Belly After Baby #2

So it's time for my usual after-baby belly update! I did this after I had Heidi and I still believe that it is important for me to share this part of post-partum recovery. Here we go!

BEFORE the before pictures:

4 weeks pregnant

(So I am seriously not a fan of the above picture but since it's the best side angle picture I have I'm posting it anyway...but to make myself feel better I'm posting another one....)

Aaaahh that's better (probably because my face isn't in it haha) but not 
the best angle for comparison. Okay I feel better now.

Fast forward 35/36 weeks...

2 days before delivering and feeling great!

15 minutes before my water broke...and less than 4 hours before that baby flew on out of there.
Here I am roughly 33ish lbs up from my pre-pregnancy weight.  

Now for the after pictures...

24 hours after giving birth. Down roughly 10 lbs. (8lb 6oz baby + placenta + fluid)
and about 23ish lbs. up from pre-pregnancy weight. (Plus sexy sexy mesh underwear
which seriously are actually the most comfortable things in the world!)

Side view. 

Front view - yikes!

6 Days After Delivery

Down 12 lbs. from the day I delivered, up about 31ish lbs. from pre pregnancy weight.  It's SO hilarious how absolutely tiny you feel after you deliver am I right ladies?? I guess you are compared to the day that an entire human being comes out from inside your body...Here is me thinking "oh damn I'm looking GOOD!!" with my 6 month pregnant looking belly haha.

10 Days After Delivery

Down 15 lbs. from delivery date weight and still up about 18ish lbs. from pre pregnancy weight...and still dealing with a weirdo husband  on a daily basis (although time is not gonna change THAT one...)

4 Weeks After Delivery

Down 20 lbs. from the day I delivered and up 13ish lbs. from pre-pregnancy weight.

Front view. One area that I notice has changed (really it changed after my first pregnancy) was the area right below my bra strap. I have always been able to feel my ribcage expanding and skin stretching right in that spot during pregnancies (whether it's numb and tingly like the first time or just painful like the second). This has resulted in some tiny rolls of extra fat and skin. I think it went away after my first pregnancy but now I'm not actually sure on that. When I bend over it looks like CRAZY old lady front saddlebags haha. When standing the downwards pressure from my bra makes it fold up a bit. I'll have to make a note to see how/if this changes over time. You can also see this effect some in the previous picture as well.

Front view closeup. Linea Nigra still hangin on too! 

6 Weeks After Delivery

Down 20 lbs. from delivery date weight and up 13 - so not much has changed
on the scale between 4 weeks pp and 6 weeks pp...

Front view.

8 Weeks After Delivery

2 weeks later, still down 20 lbs. and up 13 lbs...so literally nothing has
changed on the scale in the last 4 weeks...but it does seem that things look slightly tighter.

Also not quite sure why I decided to not wear a shirt at all for this round of pictures... meh oh
well. You guys have already seen pretty much all of me at my worst anyway!

Front view. I feel like by 8 weeks pp I am starting to look much more like "myself", although not entirely yet.
For my body personally, this is still looking a little fluffy in the middle (and backside ;) - not pictured hehe). 

4 Months + 1 Week After Delivery

Down 29 lbs. from delivery date weight and up about 4 lbs. from pre-pregnancy weight. Not CRAZY different from the initial "we're pregnant" picture, but still a little work to do (once I decide to stop being so lazy and eating so much garbage). 

(Ignore the creases from my shorts!)

At this point (4 months and 1 week post partum) I feel like I am looking pretty similar to my pre-Wells self but I still have a little bit of work to do. The scale says I only have a few pounds left, but I can tell that the composition of weight IS different (more fat than muscle than I was prior to baby #2.) I know this because things are not quite as tight muscle-wise and my thighs/butt are still fitting very snugly into pre-pregnancy pants/jeans/shorts... "fitting" is probably a generous word ;). (With both pregnancies, that seems to be where the most poundage packs on - thighs and the backside.) It is so very important to me to honor and respect my body for what it has just done - constructing, growing, birthing and sustaining another life! Going crazy with the working out, dieting, cutting calories etc. is not something I do (or will ever do) immediately after giving birth and I have promised to give myself some grace and let by body recover naturally for a while. Breastfeeding is such a priority for me as well that I would never do anything to risk my supply. 

