Post-pregnancy

In all the books about pregnancy, there's lots of talk about the million little things that happen to a woman's body during pregnancy. When I was pregnant, everyone was asking about my cravings, the oiliness of my hair, my bellybutton, etc. etc. etc. It was all quite fascinating. I think there's a misconception, though, in the general public (minus anyone who's had a baby before) that once that baby is out, a woman's body is acting normal again, minus some sleep of course. The pregnancy books say a little about it, but not a ton. Maybe it's because there's so much attention focused on the new baby that no one pays much attention to what mom's body is doing any more, and maybe it's a good thing, since most of the aftermath isn't terribly pretty (or socially acceptable to ask about if you're just an acquaintance). There are some people who understand that it takes a while to get back to pre-pregnancy weight and shape (but I did have a female friend look at me with wide eyes and dropped jaw - all she could say was "wow" - when I told her that I was still wearing my maternity pants at about 1.5 months!). I happen to be pretty lucky - I was back to pre-pregnancy weight at about 2 months, and I have actually lost another 2 pounds in the last month. My pants still don't fit normally, though - I'm pretty sure my hips are wider, and that might be permanent. I still have very obvious stretch marks, and my hormones are still pretty wacky sometimes. There are a few other things that I won't mention here that are permanent modifications to my body, too. I actually think it's fascinating and quite amazing that I can go from this (actually, this is at 37 weeks pregnant) to this in less than two months. Yes, there's not a 7-pound 5-ounce child or a placenta inside me anymore, but I think it's amazing.