Expecting Parents Losing Confidence in Their Bodies

“Hi everyone! I have pretty bad emetophobia. I recently got married and my husband and I have always wanted kids and the next step would be to get pregnant. I’m super nervous about getting bad morning sickness. If anyone who has emetophobia and has been pregnant have any advice or tips, tricks or simply would share their experience, I would really appreciate it. I’m mentally preparing myself one day at a time! Thank you in advance!!! submitted by /u/Empty_Dinner2478 [link] [comm”

“I am actively working to improve my core strength, but we are TTC soon. Am I doomed, lol. Give it to me straight. submitted by /u/Available_Sun4468 [link] [comments]”

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“I am 36w 2d. None of the things I’m about to complain about are surprising or new to anyone here, but I just need to voice it because I feel terrible and need to vent. I’ve been dealing with gestational diabetes from early in my pregnancy, which is now thankfully controlled for the most part, but I still occasionally get some deep lows followed by peaks that make my fatigue even worse. My pelvic girdle pain went from bothering me only at night to being a pretty much 24/7 issue. This means that w”

“Honestly at this point I might take a dress suggestion. I'm so done. I'm on the verge of cancelling the damn pictures. I have a b shaped belly so no cute aesthetic bump and new rolls that did not used to be there and a new double chin and I'm so over trying to celebrate a body I'm ready to be done with. Anyway. Where the fuck are you buying maternity clothes that don't look like failed parachute prototypes and also don't make you look like a whale? submitted by &#32”

“Four of us had babies within 3 months of each other, I was last so I knew I wouldn’t be in the exact same stage as them. I lost weight after birth (obviously) but it’s now crept back up and I’m the same weight at 7months pp as I was full term. I’m the only one who got stretch marks, I’m still squishy, I still look pregnant most days. For various reasons (lack of support and recovery issues) I can only walk with the baby in pram as exercise. I just feel shitty that everyone else in my circle has”

“I am four months PP. I was around 125ish before pregnancy (5’8”) and got to 210 during pregnancy. I went down to 170 by three weeks PP and four months later I’m still at 170. I do three strength workouts a week, go for 2-3 20-30 min walks a day. I have a walking pad I use at night when I’m winding down and watching a video. Looking to buy a stationary bike because I used to use that a lot pre-pregnancy. I eat OK, I don’t eat fast food anymore, but still indulge in a sweet treat every couple days”

“TL;DR: I'm 25w with a baby boy due around Christmas. So far, I've gained about 9kg since becoming pregnant. My doctor told me that I'm gaining weight too quickly and need to be mindful of how I am eating/exercising. I had a really stressful June and July where I was hospitalized, we moved, lost our car, and a bunch of other stuff. I couldn't go to the gym or cook for myself because we didn't have our own home for two months. I feel like shit about myself now, am filled with r”

“Hi everyone! 20wks, almost 21wks! 2 early losses and no living children yet so to say I’m ECSTATIC would be an understatement 🥹 I’m also having a very very hard time with how my body is changing during this pregnancy. I’ve been fortunate enough to maintain a workout routine this entire pregnancy, never experienced any severe morning sickness (but did heavily snack to curb my nausea). I️ started out at 5’3, 155lbs but was insanely active. I’d attribute most of my weight to muscle. Fast forward t”

“Just a sad girl rant here, move along if it triggers please. 9 months PP and truly feeling like I’m the ugliest and largest I have ever been in my life. I weigh the most, clothes don’t fit at all, and it’s a struggle to consistently want to do my hair/makeup when I’m playing referee to a rambunctious and LARGE mobile baby. I’m at the point where I want to quit breastfeeding because of how horrible (I think) I look and the weight that I seem to be stacking on. But my goal has always been a year a”

“Is losing weight quickly really that bad? My son is 3 months old, and I’m really struggling with how I look right now. I honestly can’t stand looking at myself in the mirror, and I really want to lose the pregnancy weight as quickly as possible. However, I’ve heard that losing weight too fast, especially while breastfeeding, can be harmful because substances stored in body fat can be released into the bloodstream and potentially pass into breast milk. Is that actually true, and how much weight l”

