This week at Mommalogues we’re talking about our “pre-baby” bodies and whether or not we’ve gotten our groove back after giving birth. My body after pregnancy has been stretched in places I didn’t know stretched. Is my weight back to normal? I think it’s close, but my body is a mess. I don’t have anything close to the sturdy athletic muscles I used to have. Everything has softened up and considering my “baby” is turning five this summer…I’m not sure how much longer I can continue blaming him:
(Video here.)
Do you have your pre-baby body back?
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
My body is different. My hips seem wider or my butt bigger – not sure which to blame.
LOL, I was making the same excuse seeing as my baby is almost 3 and I came out of the hospital lighter than I started the pregnancy. In my defense, I gained SIXTY pounds with my first child and was still 20 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight when I got pregnant with the now almost 3 year old. It took a complete freak accident (getting chosen for The Rosie Show and Jenny Craig’s special “Ready, Set, Go” program) to lose the 30 pounds to get me back to wedding weight. I was “fluffy” at my wedding, but a very fit “fluffy.” Nothing is back where it belongs. Boobs? FORGETABOUTIT. I still have a “kangaroo pouch.” No amount of crunches or core exercises have toned that bad boy.
The Rosie Show!!! Jenny Craig!!! You’re practically an A List celebrity at this point!
Seriously though, that is REALLY cool!
There’s no statute of limitations on blaming the pregnancy.
I am pregnant for the third time with my second set of twins and the pop factor is amazing me!
Oh for crying out loud, you’re the second blogger I’ve met with TWO sets of twins!! Part of me feels like freaking out for you and part of me is jealous you were able to give birth to an entire family in just two tries! Way to go!!
Well, one of our first set was stillborn, so if this pregnancy ends in two live babies they’ll be living kid 3 & 4, but still enough to take us from typical to breeders in one fell swoop!
I ended up weighing less post-baby (don’t hate me), but it didn’t matter, because my stomach just now has waaaaaay too much extra skin, it will never look like it did before. And my feet and hips are definitely bigger.
I won’t even go into how the kid ruined my teeth.
I kind of hate you a little bit, but girrrl good for you! The stretched tummy is really my biggest issue…why can’t it just go back where it was?
I think that anyone is a poor excuse for a woman who DOESN’T have their pre-pregnancy body back. God gave us our bodies and made them temples so that we could conceive and bare children. It’s our duty, NO, our honor to do everything that we can do perfect them and make them as beautiful as the day GOD gave them to us.
I do believe that the lord is patient and kind and doesn’t expect us to do this over night, but I do think 5 years might be waiting a little long.
First time to your blog. Are you a professional blogger? I really think that you have what it takes to further God’s plan. It’s wonderful to be so talented…..(a GOD given blessing), you should really share it with the believers and non believers alike.
If God wanted us to take better care of our bodies than He shouldn’t have invented donuts. Unless…you don’t think the Devil?? He wouldn’t dare.
Thanks for your encouragement Linda! I love Jesus and get his messages loud and clear. :)
My baby will be 9 in a few days and I still blame him so you plenty of time to continue to blame your baby.
“Give or take a few pounds”? My new line!!
Ha! You know…just 10 here, 15 there…what have you…give or take. No big deal.
Still not there and my son is well past the age of me blaming him ;) I don’t think my stomach will ever be back to normal because it was stretched to the point of no return.
Ugh, I don’t WANT my pre-baby body back!! I had been obese for a few years at that point. Now? I’ve been working my ass off, literally, and I’m in better shape than I ever was as a teenager or college student. Thank goodness. Still a ways to go to get to goal, but I’m getting there in 2012.
And then? THEN, I’m going to get these empty feed sacks I have to hoist and stuff into a bra each day surgically put back where they belong. The pulley contraption next to the dresser is seriously cramping my bedroom’s decor.
Girl you GO whicher bad self! I think that’s awesome and super inspiring!! I feel like once you “train” yourself to live a healthier lifestyle it’s not nearly as hard as it once was. Such a bummer that after losing all the weight people still have to deal with the baggy body parts. That’s just not fair.
