Zapbasket Posted September 1, 2010 Posted September 1, 2010 I wasn't quite sure where to put this. I keep hearing women talk about how their body is different from before they had their first child. But I see women all the time who have one, two, three, children and who, through remaining active, keep their flat tummies, firm breasts (or at least they look firm; maybe it's the bra?), size 2 or size 4 figure. Some women I heard say their hips change because the pelvis changes shape after delivery. What can you realistically expect? I"m a size 4, muscular and athletic, and have always had a flat, firm, muscular tummy. Will I lose all of that once I have a child?
xxoo Posted September 1, 2010 Posted September 1, 2010 I wasn't quite sure where to put this. I keep hearing women talk about how their body is different from before they had their first child. But I see women all the time who have one, two, three, children and who, through remaining active, keep their flat tummies, firm breasts (or at least they look firm; maybe it's the bra?), size 2 or size 4 figure. Some women I heard say their hips change because the pelvis changes shape after delivery. What can you realistically expect? I"m a size 4, muscular and athletic, and have always had a flat, firm, muscular tummy. Will I lose all of that once I have a child? Things like breast shape/sagging are largely dependent on genetics, as are stretch marks. As for the muscular tummy, you biggest challenge will probably be finding the time, energy, and motivation to gain that level of fitness while caring for young children! Personally, I'm the same small person that I was before pregnancy and birth. My fitness (not my size) varies with what is going on in the rest of our lives, and how much opportunity I get to focus on myself. But, yes, if I put in the time and effort, I have a flat tummy.
TinaniT Posted September 1, 2010 Posted September 1, 2010 (edited) I wasn't quite sure where to put this. I keep hearing women talk about how their body is different from before they had their first child. But I see women all the time who have one, two, three, children and who, through remaining active, keep their flat tummies, firm breasts (or at least they look firm; maybe it's the bra?), size 2 or size 4 figure. Some women I heard say their hips change because the pelvis changes shape after delivery. What can you realistically expect? I"m a size 4, muscular and athletic, and have always had a flat, firm, muscular tummy. Will I lose all of that once I have a child? Hi. Pregnancy can definitely change your body. How much, well, that depends on your behaviors and genetics! I say genetics, because, some people can bounce back even without great behaviors and some can do everything perfectly and have more change. For my example, I am no heavier now than I was before pregnancy. In fact, I am a little bit lighter. I am an Ironman triathlete and was active all through my pregnancy and almost immediately after delivery. I had to be very careful to lose weight, it certainly did not just fall off (though it has always been that way for me. It takes a very large amount of activity and careful diet to stay between a size 0 and 4). However, my body shape is different. My stomach is larger than it was before I got pregnant even though my other measurements are universally smaller. My breasts are smaller by quite a bit and sag more. If you look at the stomach, instead of it being tight and firm, there is a lot of loose skin. Two years later, and still a lot of loose skin. You can see it clearly, and feel it. There is a separation in my ab muscles so even without the skin it wouldn't be as clearly defined again. I have severe stretch marks even still. If you were to look at every other woman in my family, the stretch marks and loose skin are prevalent. I have other friends who didn't get this so severe, even one friend who had twins and was a decade older than me (I was in my twenties) has very few stretch marks and loose skin. So part way, it's hard to tell. There is no excuse for just getting a bunch heavier and quitting exercise but there are differences regardless. But, I wouldn't fret too much. I was worried before having my son... but I would have taken 100 times this much to have him and even knowing what it does, I want more! And the worst of it, the weight, you can handle that. It takes discipline when the world is just shoving excuses your way (you just had a baby! you're a mom! it's normal!) - but that's all. And I will add this... as a triathlete, my athletic performance improved post baby! Maybe the new body shape had some benefits. Edited September 1, 2010 by TinaniT
Stung Posted September 1, 2010 Posted September 1, 2010 As others have said, it really varies from woman to woman. My breasts don't seem much different to me, but my hips are permanently wider and my feet are a whole size bigger. FYI, yes, it hurts when the bones of your feet and hips are spreading. My hair is curlier, very oddly, but I like it. I lost the baby weight but it was hard, it definitely did NOT just melt off with breastfeeding like some of my girlfriends' claimed it did for them, and my stomach is not as flat as it used to be--I don't know if it will ever be since I had a c-section and they cut through my abdominal muscles. Obviously I now have a c-section scar. I also shrank a little bit from the pressure on my spine and from losing calcium--I used to be six feet even, now I am five foot eleven and 3/4 or 1/2 depending on what time of day you measure . I also got my first cavity when I was pregnant, because of the rapid calcium leaching (even though I was taking supplements, I wasn't taking enough). I was pleased to find that I never got any stretch marks, but if I had, I would have taken it in stride--my son is a gift and he is worth every bit of it.