“The title pretty much sums it up. I feel SO useless. I'm 37 weeks pregnant, I've gained 60 lbs, so now a whopping 259lbs at 5 feet tall. Baby is measuring 91% and my back feels like it's going to break. Yes, this is all a blessing. And I am grateful! But my house is falling apart. The toys are taking over (I have a two year old). There's dishes in the sink that have been there for days. The floor is crumby. I'm averaging probably 4-5 hours of broken sleep a night because I ca”

“TW: weight and body image I’ve always been a really slim person and have really struggled to put on weight. I’m active and remained active during my pregnancy so I’m feeling a bit confused about how my body is responding post birth. Unfortunately I had a really long and traumatic labor/birth that ended in a failed vacuum assist delivery and really rare birth complication that left me on prescribed bed rest for at least 2 weeks and then still really couldn’t do much besides going to the bathroom”

“I hate my stretch marks. They started at 28 weeks and have been climbing up my belly like vines since then. Then I cried bc Ive been diagnosed super early with GD and have been having to inject insulin daily since early pregnancy. Then I thought about all the pelvic pain I have been experiencing and how it hurts to go from sitting to standing all the time. Now, I’m also having numbness and tingling in my dominant hand like why the heck did nobody tell me about carpal tunnel in pregnant women. I”

“I’m 34 weeks and 5 days and I feel absolutely hideous. Like everything is so big and swollen all of the sudden and holy moly I can’t wait to be done. But nothing fits! At all! So I’m in shorts and my husbands shirts all day and it feels like I’ve let myself go completely 😂😂 I don’t even do my makeup anymore because even when it’s done I don’t look like me! Any tips for this? I don’t want to buy new clothes because in a month or so they won’t even fit and I feel like stuck in a loop for the nex”

“I’m 9 weeks pregnant and I feel absolutely insane and hormonal. I completely lost interest/energy in things I like before and have become more isolated at home. I feel I don’t know who I am anymore, like my identity changed. I’m having feelings I should do something drastic like start a new career or move cross country and start over which I can’t do because my life and husband are here. I just feel like a shell of who I was before being pregnant. I used to enjoy the gym, Pilates, going to churc”

“I am 21 weeks and whilst my belly pokes out, the bottom of my belly is still quite low down and sort of looks more like a bloat/fat/droopy rather than being pregnant. I see so many women with lovely high bumps where they can wear their trousers underneath it, but it I put my trousers underneath my belly I have overhang and just look fat. Or did some people not really ever get a rounded bump? submitted by /u/Inner-Sign3807 [link] [comments]”

“I feel like my 25 week belly is pulling my lower back forward and thus pushing my butt out more leaving me in a perpetually arched C shape with my back. I have to consciously roll my pelvis and lower back otherwise I can feel it when I lie down. What can I do to help this? submitted by /u/Suspicious_Week_2451 [link] [comments]”

“Lowkey going insane! I’ve never been a sweaty person (I’m still not a sweaty person at all). Prior to postpartum I never EVER had BO, then I had my baby, the first few weeks were awful I felt like no matter what I did I always smelt like an onion and it drove me insane. I’m now 16 month PP and still breastfeeding, I’ve always EBF since she was born. At the beginning I chalked it up to all the hormones and things did get better after a bit but definitely no where near pre-baby levels. I’m still a”

“how do you feel about it? submitted by /u/Pretend-Bullfrog5549 [link] [comments]”

“Here is a thing I don’t think I’ve seen discussed on here… Anyone else have a sore upper body simply because you use your arms to move in bed?? I couldn’t figure out why I had delayed onset muscle soreness in my arms and shoulders until this morning when I was moving in bed using only my arms. submitted by /u/GloveBoxTuna [link] [comments]”

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“Title sort of explains how I feel. I’ve spent so much time preparing, reading on child development and how to give my baby the best life (that I can) based off this knowledge. I’ve gushed to people about how excited I am to be a mom. Now that my induction is tomorrow I’ve been spiraling into “what-ifs”, scared of this new role and how my relationship with my husband will change — it almost feels like panic or regret. I’m scared I won’t love my baby as much or that my husband and I will struggle”

“I literally feel so ugly and look so inflamed. I’m 11 months postpartum, and I look so much bigger than I did 1-7 months postpartum. I don’t know if it’s the hormones or that I’m still breastfeeding. I cut out all refined sugar three months ago and all fried food a month ago. I eat clean, Whole Foods and not many processed items or snacks. I’m not a snacker. I often am not even finishing most meals at times just because I get full quickly. I babywear my heavy baby all the time, multiple times ev”