You are so hilarious. That video is SPOT ON. And I’m in the exact same boat. My “baby” is four, and I love chocolate and cheese and sauce and pasta. I also love beer. Beer does not do a body good. But it makes me happy. So I drink it.
Yeah, I don’t know who this Linda Stevens, preachy-type person is… I’m as religious as the next gal, but I have a feeling you won’t be cast from heaven because you didn’t get your full pre-pregnancy body back in 5 years. With few exceptions, the only people who truly DO get their pregnancy bodies back are Hollywood starlets who have tons of money to pay for personal trainers and surgeries for tummy tucks and whatnot.
Linda has likely never had children of her own, and should buzz off if she’s going to sit here and make comments like that.
Could you imagine standing at the gates of heaven and Jesus being all “Well…you had ample time to lose that weight and I see you didn’t do it…I’m sorry it had to come to this, but…LUCIFER????”
No, I think Linda meant no harm…just sharing her beliefs and hoping to make an impact I’m sure. At least she didn’t call me any names.
My weight was close to pre-baby, but after having 3 kids, my body will never be the same. I have crazy stretch marks, saggy stomach skin, my hips are way bigger, and even my fake boobs have gotten a little saggy. My babies are 4, 3, and 15 months, and I think that barring a “mommy makeover” plastic surgery, my body will never look like it did.
I’m still trying to lose the baby weight. My daughter is 15. Hmmm.
OMG! I look at my pre-baby self and think…why didn’t I love that body? Why was I so hard on myself? 17 years later (OMG) my body is still not back to pre-babies, but I feel stronger and I’m not so hard on my body. I still have the baby pooch and my boobs as my teen girls like to say “are sooo saggy”!
That was funny! :) And you were very gracious to that Linda Stevens lady. Your response was more of a gracious godly example than her attempt to make you feel bad. Way to take the high road. I am lucky enough to have my pre baby body back, but that’s mostly from genetics, not anything special I did. (Although I have 2 boys and running after them wears me out!) lol Thanks for another great post – have a good week! :) xo, Reannah
Oh yes, I am squishy all over since popping out two kiddies in two years. I turned to my mum for advice and she has advised that it has been 29 yrs and she is still blaming her post-baby squishiness on us kids. So I don’t think there is an expiry date on the blame!
My pre-baby body weighs less than it did but it sure looked better back then. Boobs were bigger, stomach flatter. But I’m stronger and healthier now!! I couldn’t run 13.1 miles back then.
Bahaha!! I am right there with ya – “that’s just me, being hungry.”
I don’t care if I’m 5-10 pounds heavier post baby, I love M&M’s too.
Can I still blame pregnancy if my daughter is almost 14 years old? Hmmm. Probably not. I’ll go with the cookies and chocolate.
I did have my pre-baby body back before this pregnancy. I’m hoping after this little one is born, which should be any day now, I’ll be able to jump back into running and really work on getting back into shape.
However, I must admit, there are certain areas that simply do not go back to where they once where and that’s why plastic surgeons makes such great money. :)
I could weigh high school weight and my boobs and stomach skin would still be baggy, God’s will for me notwithstanding.
I had my 1st baby at 17 in 1988… The 4 babies that followed had NO impact on my already disfigured physique! I was destroyed by the 1st baby and have NEVER recovered. Luckily, I decided that I was going to be happy (at least some of the time, usually after copious amounts of Margaritas or red wine…) with my altered state, otherwise, life would have been a living hell in this house! LMAO!
Of course I have had children. I take the admonition to multiply the earth very seriously. I’m sorry that my comments were received in less than a heavenly manner. :(
After doing WW twice to get back to my pre baby weight, I can honestly say my body is NOT the same. Things are still not back where they belong but I love my kiddos none the less.
