Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

FTM here - after the birth, how long did it take for you to feel like yourself again? Weight wise/ lookswise. I know everyone is different and maybe this seems like a shallow post, but I am just curious about how long it took to lose some of the baby weight, get yourself back into your normal clothes, feeling good again... I look down at my stomach at 32 weeks and wonder how its ever going to get back to a normal size... meanwhile I still have a way's to go. This week I found a cluster of spider veins, I feel like I am in someone else's body sometimes.

Edited: spelling.

Message edited 9/24/2015 1:53:52 PM.

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

Don't feel shallow. I think about this all the time and I have by NO means a perfect body now... but its important to me to look like myself after this is all over with!

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

Everyone is different and it really depends on so much. How you carry, what your body was like before, genetics, how much you gain that isn't baby and fluid during the pregnancy etc.

For me, I was back in my regular jeans and a bikini in about a week and a half i want to say? 2 weeks maybe?
At that point my body was 100% back to pre baby.
(please note, this is NOT the norm)

My stomach went down BIG time the day I gave birth. The next day the nurse said to me, you don't even look like a patient on this floor.

But I carried super tiny. If I show you a picture of me 2 days before giving birth, you would guess I was 6 months along.

I was just very fortunate.

Message edited 9/24/2015 2:01:34 PM.

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

I've been looking into a compression garment for afterwards. Anyone use them with success?

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

I was very thin prior to getting pregnant with my first and lost most of the weight within 2 weeks afterwards - it was mostly water weight. My stomach though took a few months to get back to "normal" although it never became as flat and tight as it had once been. I made the mistake of not wearing one of those stomach girdle things after DS was born and I think that contributed to me having a permanent mommy pouch.

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

Dd1 I emotionally felt more myself at 3 months. Clothes not for awhile.

Dd2 emotionally right away. Clothes not so much. I'm 2 months post partum and still feel gross physically. Eh, I'll get back there.

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

Im not skinny, never was. I gained 35lb or less with all 3 of my kids. I lost most of the weight anywhere between 2-3wks PP (with a couple of silly lbs hanging around) but my body was NEVER the same after each child. Pants never fit right, shirts were too tight even at my Pre Pg weight. And my shoes were looser than before??? Which was weird
I feel like those naturally skinny ppl pop back instantly
B itches Lolol

Message edited 9/24/2015 2:37:20 PM.

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I'm not the norm. I did not gain with either pregnancy and ended up down about 50lbs after DD1 was born from my weight at my first appointment and down about 40lbs from my weight at my first appointment after having DD2. So clothing wise, while I chose to continue wearing maternity pants after delivering, it was more for comfort than anything. I'm 3wpp and can wear clothes that weren't fitting well when I first got pregnant. I know I'm not the norm.

As for feeling normal physically, probably a week after delivering DD1 (vaginal) and I'm almost back to normal now after having DD2 3 weeks ago (C-Section). The C-Section recovery has been significantly worse, slower, and more difficult physically and emotionally than recovering from the vaginal birth.

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

Honestly, I never fully felt like the old me again once I had DS. In a lot of different ways.

Weight-wise....I gained 40lbs and lost 25 or so within the first few months, then 10 lbs hung on for at least a year.

I had to do some strict dieting to finally lose the rest and about 2 years after birth I felt like I looked better than before I got pregnant. Then I got pregnant again.

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

everyone has their own experience so it's hard to tell how fast or how quick you will feel and look after having your DC. I am 5 months pp. I gained 53 lbs with ds and a lot came off right away but I am still struggling with the last 15. I was a very healthy eater and worked out 5-6 days a week prior to becoming pregnant. I still worked out while pregnant but not nearly as hard as I was. I am slowly starting to see the old me again and I am back to working out and eating right. It took time for me but I know people who were fortunate enough to be back to norm in less than a month. I will say, my body has changed and I don't know if it will ever go back 100% but it doesn't mean I am going to stop trying. And don't feel bad about it. I hated when people would say, yes, but isn't he worth it? Of course, but it didn't mean I wanted to feel uncomfortable in my own skin either!

Emotionally, it took about a month and a half. I was so excited to have my son but also scared of never being able to leave my house again, lol. Having the c-section and the complete overhaul of my life took a while to get used to but it all worked out and its my new norm now. Just give yourself time and patience, it all works out!

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I really don't remember. Not for a few weeks. I didn't gain a lot so I dropped it pretty much immediately. But I still didn't feel normal tho

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I would say 2 1/2 months after. I was back in my normal pants about 6 weeks post partum.

