Postpartum Body

[icemommy]

Hey everyone! I am new to the community. I just had my son 6 days ago and am having a blast with him! Mommyhood is awesome! Now this is probably going to sound ridiculous to everyone, but I am just going crazy about my body. I am an athlete and have never had much more on my stomach than a tiny pudge so I am literally a stranger to the "jelly belly". And everyone keeps trying to remind me that I am only 6 days postpartum but still I literally feel like I am in a stranger's body. I guess I am just looking for support and maybe some idea as to what the likely progression of my body will be. I'm not trying to be the whiny new mom who seems to think she is the only woman who doesn't look like a supermodel after giving birth....I'd just really like to have some conversation with moms who are/have gone through the same thing.

Thanks!!! ::hugegrin:

[BeachMama]

Depending on your skin, your stomach may go back to how it was pre-baby. I have several friends whose tummies are just as flat if not flatter than they were before kids.

Me, on the other hand, not so much. My skin apparently doens't have much elasticity to it and it's just a big blob of dough like skin. Even 2 years after my last baby.

[TheNewMogey]

Depending on your skin, your stomach may go back to how it was pre-baby. I have several friends whose tummies are just as flat if not flatter than they were before kids.

Me, on the other hand, not so much. My skin apparently doens't have much elasticity to it and it's just a big blob of dough like skin. Even 2 years after my last baby.
Same here.

[mamakenge]

I feel the same way. I have always been obsessed with my body, am i too fat, diets and blah blah blah. Looking in the mirror 3 weeks after is shocking. I planned on doing a cleanse and getting a trainer to help me for a few months. Breastfeeding has put that a bit on the backburner. a) I can't really do the diet thing while trying to make milk for baby and b) totally burnt out. My plan is to just pay attention to baby and 'wait' til I feel the urge to get back into the whole work on myself thing. Just relax and enjoy this time getting to know baby and let my body heal. Then we'll ease back into running and pilates, very good for the abdomen. Bottom line, give yourself a break. Easier said than done!

[icemommy]

Thanks for the input! It's good to see that someone went through the same thing. Haha I tried to do Pilates today and stopped halfway through. My body has definitely changed!! I've decided to work on some more aerobic type exercises and give my body more time to heal. I'm such a terrible person sometimes....I'm far from the size 0 diet freak, but I am an athlete. I feel uncomfortable when my body is not the way I like it. But I'm starting to come around! I can feel that my body needs time and love. But still...the support is nice!! :-) thank you.

[kamala]

i feel the same way, my baby is 9 days old and i hate looking at my little bulge. it freaks me out lol. but i'm really not in the mood or place right now to exercise. maybe after i'm all healed up. just give yourself time and don't push it.

[beloved83]

Take a deep breath and relax! :) I'm really not berating you, I was in the same boat. I am a ballerina and am used to having flat abs, being able to work out, etc. My postpartum jelly belly was so depressing! But breastfeeding REALLY helps! My tummy seemed to get smaller every day. One thing I found is to really take it easy on the exercise at first. Maybe walk a little, but if it hurts, STOP! I also tried even gentle aerobics about a week postpartum and started hurting again and swelling a bit...haha not what I was going for! So relax...your body will heal, but it takes a little time.
I was actually coming on here for some similar advice (I got pregnant by surprise when my daughter was five months old...haha had just got my flat tummy back and here we go again. I'm scared it might not be so easy this time around!) I'm now in the 2nd trimester and am all belly again...

Good luck and enjoy your baby!

[icemommy]

Thanks beloved, that is really encouraging. Yeah I tried to do pilates after like a week and a half...and that was just not happening. but it's been 6 weeks now and I feel pretty good, got the OK from my ob/gyn and everything. So I'm gonna start getting serious...my hips are just so damn wide!! I've got from an 8-10 to a 14!! It's pretty intimidating.

But thanks for the encouragement and good luck with your second!! I'm sure it will be great.

:-)

[rdunning]

I know what you mean. My son is 6.5 months and it has been hard to get weight off. Breastfeeding makes it harder. I have joined weight watchers (they have breastfeeding program) and I have lost 6 lbs in 3 weeks. Get a good jogger and start walk. Take it slow- you don't want to hurt yourself. Good Luck

[beloved83]

If it's any encouragement, I got back down to my original size after a bit. I thought my hips would never go back, but they did! It helps to be active as soon as you're feeling up to it! Good luck!

[icemommy]

That's good to hear. I will look into that Weight Watchers program that sounds awesome. Hey btw, I just found the best postnatal workout EVER and I wanted to share. It's called Tae Bo: Postnatal Power Workout. It's led by Shellie Blanks Cimarosti, who is the daughter of Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks. The best part is that all three women in the workout have had children! Shellie was 10 weeks postpartum, another lady was 13 weeks postpartum, and the other lady had 2 kids! It's not too intimidating, especially if you are a workout enthusiast, and it's really really motivating! I just did it and I feel amazing! It targets every area of the body: abs, lower body, upper body, and cardio. It's 60 minutes but pausing and drinking water is highly encouraged. And it's cool to see other women that were active before their pregnancy looking fabulous and HUMAN...not these size 2 bitches you see in most videos.

So anyways, just wanted to share because I feel so fabulous now! :hugegrin:

[beloved83]

That is awesome, I'm totally going to get that for after this baby! My belly is really stretching already so I'm SCAAAARED!!! Haha.

[kandylee8]

hello icemommy & beloved83!

i can totally relate to you guys... i'm an athlete & was once a ballerina. My only advice to you guys is to let your body take their natural course of losing the pregnancy weight. It really helps that you are breastfeeding, believe me.

At a week postpartum, I looked like I was 5mos preg. I was really disappointed at that time because I was (like you moms) used to having a flat tummy. I never really controlled my food intake, because bf made me hungry ALL the time. Some days I would eat 5 big meals a day. Nevertheless, bf made me lose all the weight at 8wks postpartum (I was able to fit into my pre-preg clothes). I even got my flat tummy back :)

So don't stress, moms :) My advice: breastfeed!!!!

[Earthmama]

Welcome icemommy & beloved83.

The breastfeeding really helps.

And if you were in great shape before baby, chances are your metabolism will help you shed the pounds.

I did a lot of dance and acro in high school and kept relatively active and fit up until pregnancy. With baby 1 I was in old pants after 2 or 3 weeks, I think. And with this one, it took me about 9 weeks - but of course, the pants are still very tight.

Don't beat yourself up if it takes you longer than you hoped, though. You don't want to malnourish yourself for the sake of losing pounds - that's no good for you OR your baby.

I think it's great that you're getting into your fitness routines again. Bravo. I still feel too tired and disorganized to get into anything of structure again.

[ash05]

depending on your skin, your stomach may go back to how it was pre-baby. I have several friends whose tummies are just as flat if not flatter than they
were before kids.

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