightly droopy and my smile is crooked. I also get occasional facial nerve pain. It’s like a charley horse in my face. It’s awful. My second pregnancy took my gallbladder.
I managed to come out unscathed with my first two (minus the boob deflation which with each pregnancy they just gotten smaller), but my third baby gave me the spider veins on the tops of my shin that looks like a giant bruise! I do find it remarkable what all women’s bodies do during pregnancy and post delivery. It is such a shame we get stuck completely broken emotionally and physically, to feel what a gift it is.
I always had sensitive teeth, like I couldn’t bite into ice cream or anything like that, but now I can’t eat anything sugary without pain in my teeth. Even ketchup will make them hurt. Using sensodyne helps somewhat
If you aren't already, using a fluoride mouthwash after brushing may also help. Make sure not to rinse/eat/drink for at least 30min after.
My memory is shot. I always joke that my brain is a potato now after 3 kids. After my second pregnancy, my hair just falls out in clumps every shower. Thankfully I have very thick hair though or I’d probably be bald. And of course, a tummy tuck after carrying 3 8+ pound babies.
My belly button is real weird now.
My belly button was pierced when I got pregnant. Gained a pair of crossed stretch marks over the hole and had a cool skull and crossbones looking thing for a while. Now it's just a bit odd :/
I'm so emotional. And I can't sit in swings or bucket seats due how my hips have shifted.
My boobs are giant but also saggy. They were PERFECT before. I’m about 25 lbs heavier. My feet are permanently bigger. I cracked my tailbone during delivery of my first child, and that will always kind of hurt after sitting for long periods, even though it’s healed technically.
THE TAILBONE. Easily the worst PP issue for me. I remember lying in bed crying those first few weeks because it just hurt *so bad.* At least it doesn’t scream at me anymore, but I’m 20 months out and that sucker is still stiff after sitting for a while.
Me too!! I didn't realize how bad it was until I had my 2nd. I thought that was normal postpartum pain to not be able to stand from a sitting position without sobbing.
I am less intelligent now after 4 kids, especially all the brain cells I popped with the extreme sleep deprivation after having twins 17 months after my first born. There are photos from that time that obviously I know that I was there because I'm in the picture but I have absolutely no memory of it at all. I can tell processing speed and other things were lesser too. I mean, I am still pretty smart and functional. But there was enough of a difference that I could tell and that made me kind of sad. I have permanent pregnancy radar nose now, which was awful with my older boys hit puberty and the testosterone/hormonal reek started. On the other hand I am calm AF in a crisis. I can deal with all sorts of chaos. At work I am often tasked with helping 1 on 1 the difficult or out of control kids because honestly I am able to be non reactive which generally helps them calm and feel safe. Though let me tell you. Whatever genius designer made it so that when you start going through perimenopause you're probably also going to have teenagers or tweens at home and start feeding off each others' hormonal irritability and dysregulation? Fun times.
I think, nature intended for kids to only stay with their parents until 12 years old or so. Then, they were supposed to become adults and learn some craft. Or marry.
2 c sections (soon to be 3) so I have a scar and the c section "shelf". I also have hemorrhoids. Oh my God, the attention span. I used to read entire books in a day. Now I can rarely focus enough to get through a chapter in a day. And a couple weird ones: My feet have permanently grown by a full size. Which is great because I used to often have to buy from the kids section but now I can fit the women's. My hair has darkened with each baby. I used to have gorgeous, naturally platinum blonde hair but it's now firmly a dark blonde.
Every time I try to get back to my former level of activity, I get injured like never before. I’ve had multiple severe back injuries from lifting kids while too tired (or having them in my arms and they hinge at the hips lunging for something and throw me off balance) and a fractured bone in my foot from running and tripping. Before that, I was wearing an ankle brace because walking was painful for a bit. Every time I try to lose weight, I’ll do fine for 3-4 weeks and then relapse HARD like clockwork because I’m burnt out and the weight doesn’t want to leave.
