There have been many threads I've seen here about body image such as Botox, eating disorders, breast implants and losing weight after pregnancy.

How did you feel about your body after childbirth? And how are attitudes here in Switzerland compared to where you're from?

As a woman experiencing her first pregnancy, I'm fascinated by the changes in my body and I know there are heaps more to come.

Here's a wee video I saw that prompted this post:

http://www.imow.org/economica/projects/story?key=6572

3:15 Cool!

Sorry ladies but I can't watch this anymore... But respect to all the mothers out there

As with many things this is very individual. After my first two I went back to normal in no time, flat belly and all, no stretch marks at all, but somehow after losing our son last year, my belly has been rather big and somehow I believe it must be something psychological, like not wanting to let him go, or whatever.

If you want to avoid stretch marks, you should buy frei öl (at the pharmacy) It worked great for me, Vitamin E is good to keep the skin nice.

What a thoughtful, honest, revealing video. I think it captures the conflicting thoughts and emotions of many women very well, whether they are two days or forty years post-partum. Thank you so much for sharing it.

After having my first child, I was surprised at the time it took for my body to return to pre-childbirth condition, just in terms of everything shrinking back to the right size. The extra weight may or may not come off easily. I am sure that you have heard people say before something to the effect of, "It took nine months for your body to get this way; expect it to take nine months to return to its pre-pregnancy condition." Although this is true for the most part, I think most women would agree that the body can never truly return to the way it was pre-pregnancy. For me, each successive pregnancy took its toll and carried me a bit further and further away from that.

Regardless of whether or not the baby weight is lost, the permanent condition of the skin after pregnancy, with the stretch marks and loss of tautness, takes some time to get used to. The width of the hips can also increase. Breastfeeding can leave previously firm breasts limp, or can make previously small breasts almost non-existent.

I think that women are generally prone to self-criticism, therefore I believe that adjusting to and accepting the changes that come with childbirth is a rather long-term process. Just as we learn to love/live with/put up with, etc. the imperfections in our partners, we learn to do the same with our own imperfections related to childbirth. The fact that we wouldn't be able to witness the miracle of our children without having to acquire those imperfections hopefully will lead us to seeing them as the "badge of honor."

And if you happen to be one of the lucky few who is able to wear her bikini post-partum without any concerns, know that you received not one, but two blessings upon the birth of your baby!

All the best to you for a safe, quick delivery and a healthy little one!

After two pregnancies, my hips are definitely wider. I don't mean an extra layer of fat, but my bone structure is somehow wider.

And I gained a shoe size too, which I heard is pretty common.

I never managed to get a really flat tummy again. My breasts are perhaps a bit saggier, but they were so big to begin with that gravity was sure to have its toll.

My body is definitely not the same anymore. I don't know how Angelina Jolie managed to be so thin and toned after two pregnancies, including twins...

With my first baby I was lucky as soon as I gave birth I could fit into my jeans again, boobs still ok didnt really increase and didnt decrease after so not much difference.

After him I got pregnant 2 years later but sadly mc and this left me with a bit of a belly but we decided to try straight away and caught with my second son. With him the pregnancy was not so kind to my body and I was very swollen with huge water retention and generally bigger. After I had him it took a long time for the swelling to subside and I tried medication but this did not help so I stopped and waited for it to naturally stop and it did eventually. I also gained a shoe size lol which was the biggest pain as had to change all my shoes and they have never shrunk back again .

I did not give my body much time to recover and in turn had my youngest 18 mths later so although the bloating had gone I never lost any of the baby weight. My third pregnancy was different again though and I lost nearly 2 stone so after having my son I was the same weight as before I had my 2nd. After a lot of work and change in diet I am slowing returning to normal. My son is now 10 mths old my boobs wont ever be the same and I acquired stretch marks with my second but I have had 3 wonderful kids so to me losing the pre baby body was a small price to pay. With my clothes on the things which are not quite the same *belly and boobs are hidden and my hubby always makes me feel positive about myself too which is a help and gives me confidence.

If I feel a bit down after the bubbas I gave myself a haircut or some new makeup this always cheered me up.

Good luck with your pregnancy wish you all the best... at any time after if you feel a little disheartened look at your baby and their smile it always helped me!

Plastic surgery, a boob job and a personal coach 24/7.

