What a Woman's Body Looks Like After Giving Birth

The Mommy After: 10 Postpartum Body Surprises

February 25, 2013

Source: Thinkstock

6 / 14

by Rebecca M Gruber 40

The Pouch

Mothers aren't marsupials, but after baby many ladies carry a bit of a pouch. For some, it's an inevitable curve of the stomach.

6 / 14

by Rebecca M Gruber 40

The Pouch

Mothers aren't marsupials, but after baby many ladies carry a bit of a pouch. For some, it's an inevitable curve of the stomach.

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40 Comments

KieraSaltern 12 weeks

This is a good article to help women feel more comfortable when facing these aftermaths. Not every woman is the same, nor does every woman have the same consequences of pregnancy. I know that, for me, my body went almost right back to exactly what it was. It took time but it did. I didn't end up with stretch marks, but I did end up with floppy boobs! My body shape WAS different for a while, it was more boxy after pregnancy, but eventually (about a year later) my rib cage slimmed back down, and I had my curvy slim bod back. But, some of my close friends weren't so lucky, they had stretch marks, major body changes, major cellulite, and stretched skin. One had to resort to lipo and a tummy tuck. It took 3 years for her stretch marks to fade. So, to wrap up, this article is good for those who experienced that type of recovery.

Kaotar3081119 43 weeks

a sad article that simply preys on a woman's fears......for me, I have had 3 kids and my body didn't change that much...my boobs are bigger (yay!), and they are not flat pancakes..they are full and attractive...do I have cellulite?..maybe a little, but not from being pregnant, it's from general weight gain..I've had it, I lost it...just depends on my size and weight with or without babies...stretch marks?..I got just a few with baby #1..but not many and now you can't see them at all!..and I didn't get any with baby #2 and #3. a saggy pouchy belly?...nope, don't have that...neither does my sister, or my friends...can it happen?..sure..depends on your body, your skin elasticity, your genetics. varicose veins?...nope, not here...a friend of mine got some but she also did not get any other changes...just some veins....but she's thin and hot still...and you can get those by standing alot, crossing your legs is a huge culprit, etc...those are all things that can happen to you whether you get preggo or not. a change in your vagina?..huh, not to my knowledge...I think that was actually my worst fear, to be honest. I even had an episiotomy, but all is great in that area too! If you don't want babies or children cuz it's not your thing, then hey, to each his own. You have a choice and there's nothing wrong with it. If you like kids and want them, but choose not too cuz you think your body will change, then, please...have the kids. don't let unrealistic fears stop you from the joys of motherhood. I am not a skinny girl, I never have been. I am not a big girl either...I'm pretty average...5"8" and curvy...in fact after my first child i got more compliments on my body from men and women than I ever did before babies. My advice for anyone who has a child or wants a child? It is awesome..they are awesome...if you want to stay fit, then eat right and work hard at your fitness and excercise...it doesn't happen overnight but it is totally possible to be happy with your body post baby.

GetRipped86 44 weeks

Um, I would almost completely disagree with this article. I had my first child 15 months ago and not only am I back to my pre-pregnancy weight but I have very little changes to my body. A few stretch marks on my breasts, which I think I contributed to by having a breast augmentation on my small breasts just one year before baby. I think I MAY see a tiny bit of loose skin on my upper belly but it only gets better with time/weight loss. Granted, I have worked out hard after baby and was fit before baby, but I also gained 49lbs while pregnant. I'm not trying to be like some of the super models out there that want to act like the average mother eats like a "garbage disposal" and that damage done to their body is their own fault. I'm merely saying that all these horror stories are the exception not the rule. The website The Shape of a Mother scared the SH!T out of me when I was pregnant. It almost made me not enjoy my pregnancy for fear of what was going to happen to my body. I think it's terrible that they don't have a section on their site for "My body turned out fine" or whatever you would call it. I think too many people writing these articles focus on the worst case scenario. Not every womans body is ruined for life, and your child will be the best thing that ever happened to you. They will change the person you are INSIDE for a lifetime, but take care of yourself, and don't worry about the outside.