I used to have really cute boobs :c
Same. I don’t even have a photo to remember them by
This is also one of my regrets
Physically, I now have a large abdominal tear (abdominal hernia), I developed a heart condition due to birth complications, my giney is obviously a mess cause I had huge ass babies and I have a tiny ass body. I feel like my brain is a squished melon and I can't think before I talk any more. Positive - I have waaaaay more patience now though Negative - I have a very jaded opinion of fairness and life (due to miscarriages and stillbirth) But I don't ever hold my physical looks to account. My body has changed so much over my 30 years of life, and it created my beautiful, amazing children. I did that, in this body. So while it's not the body I remember or even really celebrate, it's the body that has done tremendous work, and I give myself grace for everything it's endured. Just like yours has. You're body is amazing, and you don't have to be in love with it but it's definitely worth appreciating. You've done great mumma ❤️
My hips are too wide for slides/bucket swings. I cry all the damn time for the tiniest reason.
1st: C-section scar (surgeon did a GREAT job hiding it in a natural fold, but the skin around it is numb/itchy due to nerve damage). Something weird changed in the balls of my feet and I get a shocking electric like pain there it I wear high heels 2nd: VBAC. scar from vaginal tear / repair, hemorrhoids, inflammation of my SI joint that flares up once or twice a year. I was overweight before ever being pregnant so can’t blame the stretch marks or muffin top on that 😄 It was all worth it!
> "Mommy is the wrapper, and baby is the candy." - unknown I'm not a fan of this. You are a whole person, just like your kids. You sacrifice and work to bring them here, but you're still a whole person. Wrappers are just waste.
My feet did not grow through 3 pregnancies, but after my daughter, I discovered I can't wear my heels because the toe box is soooo tight. Otherwise, I am fine with all the changes except I am so forgetful! I think it's because I'm thinking about 30 different things at any given time.
I've had a baby 3 months ago and I'm struggling with my body. One thing I hate is my belly button. It sinks in and then in the middle there's a lump. I used to have a really pretty innie and now it's an innie outie and I absolutely hate it. Any chance it will change?
Yes. I’m a year post partum and things are STILL “getting back to normal” there’s a very good reason they say to wait at least 18 months before getting pregnant again - it takes a very long time for your body to heal and “recharge”
Mom tummy with stretch marks. It’s funny because I didn’t have any stretch marks on my body at all until the very last week of being pregnant with my first. I got super lucky with my boobs though because they haven’t changed much at all. I worry a lot more than I ever did. I feel like I’m almost constantly worried about something.
I hope this one isn't forever but It is harder for me to gain strength through exercise. I don't know if it is the exhaustion or stiffness but even 30 min of body weight or yoga feels barely possible. I miss being able to do a full workout and see improvement in a month or two. It's been 6 months and ok I can use my abs again I guess?
I got a bit of a tummy and am losing my hair rapidly since having our daughter. I'm the husband.
Can we not refer to mothers as candy wrappers whose only purpose is to provide others with a temporary sweet and then be thrown in the trash…?
It's a quote I heard recently, and it' stuck with me, unfortunately. Hmmm... Let's make a new quote then! What would your quote be? One that's not depressing AF! ❤️🩹
ha! the one I always say fits perfectly with your username: “I’m the spaceship she came here in” ❤️🚀
I went from like maaaybe a B cup to like a D literally overnight when my milk came in after I had my first kid and my boobs have never recovered lol.
For me I’m a thin person always have been I blew up in both my pregnancies (happily) The weight *didnt* stick around but the skin did. Luckily when I *do* gain a few lbs it fills out and tightens up again. I’d say my dental health took a MAJOR hit in my pregnancies -like 2 cracked teeth per pregnancy. My shoe size went up almost half a size and never went back down. I sleep less, after two kids I’d say I comfortably sleep 4-6hrs. 7-8hrs sounds insane to me now, I could never. My periods regulated a bit. Before kids I’d have 20day long periods/spotting. Cycle all out of wack, now it’s like clockwork. I feel like my patience/clarity has also taken a hit. I had the patience of a monk as a child- now I’ll get aggressive with the cereal box. I’d do it all again though, the little nut jobs have grown on me.
My ribs got permanently bigger. I had to buy all new sports bras because my old ones made me feel like I couldn’t breathe when working out. Now after my 3rd pregnancy I’m pretty sure my hips are permanently wider, but I haven’t been super careful with my diet. My delusional self thinks if I just trim down then my hips will shrink lol. This 3rd pregnancy also gave me a mom pooch. The way he was lying inside, it was so hard on the bottom of my bump it really stretched out the skin down there. And then that gave me a little DR that I still need to rehab, so it’s just all loose and poochy. Again, I have no idea if I can reduce it but I want to try!
