Mom bods

[azem]

@seen121 I'm in the camp of "our bodies look how they're meant to look". We're okay and normal. It's society that has a warped view on women's bodies. ie: doja cat recently got dragged for having natural breasts... as a 27yo woman with 0 kids. It actually made me feel really good to see her natural boobs and how they looked similar to mine before pregnancy. We hardly ever see that represented.

I had considered a lift (even before preg.), but decided that there was no reason for me to feel like I looked "wrong".. that was only what was drilled into my brain my entire life.

If you get surgery, you're insecure, "plastic", fake, and "cheating". If you're natural, you're still not good enough so you better be paying for non-invasive procedures that hardly work.

This is an intentional design to support many multibillion dollar industries that profit off our self hatred.

A woman's body looks how it looks and all of us look different, and that's normal and okay. Make the choices that are right for you, but try to separate your real feelings vs what we're pressured to believe. I want to normalize whatever naturally happens to my body so I can normalize for my kid too. I don't want the cycle of self hatred to continue with me after experiencing my moms insecurities. I've had to do a lot of work on myself emotionally, so I'm just sharing my personal opinion.

 

[kkoskela]

@azem I love your perspective

 

[ciaros]

@seen121 So as many people have mentioned there’s not a whole lot to be done for loose skin aside from surgery. Which great, if someone chooses that is worth it for them, I am fully supportive. But I think it’s so worth working on body acceptance. It makes life so much better, I can look at my now rounded stretch marked belly after a few years of active self work and be totally feeling myself. Personally I think the best way to do this slowly over time is 1) deliberately practice gratitude for all the amazing things your body has done for you and your kid 2) buy some sexy clothes / lingerie etc, and for at least a few minutes at a time allow yourself appreciate how cute you look in the mirror in something you love, without focusing on what you would change; and 3) exposure therapy to people with similar bodies online. Sometimes appreciating someone else with a similar body helps - especially over time it just feels more normal. I recommend starting with TheBirdsPapaya on Instagram since she’s funny, real, and gorgeous. And remember - someone somewhere is actively trying to profit off your insecurities and you don’t need to allow them!

 

[katrina2017]

@ciaros That’s where I am. I’m overweight but toned and my loose belly skin is the only thing that stands out and I’m ok with it. I created another human being and I feel really blessed to have her in my life. I’ve never lived up to society’s beauty standards and definitely wasn’t going after I gave birth.

 

[ciaros]

@katrina2017 Right. My body has gone through so many variations fully unrelated to a pregnancy. I’ve had stretch marks since I was 10 and got super tall, and have had many more show up over the years. I have a bit of an apron belly and am on the smaller side of plus sized, and generally I’m a human who takes up a lot of space. However I have a ton of body self confidence despite not having the culturally acceptable toned/thin shape. Part of it is luck and a healthy environment from my parents growing up, and the other part is a lot of work on myself w therapy and being exposed to a huge range of body diversity (in the media I consume, plus I work in healthcare). I strongly empathize w the struggle to accept a drastically changed body though. society is not kind to women/mothers.

 

[kkoskela]

@seen121 Following cause I'm also curious lol

 

[kevin_01]

@seen121 I didn’t have a c-section, but I tried shapewear (spanx) for a formal event a while ago and the results were amazing. It may be a good option for you if you’re not wanting to have surgery but want to feel your best self for a special occasion.

You could also look at your diet to see if bloating or digestive issues are contributing to a belly look that you’re not loving. I was gifted a suite of digestive problems from the life-saving cocktail of antibiotics they gave me after birth. My lactose intolerance went from mild to EXTREME and I find I cannot digest heavily processed foods anymore. If I stray from my mostly plant based diet I get a massive bloat belly.

 

[seen121]

@kevin_01 I love how I look with clothes on! It’s taken a long time to get here again.