“Im 33 weeks pregnant and at the start of pregnancy my breasts grew quite quickly which created stretch marks all over them. Im so insecure of them now that I don't want my husband even seeing them. I even try to not look at them in the mirror whenever I can avoid it because it causes me so much depression. My problem is though that I really wanted to try to breast feed/pump when my baby is born however my anxiety has amplified with the thoughts that for me to breast feed I will need to show”

“Can the moms (preferably of older kids) please reassure me finding time for myself gets easier?? 😭 I want to lose weight. I’m so tired of feeling this way. I need to lose about 20kg ideally but would settle for 10 currently. I want to go back to the gym. Before kids I was at the gym like 6x a week for fun. After going through fertility treatments and finally my first pregnancy , then a spontaneous pregnancy which resulted in having two kids 15 months apart, I don’t feel like myself. My commute”

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“How much can pregnancy weight fluctuate from week to week? I keep seeing people say their weight gain wasnt really steady, some weeks nothing much happened and then it suddenly went up. Is that pretty common? I'm curious what other people experienced with this because the whole thing seems kinda confusing. submitted by /u/North-Flatworm-7549 [link] [comments]”

“Did you actually keep track of your weight throughout pregnancy or did you mostly leave it alone? I'm curious because it seems like seeing a sudden jump could be pretty stressful, even when everything is fine. For people who tracked it, did you find it helpful or did it just make you think about the number more? submitted by /u/North-Flatworm-7549 [link] [comments]”

“I'm not sure exactly why this is getting to me so much but I just wanted to share. I'm 32 weeks pregnant so I'm sure the hormones are part of it, but it was also genuinely upsetting. Today I was out for a walk (I live in a major city, safe neighborhood, lots of families) while on the phone with my mom. A man was walking towards me on the same side of the sidewalk (I was on the right side of the sidewalk). From about 5 feet away he had one arm out, gesturing for me to move over to the”

“I need some commiseration because I am STILL annoyed about this. I’m just six weeks pregnant. We haven't told anyone. We're planning to wait until after a few early milestones (like after the first ultrasound) before telling family. Yesterday my partner’s dad’s girlfriend came over to visit. They live hours away but she's staying nearby this week to pick up a puppy from a local breeder. That was literally why she was there. To show us the puppy. I had been working all day, brain tota”

“I feel like a different person when I look in the mirror and I hate it. I feel terrible bc obviously I’m carrying our baby girl, but I feel disgusting. I’m normally 5’2 130 pounds and I’ve gained 20 pounds and I feel fat. My hips got bigger, all the normal stuff with pregnancy. I’m just wondering is it normal to feel this way? Everyone I know loved their pregnancy body and it makes me feel like a horrible person. What is wrong with me? submitted by /u/No-Simple-5133 [link] [com”

“I’ve heard a lot of moms say this and I’m wondering if it’s actually like suddenly overnight or if it’s slightly dramatized and happens quick but not actually overnight. I don’t mind grind stretch marks either way I’m iffy wondering if there’d be a little warning? I’m currently 34 weeks pregnant and I know this is around the stage where moms claim it happens overnight submitted by /u/Short_Technology_941 [link] [comments]”

“I’m 21 weeks and my growing bump is so uncomfortable. At the end of the day I can barely move. Would a belly band help with this? Or any other advice? submitted by /u/BandicootRich2852 [link] [comments]”

“hey guys. I have a one year old and am currently on my body construction journey. before pregnancy I was active and fit. Now I am currently only 11lbs away from my prepregnancy weight. I’ve gain a ton of muscle in my legs and arms, but my core is still flabby and poochy. I’m struggling with fitting into clothes because it’s basically like a bolt on belly. I’ve been working on my pelvic floor and strengthening the core canister. although I think I’m struggling more mentally that I previously thou”

“I’m 17w today and have had a fairly easy pregnancy. I’ve just recently started to feel like I’m popping out (I am also plus size) and a bit more uncomfortable with my ever expanding, and present, baby filled uterus. Aside from spotting after sex only during my first trimester, sex has been normal! I recently felt the baby move and my hubs and I were very excited. He’s super on top of making sure I’m comfortable and taken care of, which is lovely! Until tonight… I very recently (like today) have”