Thanks, that's recomforting!

9 months after my baby's birth I fit in most of my pre-pregnancy clothes. But I had a go at my wii fit the other day, and it told me I'm overweight with a BMI at 25.5... I'm in total panick since then. I'm not a skinny teenager anymore, but I thought I was, like, normal...

I understand! I refused to even make a Mii for myself after our Wii fit gave my teenage son, who is muscular, fit, if not a bit tall, a pudgy Mii who was always dozing while standing up!

I can't watch the video you posted right now, as I am holding my sleeping baby and I don't want to risk waking her up . I am 37 and had my first baby in September 2011, by late November I fit into my regular jeans, even the more fitted ones. I probably put on about 40 lbs with this pregnancy, give or take a few. I am back to my normal weight, which surprises me, as I thought it would take a lot longer. I got some stretch marks about 3 weeks before delivery, but even they have faded almost completely. I am still exclusively breastfeeding, so the long term effect it will have on my chest remains to be seen. My stomach looks (except for the stretch marks, of course) pretty much like it did before pregnancy. I hope to have more babies in the near future, so who knows how my body will react after that. For what it's worth, I'm 6' and a US size 8. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and delivery, motherhood is wonderful !

Well.... not all the time and not for all of us and not necessarily from day 1, but maybe I am missing some hormones and instinct, because I was not overwhelmed with joy and happiness. However, that would be a different thread.

Something like: Your mind after childbirth

I believe, it can be achieved with just fitness training - but the effort and cap-ex required is usually beyond the means of mere mortals.
You obviously forgot the most important prerequisite: nannies. Lot's of them.
I believe, the Brangelina-Couple employes at least half a dozen, if not more.
And the newly separated Heidi Klum (probably one of the poster-children of the recent trend to ultra-fit just-delivered young mothers) probably had and has a small army of them, too.

When I had my first baby I went back to my weight that I was before straight away and even lost an extra 25Lbs not through dieting but I think the trauma of being in hospital with eclampsia for 3 months and I was only 20 years old. I suffered badly from stretch marks.

I had my 2nd 9 years later but I lost all the muscle tone in my stomach and although I exercised I could never get it back.

2 years later I had my 3rd and I put more weight on than in my previous pregnancies but although the weight came off the tummy still remains.

What a cool video! Thanks for posting! I just sent it to my midwife..

As for my body, I swear to ZEUS my kid grew in my rear end. It got soooo big and my belly only relatively so. I actually am really shy and self-concious about my c-section scar, if that makes any sense. Almost like I 'failed' at birthing
I know it's not true but I really don't like looking at it or talking about it. Anyone else feel this way?

Would anyone consider a tummy tuck? Pros / cons?

oh, best excuse for a fat woman not to hit the gym...stop making shyyt up and get in shape asap.

There is a big difference between excess skin and excess weight. You cant tighten skin, it has to be removed....

After babies 1 and 2, both around the 8 lb mark I very quickly went back to my normal weight with very few signs of having had them.

I had 3 and 4 in my late 30's and both were near the 10 lb mark. I would say I have since carried an extra 1/2 stone and my tummy shows signs of wear and tear though no stretch marks.

Thankfully it never bothered me as once I hit early menopause then my body did take a serious nose dive. I am sure others on here of a certain age can back me on that one.

I hated my body as a teenager (boobs too big , hips too big you know what I mean) but my nephews wife saw an old photo of my recently and said "wow you look like a model in that photo".

The moral being we do not appreciate what we had until it is too late and the fact is we are on a downward spiral so accept the body you have now for all its faults.

Sorry to waffle on but my SIL has suffered two ectopic pregnancies and two failed IVFs. Give me my stomach and all its wrinkles any day of the week to her flat one.

Never! Never! Never( (did not intend to use the word three times, but the computer system would not except one Never!).

Had my first when i was 20. I had a strict diet after birth and did belly dancing everyday but it took me almost 2 yrs to lose all the weight and never had my 22 inch waistline back. I was flatchested and after the baby it got even worse, saggy, very dark and big nipples. I feel the same as the woman in the video who says that if her husband would suggest a tummy tuck, she would probably get a divorce...I feel very lucky to have a husband who still thinks (or at least treats me like) im hot even at 8 mos pregnant now.