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I fit into my regular clothes within 1-2 weeks. I gained about 23 pounds and was active my entire pregnancy. People would always give me backhanded compliments about it... At 17 months post partim, I'm 10 pounds lighter than I was prebaby and I was skinny to begin with.

As for feeling normal, 17 months out and I still have postpartum issues...

Message edited 9/24/2015 8:19:26 PM.

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

I'm slightly overweight. I gained 16 lbs. with my first. I lost everything weight-wise within 2 weeks, after all the water weight came off. However, my body shape completely changed. I even found that I needed to wear a completely different style of dresses than before for the most flattering look. My hips are wider, and my waist fuller. So far after 25 weeks I've gained only a pound with this second pregnancy, yet my old maternity clothes are tight at the hips!

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

I'm 9 weeks post-partum now - and I only physically felt healed within the past week or so. I still have a LONG way to go to feel comfortable in my clothes….but at least my physical pain has mostly gone away.

My goal is to feel comfortable in my clothes within about 2-3 months from now….knowing that I'll still have a ways to go to get my tummy back.

Give yourself some time….everyone is different.

(On a related note - this weekend my DH encouraged me to go buy some "interim" clothes - - just because he can see how uncomfortable I am. I lost about 40 pounds the year before getting PG again - - and I tossed all my "big" clothes. As much as I don't want to waste money, I can't feel human in the limited wardrobe options I have right now.)

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I looked like myself probably a week or two after birth but I carried small for most of my pregnancy. However, I would say it took a full year for me to feel like myself again and my stomach was never as flat as it used to be.

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I lost my baby weight very quickly but even once I was back to my prepregnancy weight it still took a few weeks for my jeans to fit comfortably. While breastfeeding I struggled to keep weight on- once I stopped breastfeeding I gained about five pounds. My dd is 18 months old and I still do not feel as fit as I was prepregnancy. Overall I am happy with my body.

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I felt like my old self about 8 weeks PP. I lost 25lbs right off the bat and then another 15 by the end of month 2.

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

i felt like myself emotionally pretty quick...the lack of sleep though took a toll
physically, it took 15 months for me to get back into my per-maternity pants (but i wouldnt consider myself the norm...my kids are 15 months apart - got pregnant when dd was 5mo - so i never lost all the weight from my first when i got pregnant with my second.)

Re: Moms - How long did it take for you to feel "normal" again?

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I bounced back pretty quickly. I was in my pre-pregnancy jeans within a week and at my first doc visit after having DD, he couldn't believe how I looked. I was really all belly though.

With that said, about a year later-my body shape just changed. My middle is thicker, and I just cannot lose the 10-15 lbs I put on. I don't know if it has anything to do with the pregnancy or just getting older. I'm 41.

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I was average weight before pregnancy for both my DS and DD. My OB recommends that you be 10lbs above pre pregnancy weight at your 5 week appt. With my DS i was a few lbs above that and with my DD I was just under that. It probably took around 2-3 months to get back to my pre pregnancy weight but My stomach still was squishy and nothing felt the same. Once I started working out I felt more comfortable in my own skin. I remember reading a post like this after I had my son and I felt terrible bc I wasnt back in my pre pregnancy clothes within 2 weeks. Just know everyone is different. It takes 9 months to put it on and it can take that long to take it off.

I would say I mentally felt like myself again around 3 months PP. Once my kids started sleeping better through the night and I was in a routine with them I started to feel more like myself.

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I was maybe a size bigger but softer at about 2 months. I didn't nurse so my boobs went down in size a few weeks later.

Moms - How long did it take for you to feel

I was thin before getting pregnant and it took me a LONG time to get back to normal. My belly took a long time to go down and never really got flat again. I expected the weight to just "melt off" from breastfeeding and it didn't at all. It seemed liked being pregnant and breastfeeding totally changed my metabolism for the worse. I was used to being able to eat basically what I wanted and not gaining weight. As soon as I was pregnant everything I ate seemed to stick and this didn't end until I stopped breastfeeding (which I didn't do until after #2 was a year old). I never lost the last 10 lbs in between them.

My kids are 22 months apart and I'd say I wasn't back to "normal" physically until my second was around two. After going to the gym and watching what I ate, I finally lost the last 10 lbs and am actually below my pre pregnancy weight. I still wish my belly was flatter though.

Message edited 9/25/2015 9:14:33 PM.