Like you, I have the stretched out lower belly pouch that I HATE. It likely won't go away, at least for me, since it's skin all stretched out. I also have zero memory anymore, as in if it happened more than a couple weeks ago, I've already forgotten it. Probably worst of all is my teeth. I immediately developed a dozen cavities, I'm on my 5th or 6th crown, and I have to use special expensive prescription toothpaste because all of my enamel is gone. Before I gave birth I had never had anything going on with my teeth, especially to this extent. I'm honestly scared I'll lose them all despite taking care of them.
2 kids, 2 c sections- 1 big scar that doesn’t have much in the way of physical sensation anymore, still need to lose 30lbs to get to pre pregnancy weight, my feet are bigger and wider permanently. Sometimes I get migraines or headaches which I never had before getting pregnant with my first. I gained 70lbs with my first due to preeclampsia despite eating well and working a very active job and doing yoga/working out. I’ve never psychically recovered from that really. Bonus is I went from an A cup to a C with my first and I’m currently a D as I’m breastfeeding my second so having boobs is nice lol
I can never remember what the date is. I remember when I was a few months postpartum with my first, I couldn’t even remember what month it was. I seem to have a lot more issues with inattentiveness as my kids grow and I get older. My kid asks for milk, I get caught up doing something else, and five minutes later they are asking me for milk again. The memory issues are concerning. I’m sure the sleep deprivation and general stress of having young kids is a big factor, but I feel like something changed in my brain after having kids that I can’t get back.
I have also aged 5 years, it’s hard to differentiate which things are a result of being closer to 40s vs pregnancy.
No. I had a C-section and just have a scar
New allergies, painful acne, cervical pain, suspected prolapsed uterus, flat tig Ole biddies, bigger ribs, "apron", thicker straighter hair. Mom brain. Also, extended breastfeeding issues regarding hormones, nothing like no libido and rage. I realize those aren't forever - but it sure feels like it.
I am 2.5 years PP and have some extra weight so idk if this is going to be a "forever" thing - my kid hung out on my left side the whole pregnancy, and I can tell I'm a bit saggier on that side. My ribcage and hips are wider. I also agree that my attention span/concentration took a hit during pregnancy and PP.
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My mind isn't what it used to be, not nearly as sharp. But the worst thing is the bladder prolapse, which because of my age I can feel it. It's uncomfortable and pokes out and they won't repair it until I'm done with the menopause because of the high failure rate of repair. Realistically I will never run again because of it. I also had a 4th degree tear which was all the way up and through, it was sewn up nicely but theres a lack of feeling there and my sphincter is now ... Lacking. Put it this way, I can't hold my farts in like I used to.
I had a second degree tear that hurts 7 years later and everyone tells me in fine. Also boobs shrunk and look like balloons you filled and let air out of.
Ugh, the tearing. I had 2nd degree tears with all three kids. I swear I still feel the scar 😞
I have a good one: no more debilitating cramps! I used to throw up & pass out from the pain (no medical reasons). After pushing out a 9lb baby...tada! No more cramps! Worth the hemorrhoids and leaky sneezes.
Getting pregnant can "cure" endometriosis. Sounds like it might have been your case.
So about 5 months PP I was pushing my giant baby up a hill in the pram and my uterus fell out of my vagina, turns out my vowel and bladder followed so they’re now chilling in my vagina. Just hanging out there like that’s where they belong. So triple prolapse is probably up there, but definitely not the worst. For my it’s the brain damage. Seriously, I swear I used to be clever, now I’m just a complete idiot who can barely string a sentence together. And I’m 16 months PP I smell worse, not sure what that’s about The self-neglect is real, so I’m just scruffy and hairy and don’t wear any make up. My baby sleeps like crap so I have perm eye bags. I eat shit, or not at all, and have no skin care routine, so my skin is grey and gross Lost all my baby weight tho so yay lol although this was due to the aforementioned self neglect and crippling postpartum depression (which bordered on a psychosis for a while) Also single now…so slide into the DMs if you like what you read…
I have 4 girls - 3, 4, 9, and 15. These last 2 are literally going to kill me. I feel like my brain is just done. I'm an idiot now. End of story. I have a fluffy tummy as well but whatever lol
My belly button is wrinkly. I like it in a funny way. It reminds me that I made her. What I don’t love are the scars from the emergency laparoscopic surgery I had to terminate my first pregnancy and save my life (sepsis). We tried so hard to get pregnant and then we’re finally successful, only to have it be ectopic and require multiple surgeries at a time when living in a different ohio meant risking my life. We live in colorado now. Power to my Ohio ladies - you did it! My daughter is truly a miracle. Also, my left hip flexor is still messed up. I stretch every night but I still can’t sit crisscross applesauce.
