Putting ourselves back together

kjem182 · April 2012

So I'm hobbling around on hobbit feet. They are so swollen I can hardly bend them backwards, even a little. The relaxin has flattened them to the point that they are spilling off my flip flops. It's gross. How do I get my normal feet back after the baby? I get the swelling will probably (hopefully!) go down. How do we get our arch back? Do we bind them? Wear special shoes? Kiss our former feet goodbye?

Also, what happens to our rib cage? Mine is a good 2-3 inches wider. I've always worn an xs or small top size-no boobs to speak of, and a very petite rib cage area. There is no way I'm going to fit back in to my shirts if it stays this wide. Again, do we bind our rib cage? I'm figuring my guts will all fall back down when my uterus shrinks, right? Will our rib cages shrink themselves back? I get I'll have a chest when I breast feed, but it would be nice to have a smaller torso again.

Lastly, will my pelvis bone have shifted so much that my pants won't fit normally anymore, after I've lost the extra weight in my hips? I'm not vain about the size of my hips-they've always been curvy and that's ok. But again, I'd like to wear my former clothing and don't want to have to buy a new wardrobe because of a wider pelvic bone. I've seen wraps that claim to shrink your hips, but do they work? Will it happen naturally? Will it not move enough to even make a difference?

Any knowledge is appreciated!! I keep forgetting to ask my doctor.

AndromedaEclipse · April 2012

I don't think binding is the way to go in any circumstance. As for the feet, I've heard that's to some extent permanent. You might shrink back a little bit, but I wouldn't expect huge changes. Your body will be different after birth, and it's just the price we pay for our little ones.

theabbey5 · April 2012

Nothing will change...you will surely walk around with fat feet, a bit wide torso, wide hips and pelvis tilted forward. Haven't you seen all the freaky moms walking around looking like pregnant women without the bump?!

Seirously though...this is my 3rd child and I fully expect to be back in my regular clothes by month 6...and I wear the same size I wore before baby #1. Exercise after week 6 and you'll be back sooner

jillane513 · April 2012

My rib cage has significantly expanded (2-3 inches) at the suggestion of my lactation consultant and Dr. I just went out and bought bra extenders to improve my current comfort. They say that after delivery the rib cage will go back to its pre-pregnancy size because the baby is no longer shoving your organs up there.

notfrancie · April 2012

Is anyone else considering this...

https://bellybandit.com/Default.aspx

Ridiculous? Or awesome?

SweetHurricane · April 2012

My pre-pregancy pants will never fit again. I weighed less after having DD than I did before I got pregnant. There was no way those pants were going to fit my hips no matter how much weight I lost. I finally gave up and bought a new size.

geauxfrogs · April 2012

I think some of those things are different for each person. My shoe size is half a size bigger now than it was was before DD. My feet haven't changed much this pregnancy so far. (I'm sure I just jinxed that though.)

After DD I got down below my pre-pregnancy weight by about 10 lbs. My hips were a little wider, but my pre-DD clothes were still too big.

EMOmamma · April 2012

My feet, hips, and ribs never went all the way back to pre-preg size even after the weight loss (but I didn't have that much time between #1 & #2). I suspect my feet will never go back but hopefully with work after this one I can get some resemblance of my former body back.

cchill01 · April 2012

EMO-mamma:

My feet, hips, and ribs never went all the way back to pre-preg size even after the weight loss (but I didn't have that much time between #1 & #2). I suspect my feet will never go back but hopefully with work after this one I can get some resemblance of my former body back.

Don't give up hope on your rib cage and hips. It took me a FULL year, maybe more to get back to my normal dress size. And I was a full 20lbs less than my pre-preg weight.

As for the feet, any gain in length may be permanent. I'm a 1/2 size longer than pre-preg, but the same width. My Mom's feet also grew a 1/2 inch with each child. But, the spreading goes back.

Oh - and my archs mostly are the same.

Josie22 · April 2012

It took 11 months for my hips to go back to normal. I thought they were never going to, but they did. My feet went back to normal quicker. My ribs didn't do much changing the first time, but this time they have. I'm sure they'll go back too.

mobiz · April 2012

my hips and ribcage went back, but my feet are forever changed. in my last pg my feet were sooooo swollen at the end and my arches had pretty much stretched out/fallen/flattened. the swelling went away by 2 weeks postpartum but to this day i have wider feet and some arch issues. its a little better this pregnancy so far (my arches didn't have anywhere else to fall this time) but my feet do ache and swell after a long day. i sadly told my DH the other day that i just worry i'll never in my life be back to any 'hot shoes' since right now all i go for is comfort! (and even between pregnancies i really can't ever wear anything again without better arch support).

oh well--a few feet changes are a small price to pay for a child

my biggest complaint would be my sad b**bs that will never be perky again.....:(