Body image

I've been struggling with body image for a while. I was rather slim when I conceived #1 (borderline underweight/average) and after I had her, my weight kept dropping off for a year until I dropped at least a size from what I had been pre-baby. In hindsight I think a limited diet and stress contributed to that. After babies #2 and #3 my weight stabilised but slightly higher each time. I have really struggled with that. My mum is obese but she used to be tiny until after 3 or 4 kids. So I guess I'm a bit worried about that, in the back of my mind.

So I've been kinda waiting for my weight and size to diminish after #3, but my weight is the same now as when she was a week old even though I know my tummy is more toned now of course! I guess I kinda thought it would take 6mos to drop a size and so have been wearing a lot of "temporary" type clothing in the "meantime". A lot of what I wear nowadays is what I wore when I was 3mos pg with Kryssi.

Sorry for all that background, but anyway I've been thinking that actually my size is probably not as bad as I think but if I could just get out of what my mind calls "maternity clothes" then I might just feel better about the size that I am. So today I went shopping. I grabbed about 14 different things - mostly tops - different colours and styles and even sizes (cause I didn't know what size I was), and had a great time! I haven't done that kind of thing in ages (I've bought just 2 tops since Kryssi was born, still in the "temporary" mindset) and I really felt treated!

So I've come away with two new tops and a new pair of jeans. They all fit nicely and feel comfy and I can even bf in the tops (That's important! Otherwise I don't get to wear them lol). I even know what size I am LOL - bigger in the tops than I thought (thanks to bf ) and smaller in the pants than I thought as well. I've come away with size 12 jeans and tried on a size 12 skirt but it was too big for me! So what was I complaining about LOL

Thanks for 'listening' - I've been struggling with this for ages and it's not something that the general public understands. Gotta have had a baby to 'get it'!

And now, no more spending for me for a few weeks

Edited by busymum

Good on you Theresa for buying some new clothes.

I'm feeling the same as you, I was also pretty small before Jack and then 6 months after him I was prob a kg or 2 above what I was and that was with no effort by me. I think I put on a wee bit more weight when preg with Caprece so I didn't get down very far after she was born. I am now 5-6 kgs above what I was before getting pregnant with her but I am feeling really down about it. I have been doing exersize every day for over a month now (which is way more than I have ever done) but have still only lost 2 kgs so I feel like I'm destined to be this size forever.

I know I'm not fat but I'm bigger than I was so I feel a bit lost in what to wear. I can't wear the same types of things and I don't know what to replace them with. Its so hard after having kids

I,M WAIT FOR IT 20 KG OVER MY PRE BABY WIGHT AND I STILL HAVENT DROB IT must do something about it though as i dont wana be a fat mummy and i do know how to it just a case of no motervation

That's great busymum! If dogs are a mans best friend the then shopping(and chocolate ) has to be a girls best friend! I'm don't like to weigh myself much but usually I am pretty good at watching what I eat because I seem to gain weight very easily ever since baby#2 anyway now that we have decided on TTC #3 I haven't but as strict with what I eat so I have gained a bit of weight(5kg ish)which has bought me to a more healthy weight again but at the same time with summer coming I'd love to wear my bikini one last time if I'm not pg by then. I'm really not sure if I should get back into shape for summer or just relax a big so I'm at a more healthy weight for pg?

Sorry to ramble a bit it's a silly thing to worry about I think it comes with being female.

But I was totally suprised when 3weeks after he was born I was back to more or less my pre pregnancy size.

I was the same after my first by the time she was about 6weeks old I was heaps smaller than pre pregnancy, I think the breastfeeding had a lot to do with it though.

Yep Shell I'm the same, i don't care the weight but more how things look. I like that i have gained a bit because i have cleavage again, (just a little) however the un-toned-ness is reallllly bugging me big time, that and the sudden appearance of cellulite on the thighs which have gotten a bit bigger. I have been far bigger a long time ago pre-kids, and things just melted away one day, i dunno how. But now, it's a matter of time vs work vs eating properly (which is a little harder to do when i sometimes eat at work 4 times a week)   My tummy sprung back nicely after paris but not so well after ayja and it's stayed that way. I feel like i'm beginning to go the way i did all those years ago.   I think just a bit less of the love handles and wobbly tummy, and a little off the thighs will do.

I went and had a look around yesterday, saw lots of neat things but all the sizes of things i liked were gone! (dammit being a common size!) then i couldn't justify spending $30 or more on a top,   so came away from the day with 3 new pairs of underwear, lol.

Yay for buying new stuff Teresa, I think so many of us do get in the "once i drop the baby weight" type mindset, so never really go and treat ourselves. I think sometimes it just needs to be accepting who we are at that point and treating ourselves anyway!

Now off to go do more stepping!lol

I think that's what i found most hard, was having only BF paris for 6months, and not fully BF, I wasn't too bad, but Bfing Ayja until she was 15 mths i seriously had to keep up with snacks etc alot, and i never really dropped that mindset once i stopped feeding her.

The flabby tummy thing is what got me - like Shell said. I think that's why I was so (pleasantly) surprised at how 'little' I actually was for the likes of pants etc!

The worst thing about flabby tummy is all the nice jeans have lower sitting waists (just under belly button), so your baby belly hangs over, no matter what size you buy. And I so can't buy old lady high wasit jobbys... (so have to buy baggy tops for over top)

Perhaps I'm fortunate that I prefer long tops anyway? Although my hips have always been rather wide (I'm pear shaped) so that's probably not the best way to dress for me! Ah well!

Fleury I saw that prog on tv last week, after I got used to all the flesh and the touchy-feely stylist it was quite interesting!