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Will my body ever be the way it was before??
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Anonymous
| I guess I took my body for granted before I got pregnant. I'm 34, this is my first pregnancy, and I've always been very small and very athletic (5'3", 105 lbs before pregnancy). I'm a runner (half marathons) and I work out avidly, even during pregnancy. I'm 20 wks right now, and I've already gained 16 pounds despite 5x/wk vigorous workouts and a healthy diet (I seriously am trying my very best -- I probably only have junk food once a day. I'm VERY hungry a lot, though, so I eat way more than I used to, but I choose healthy snacks like fruit, whole grain bread, etc.) Anyway... will I ever have my old body back?? I had a perfectly flat stomach and a nice chest. I'm worried that I'll have a flabby loose stomach and boobs that look like deflated water balloons. Before, I could wear whatever I wanted, and I never even thought about it. Are those days gone for good??? My mom has the same body type and lost all the weight easily after each pregnancy and has a flat stomach... I just don't understand where all of this extra skin will go. And why am I gaining so much weight when I am so active??? UGH! |
Anonymous
| No, but you won't have time to reminisce about the old one anyway! |
Anonymous
| Your body won't ever be the same. It doesn't mean you won't fit into your old clothes or have a flat stomach, but some things will be different forever. For example, I went from a size 7 shoes to a size 8 shoes during pregnancy, and years later I'm still in a size 8. |
Anonymous
|
Unfortunately, no, you won't.
But it is so worth it. 
And I'm sure you'll get back in shape and look fantastic, but no, you won't be exactly the same. It's just not physically possible. |
Anonymous
|
You certainly can get it back, and you sound motivated enough that you probably will (and have the right genetics given your mother).
I started at 5'9 and 130lb, and I lost it all the first time, and have 6lb left to go at 4 months post-partum with #2. All my clothes fit fine now though, so a lot of it might be in my nursing boobs! I gained 45lb both times, too, while eating healthy. I also exercised right up until delivery. Both times I walked out of the hospital 20lb lighter, and lost another 10lb in the first month. Now that said, it was a lot of work to lose the rest. Not so much with diet restriction, but with exercise. I did some very intense interval training for cardio, and a lot of walking. |
Anonymous
I dunno, maybe I am not paying close enough attention, but I think that I look pretty much the same, post-baby. I was wearing a bikini at 7 months post-partum, and except for the slightest remainder of a linea nigra and about 5 extra pounds, I looked the same. I didn't lose the last 5 pounds until I weaned at 18 months. I think that sometimes we are way too hard on ourselves. Remember, it takes nearly a year to put on the baby weight, and nearly a year to take it off. Bodies change in 2 years time, sometimes for the better, but usually for the worse. Who is to say that your body won't change even if you don't have a kid? |
Anonymous
|
When I first got pregnant and freaked a bit about the changes in my body, I took a look around at the 20 or so colleagues and friends who had kids, and 95 percent looked fantastic afterwards--not always right away, but usually within a couple months they looked just the same to me. Only one put on weight and didn't lose it but she doesn't exercise or have great eating habits.
As for gaining a lot of weight in the beginning even though you're eating well and exercising: I truly believe that your body puts on what it needs for a healthy pregnancy--for some women thats 20 lbs, and others 45. You were very petite to start and it could be that your body needed more fat to maintain a pregnancy. And a lot else happens at first too--increased blood volume, water, etc. I also started slim and put on a fair amount quickly, esp in the start of my second trimester (it's slowed down since), even though I continued to exercise alot and eat well. Just keep eating well (and enough of the good stuff), exercise to what feels right, and don't worry too much about it (the time to worry would be if you get diagnosed with GD). After all, you're doing something with your body akin to a marathon--so respect your body's intelligence and fuel it correctly for the 'baby marathon.' I also felt that once I started to show (and feel the baby move) I became a whole lot less concerned with weight gain and more fascinated by how my body was preparing for pregnancy (including all the weird stuff that happens!), and with the aspects of the baby himself that were becoming clearer all the time..... |
Anonymous
| I have always been thin and have always been able to eat whatever I wanted and stay thin. During my pregnancy, I only gained 20 pounds and I lost all 20 pounds in the first 2 weeks after having my baby so I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight very quickly- that being said, now at 11 weeks postpartum, my body is not at all the same: even though I have lost all the weight, my belly does not look flat the way it used to, there is some sort of pouch there/stretched out muscles and skin, I still have an ugly linea nigra and my boobs are smaller than they used to be (I am not breastfeeding). I was telling my OB the other day that my belly looked awful and he said I should not complain since I am much thinner than most of his patients who've had babies and who never lose the baby weight. So to answer your question, no I don't think your body will ever be the same again. |
Anonymous
OP, I don't know if your body will ever be the same but I can promise you it won't be the same at 11 weeks postpartum! |
Anonymous
Do you exercise? I have been exercising (almost) every day for 15+ years, and had no problem with skin elasticity. |
Anonymous
Thanks, this is reassuring...How long does it take??? |
Anonymous
| My body looks as it did before I had my baby. It took awhile to lose the baby weight but after a year, it was mostly gone. I'm back in a size 4. I had a c-section, but can wear a bikini. Don't have high expections that you'll be able to wear your pre-pregnancy clothes months after you have the baby...it takes some time. |
Anonymous
| You know, probably because you are so small, you are seeing the weight gain more. If you had extra weight on you to begin with, you'd probably see less gain given your eating and exercise habits. Your body just needs to gain it, and a lot could be water weight. I was overweight when pregnant, gained only 7.5 lbs and ended up 20 lbs lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight 9 weeks post-partum! That said, the distribution is different. But that's also all because I was overweight to begin with and didn't need to gain so much weight for the baby. You'll be ok. |
Anonymous
| No, but the new different will be okay if you work at it and know that you are still beautiful, a la Christina Aguilera |
Anonymous
| Yes, but please don't worry about it now. Some people gain a ton and take it all off. I agree with a PP that some people just need to during their pregnancy. They lose it pretty quickly afterwards, especially if they are breastfeeding. Eating right and exercise are key. And you are lucky that your mom bounced back, so good genes are in your favor. |