Author Zapbasket Posted September 1, 2010 Author Posted September 1, 2010 Thanks for the replies! It sounds like indeed much of how your body reacts post-baby is contingent upon genetics, as well as diet, exercise, etc. My mother had me at 40 and never needed maternity clothes as her tummy was so small, and when I was born, she said her tummy snapped back into shape and she had no stretch marks. If I take after her, I'm lucky. It also sounds like genetics and exercise play a bigger role than WHEN you have a baby, like whether it's age 24 or 37, it doesn't matter in terms of how the body responds to the stress of the pregnancy.
threebyfate Posted September 1, 2010 Posted September 1, 2010 The more weight you gain during pregnancy, the more your body changes. And as others have said, genetics plays a role. I'm back to my original clothing size (0,2) and weight (105 lbs), although my hip bones have spread a bit. Instead of jutting hip bones, they're at a slightly flatter angle. Didn't gain much weight during pregnancy so it was easy to lose. Didn't breast feed so that part's back to same beyond a slight darkening of nipples. My stomach isn't as flat as it once was but no big deal. Continuing to improve that aspect through exercise. Still shedding hair like nobody's business but that's okay too since IMO, it was always too thick. Thankfully, no stretch marks. Net effect, no biggie. Don't eat too much or eat empty calories, take mat vitamins, stay active, hydrate like mad and moisturize with butters that won't pass through the placental barrier and you'll be okay.
funnyluv Posted September 1, 2010 Posted September 1, 2010 I gained 30 pounds with each of my pregnancies and stayed pretty active. I have a few stretch marks and my lower tummy is a little bit stretched. My hips are wider, which made my butt flatter. On the other side, my breasts are actually bigger and look fabulous.
ColdFox Posted September 2, 2010 Posted September 2, 2010 I did get a few stretch marks no matter how much specialized lotion I used, but they have faded and aren't too noticeable. My breasts are larger and there is a little sag, but I don't think they look unusual or bad, they just don't look like the breasts of a 20-year-old. And I'm not a 20-year-old, so that's normal. My hips are a little wider but not too much, and my feet did grow half a size. My stomach and skin went back to normal after about a year but I think I was lucky that way, also I work out all the time for my job, I didn't have to try to work out when I was home with my baby.
Author Zapbasket Posted September 3, 2010 Author Posted September 3, 2010 The more weight you gain during pregnancy, the more your body changes. And as others have said, genetics plays a role. I'm back to my original clothing size (0,2) and weight (105 lbs), although my hip bones have spread a bit. Instead of jutting hip bones, they're at a slightly flatter angle. Didn't gain much weight during pregnancy so it was easy to lose. Didn't breast feed so that part's back to same beyond a slight darkening of nipples. My stomach isn't as flat as it once was but no big deal. Continuing to improve that aspect through exercise. Still shedding hair like nobody's business but that's okay too since IMO, it was always too thick. Thankfully, no stretch marks. Net effect, no biggie. Don't eat too much or eat empty calories, take mat vitamins, stay active, hydrate like mad and moisturize with butters that won't pass through the placental barrier and you'll be okay. So when you say your stomach isn't as flat as it was, do you have stretch marks or extra skin? Or is it not-flat from below the muscle layer? And it it breast-feeding that makes boobs sag?
