The Dreaded Pregnancy Weight:

I have gained about 70 lbs from my pre-baby weight. Its aweful, I dont even like looking in the mirror. I breastfed and walked all the time, and nothing......zilch...zippo. Its hard to be a working mom, going back to school and trying eat right AND exersise??? Yeah RIGHT....im lucky just to finish dishes and laundry. I dont want to be high school skinny, I just want to be healthy too, being fat make syou sweat, out of breath, I get exhausted so easily now, its depressing...I wish there was an easy fix, but no such luck. Thanks for the uplift though :)

For me it's about health - you need to be a healthy weight before and after your pregnancy not only for yourself but for you children and partner. Plus, I don't like carrying around extra weight: it makes me hotter, it drains my energy, etc. I don't need to be skinny, but I do want to be healthy.

::::::::::::wild applause, cheering, armpit noises:::::::::::::::::::::::

I AM SO WITH YOU! I actually know deep down that I look good after having had 3 babies in 4 years... but I do look different and although I actually did put my bikini on the other day (no body was at the cabin but my husband and kids that day) I would not wear it in front of anyone who knew me! :) My husband did tell me I look good in it though... and of course my immediate reaction was "I looked better before I had kids". And he said "Well duh... you've had 3 kids". I had to laugh at myself because it is totally unreasonable to expect that we would look the same after having kids... nursing does a number on your boobs too.

Thanks for the post. It's good to remind ourselves that we will never look like Jennifer Aniston in a bikini again... and not to be so hard on ourselves!

J.

AMEN!!! I need to read this post daily I think! I just had my second and my body isn't coming back like it did with the first! I need to remember the reason my body is the way it is - two beautiful children (via c-section). My chest is the way it is because I chose to nurse!
Thank you. We all need this reminder! Very good post!

Girl, wait till you get old!!! Not only does the weight stay, it gets flabby!!! I hate it, but you know what, you just have to say to heck with it..............in a healthy way of course............Bones move during birth and so does a lot of other things, and you've only just begun.

Society is the cruel one that says we have to look wonderful all the time.....but as you get older, you just realize that you are who you are from where you have been, fat and all......so you work with what you have. To hell with what everyone else thinks, as long as you can stand how you look and your spouse or significant other still loves you for who you are.......then that is all that matters.....along with being as healthy as possible.

Now with all that said, of course I would still love to be a size 7 again......I would love to filthy rich with houses all over the place too........and more money than I could ever spend on me or my kids and grandkids.......but that's not life.......just doesn't work that way most of the time......so you can work to be Barbie or you can do what you can to stay as healthy as possible and enjoy life.......I vote for the later.......

Hang in there and smile.....you are a wonderful person, just as we all are......Besides, being all skinny means then you have to stay up with the latest fashion, and makeup, all that just gets expensive and causes more frustration than it's worth!

Great post!

I was SO proud of myself for being able to get into my prepregnancy clothes 2.5 weeks after delivering my second child 2 years ago. Then reality came crashing in front of me when the reason wasn't my diligence, my restraint or having 2 children under the age of 2 at home. Cancer was ravaging my body.

Between 2 kids, chemo, and life, my body isn't the same, and I completely wish I could have my 18 year-old buff body back, but it isn't going to happen.

I just wish advertisers and Hollywood would start casting "real" women and not this ideal of what we're supposed to look like everywhere. Dove did a great job with their ad campaign a few years ago as well as the Zelnorm (irritable bowel syndrome drug now off the market) commercial.

I recently realized, after going to the pool with my kids and seeing the other neighborhood Moms in their bathing suits, that most HAVE to be wearing spanx or some other form of fat constricting device to look so good in their street clothes.

I know of 2 moms that have killer bodies after multiple children (1 has 3 kids, the other has 5). They are genetic freaks of nature, and they know it. Just like Sarah Jessica Parker said after having her son, James, she's genetically blessed and fortunate to be able to afford the nanny while she's working out 3 hours/day with a personal trainer. She acknowledges that her life is completely different from the average woman's.

While I agree we shouldn't necessarily care that much about being the weight we were when we got married, I firmly believe in taking care of ourselves. I got down to LESS than my prepregnancy weight after my second son but with the third and now fourth, I weigh more than I ever thought I would. Once this baby comes, I am going to join a program so that I can get fit again. I don't care what the bottom number is nor do I care about ever wearing a bikini again but I will NOT be unhealthy or overweight for any longer than I have to be. Not only do I see what being overweight has done healthwise to my mother now that she is older, but I want my children to be proud of me, and I want to be able to have pictures taken with my children and not cringe at the sight of myself. This is just how *I* feel about it and it is for myself - my health and my self image. I WILL be healthy again and I can't be that if I am overweight. Even my husband was just faced with surgery that the doctor told him is not going to last for long if he doesn't lose weight in addition to the fact that he has since developed hypertension. Not good and I am proud of him for jumping on his weight loss mission now before it's too late.

I think its a fine line. No, getting obsessed with being a certain way whether physically or otherwise is not healthy. Especially if it comes at the expense of what is really important in life. But on the other hand, health is very important. When your body is healthy and fit, you will feel good and energized. That will make you a better parent. I don't believe in dieting and calorie counting because they take away from enjoying life. I weigh 15 lbs less than I did before I had my son. Now, I only have one child and I am still in my 30's so I know it gets harder as you get older. I don't go out to eat anymore and I cook all my meals at home. I also run and stay active with my son. Being more healthy now is just a reflection of a happier, healthier person!

You're sincerely bothered by 10 pounds? Geesh! You're lucky.

I do agree that we should be proud of being Mothers and all that comes with that and not try to get too hung up on looking like we did before we had babies but I also think that when you can achieve a fit body and a healthy weight after pregnancy that is great! I tried hard to start off with a healthy weight before getting pregnant, only gained in the recommended 25 to 30 pound range and then after my baby was born I nursed her and ate healthy and was back into my pre-pregnancy weight and pants around 5 or 6 months. I did the same with my second and actually lost even more weight that my size 2 pre-pregnancy pants were too big and I had to get even smaller sizes. I'm not saying this to in any way offend anyone but I don't think just because we have to gain weight while pregnant that then we can't take it off afterwords and get back into our old pants. I think it's great for me and all those other woman who eat right and exercise so we can be a fit/thin mommy. I know not everyone does this after having babies and that is fine. I think as long as you are healthy and happy with your body then that is all that matters. :)