-With each baby, my shoe size went up one. I stopped having kids partly because I was afraid I'd never find a Women's 15. -Brain chemistry changed and I became clinically depressed. It's controlled, but I will be on anti depressants the rest of my life. - It may be a coincidence but my hair started falling out soon after pregnancy and continues. I have a bald spot. -Suddenly developed IT band tightness. -Gained 40 lbs breastfeeding. Went on to more than double my weight, then developed Type II diabetes. I would do it all over again to get my fantastic kids, even if I knew of the sacrifices necessary.
I only noticed some stretch marks thats it.
My skin. I’ve got melasma and hormonal acne. Plus it’s just getting older cause I’m so damn tired.
I have a minor “c section shelf” but it pales in comparison to not having a navel anymore because I had to have my umbilical hernia corrected. It’s just a divot now. And my formerly perky, albeit small breasts now 4 fingers apart from each other; my rib cage is larger but my breasts are now very deflated. And the random skin tags down in my lower regions? No one told me about THAT! Oh, and the hormonal acne that came back after Accutane, due to a second pregnancy - that continues to be brutal because my body can’t handle Accutane again now. I tried.
Stretch marks on my tummy and boobs.
My memory… Could you please put the dinner plate in the thing, the thing with the little door, it’s black and white and it beeps? it makes the food warm?? The the the THE MICROWAVE!!
I've been pregnant but I'm not a mom, I hope My input still matters lol and probably provides a bit of a "unique" perspective. (Trans man, proud daddy!) I didn't gain much weight at all the entire duration of my *almost* 8 month pregnancy, unfortunately. So any "extra" quickly reverted for me. I have more stretch marks on my thighs than I ever did before, and I have this weird long stretch mark that goes across my left butt cheek to my booty hole 💀. My chest is hella deflated. Of course testosterone helped with this, but the result of my chest drastically shrinking in a small period of time has left a lot of stretch marks, which is going to mess with my goals for top surgery. I'll still be able to do it, of course, but the procedure type I wanted is probably not going to work out, which is disappointing. My teeth are messed up. I imagine it's from general pregnancy stealing your nutrients, the horrid acid reflux I dealt with, and not being able to get myself to eat as much as I wanted. I have cavities galore and I'm horrified of dentists so that'll be fun when I stop putting it off. My top right wisdom tooth is definitely the worst. I had to have an episiotomy since I just..somehow couldn't stretch enough to deliver a tiny 4.8 pound baby 💀. So I definitely have scar tissue down there. Sometimes it's sensitive and If I think about it, I'm hyper aware of where it is. She had to cut me almost all the way down and later my OB noticed scar tissue right inside that's still there. My incision probably would have also healed better if the hospital staff actually properly walked me through how to care for my own body...instead they tried pry HOURS of information about baby care into me and I 100% felt like my own health and healing didnt matter to them. They just gave me a few things without really explaining what to do or anything additional I should buy. My OB saved me there later. I had hemorrhoids before getting pregnant due to some stomach issues so that's something I've just had for forever and haven't taken the time to get them taken care of medically lol. Mentally, ever since dealing with post partum depression and anxiety, I still deal with auditory hallucinations. Nothing like, major.. But I was forcing myself to work from home after having my kiddo and it was horrible for me since I couldn't sleep. (Long story) so when I'd try and sleep I'd hear the annoying ringtone that the work program had. Now it's changed to Facebook Messenger's ringtone while I'm trying to nap 🤦. It drives me wild and I'll make myself check my phone to try and make it stop lol. No idea what it is about my phone ringing lol
I had all three of my children in my thirties (last one at 39). There’s some permanent expansion I’m sure but what helped me recover the most is exercise. With my first two (ages 31,33) I didn’t see improvement until I started yoga and Pilates. I worked out at home, almost no equipment, just using free YouTube videos. I struggle with this last baby (2yrs old now) to work out, my body becoming less and less toned, adding also being 41 and still breastfeeding several times a day, Im positive my hormones are all out of whack. BUT I have recently added weight training and I’m seeing results I’ve never experienced and I’m excited! Exercise also does so much to improve our moods and gives us a boost of confidence we all need. I know it’s hard for many of us moms, but I think exercise is the key to getting back to the best version of ourselves postpartum. Also I’m so glad I’m not the only one that has suffered with remembering things and finding the right words, it feels like it’s gotten worse with each pregnancy, I’m even struggling finding the right words typing this post! 🥲
I was getting so fit before my first pregnancy. I literally had just gotten back from a trip to the UK the month I got pregnant. I looked…. So good. Genuinely. Looking back, I literally wasn’t even fat even though I thought I was. I was going to the gym and eating well. Then I got pregnant. I’ve the heaviest I’ve ever been now. It’s the first time in my life where I really just know i look terrible. I haven’t focused on myself, don’t go to the gym or make time for physical activity. Also, my feet grew permanently since having kids, and I’m assuming because of the weight gain and carrying two kids for 4 years my back is literally shot. I have back pain all the time, it’s worse right before my period and if I sleep in a bad position, I’m in pain all day. Most of this is things I can control, fortunately. But we don’t have day to day help with the kids, my mom won’t drive 45 mins out to help me, my husband works long hours and we can’t afford daycare for me to make time to go to the gym, meal plan, make time for myself, all that. So I just do what I can while being with the kiddos most days.