I really feel as though my body typically hits a pretty serious plateau at about 4 weeks after I deliver. After that it comes off much slower, although it DOES still come off on it's own naturally. I haven't done anything crazy other than been on a handful of runs. (Houston in the summer = only a few runs per month if that!) No diets or crazy exercise regimens. Once my body gets to this point, I think "okay I can work with this". As long as I can be patient enough to actually get to that point, I am totally okay with the pace of how things happen and change.

I have said this before but I will say it again - recovery this time around has been such a dream. While things might look about the same to an outsider when comparing this recovery to my previous one, it FEELS so different. The prayer, preparation and faith in our Lord has absolutely carried over from our birth experience into the post-partum/recovery experience. He is truly amazing in the way that He hears our hearts, answers prayers and reveals to us HIS goodness. This is the God that I love and serve. If you don't have a relationship with Him yet, I highly encourage you to seek Him out and challenge Him to change your life in drastic and radical ways - because without a doubt He will! For us, He has done things and worked in ways that man has declared impossible.

3rd and 4th Trimester Running...and Beyond! (Part 2)

Continued from 3rd and 4th Trimester Running...and Beyond! (Part 1)

4^th trimester running (aka the first 3 months after childbirth) – Fast forward 8 weeks or so…My first run after giving birth was on June 28^th.  I was 5 weeks and 5 days postpartum.  I REALLY didn't want to start working out too soon after giving birth, but I was feeling well enough by this point to attempt a slow jog.  It went really well and just felt SO good to be back out running.  I felt semi-human again!  On July 2^nd, 6 weeks and 1 day after having Heidi, I got the go-ahead from my doctor to resume normal workout activities. Between May 20^th (Heidi’s birth) and August, I only went on 7 runs total.  (Which, to be honest was a pretty normal number of runs for me to take during a Houston summer!)  And as much as I wanted to “get my body back” and get crazy with the working out… it was also very important to me to take it easy.  I had to make a conscious effort not to push myself too far too soon.  I wanted to respect my body and acknowledge everything that it had just gone through.  I think a lot of women get too nuts about this and trust me – I definitely struggle with impatience too!  I’m not claiming that it was easy.  But it’s important to cut.  your.  self.  some.  SLACK!  For crying out loud ladies, if you never give yourself a break ever – now is the one time you SHOULD.  You NEED to.  Pay your body some respect.  Give it some much needed (and well deserved) time off.  Give your body a chance to relax, recover, and HEAL before you start asking so much of it again.  Your body sometimes needs nature to take over for a bit :). This was my focus. 

I was also VERY concerned with messing with my milk supply.  It really does take a looong time for your supply to establish itself.  Those first 6 weeks are crucial – and if you start burning too many calories too soon you can easily dry up.  Breastfeeding is one of those things – once it’s gone - ITS GONE!  There’s no getting it back.  So as important as working out is to me and my lifestyle, providing nourishment to my baby was one thousand times more valuable than getting a six pack or back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  That stuff can wait.  That was the number one goal and top priority.  Taking it easy early on was crucial to me.  God has blessed women with an amazing gift – to grow, birth and nourish our babies with our own bodies – we must show our gratitude by respecting ourselves, acknowledging these abilities and making a conscious effort to not ask too much too soon of ourselves.  

BEYOND! – My first run with Heidi took place on September 8^th and she was approx. 3 and a half months old.  I was starting to train for my first half marathon which was to take place in November (10ish weeks later).  Obviously, running with a stroller takes some getting used to.   I also had some fears going into my first training program postpartum.  (Will I be able to fully train with a stroller? How will my milk supply/Heidi be affected? Will I be able to run for 2 hours without my boobs exploding, etc. etc….)  Now, running with a stroller is hard at first, but once I got used to it it wasn’t so bad.  However, once I got into those longer-ish runs (longer than 2-3 miles) I started noticing how MECHANICALLY different I felt - for the first time ever.  Running was harder than it had EVER been for me.  It was nearly impossible to push through.  I was SO thirsty I could hardly stand it.  I literally felt like I was trying to run through jello.  It was terrible.  (Not to mention SEPTEMBER in Houston – UGH!)  I obviously made a conscious effort to UP my caloric intake and stay as hydrated as possible… but with how much I was sweating… halfway through a run I was so parched it felt like my whole body was just about to shrivel up and die right there on the sidewalk.  I did my best but had to cut SO many runs short because I just.  couldn't.  I also was experiencing intense pain in both hips.  I could feel those ball-in-socket joints just GRINDING and I knew that my pelvis was definitely still way out of whack.  The pain would kick in around mile 3 or 4 and I would feel it for the rest of the day (and sometimes into the following day).  As I continued to try and train for this half, the more I trained the harder it got.  I went into town on the weekends for my longer runs.  I think it was my 10 miler… I had to stop and walk so much, it took me forever to finish.  I ran (or at least I was supposed to run) my 11 miler with a friend, and ended up forcing him to leave me behind because I just couldn't do it.  I literally had to stop at mile 6 and just walk to where Ryan was meeting us.  It was ROUGH to say the least.  So going into this half marathon, I was very nervous about finishing.  I didn't want to have to walk 6 miles to the finish line if/when I got too tired.  I prayed that I would be able to run and that I would be able to finish without too much pain.

