The Suttons: Double Post: Post Pregnancy Bod and New Brynlee Developments

I wanted to finally write a post that a lot of pregnant women question, or even women who want to get pregnant might be wondering...

What is my body going to look like post pregnancy?

I wanted to post about how my post pregnancy body is doing ever since I had Brynlee. I had Brynlee 13 weeks ago, and so far, I'd say I'm pretty pleased with how my body looks now, especially after just having a baby 13 weeks ago. I'd thought I'd look a lot worse. Am I completely happy??? HELLLLLL NO! Mama has some work to do! My body doesn't look like what it did pre pregnancy. I was a health and fitness NUT, getting trained by a great trainer and his program (Lift Strong Run Fast) for about 2 years and seeing a nutritionist that was telling me how to eat and planning my meals. I have high expectations for my body and what it should look like!

After having Brynlee, I got so many compliments on how it doesn't even look like I had a baby. I walked into the gym and my trainer told me that I look great. Everyone is telling me I look great, but I don't think I look as "great" as everyone has been spouting. I agree, I don't look like I had a baby when I'm wearing clothes, but naked?!?!?? Uhhhhhh.....

However, I lost a lot of muscle and gained some body fat. I WILL say, though, I believe that had I not been as in good of shape as I was before pregnancy, I don't think I would look as "good" as I do now. I think we would have had a bigger mess, folks. This all makes me hopeful that I can get it back because I'm not completely destroyed.

I only gained 24 lbs. with Brynlee, thank goodness!!! I'm about 2 pounds shy of my pre-pregnancy weight; but, to me, my body LOOKS like it still needs to shed 10 lbs. In reality, it's more that I don't need to lose WEIGHT, I need to lose BODY FAT. With breastfeeding, it's a little tougher because my body is wanting to store away some fat to help produce milk. It's kind of wigging me out where I'm storing some of this fat. I'm storing in places I don't think my body has EVER seen fat. It's so weird.

Not only do I need to lose some body fat, but my body's tissues, joints, etc. need to go back to normal. My hips are still a little spread from the relaxin during pregnancy. I've read I will continue to have some of those relaxin hormones while breastfeeding. My ab muscles, tummy fascia, and tissue are still a little stretched and still need time to go down. I keep telling myself that it took 9 months to stretch, so it could take up to 9 months to go down. When I flex, I see some "ab-bage," so I know they're still under there! Don't get me wrong. I'm de-swelling; but, it still needs to go down a little more. Hard to explain. I keep hearing from mommy friends that it will, but it takes time. So HEAR THAT NEW MAMAS! It. Takes. Time.

My pants fit on me weird. I can get them up over my hips, butt, and thighs, but they just won't button thanks to all of the tummy stretching. Well, actually, SOME will with a teeny tummy bulge, but it's not bad. I still don't like it because it's not completely flat. I call it my "Mommy Muffin." Again, I tell myself that it just takes time.

During my pregnancy, I took a little break from my very strict health and fitness lifestyle. I continued my trainer's program early in my pregnancy, but stopped because as a first time mom, I was too scared to do some of the things I was doing while pregnant, especially in my first trimester. I was afraid to lose the baby. The "exercise" I got was walking tons and being on my feet all day at work. I barely sat down and kept myself moving. I continued to eat as healthy as possible, but gave myself a few more cheats than I normally would. I didn't believe in that "eating for two" crap and ate normal amounts. I believe this helped me maintain a good weight while pregnant.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've started back at the same gym I have been going to for 2 years because this program WORKS, and I'm determined to get back at it. I've been eating clean for over a month now, BEFORE I started back at the gym. 80% nutrition!!! I'm basically EASING back into my health and fitness nut mode. It's hard to be as nutty as I was before because Brynlee does suck a lot of my time. Between Tyson's school and work schedule and Brynlee's demands right now, it's a little harder to find the time to food prep and squeeze in some gym time.

It took me 10 weeks of adjusting to baby and getting comfortable with my body post c-section to brave it back into Scott Wells' Lift Strong Run Fast program. I started out just walking about 2 miles as daily as possible and eating clean. Now, I'm taking it slow to work myself back into the Lift Strong program.

