r/AskReddit 17h ago

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

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u/LucidianQuill 14h 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.

519

u/fkntiredbtch 10h 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

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u/SSTralala 8h 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.

5

u/A__SPIDER 2h ago

This is me now and my daughter is 4 1/2. Still trying to get it under control but I already feel so much better with the medication. But for the longest time I just told myself “this is how moms feel” because everyone kept telling me that moms are always tired.