Author Zapbasket Posted September 3, 2010 Author Posted September 3, 2010 Thanks for the replies. It's not like I'm looking to have a baby *right now,* but I feel so strange lately, full of urges I have never had this strong before. It's like my biology is trumping all else and I WANT A CHILD so badly. I'm in a relationship and it keeps surprising me how well it's going and we have wonderful sexual chemistry and I feel this incredible drive to make a baby with this man. I use birth control so it's not like I'm up to something stupid, but for the first time, I feel it so badly, this conviction that I'm ready for a baby. Though I know that practically, this is not a great time, among other reasons given I'm not married or even engaged to this person and am not yet entirely sure I want to be. (We've been dating only 5 months.) And it's not just about a baby, but a desire to nest that I am feeling so strongly. I'm getting increasingly into cooking, and I just moved into this spacious, wonderful apartment in the mountains.... In sum, I feel like I'm being driven by forces beyond my control. It's such a strange feeling--can anyone relate? I'm also EXTREMELY sexually aroused lately. I've always had a high sex drive but lately it's really been taking the cake. It doesn't hurt that in my present relationship the sexual chemistry is the best I've ever had...but I feel this increased libido is something more. And! My boobs have gotten bigger these past few months. They feel fuller and look rounder and while I'm the same cup size I always was, they just feel different to me. I'm 33; is this all just a sign I'm hitting the proverbial feminine sexual peak? I feel like I've lost my mind.
threebyfate Posted September 3, 2010 Posted September 3, 2010 So when you say your stomach isn't as flat as it was, do you have stretch marks or extra skin? Or is it not-flat from below the muscle layer? And it it breast-feeding that makes boobs sag?No stretch marks but my skin isn't as taut and there's a slight tummy. Not noticeable when dressed but when not, there's a little pooch. Not too concerned since it hasn't even been 12 weeks since Bump's birth and it's been getting tighter and smaller during that time. But it's taken hours upon hours of core exercises to get to this point so quickly.
Undine Posted September 3, 2010 Posted September 3, 2010 I wasn't quite sure where to put this. I keep hearing women talk about how their body is different from before they had their first child. But I see women all the time who have one, two, three, children and who, through remaining active, keep their flat tummies, firm breasts (or at least they look firm; maybe it's the bra?), size 2 or size 4 figure. Some women I heard say their hips change because the pelvis changes shape after delivery. What can you realistically expect? I"m a size 4, muscular and athletic, and have always had a flat, firm, muscular tummy. Will I lose all of that once I have a child? I am still the same size/weight I was before but my hips are wider so not all of my pants fit it depends where the waistline falls. My stomach is flat but it has a little flab and loose skin that wasn't there before, and my boobs fell a little bit although I could not breastfeed. In my clothes I look the same as ever. My feet grew also and I had to do a lot of kegels because my pelvic floor was weak, the first time I sneezed after I had my baby I peed! That's all back under control now though thank God
Stung Posted September 3, 2010 Posted September 3, 2010 And it it breast-feeding that makes boobs sag? Most people commonly believe that breastfeeding causes changes in the breasts, but it has more to do with genes and the pregnancy itself. A lot of people who don't breastfeed still experience breast changes; and there are those who do breastfeed who don't sag much at all, though my guess is they're in the minority. I breastfed for a long time, my breasts look the same as they did before, only my nipples are a darker pink. Of course I am pretty busty so in my 30s I started experiencing a little natural sag anyway.
lonelyandfrustrated Posted September 6, 2010 Posted September 6, 2010 If your biggest concern is what a baby will do to your body, you're not ready to have a baby. The biggest change is going to be to your head.
Clep Posted September 6, 2010 Posted September 6, 2010 The biggest change for me was that my breasts don't feel quite as full and are not as round. Other than that, no changes at all. I never got stretch marks, not even one. I am about 125 at 5'5 and gained 25 lbs through my pregnancy. I was wearing my regular pants when I left the hospital and within three weeks I had a completely flat stomach again. My hips didn't widen and I did not retain any extra weight at all. It was exactly the same for my second child as well that I had thirteen years later. Maybe I got lucky I don't know or maybe it was all the cream I put on my stomach, the exercising before and after and carefully watching what I ate through both pregnancies. When people tell you to eat for two, that means nutritionally, not in quantity.
silverfish Posted September 7, 2010 Posted September 7, 2010 Bio oil is good for stretchmarks, and your stomach seems to go down faster after childbirth if you breastfeed. IMO the breast / tummy / weight issues are things fairly easily worked on - maybe not so soon but in time. I think doing your pelvic floor exercises is more important long term (for stress incontinence and your sex life) than worrying about your outward appearance too much. To the original OP though...how your body changes is down to the individual. There are many problems that can arise from childbirth, but as one poster pointed out, the biggest is in your head...totally agree with that. In my experience the worst physical aspect was back problems which was down to having an epidural possibly, using a baby sling type thing and having a toddler, being stooped over constantly, but a good chiropractor sorted that out
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