Race day came and although I was nervous I was also determined.  I knew I would be going SO slow, but I was going to finish.  I was able to run almost the entire thing (probably walked for 4-5 minutes or less altogether?) and finished in 3 hours.  3 HOURS.  The slowest half I have ever run.  And it HURT.  But I did it.  (I should also note that I wore an adult diaper for the race.  I am SOOO glad I did because I literally peed the entire time.  It wasn't as uncomfortable as you might think actually… and I will probably have to get used to that haha!)

Following the race, I was at yoga one day and my instructor was working with me during the class.  I told him about my experience with running postpartum and he said “You gotta make sure the tires are aligned before you take your car on cross-country road trip”.  This made me laugh but there is so much truth to it!  My body definitely was not ready for 13.1 miles yet.  I’m glad I did it, but next time I know not to sign up for something so soon after giving birth.  

I will also point out that my milk supply was NOT affected by my half marathon training, Heidi never indicated that she had a problem with the amount/taste being affected by my working out and I was able to run for 3 hours (and go longer without nursing her – probably closer to 5 or 6 hours?) without my boobs exploding or even getting that uncomfortable.  (I woke up that morning, nursed Heidi, pumped what was left and left Ryan with a full bottle of thawed milk. By the time we had gotten home, and I showered Heidi was ready to eat and I was not experiencing any discomfort.)

Since November, I have continued to run (my longest run being a few 6 milers).  I am no longer experiencing the pelvis/hip pains that I was before, but I also am not currently putting myself through the physical stress of training for a half marathon.  I definitely feel super gun-shy about signing up for another one and even though I want to do more I still let that fear creep into my mind..."What if it's like it was before?  What if I can't do it?"  I had initially wanted to attempt 2 half marathons this spring but now I don't see that happening.  (My goal was 3 in a year - May to May.)  I am definitely doubting myself but I also know that I'm not going to know until I try it!

So how did I do it?  How did I run throughout my entire pregnancy, the months postpartum and continue to do so now?  NO mysterious pills, NO magical drinks filled with sugar and caffeine to "boost" my energy, NO special supplements claiming to "help me get my body back".  Just a lot of prayer.  Hard work.  A LOT of sweat.  And a LOT of PATIENCE.  I also have to credit the Lord with 100% of my abilities and success.  HE knows the desires of our hearts.  I know I don't deserve anything that I have but He has allowed me to continue to live the active lifestyle that brings me joy and a sense of accomplishment.  I will praise HIS name forever!

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

Just before going on my first run after childbirth.

First run together with Heidi on the outside!

She didn't even make it to the end of the driveway before passing out. 

Shiner beer half!  It was really rainy...

One of the prettiest races I've ever done!  So cool to look ahead and see the long
hilly country road dotted with people as far as I could see. 

Yes it is!!  (Also, the sun came out to see us briefly!)

More running through the hill country... the course turned left a ways up and
you could see little dots running off to the left.

The BEST part of the finish line :)

Heidi also wanted some beer from grandpa Eric.

We finished!  Unfortunately, we were too cold, wet and tired to hang out for very long and didn't even go on a tour of the brewery.   Everyone was soaked, it was raining off and on and Ryan, Heidi and stroller were also quite muddy.

Shiner. Beer. Run!  Check, check and check!

Sorry Heidi we left you out of the picture. 

The best part of the swag bag  and my new favorite koozie - because I EARNED it!

Postpartum BELLY!