nkatz1 44 weeks

What a terrible post. First off, none of the women pictured have any of the problems described in the slide. Secondly, it makes it sound as if all of these problems are permanent and universal, which....really they're not. For most people, the stretch marks fade until they're barely noticable. Cellulite can generally be reduced or eliminated after losing the baby weight...same thing with the back fat. The post baby butt can be improved with lots of squats and lunges. And yes... it is generally possible to lose the weight. I was a size 2, had two kids (gained 50 with one and 40 with the other despite a healthy diet and exercise), and eventually I did eventually lose it all, and while my body wasn't exactly the same, it wasn't the horror show that this article describes. Also, the author seems to presume that some of these things wouldn't happen anyways, which is ridiculous. With time, breasts sag; skin loses its elasticity and firmness; most people tend to gain weight; cellulite happens, and butts flatten and fall. No one looks twenty forever, and women are more than the sum of their physical parts.

Dave3046524 44 weeks

I think I have just read the single most useless, pointless, insulting and ignorant article ever published in the history of publishing. Well done lil sugar for actually making people dumber. Remind me to block this site on my browser. Utter depressing, demoralising tabloid trash, that would have been rejected by OK! and Star Magazine for being 'too dumb'.

GirlinTheRaw 48 weeks

I understand why every woman here is so outraged, but this only made me more convinced that I have to take care of my body starting now, and not stop during pregnancy. I have already experienced what gaining just 10lbs does to your body and mind, baby or not. Like someone else mentioned, all bodies change for numerous reasons, starting plain old aging. I am always keeping the ideals in mind - like VS models who have 1+ kinds and it does not show. It can be done! But I am sure they do not change one thing in their diet or exercise when preggs. Plus, a body that's in shape can handle it much better. I know girls my age with kids that look same as before.

MayaDK 1 year

Well I'm not having any children and this article gave me the more reason not to! I'm already dealing with being slightly overweight, so why want to ruin myself further by having a child?! I'm choosing to be childfree and I'm damn proud of it!

Emily2534432 1 year

seriously, wtf? if the person who wrote this a total woman hater? completely unnecessary and destructive.

jaxjmb 1 year

Seriously? The article is about postpartum bodies - all the things that go wrong - and they're showing pictures of perfect, skinny, bodies with no blemishes? That's insulting.

saus2012 1 year

What a negative depiction of pregnancy that's totally rude and unnecessary. As if pregnant women dont have enough to think about without the added vanity factors of this useless list. Yes, some of these these things could happen, but it's more likely that they wont.

2 years

Well I'm 26 years old and am seriously thinking about having a baby next year when I turn 27. I have been doing some research not only about pregnancy but post pregnancy and the post pregnancy is what scares me the most. I need some help on where to research more facts and articles. The scariest post is the physical vaginal changes. Wow!

2 years

Looking back my body pre two boys was smoking..but I had body issues and never realized it or enjoyed it. Though I did love my small breasts. I had never read an article like this nor had anyone go through a pregnancy close enough family wise for me to notice before and after and I fully expected to leave the hospital with my first lil guy in mt pre-pregnacy clothes.. boy did I get a wake up call. After two pregnancies and breastfeeding both boys for one full year after my body is almost unrecognizable to me. No matter how many exercises, step classes, yoga classes, and lifestyle changes to eat small well balanced meals.. my breasts are huge, my stomach, thighs and breasts scared forever and the tummy just refuses to tighten no matter how many crunches.. thus is life for some of us. But the boys are healthy and the hubby is attempting to not notice the body flaws..and looking at my mom thinks I projected some false advertising but luckily he loves me more then just for what my pre pregnancy body offered.. so ah well.