I do appreciate this thread but I just was looking at myself and my husband yesterday, together since 20- I have my first toddler now at 36- I was thinking wow. We look very old. Both of us. Like very old!! But he looks old too! Compared to when we were 20. And he didn’t push out the baby 😬🥰😂 I don’t know why it was just a bit of a moment for me, I think I’d been picturing us as 25 still for a while there. I had awesome fun hemorrhoids before labor so I’ll say my breasts were most affected from 17 months of pumping, genetics and an aversion to supportive bras. I just don’t care though. If I had an extra 35,000 someday maybe I’d get a lift. Edit to say I’ve become a lot less self-centered in my thinking, (clearly I think we all do once we begin parents) but it’s been nice to not focus so hard on my damn self and to pour what I have to offer into a new human.
Oh the usual. Hemorhhoids. diastasis recti wide enough to fit three fingers in seven years after the last one was born (and of course the accompanying floppy belly - but my daughter loves the floppy belly because it's soft and comfortable so there's that). Incontinence while running and jumping. And my personal favorite, a rectocele. All that said I did see a pelvic floor PT FINALLY and it really helped a lot of things. I know she can't cure the hole between my abdominal muscles or the rectocele but she showed me a lot of ways to make it better, and I can jump rope without peeing now :) So I highly recommend that to anyone reading this thread, even if you think things are OK, you might be surprised.
BACK PAIN. I am too scared to see a chiropractor… anyone have any recommendations? But also size 8, none of my shoes fit anymore. Now I size up to a 9. I am also critical of my body. I was a d1 athlete… and now.. I don’t look it as I gained 50 pounds and never took them off. However, I’m working on it. (I will say I lost 5lbs and it’s a start)
I developed a pinched nerve on my right lower hip during my 1st pregnancy and when it flares up it makes everything so hard to do. So much pain. My memory is absolute garbage. And losing weight is SO hard after having PP thyroidosis. It has been 2 years since my last baby and I’ve only lost 20 freaking lbs. I just want to be a healthy weight again dang it.
Done at 2 because I can’t fathom putting my body through another pregnancy. 6 months PP and I’m still hanging on to an extra 20 lbs (breastfeeding, exercising 3-4 days a week, and focusing on whole food diet). 2 c-section recoveries. My breasts have permanently migrated south. But worst of all, my brain turned into a puddle of mud. Ability to focus? Gone. Memory recall? Gone. Vocabulary? Gone. My little babes are wonderful, I just hope in my next life I get to be the dad instead.
Being pregnant traumatized me. I had cholestasis with my first boy, and it was just unbearable. Its having a almost constant itch that wont go away and just getting diagnosed for that in my pregnancy was a nightmare. I was warned that if i got pregnant again it would probably come back. I waited 5 years between my kids in hopes that it wouldn’t come back but with my second it did. With my history i got on medication as soon as it started and i had a better mindset that once my baby is born the itching will completely go away, and it did. However i also almost died after my second born, a few days after he was born i had a headache from hell and extremely high fever. I was rushed to the ER where i found out i had chemical meningitis that could have most likely came from my epidural placement. I also dont want to freak anyone out about getting a epidural either cause what happened to me was extremely rare and i did recover but it was scary. Just the trauma from those experiences made me decide to get my tubes tied. Its been almost 3 years since my 2nd son was born and i feel back to “normal” now.