“I'm reaching out because I'm starting to teel a little discouraged and would really appreciate some perspective. I'm a 24 year old woman, and my significant other and I have been trying to conceive since May. We're both at a point in our lives where we've graduated, have stable full-time jobs, and feel comfortable with the idea of starting a family, so we've been fairly relaxed about the process and "whatever happens, happens". Now that it's been four months”

“2 months postpartum and nursing. Depressed and anxious. Life is not going great at all. Not a lot to look forward to. I have OCD and it loves being triggered with hormones. Last baby I gained 20 kilos because of what I had to take for my mental health, even after changing a few times bases on doc’s advice. So even that is not a solution if weight loss is something I want. I haven’t lost most of that weight. I eat to feel better because not many fun things in my life now. So they tell me food pre”

“I am feeling absolutely low. I have a 4 year old, 1.5 year old & due in December with a third. I always wanted three children and relatively close in age but now that I’m here, I’m in hell. On top of this all being really hard, my husband works night shifts and it’s been weighing on me. He typically works 3:30 pm - 12 am but occasionally a later shift or overtime. This leaves me in the evenings to get home from work & take care of 2 little ones while my back hurts & im tired from pre”

“More of a vent post, tagged trigger warning because weight and body image can be a very sensitive topic. I’m 32, first baby. I’ve had weight fluctuations over the years and reached my highest weight last year - 202. In the last few weeks before getting pregnant I got down to 188. The shape of my belly with the pregnancy bloating is really bothering me. I’m afraid of developing apron belly and it seems like I already am but maybe it’s body dysmorphia. I got pregnant intentionally and did everythi”

“I’m currently 10w5d as a FTM and haven’t been able to wear normal clothes since around week 4. I feel like I’m going insane just wearing sweats and baggy shirts all the time, and it’s doing a number on my self-image and mental health. Right now, I’m aware that it’s basically all bloat, so anything pressing on my abdomen feels like my worst version of hell. I keep getting ads for all these cute maternity shops online, and when googled, I find it’s all cheap, fast fashion garbage with horrid revie”

“I am currently pregnant with my first. I want to breast feed as I feel like that’s what’s best for the baby/expected but I just feel so uncomfortable. I feel so weird about breast feeding. I have no other way to describe it as it gives me the hibbie jeebies (not a real work but accurate lol). I was molested as a child and I think it stems from breast being sexualized and a child being on them and how I was treated as a child. My husband says that when I have the baby I might feel differently as”

“Hi, fresh account cause i couldn't remember my other login info but I'm a FTM (21) currently 24 weeks pregnant and I've just been feeling really depressed lately from a friends reaction to my pregnancy. Found out I was pregnant about 6 weeks with my boyfriend who at the time I had only been with for about 2 months, admittedly we kinda rushed into the relationship and became extremely close very quickly but i have no regrets about that. Getting pregnant that early on in a relationship”

“Everything I keep reading online and being told say that most women don’t gain more than 1-4 pounds in the first trimester. I’m on week 10 plus 5 and I’m currently 138 pounds. I’m 29, 5’5.5 and started this pregnancy at 126 pounds! I feel like such shit about myself. I look substantially different. I feel disgusting. I can’t stop eating everything in sight. Especially pasta which is the worst thing to be eating. I confided in my mom, which idk why I confided in someone with an eating disorder wh”

“My personality seems to have taken a massive hit postpartum. I know the brain fog and hormones and exhaustion suck the life out of us, but I just feel like "can I be funny at least since I'm nowhere near as attractive as pre-child???" I wasn't exactly a comedian or hilarity embodied before I had a child, but I was pretty witty and loved/needed to laugh every damn day. Now I struggle to find words, let alone make stinkin wordplay. The worst part? I'm a copywriter 😭🤣 who ap”

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“Has this happened to anyone else?? lol like I have a belly but it’s STILL in the weird bloat phase. I’m not obviously pregnant I just look chunky. It’s very easy for me to completely hide my belly in a baggy t shirt… at this point do I even have a chance of popping?? I was told at 24-28 weeks I would definitely pop and I’m still waiting 😂 submitted by /u/Short_Technology_941 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone … I’m 13 weeks pregnant and I haven’t had any symptoms…. I don’t feel pregnant at all and I wondering if that’s normal ? I’m driving myself crazy looking up symptoms can anyone help if possible? submitted by /u/Icy_Dragonfruit2513 [link] [comments]”