2 years

Umm...that doesn't look like a flat butt to me, in that picture. I'll gladly take that. I gotto go and see what mine looke like b4 my 6 pregnancies, and before 5 full term births, including 8 mo old twin girls, however, my mid section is back to where I started, as far as I can see, simply by using a belly binder really. My body hasn't changed too much at allfrom babies, but I'm not a teenager anymore, and the body changes a bit with age anyway. Besides, our children are worth it all, and then some, so I while I am happilly surprised, to not get a mummy tummy (Well only thru binding), i had it right after the birth, pretty bad with the twins, but it's flat now, and was able to close my diastasis up, thankfully. I certainly expected the worst, lots of stretchmarks, twin skin, ETC., and never being in a swinsuit again, but why? We should be able to flaunt our bodies post kids, whether we get saggy breasts, no hide, big hips, and lose midsections. These pictures aren't normal, and I'm no model myself, but I'm proud of my body post babies, but by far, much more proud of my children, and would have taken any body changes to have them here with me:) They really do need to show reality more. Check out Shape of a mother's website. Those pics are REAL women, not models. xoxo Shelly http:www/twinpossible.com

2 years

The real depressing part is how much value society places on youth and the ideal figure. Nobody gets to be 21 forever. Pregnancy or not, you are not immune to time and gravity. Surely there is more to life than perfectly perky boobs and airbrushed skin.

2 years

Call me vain, but I've always had issues with body image and am 26, 115lbs with jiggly thighs/lower stomach. Not sure if a baby is worth it - and no, my child/husband telling me I'm beautiful will not make me stop thinking I'm a saggy pooch bag with a flat rear. And for those that had a flat butt before kids, is it possible to have a negative one? Ugh, more reasons I'm leaning for childfree.

starbucks 2 years

My baby is now a year old, and I look exactly the same as I did before, except for my boobs that have gone down a size! It is possible...

2 years

Who says they're flaws? Why get down on ourselves, ladies? I experienced (and still am experiencing) probably 80% of those things. So what? I have three amazing kids. I'm thankful that my body was able to create and nurture three wonderful new human beings. So is my husband. Who cares if I don't look like a teenager? Big deal. Good article, but lose the judgment next time.

missyd 2 years

Wow. Pretty sh*tty thing to read first thing in the morning when you are 34 weeks pregnant. I near cried. I love my baby and everything but I'll be the first to say that I'm a little vain too and I dont want to be told my body will look like crap no matter what I do, because I chose to have a child. Encouraging :(

missyd 2 years

2 years

Lame article. How is any of those body changes a surprise??

MissSushi 2 years

I wasn't surprised by my body, but i was surprised by how much I cared about it after. I thought it would be no biggie, just something I worked to get better. My stomach was downright depressing, I was HUGE and she was a big baby, and it was kind of hard for me to deal with. It might have been exacerbated by how poorly my birth went and how hard a colicky baby was, but I cried over it quite a few times in the beginning.

3 years

Why can't there be some real photos to go with this? None of the models in the pictures have what is being described so the text is describing something with an example of a picture perfect body part right next to it. That's messed up. It would be better to just not have the pictures. Also, it's really depressing when I hear the commentary that it's all worth it because you have this beautiful baby. My baby died during childbirth so I have all these changes and messed up my body for NOTHING. So NO, for me it was NOT worth it. This happens more often then they tell you because they don't want to freak out first time moms with new pregnancies. Sometimes the baby dies and you went through it all for nothing.

3 years

this is just awful. if this is my body's inevitable future, why don't i just give the eff up now!

starbucks 3 years

I'm 16 weeks postpartum. My tummy is defintely not as tight as it used to be, but I'm working on it. I gained about 40 pounds in the pregnancy and still have 10 pounds to lose. Overall, I think I look pretty damn awesome for having had a child 4 months ago! I am nowhere close to being Heidi Klum, but who cares? I'm not a runway model I'm a mother! My hubby thinks I'm sexy, even more so for bringing his child into this world!

jenni5 3 years

That little bit of flab on my belly is what gets me. I lost weight everywhere else but I just can't get rid of the flab! Oh and my ass definitely is flatter now. Thanks kiddos!