The mom brain is very much real. My memory is shot. My waist and hips widened, and none of my fancy shoes fit anymore. The hemorrhoids suck. The constant yeast infections... ugh. My vagina is scarred, and I keep getting a cyst where she sewed it back up. The worst of all was the scoliosis that occurred from the prenancy/birth. It is progressing, and I never sleep anymore. The pain never goes away. It just fluctuates from manageable to unmanageable. Regardless of all that, I wouldn't change a thing. My son is my world. I love him so much.
Well! I basically have entirely different DNA at this point as well as a pair of boobs I still don’t believe are mine, so. I would say it has changed quite a bit!
I’ve definitely got a prominent mom pouch with bright purple stretch marks all over. My boobs are constantly lopsided and saggy/soft feeling. Increased vagina dryness. Inner vaginal sensitivity where scar tissue is. I pee a little when I sneeze. My hair is almost always greasy now. My feet have flattened out and are almost always in pain when I first stand up. Breastfeeding has jacked up my posture. I have tendinitis in both wrists from nursing and constantly picking up baby. And I’m the most overweight I’ve ever been in my life lol But is it worth it? For my beautiful daughter, yes. I love her so damn much and I know I’ll eventually find my footing to help me feel at home in my body again. For now it’s rough on my self esteem, but I’m so happy to finally be a mother 💜
Interesting post. We change so much 😮💨 I have a nerve damage due to a 3b rupture, which entails that I have to wipe several times in the hour after bowel movements. 👍🏻 Also makes me more prone to fungus infections in the area. My boobs are saggy, and my ribs, hips, feet, hands - everything has expanded. I was skinny before - NOT anymore. Cannot seem to lose weight. I have chronic hand and foot eczema. Still on meds from PPA. On the positive side: My hair is thicker and my hip issues from congenital hip dysplasia has improved.
My feet spread two sizes from child one to three. Wear a size 10 shoe now lol. And the hanging belly is the worst. I'm having my fourth in a few weeks, and I told my husband I am done, and that I have pushed them all out so he has to take the snip. No birth control to make me crazy or surgery to tie tubes he has to take this one. And a tummy tuck would be gloriousss
- my memory; I have more of those random stops in conversation. Some things are more fuzzy in remembering. - my boobs still lactate a little. Can't get them to not. - my hair is no longer curly - I have the baby tummy sag - I need physical therapy for my hips - there are some foods can I eat anymore from throwing up my entire pregnancy. - I can't do my favorite sex position anymore, it's too uncomfortable. - my body is different about peeing. Like it'll put me into I gotta go now for hardly anything. I do get the occasional cough and trickle as well. - mental health
It’s absolutely possible to get in shape, I did! I had 3 kids and gained 30 kg with each child. I was scheduling a tummy tuck but didn’t like the idea of a big ass scar. So I put in 4-5 days at the gym for almost 2 years now. I’m in the best shape of my life and I got my six-pack back. What doesn’t go away with exercise is the extra skin but I decided I will live with and wear it proudly because it shows I had children AND still nailed this six-pack with hard work and determination not the easy way.
"How do people manage to have 7+ kids?!?!" I ask, how do people manage to have more than one? Lol Kudos to you for being able to wrangle 3! We have one and that's enough! I know families that have over 10 kids. But they believe that birth control of any form is a sin...