Overall, I read other fitness guru's blogs who had babies and blogged about their post bod progress. One chick gives me a lot of hope. Her tummy looked like mine does right now when she was about where I was, 2-3 months postpartum. Then, she updated with a post at 5 months postpartum, it was like night and day. I'm remaining optimistic and telling myself that it will take time, but to keep at it.

Do I regret not continuing my normal exercise routine during pregnancy? Yes and no. I would recommend not doing what I did and continue a work out regimen. Again, I was in REALLY good shape before I got pregnant, and I only gained 24 lbs. during pregnancy, so I believe that saved me. That's the other thing I'd recommend.... try to be as in good of shape and have healthy eating habits established before pregnancy. It's very easy to become very lax while pregnant. You're just plain tired because that baby is sucking the life out of you, and dessert sounds pretty darn good most days.

Now on to some new Brynlee baby developments! She's growing right before our eyes. There are days I'll wake up and it's like, HOLY SMOKES! You're doing that now?!?! Best example I can give: I was driving to my parents and looked back at Brynlee in the baby mirror that faces her carseat, and I saw that she was grabbing her blanket and shoving it in her mouth. NEVER had I EVER seen her do that before. It literally was like overnight she was grabbing things. Here's here lying on the ground and grabbing her blanket off her floor swing...

I had put her in a very, fluffy dress for my brother's high school graduation. She liked to pick up the fluff and eat it...

And here's a video of her grabbing and gnawing on her Wubba Nub pacifier. She is just LOVING putting any thing in her mouth and sucking on it...

She has discovered that she has clothes on her body and likes to grab her onsies and try to eat them...

She still LOVES watching the T.V. It's the only way I can cook my breakfast in the morning. I put her in her swing and turn on cartoons. It keeps her occupied for about 10 minutes, but SHOOT! I can make my chai tea and cook my eggs and steel cut oats in the morning! SCORE!!!

Here's one of Tyson and my favorite pictures of her. I took this while she sat on my lap and watched Shrek...

Do you like my bald spot?!

And here's a video of her watching some "Little Mermaid" on Tyson's iPhone. Look at her concentrating on this so, very hard! hahaha!!!....

We've been also doing a lot of tummy time! This little girl is SO. STRONG. Her neck, back, legs, tummy, etc.! I got a coincidental roll over on the couch the other day. She rolled from her back to tummy. I think it was fluke, though. The couch has a little dip where it helped her, but I will say that she was actually trying to attempt to heave-ho herself over. She kept getting up on her side and only ONCE did she actually get on to her tummy. I haven't seen it since. But, Brynlee is working on it. She can get herself up on her side on soft surfaces ie: bed, couch... Here's just a cute, little picture of Brynlee doing tummy time on her boppy...

Addicted to kissing those cheeks!

Brynlee continues to smile and talks up a storm. She turns to the direction of sounds she hears. She definitely turns towards me when she hears me. She is a wiggly thing and is now getting distracted while breastfeeding. My most favorite distraction is when she pulls off, looks up at me, gives me a big smile, then goes back to the breast. Let me tell you how much that makes my heart melt!!! She's also scooting herself. If I lie her in one position on her floor mat and leave for a second, I'll come back to find that she either spinned 180 degrees or scooted herself a few inches off the mat. By the way.... She HATES that floor mat. Screams bloody murder, crying with tears for me to come get her. About broke my heart the other day when she got so distraught over me leaving her on that thing. She loves her mama and won't take her eyes off me if we're in a strange place or some strangers are surrounding us, talking.

I just can't wait to see more, new developments. It truly is so fun to watch babies grow!

And last, but not least! Cute pictures of Brynlee with her cousins. About 3 weeks ago, Tyson's sister and her family came into town to visit Brynlee. Here are some shots with the cousins!!!

This is the floor mat she HATES!

And one last cousin picture. Brynlee with her cousin, Braxton. This is my sister's little boy. He's 21 months. My sister lives in the same city as us, so we're fortunate to be able to see Braxton quite often. Braxton loves his baby cousin!