This post is going to start off easy, but become progressively more "intimate" (offensive? distasteful? horrifying?) as we go...just a heads up! I'll give you another warning as we get closer, though ;)
After my first baby, I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly and easily I returned to my pre-baby weight. I had him at the start of July, and was appearing in bikinis publicly before Labour Day. That said, I look back at photos of myself then, in which I felt I looked amazing...and wonder why I ever thought so! I looked good "for having just had a baby" - but not GOOD good! :s But the important thing, I suppose, is that I felt good - or like I looked good (is there a difference?). I was my skinniest ever about 9 months after giving birth. I attribute my dramatic weight loss to doing about 20 hours of cardio a day (Baby 1 demanded I hold him and remain in constant motion - bouncing, lunging, walking, dancing - at ALL times) and never having time to eat (Baby 1 demanded I hold him and remain in constant motion - bouncing, lunging, walking, dancing - at ALL times - did I mention?). I don't necessarily recommend this weight loss method :s But hey - have yourself a "high needs" baby, and you do what you have to do; dramatic weight loss may just be a small silver lining in it all!
I worried that I might not be so lucky the second time around. And I was right :( I'm only 5 months post partum so far, and am looking pretty good, so there's still hope...but I've had to work a lot harder at this weight loss business. After Baby 1, I was back in my pre-baby jeans 1 week after birth. Granted, I had a bit of a beer gut and a muffin top - but I was in, and they were done up! When I lost more weight, those same jeans became my "fat jeans", and it was a good 4 months before I was able to do those suckers up without displacing organs this time. (Totally unrelated, but you know what the real kicker was? I tried them on once a week for 4 months...and on the glorious day they finally fit again, I knelt on the couch with my son and tore a hole right through the knee! They were fancy, not-distressed jeans (I have a penchant for ridiculously overpriced designer denim, similar to heroin addiction and other life- and bank account-draining addictions, some of you may not know about) that can NOT rock a hole in the knee :( But I digress...) I was seriously worried my pelvis had permanently expanded, because it was my actual skeleton that was preventing me from getting my jeans on, not just fat. So that's the good news: pelvises CAN shrink after childbirth - mine just took longer after Baby 2 than after Baby 1 :)
I started back to pilates about a month after birth, which has definitely helped. And since I'm getting married soon, and needed to look better than just okay, I have recently ramped up my pilates experience to include "Spinlates" - a combination spin class and pilates session, recently introduced at Evolve Pilates and Massage Studio. Honestly? I effing hate it, and whine and complain a lot during my sessions...but my instructor is able to keep her eyes on the prize (looking good in my wedding dress, obvi), even when I am not, and kicks my ass to keep going :D I highly recommend it!
Sadly (? ;)), I am coming to realize that my exercize and diet the first time around might have been less a factor in getting super skinny than was the stress of going through a horrible divorce :s I am in a happy, healthy relationship this time around, coparenting with the best Daddi (aside: whenever I try the "i" ending, I want to barf at myself) in the world...and it's making shedding those pounds a lot harder, damnit! Haha :) But anyways...I am slowly getting closer to my goal weight and size - a goal I keep adding numbers to because, you know what? Being a Mommi of 2, more of a grownup, and half of a happy union is making me think going up a size or 2 might not be so bad, afterall... ;)
A little mummy tummy is one thing, but what about THE GIRLS, you ask? Baby 1 was hard on my boobs. As divulged in a previous post, mine are store-bought. This means that they are still pretty fantastic, compared to regular boobs - but sadly lacking, compared to brand new fakies. Breastfeeding hurt me a lot the first time. I have no reason to believe that had anything to do with having implants; it just hurt! This time, breastfeeding still hurt...to begin with. But it became painless and easy much quicker, and I haven't noticed any further deterioration from The Girls' original glory. I've been lucky enough to suffer no problems with supply, engorgement, mastitis, or any other unpleasantness. I've even gained control of them sooner this time! By that, I mean that I don't have to wear crazy maxi-pads for my boobs anymore, and don't leak through my shirt, or drip all over myself at inopportune moments anymore - all positives!
Finally, what I know a lot of Mommis (maybe Daddis) want to know about, but won't admit to: what about the Lady Parts? (For those of you who don't want to read about my vagina, or even know I have one, this is your aforementioned warning: STOP READING NOW.) But the news is good, and I like to think that my description is tasteful (no pun intended)! :D :D :D We've all heard the jokes about "throwing in some extra sticthes" and things :s... And I didn't get any extra stitches. But I did get fewer stitches than after Baby 1. And I can't explain why - it follows no logic! But somehow...my Down There looks BETTER than before I'd had any children! Seriously: things are...cleaned up...tucked in...I don't know; just better! I've never had an issue with my vagina, but I've never considered it particularly "pretty", either. And now, for whatever reason, mine looks a lot closer to the ones you see in magazines than it ever did before (if you were to look at such magazines...which, of course, you wouldn't...right?)!
Long story short: this is meant to be an uplifting piece of literature - something to evoke hope in the hearts of Mommis facing second pregnancies! My body is not the same as it was before babies. But some parts will be! Others won't, but won't be worse than they were after 1 :) And others yet will be BETTER :D I hope all my readers get "better", too! xoxo
Seems like I have a lot to look forward to;) awesome blog once again!
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