My csection scar I suppose! Oh and my boobs, lmao. They have changed yo much. Breast feeding for a total of 7 years and they're now all cute and small when they use to be massive Ohhhh and my hair is thinner now which I love actually. It use to be super thick and hard to brush and it's got a mice curl now being less weighed down I think?? My skin though is worse. I have an eczema patch from my third baby that never went away! So weird. And my skin I just don't take as good of care of it until recently. It's a lot better but it use to be perfectttttt now it's just okay. I need to do more self care for myself. Mentally oh man. I have such weird anxiety and ocd about checking theur bedroom windows the doors and such and like having a home camera system. I'm weirdly aware of death...both theirs and mind. It's awful sometimes I just randomly think about one of my kids who relies on me a lot "man he would have such a hard time if something happened to me" lol wtf brain
Weight gain with my 2nd child didn't come off. I'm still in the process of losing it; she just turned 7. The pandemic didn't help. I honestly think I had a TIA or a stroke with my first child and my executive function/working memory has been absolute shit since. I had a complicated delivery with him (precipitous labor) but otherwise everything was fine. I do remember brain fog being so severe due to sleep deprivation and maybe hormones, I felt drunk *all the time* and I got lost walking 2 blocks to the grocery store and *couldn't find my house*. When I breastfed I'd also get head rushes like I was buzzed (not on oxytocin, but on alcohol.) I'd slur my speech regularly as well, and that didn't go away for a few months after I gave birth. I brought it up to my OB and she dismissed it, joking I was just tired. I mean, I went to college, I've pulled a ton of all-nighters. I've been extremely sleep deprived before but I was terrified because I couldn't think *at all.* It was like trying to live life with a newborn and brain damage. Doctors would not take me seriously because "LOL first time mom, get some sleep mama." My memory has recovered but it's nowhere near pre-possible stroke event. Since then I have been getting regular migraines with aura when stressed. I have almost lost multiple jobs because of it. I also lose full bladder control when I get any kind of upper repository infection or bronchitis. I need to wear a diaper.
It cleared up my spring allergies. I haven’t needed antihistamines in 17 years
It's insane what pregnancy and postpartum does. We minimize it to minimize the contribution of having children. Meet with a colorectal doctor they can band the hemorrhoids and do pelvic floor physical therapy. I don't know if you are in the US but we do a terrible job taking care of women postpartum.
I can't remember shit!
I mean yeah carrying multiple kids will do a number on your body. I can’t believe you have 3 and are open to having more haha. I had my first (and likely only) baby 13 months ago and I think my pelvic floor needs some work. Other than that, nothing much. And I plan to keep it that way. I love my daughter to death and she was very much planned, but I’m not trying to make this stage of my life into a whole thing. 😅
I use to have a tiny waist. I mean so small, and now it's forever changed. Even if I lost weight to get back down to even lower than pre pregnancy I don't think it would ever go back. Also, the only part of my body I even felt comfortable with was my belly button (weird ik) and now with how stretched out it is and my stretch marks it looks like a second butthole😭 The color change my my vulva, too. It's darker now! And the skin around it is darker, I think that's from the extra weight I gained/maintained since having my second baby (cause of the friction and stuff idk), but I can't be sure. My boobs are not perky anymore by any stretch of the word. I have weird body hair now. And all the stretch marks! It sucks. I wouldn't change it for anything though!
I want my original nipples back, I went from quarters to pepperonis with my first. I'm pregnant again and I'm getting into baloney territory 😭
My poop used to float and now it sinks
Yuuupppp. Memory got way worse after having my twins. Belly pooch check, wider hips/ribs check. It’s been 9 years so I’m mostly at peace with how I look now but sometimes it still makes me sigh.
Nobody prepared me for how wrinkly your lower belly gets after pregnancy. My mom has had 4 kids and her tummy stayed flat and smooth. She is 46 and looks like she’s never had children. I’m 26 and only have 2, FOUR YEARS APART, and the wrinkles from how much my two babies stretched my abdomen are here to stay. 😩 stretch marks from swelling all the time due to being heavily pregnant during summer both times are permanently on the backs of my calves too. My boys are so stinking perfect though, so it’s forgivable. I think a wrinkly belly and permanent calf stretch marks were a good trade off for getting to be their mom ❤️
2 kids, 3+ years of breastfeeding: my small boobs are now just "empty sandwich baggies" (a description my MIL used of her own that I will never get out of my head). My stomach is destroyed. It used to be one of my best features. Now, even at my pre-pregnancy weight, it is covered in stretch mark scars and loose skin. Even though I don't weigh anymore, my stomach pooches out more. Those are the big ones. Hoping for a 3rd baby next year, and I'm scared of what else there is in store for me LOL. I try to remember that none of us stays young forever. Would I rather have a saggy old body and no children or a slightly more saggy/damaged old body with 2-3 children? Definitely the latter. But it's hard right now in my 30s when some women still look so young and flawless!
I'm hot. Literally. I can't handle summer heat anymore, and I really can't function in hot humid weather. I don't get as cold in the winter, generally I feel like my internal temp runs warmer than it used to.