 

[vinspired]

@seen121 If you're interested in seeing a surgical option, I have my photos in my profile history. If you would like to ask any questions, judgement free with complete honesty, my dms are open to you. My abdominoplasty was 80% covered by insurance. I added a breast augmentation at the same time.

 

[stoicism]

@vinspired May I ask if you have any before pics? I really loved seeing the after and it looks good, but I would love to compare it with before. Thanks!

 

[vinspired]

@stoicism Sent you a PM

 

[amk]

@seen121 I feel like before anyone recommends her surgery you should see her body and skin first.
Sometimes with enough muscle toning and weight loss you can almost make it disappear. There’s a lot of core workouts that aren’t just your regular sit ups or push-ups to really tone specific areas in your core.
Other cases, yes you need surgery.. but I would always try everything else before putting your body through another traumatic procedure.

 

[seen121]

@amk I have been so scared to do ab workouts! My c section split apart again 8 mo post partum. (I am brain farting and can’t think of the medical term). They could not operate bc during Covid it was emergency surgeries only. I just mentioned to someone else I did Coolsculpting once (4 placements/1 session). So I’m healed enough for that, I’m absolutely healed enough to exercise. It’s just weird getting over the hurdle in my mind that it’s okay. Weird right?

 

[travis2014]

@seen121 It took me more than 2 years to start exercising again, and my scar healed pretty normal. I can totally understand how you would be cautious around workouts for your Abs.

For me it also took a while to be able to do Abs exercises, because it hurt a bit or the muscles would just give out sometimes.

So when you start exercising again, start slowly and be kind with yourself if things are not working like you want them to at first

 

[catlover88]

@seen121 I'm really afraid to do ab workouts too, even 1.5 years pp! You're nto alone. I had my scar split open at one point too and it was terrifying. I still get pain in the area if I even stretch it the wrong way.

I just learned that my insurance provides a service called Hinge which is essentially telemed physical therapy. I am going to sign up to try and get some PT for my abdominal area, specifically for my c-section.

 

[whatwasoldisnewagain]

@catlover88 HOW DID THIS HAPPEN. I'm freaking out now. New fear unlocked.

 

[catlover88]

@whatwasoldisnewagain Mine was a couple months after, not 8 months like PP's, but it's a huge surgery and my scar is maybe 6-8" long, so it's bound to happen. I didn't die or get infected of course, but seeing it oozing blood and that feeling of a stitch popping when I would get out of bed was not ideal, haha. Just know that it's like healing from any surgery, and with proper care and monitoring, you should be just fine (if you even end up going that route)

Editing to add mine was minimal and not uncommon, not like that scene from The Shining. I hope I didn't scare you!

 

[whatwasoldisnewagain]

@catlover88 I was afraid because I did get a C section this year!

 

[seen121]

@whatwasoldisnewagain I had MRSA.

Yes, fucking terrifying.

 

[whatwasoldisnewagain]

@seen121 FUCK.

For what its worth my C healed amazingly well even though I heal horribly. My surgeon had serious talent...and even so, it still hurts when I sneeze. I feel weird pulling sensations. Some areas hurt when I touch and some areas are numb. AND for a flat stomach, traditional ab workouts just don't do much. Internal core work like proper breathing and posture will do so much more, however you're gonna feel your scar. It's less scary because the motions are much more gentle/ require less force/ are slow and controlled. Also I'm sure you've heard but diet diet diet. A lot of times loose skin is just a little bit of fat (if its like an inch of pinching). If your skin is crepey then you're kinda screwed. Microneedling has shown some promising results in promoting collagen generation and may help but only very slightly.

There is truly a lot you can do about a little belly fat or pooch but its mostly going to come down to your body fat overall. Unfortunately, with your skin having been stretched a bit, the fat just shows more. You have to be even skinnier for your tummy to look the same. But like, you're not the same. You made a human. You're a mom. I think its okay to not be ecstatic about your body now but its crucial to be kind to yourself and give yourself all the credit.