A Brief Note About Pregnancy

My Life

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Maggie Mason is a hot mama, originally uploaded by superhero.

So. Remember sixteen months ago when I was super, duper pregnant? Barely, right? It seems like a looong time ago. Especially when Hank strolls into the room and says something like, “Mummy, I have a few questions about the mortgage crisis.”

Well ladies, this is how long it took me to take off all the baby weight. Sixteen months. I did not wear my jeans out of the hospital, I did not lose the “fat face” the minute I gave birth, I was not able to eat whatever I wanted just because I was breast feeding, and I could not climb back on a tread mill right after Hank was born. I needed quite a while to heal.

Are you listening? Sixteen months. For me, that’s how long it took. Sixteen months and quite a bit of help from Weight Watchers online. It’s not true for everybody, but it is true for lots of folks. So put down the issue of People magazine, and turn away from all the moms on E! who got their bodies back a month later. If you’re feeling bummed about your gut, get yourself some flattering dresses, and give yourself a little time.

Good job making that baby, girl.

Published

134 thoughts on “A Brief Note About Pregnancy”

  1. Lovely to get a dose of reality these days – especially while at 17 weeks. I don’t have to be superwoman after the baby and lose it all. Refreshing.

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  2. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Next you can blog about how these same women in People and on E! have c-sections to avoid having stretch marks.

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  3. Wow! That so made me feel better. I’m three weeks out of my third pregnancy and wishin I was a skinny minnie. I know it’ll happen…in time.

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  4. So, you’ve already heard this eleventy-billion times, but THANK YOU. I needed to hear that. I’m 3 months post-partum with my 3rd son, and am left with what can only be described as wreckage for a stomach. But I grew some amazing specimens! And even though I regularly threaten to give them to the first band of vagrants that ring the doorbell (in jest! only in jest!), I love them more than anything.

    You rock.

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  5. Thank you Maggie. I have a 7 week old and have been wearing the same pair of stretch pants since she was born. You’ve inspired me to go out and shop rather than wait for my old clothes to miraculously fit anytime soon!

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  8. This post couldn’t come at a better time. I just delivered my first baby last Thursday and I still look like I’m 5 months pregnant. I was all belly during the pregnancy and I’m all belly AFTER pregnancy. WTF?? Anyway, I appreciate the post — it helps me to relax a bit since I’m jonzin’ to be at the gym.. NOW! (as well as wear pants that don’t require elastic bands)

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  9. I’m not pregnant, nor am I pondering becoming so in the next few years, but your post made me cry some happy tears (at work!). MightyGirl indeed!!

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  10. this is very empowering, but also very scary. is it bad of me to say i’d like to stay naive? i want both: baby and body. oh, horsefeathers.

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  12. Thanks, Maggie, for that great post. I am 7 months pregnant with my 1st child. While really happy, I’m of course worried about losing the weight. Before I got pregnant, I had lost 20 pounds on Weight Watchers for my wedding. Then I got pregnant on my honeymoon. When I found out I was pregnant, I was at my goal weight and so exited about all the new cute clothes I was wearing. But after the shock wore off, I remained committed to maintaining the same healthy habits I had acquired. By doing that these last 7 months, my weight gain has been steady and well within the amount prescribed by my doctor.
    I plan to go back to Weight Watchers after my son is born. I know it will not be easy, but I’m also going to be reminded all the time of the cool, great and amazing thing my body did when I look at my son!

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  13. Great post. So going by your weight loss I should be back (hopefully) into pre preggy clothes in just one more year … afterall I had twins so it should take me 32 months, that’s an extra year of bon bon eating before fitting back into my skinny jeans … right?. Phew and to think I was all upset that 20 months later I still wear all pregnancy clothes and look 4 months pregnant when I turn side-on. 🙂

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  14. thank you for making me feel less shitty about not having lost the last 20 lbs of my baby weight. from the three babies i had six months ago. why do i still feel shitty about that? geez.

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  15. Can’t help to pile on and say thanks! I’ve got two kiddos, 3 yo and 4 months and 20 lbs to go to my pre-pre pregnancy weight. Was feeling down since 2 of my other mom friends lost it all in 4 months. (high metabolisms and no love for sweets) Love the picture and the dress, looks like a vintage sweater dress that I wore during my pregnancies. Although no accompanying hot momma picture…

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  16. I have a 4 month old and am sick of people going on about how nursing burns sooo many calories. HA! I have put on weight since she came and am living in sweat pants. I am super glad to hear I am not alone.

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  18. I’m at a full 10 weeks with my first, and haven’t been overly emotional. Thank you for making me feel wonderful already.

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  20. A place that made me feel a tad bit better was theshapeofamother.com. Be warned, there is nudity, but it’s what real women look like during and after pregnancy.

    Getting to size 0 a month after giving birth is just not healthy and those magazines are just making us feel worse about ourselves.

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  21. You are a goddess. Thank you.
    (Eight months and counting–and all I want to do is keep EATING. Yeah, breastfeeding just makes you want to EAT.)

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  22. Hey, that’s exactly how long it took me to fit back into my skinny pre-pregnancy jeans!

    Then, the NEXT DAY, a positive pregnancy test. Nice while it lasted!

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  23. I’ve been reading you for years, and this might be my favorite post ever. You really are mighty.

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  25. a-fucking-men.

    my son is almost 7 months old and i am breastfeeding and the weight. is. not. coming. off.

    sigh.

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  26. This is refreshing to read! In all the magazines featuring celebrities and their births, they fail to mention the millions of dollars they all have to spare on personal chefs and trainers. I have been going to WW for years, and am now pregnant, and am sure that I will have a long road ahead of me when I am ready to go back, and I’m going to be ok with that. Thanks!

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  27. Nearly 20 months for me…it’s been a long road with a few plateaus that were really frustrating. In the end, I’m happy that it happened slowly and healthfully, even thought at about 10 months, as we were starting to think about my son’s first birthday party, I was lamenting not fitting into my summer wardrobe.

    So, I went shopping.

    Thanks for this! And, if I ever have another baby, I hope, pray, hope again that I look as beautiful as you in your photo above.

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  28. First Time Reader, and damn glad I did. 16 months, thats a heck of a lot better than I’m doing. 2.5 years later, still haven’t lost that baby weight. I started WW again yesterday… and this post is a great re-inforcement! (sp?)

    Thank you!

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  29. That photo rocks. 🙂 And so do you.

    The nurse that escorted us to our vehicle with our newborn told me not to worry, breastfeeding will make the weight melt off no problem! And besides, you gained it in 9 months, give yourself at least 9 to take it off. The first half of her advice was a crock, God love ‘er. And the whole “it takes 9 months to take it off” is a bit misleading too. It should be “give yourself as long as you need to feel good and ready”.

    They should just be honest with first-time moms and tell them look, the first 6 months are going to test your ability to function at even the most primal level, so don’t even worry about the weight until your kid’s 6 month bday.

    My daughter is 19 months old. 5 months ago I joined WW online, and have since lost 20 pounds. I tried other methods to lose the baby weight. None of them worked. I weigh less now than I did when I conceived. WW is a miracle I tell you!

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  32. Oh, Maggie, this is a message women need to hear. Having been through it 3 times over, I can tell you it’s always been easy to put on the weight and hard to take it off. But it can be done; it just takes determination, focus, and sadly, exercise. Bravo to you for seeing it through!

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