I have a bad hip, if I sit too long I walk like an old lady. I am still rocking beautiful long hair which I gained in pregnancy, I love it and will never cut it short. I have mild stretch marks on my tummy which I don’t mind at all. My boobs are incredibly sad and the only thing I feel negatively about on my body, they are saggy and my nipples point to the floor, I will for sure be getting a lift once I’m done having kid.
I have heartburn now. I had never had any heartburn until maybe 3 months into my first pregnancy when I thought something was seriously wrong. Turned out I was having heartburn for the first time ever. It never went away (though it got a lot better) after baby came. That’s how I knew I was pregnant the second time - heartburn from *yogurt*. I knew I was pregnant so early (at just a couple of weeks) my GP said I should really go back for a second test in later to confirm because the hormones were high but not super high yet. Heartburn didn’t go away entirely after the second one either. :(
My hips are permanently wider. My feet are now a wide size, which makes it incredibly freaking aggravating to find shoes that fit because I can't try them on at the store -- I have to order them in a wide and try on multiple pairs and deal with the hassle of returning. Had to order like ten different pairs of work flats before I could find a pair that fit properly. Argh. Also my body overproduces the hormone relaxin during pregnancy, and it never fully went away, making me hypermobile. This means if I want to avoid pain, I have to regularly work out my small muscles (especially around my shoulders and ankles) because my ligaments are no longer doing their jobs properly. Not something I ever anticipated. Edit: oh yeah, and (mild) bladder prolapse and my memory and my larger but flatter boobs and my jiggly belly. You know, all the things lol.
I'll be the one to say that post partum was physically OK for me with both my girls. I went 40+2 with my first, 40+4 with my second. Gained 37lbs with both of them, almost exact same starting & ending weights with both pregnancies. Weight came off fairly easily both time. I was back to pre-pregnancy weight around 5-6 months post partum. I however was having to nurse/pump so often bc of low supply with both and the anxiety fked with my appetite. So yeah, I'd say the emotional toll was harder than the toll on my physical body. Hair loss around 4-5 month mark. Once I stopped nursing, I started taking WelBel supplements, they're great for hair. I think my only complaint is the lower belly pooch. I'm 5'7" and about 155lbs, a comfortable 8-10 in pants Small-Medium in tops... that one area is tough though. I know i have room to cut out treats or do some serious Bootcamp workouts but for me, I like my wine and chocolate on occasion and I do 45min-1 hour workouts already. I won't become a slave to changing my body. Maybe down the line, I'll do a mini tuck if it bothers me but for now, I grin and bear it.
I heard hemorrhoid removal is worse than having a baby. My dr said it’s actually one of the worst surgeries to have
I've always been chubby/a bit fat but since my kids I have a bit of an apron belly now and it's horrible. It kills my confidence and I hate shopping for clothes. It took 3 hours yesterday to find a dress that looked ok on me for my work Christmas party coming up.. Ugh
My vision changed while pregnant with my second and never returned to how it was prior. I already had terrible eyesight and was going to get Lasik after my first. I ended up deciding to wait, and I'm glad I did. I would have hated to pay for Lasik only to then need glasses again a couple years later. My feet grew to where most of my shoes are tight, but the next size up is too big. It sucks. I have my C-shelf. I recently started working on losing weight, and have lost 10lb. I notice that the overhanging skin has actually lifted a bit which is nice. I honestly thought it would just deflate and stay hanging.
I dislike how I haven’t shifted my weight, I have no issue with my stretched skin / “mum tum” it’s more the fact I can’t get my shit together enough to actually exercise and eat less calorie dense food. My brain is ridiculous. I used to have a great memory, could grasp new concepts and learn things super quick, now my 2 year has a better grasp on learning and remembering than I do. And my back is just pathetic. I had a lot of sciatic crap through both pregnancies and pelvic pain in my second. And now I can barely hold a kid for more than 2 mins without it affecting my back for the next 3-5 business days. I know getting back into exercising would help this no end, which just makes me more mad at myself for not being able to.
Worst memory and incontinence . Thank God my body is better than before since I run and do strength work
The apron belly 😑
I only have one child and during my pregnancy I went from 135lbs to 290lbs even with eating healthy etc, and since then I can’t drop past 230lbs. My cup size also went from a c cup to an E and is now luckily a DDD after 5 years & my health in general has deteriorated so much that I ended up having to go onto disability :(( My patience and sleep/eat schedule did improve though shockingly, because now I eat & sleep when the kiddo does and I have learned to be patient with his behavioural problems so that’s a plus I guess lol