Friday 5: Body Changes After Baby

Here is a very scary comparison picture to put up.  I know I stopped doing body-after-baby posts when it started to feel like bragging, but this is more than just weight, it's the details that sometimes fail to get mentioned.  And, I apologize that the angles are just different enough to make it somewhat trippy.  These pictures were taken on September 15, 2010 (5 weeks pregnant, but still the same body), and September 29, 2011 (now, 4 months post-baby).

In the interest of full disclosure, I will be giving numbers, so if you don't want to know, I suggest stopping.

1)  Weight
I am really darn lucky.  I know this.  I had no trouble losing the weight.  I have been a lazy bum that eats a lot of crap, though, so my weight actually did go back up after it had dropped BELOW pre-pregnancy weight.  On the left, I weighed 135 lbs.  On the right I weigh 136.5.  They are the same clothes, but because I took a lot of monthly update pictures in them, they are pretty stretched out now.  Also, I'm not running right now, so there is a distinct difference in muscle tone.

2)  Joint size
I know this sounds strange, but with all the swelling, joints expand.  My feet went from a 7.5 to between an 8/8.5 and I've had to purchase a lot of new shoes.  Now, that's not really a bad thing, other than it's not in the budget.  Also, you may recall that I tried to jam my wedding rings on my fingers 6 weeks post-partum, and had to have them cut off in the emergency room.  My fingers grew MUCH larger.  My rings were previously 3.75, and now are 5.25.  I understand that that still means that I have abnormally skinny fingers, but they are gigantic to me.  Again, this is mostly the joints, and not the part in between.

3)  The Girls
Yes, I'm still nursing.  Therefore, this is likely to change again, but not always.  I went from a 36C pre-pregnancy, up to a 38F during, and down now to a 36DD.  Again, a slightly non-traditional route.  I was terrified that everyone kept telling me that they were going to get bigger once the milk came in.  Thank goodness that was not the case, and they, in fact, went down in size.  I have spoken to many women where this was a permanent change, but I really wouldn't mind going back down.  Who knows.  I have been blessed that nursing has not been problematic at all.

4)  My Hips
OHHHHH my hips.  Now, I know some of you are looking at the picture trying to figure out what I'm talking about.  No, I'm not talking about size, or appearing any different.  They are PAINFUL.  This is part of my excuse for not running right now.  I always had bad hips.  A drunk guy fell on me when I was 18, and I was in a car accident at 20, so they've always hurt.  Even before I gave birth Chris tried to get me to go see his chiropractor.  I never did.  After giving birth?  Multiple times a day I will turn, and a stabbing pain will shoot through my hip.  I feel it in my knees and ankles, as well, as the whole alignment is off.  I can barely walk sometimes, and going down the stairs in the middle of the night to get the baby is my own version of hell.  I have finally given in and scheduled a chiropractor appointment for this afternoon.  I'll let you know how it goes.  I'm really hoping that I can get some relief!

SCARY PICTURE #2.  PERHAPS MORE SCARY THAN #1!!!

This, folks, is my stomach.  Which, ok, really isn't too scary, again, lucky.

5)  My Stomach

Yes, I know people are looking at that hating me.  There are no stretch marks.  None.  How?  God was kind.  I have a lot of spider veins on my legs, but that's it.  The linea negra has not totally disappeared, and I'm not sure when it will.  Obviously, I had been wearing a different bra and pants, and those are the marks.  Try and ignore those.  

The excess skin.  It bothers me, but I continue to hope it will shrink over time.  Everyone tells me it will.  You can still see that bulge, and it is easy to grab handfuls.  Sorry for the graphic imagery.  All I can tell you is that as of 4 months?  Still there.  

You may notice that my stomach is broken out, which may seem odd.  It is.  Certain babies (hmm hmm LION, talking to you!) dribble a lot of milk while they're eating.  I try and clean it off, but it never seems to be good enough.  So I have teenage skin...on my stomach.  Joy.  

Bonus #6 - A quick run-down of other changes, or lack there-of

- Hair: Lost a bunch, but it seems to have stopped, and hasn't really been an issue, other than disgusting the husband who cleans the drains.  It's as curly as ever.

- Skin: It was much better while I was pregnant.  Back to breaking out.

- Internally: Digestion is back to being problematic.  Lactose intolerance has returned.

- Smell: I'm back to being unable to smell anything.

***UPDATE as of 10 months HERE***

Are there other changes people have dealt with?  Or are there things you thought you would face and didn't?