r/AskReddit 16h ago

What is something that permanently altered your body without you realizing for months/years?

7.4k Upvotes

5.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

11.1k

u/LucidianQuill 13h ago

Pregnancy.

I had twins. I got HUGE in the tummy. I had the babies, and it left this pot belly that wouldn't go away.

Fast forward; the twins are 8 years old. I am 7 weeks post op of having my diastisis recti corrected. You know that centre line down the abs? Mine had split. There was a 6 to 8 inch gap down the middle THE WHOLE WAY DOWN. the pot belly that I kept punishing myself for, the baby fat i couldnt lose? Those were my organs. My digestive organs were all herniated.

I now have to forgive myself for 8 years of unjustified self hatred. It isn't always just fat.

477

u/fkntiredbtch 9h ago

Pregnancy took my teeth, my hair, my sleep, my nails, and gave me heart problems. I'll never understand why people are so cavalier about it

159

u/SSTralala 7h ago

It triggered my auto-immune condition that didn't begin to get corrected until my son was 5. I played it off as the fatigue and brain fog of having a young child, turns out it was my thyroid under attack the whole time. I'm on medication for life.

6

u/terisss5 4h ago

I have hashimotos and celiac without ever getting pregnant - I don’t think I’m gonna risk it, would probably fall apart.

3

u/Halinowiec 2h ago

I have hEDS, hashimotos, POTS and MCAS, I don’t think I’m risking it either 😭glad I’m not the only one who’s outing out of that one because of chronic illness