Postpartum body: one of the things I was MOST curious about prior to getting pregnant/giving birth!  What does an after-baby belly LOOK like???  How does recovery work?  How HARD is it really to get back down to pre-pregnancy weight?  How different IS your body after having a baby?? Well, if you were wondering about these things too, I am here to help you out!  When I found out I was pregnant, I truly thought that I would be able to control how much weight I gained.  "I will work out and eat healthy and be one of those people who only gains 25 pounds!"  HAH.  Good one Stephanie.... I ended up gaining OVER 40 pounds.  40 POUNDS!  (I say over 40 pounds because my starting weight is a little fuzzy.  It really varied by 5 - 6 lbs. depending on the day, so I don't have an EXACT starting number.)  I was even still running consistently up until I was 38 weeks pregnant.  (I am clearly not the one in control here - and He needed to show me that!)  I truly believe that how much weight we gain during pregnancy is 99% out of our control.  I mean, don't go crazy and eat 17 donuts and 5 Big Macs every day or anything, but I believe that our bodies know what it takes to support a tiny little life and we don't really have a say about that.  (Perhaps some of that is genetic as well - my mom gained over 40 lbs. with both my sister and I and shes tiny!!)  With all of that being said...Let's take a little picture journey together!  

Let's start off with some of the BEFORE the before pictures, shall we?

4 weeks pregnant!

9 weeks pregnant.

9 weeks pregnant... pretty much looking what is my "normal", although I remember thinking I was already showing a little pregnancy-bloating when I took this picture. 

Fast forward 30 weeks or so...

Front view, taken 5 days prior to giving birth.

Taken 2 days before I gave birth...yikes!

This photo was taken while I was in labor, between contractions.
So this is me + 7 lb. 12 oz. Heidi and 35 some odd extra pounds.

And now for the after pictures...

Taken in the hospital, approx. 36 hours after giving birth.
I hope you are loving my sexy sexy disposable hospital underwear as well.

Side view.  What a freaky shape!

Front view of my gross deflated belly button.  Looks like the end of a tied off balloon.  Yuck!

In the above pictures, I was 12.5 pounds down from what I weighed the day I delivered (36 hours prior), and still around 30ish pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. One week later... 

7 Days After Delivery

7 days after giving birth.  25.5 lbs. down from delivery date weight and around 15ish pounds or so away from pre-pregnancy weight.

Side view.

Front view... still gross belly button.

This picture was taken the very next day... (8 days after delivery).
SO crazy how it naturally shrinks so much every day!  Thank you boobs for burning so many calories for me!

14 Days After Delivery

14 days after giving birth.  28.5 lbs. down from delivery date weight and around 12ish pounds or so away from pre-pregnancy weight 

Front view.

Things really seemed to level off after the first 2 weeks.  After those first 14 days, I MAYBE lost about a pound a week for the next couple of weeks.

4 Weeks After Delivery (No picture)

- 29.5 lbs. down from delivery date and 10 or 12 lbs. away from pre-pregnancy weight.

6 Weeks After Delivery

6 weeks after giving birth - 30.5 lbs. down from delivery date and 10ish lbs. away from pre-pregnancy weight.

Front view.  (Linea nigra is starting to disappear!  I am honestly a LITTLE sad about it... one of the last physical signs that there was at one point a baby in me.)

12 Weeks After Delivery

12 weeks after giving birth - 33.5 lbs. down from delivery date and less than 10 lbs. away from pre-pregnancy weight.

Front view.

So there you have it!  12 weeks of recovery, because that's truly what it is!  Things seem to have slowed way down and leveled off at the weight I am currently at.  While I still have a little bit of work to do, I sincerely hope that staying fit throughout my pregnancy has helped me to "bounce back" easier.  Since getting the all-clear from my doctor at 6 weeks postpartum, I have gone on 4 runs and done a little bit of yoga.  So probably 99% of my progress has been ALL mother nature (and breastfeeding WOO!)  I would like to start eating less and working out more, but I won't even consider this until I am done breastfeeding.  I don't want to do anything to mess with my supply!  However, I will start training for another half-marathon in September (about a month from now) and I will need to increase the number of calories I am consuming even MORE!  ("Would you like whipped cream on your mocha?"  "Yes, please!")

I am so grateful to God that HE has allowed me to maintain an active lifestyle throughout pregnancy and beyond.  I have even MORE respect for my body after seeing everything that it has gone through and watching this amazing recovery process.  Praise be to God for blessing women with such an incredible GIFT - the ability to grow and birth babies into this world.  Our bodies are INCREDIBLE!!  And it is more important to me than ever to thank HIM for this by taking care of myself and continuing to live a healthy lifestyle (which might include just a little bit of chocolate too)!