“I have a dark confession to make. I’m currently 21 weeks. Just last night I wished I’m never pregnant and I regretted my pregnancy so much over this electrocuting/shooting nerve pain in my vagina/lower abdomen throughout the night. I’ve always had very low threshold for pain, weak mental health riddled with childhood anxiety and panic attacks. Whenever I’m falling asleep, it comes and shocked me wide awake. So I stayed awake, I was tired yet I can’t sleep, I broke down and sobbed real badly from”

“FTM here, 8 months pregnant. We have been having a heatwave in Germany since June (it’s finally getting cooler now) and I have been pretty much living in low rise linen pants and tank tops that always end up looking like crop tops even if they aren’t in normal conditions. I have been wearing lots of dresses too, but they became very uncomfortable on my belly in the last two months so pants and top are my uniform most of the time these days. It is an easy choice for CTG scans and other doctors ch”

“I'm sorry to hear that your sister is comparing herself to you, weight does not define you and im so sorry that you are feeling like you're obese 🫶sending hugs and support”

“I’m 13 weeks pregnant, FTM and my hormones have definitely been everywhere. Me and my boyfriend have been together for 5 1/2 years and weren’t planning on having a baby for another few years but things happen and here we are. We are both really excited (even though it was unexpected) and my boyfriend has been amazing since finding out but I get so annoyed very easily now. At around 8 weeks I slapped him in the face not super hard but still with some strength and we were both shocked as I’ve neve”

“Just told I have cervical ectropion at 22wks due to occasional light spotting. Never experienced this with my prior pregnancies. Feeling anxious about it.😩😩 submitted by /u/urrealitytvbff [link] [comments]”

“I'm not sure the best flair for this, but I just feel so gross and ugly at 6 months PP. I saw a candid photo of myself at a work event this past week, and I *hated* how I looked in that photo. I just feel like I don't even recognize that person. I understand that looks shouldn't be everything, but I want to feel comfortable in my own skin. And to feel like I've still "got it.' I just feel so puffy, bloated, and inflamed. Idk if that's cortisol or thyroid issues or wh”

“I’m 7 weeks pp, emergency c-section. I love what my body made, and the way it continues to nourish my baby, but I don’t love what I see in the mirror. My stomach is still very much large, flabby and bloated. My hands and feet are STILL somewhat swollen, and also my feet grew, so none of my shoes from before fit me anymore. I can basically only wear flip flops. Im wondering if I’ll ever go back to the way I was pre pregnancy. I was 120, I’m 5’5”. I am currently ~140. I’m also 29 for reference. I’”

“I need glow up advice! I will be 12 month postpartum soon and I want to start my glow up journey. I’m still a lot larger than I used to be, so new clothes won’t truly make me happy quite yet. I always loved to look good but it feels a bit hard now with this new body. I went from size S to L and yes, I know I’m much more than my weight and all, but I want to feel HOT again. A mani and pedi is great but I need some real gems to treat myself. Any ideas? Personal trainers? Hairstylist? In candid wor”

“28 weeks + 3 days, and I have never felt more disgusting or undesirable in my entire life. I tried to get myself together a little bit today by doing my hair/makeup, and I just feel ridiculous. I am huge. My boobs are terrifying. My husband has not looked at me with desire in his eyes in 6 months (he has not said anything negative but I can tell how he feels without him saying it). I can’t stop crying because of how awful I feel. I’m so embarrassed and just don’t want anyone to look at me for th”

“TW: weight issues & self-image Before I got pregnant, I'd been taking Mounjaro and exercising, and was 2 kg away from my goal weight. I was so excited for all the clothes I was going to buy and how I was finally going to feel comfortable in a bikini at the beach. And then I found out I was pregnant (completely unplanned), and had to stop taking the Mounjaro immediately. I didn't have any nausea and felt 100% normal, so when the food noise came back, along with the hormones, there was”

“At the moment I’m almost 33 weeks pregnant, and suddenly feeling really insecure about my relationship, I think mostly because a lack of physical contact between me and my partner (we hug a lot, but that’s it right now). First trimester was extremely hard due to severe nausea. Second trimester started out ok, but this pregnancy is definitely harder physically than my first. Maybe also because we have a 2,5 year old walking around, and we’re going from heatwave to heatwave. The last 3 weeks have”