Do I get extra credit for carrying twins to 37 weeks? Because two babies at 6.10 each left my tummy looking like a train wreck. A situation that can only be cured by spanx and m&ms. Which by the way should be in every going home bag that leaves the maternity ward!
Dont hate me, but I was one of those lucky ducks who was back to pre-pregnancy weight within the first few weeks. I owe it to the fact that I watched what I ate when pregnant (only 1 McDonalds visit!), and to my mothersucking daughter who breastfeed like it was going out of style her first year of life. That said, while I may be down in weight my body is just not the same… But it was totally worth it!
OK don’t hate me but well….I’m one of those people that weigh lighter now than I did before kids. Although I have these lovely “bingo wings” that my kiddos remind me of relentlessly if that makes you feel better.
I want neither the pre-pregnancy body or the post one. I want a body transplant. Pre-baby I was stick skinny (with not great, but perky boobs). Post-baby(ies!) I am skinniER (how is that even possible?) and the boobs are nonexistent. My 11 yr old has more than I do. That is wrong on so many levels. So. Many. I don’t kno w why it’s not possible with all our medical advances, for them to not suck the fat off of one person, inject it into me. Oh, tissue and body chemistry and reactions and blah blah blah with your medical degrees and research. FIND A WAY!
You’re right…Spanx and a baggy shirt are lifesavers when you love chocolate, ice cream and burgers the way I do! I’ve given up trying for the pre-baby body. It just takes WAY to much effort. I’d rather have some fun in my free time.
My body will never be the same. I’m so over it.
P.S. Is Linda for real?
I am one of those who has a speedy fast metabolism, so I’m actually the same weight I was in high school. But at 46, things have “shifted”, so my body is definitely different. But hey, babies or life, something is gonna get us. The important thing to do is like who we ARE–imperfectly PERFECT awesome women!
My first and only baby (so far) is 14 mths. I know my body will never be the same, I’m so over that, I created a beautiful human being, I’m proud of that, however what confuses me is when I left the hospital I was at my pre-pregnancy weight (lucky I guess) a few weeks later I was 10 lbs lighter! (lucky me again!) I was skinnier than I had been in years (oh just wait for it) Sooooo I started eating whatever I wanted……bam here I am weighing the same as I did the day I delivered!! All of a sudden my boobs hang even lower and the pooch appeared! It took 4 mths what’s up with that???!!! The challenge I’m running on my site is hopefully get back into my size 8′s and be happy with that!! Eh we all have our struggles……..I love wine I can’t help it! It’s my escape at night!
No. 3 kids in 18 months made me crazy. And I eat when I feel crazy. So – I’m plus 3 kids, plus 80 lbs, and – thankfully – still with one husband. (As opposed to multiple?) Also… I am “unfriending” anyone who wrote yes.
I have a vague recollection of something resembling a stomach about 10 years (3 babies) ago. But in all fairness I didn’t try. The first 2 years after having a baby I use the baby as an excuse. Once the baby starts actually making sense and getting more focused and together then I start actually trying to loose the million kilos I piled on. Preg now with baby number 4 and number final and planning my post baby surgeries this time next year!!
My body is so not the same even though I’ve been on the thicker side since hitting puberty! I got pregnant with my first at 18 and had just reached 135lbs down from 160lbs, from doing swim team. I got all the way back to 160lbs, went back to 135lbs from breast feeding. Then back to 170lbs when I got pregnant with my second son who turns 2 today! I made it up to 190lbs while pregnant with him! I’m happy to say though that I’ve maintained 150-155lbs in the 2 yrs since, but so much Gain and loss in 4yrs has done horrible things to my body! I’m ok with it though and amazingly so is my husband, I asked him to show me pictures of women he thinks I look like, all of them were so pretty and average weight and size. It was a real eye opener and let me know I think of my body way to harshly! My goal now is to be healthy and not out of breath!
I feel so naive. I’m 6 weeks postpartum and you’re telling me I’ll never get my college body back? I’m only 24! I can’t NOT have my figure back!! ::sigh::