C-Section Pictures

Care76

I might as well ask here since this thread is about c sections. Have any of you that are doing lots of different crunches finding the muscles are very sore where your scar is? I mean my upper abs are sore, but in a I had a good workout kind of way. My lower abs hurt when I move certain ways and it feels like when I was healing after surgery. Not quite as painful, but different than normal muscle burn.

You may have some adhesions from the scar. I didn't have a c section but had a hysterectomy done back in the day when they did them by the same method rather than internally. It used to pull and itch and the doctor said it was just adhesions that would break and it would stop doing that. It did stop after a while and I really think breaking those bonds helps the muscle get back into shape. On a side note, I shattered my knee joint not long after that and had adhesions form so I couldn't move my knee. The solution to that was for the PT to lay me on my stomach and very quickly shove my foot up to my *kitten*. Pretty sure they heard my scream up on the 3rd floor but it really felt better after the initial pain so probably breaking them up in your abdomen would be good too.

Ouch! That would have been horrible!

I am not sure if it is adhesions as I have had them from 3 previous surgery's to remove endometriosis and I think I do have then from the c sec scar on my left as when I walk a lot it pulls on the left. Maybe, but it feels so different.

abickford82

I had c-sections in 2006, 2007, and 2009. My youngest son will be 5 in February, and I'm down 109lbs. total since March-ish 2009. I don't have my highest weight in this picture, but over the years the pooch is finally starting to go away. I'm not perfect, but I don't think I want a tuck either. I'm finding that lifting heavy is really, really helping me combined with cardio. I wore a bikini for the first time in my adult life this summer, and I had no issues wearing it despite my stretch marks and little pooch. The most recent pic in my animal print was taken about 2 weeks ago.

Pics from over the years:

Lemongrab1

If you can't figure out how to fit it in exercise into your day right now, focus on your diet. Pack your own meals so you don't have an excuse to overeat when you're at work.
The majority of weight is lost through diet anyway seeing as it's the easiest way to create a calorie deficit.
Minus 500 calories from your TDEE and you're ready.
I haven't had a caesarian (or kids, which explains why) but my friend had a really REALLY bad caesarian. Kind of looked like she got Freddy Krueger'd.
She began running 4x per week, half an hour per day, and her stomach's as flat as flat can be. She already had a good diet so the exercise just fixed the rest.

rachelwarner32

I've had 2 c sections and I have my pics in my profile since I've been doing Insanity. It can be done you just have to work really hard. I don't have post c section pics though. That was just to awful to remember :sad: Good luck!

watercolorarteest

<...> My stomach was so huge people kept asking if I was having twins, and when I would say "no, just one healthy baby" people would say are you sure? It was really starting to piss me off by the end. I ended up with a c section and I have a lot of extra skin hanging now. I was overweight before becoming pregnant, <...>

I can identify with this as well. I HATED that I was so big that people thought I was carrying twins (which in my family was definitely a possibility, but ruled out by ultrasound). And what's even worse, is that I only gained enough weight to have barely been called a healthy pregnancy (in both cases!). So the weight gain was ALL baby and pregnancy related weight.

I had a C-section with my first pregnancy almost 18 years ago, and a 9lb 8oz baby resulted (he was two weeks late). I love him to pieces, but after that delivery, I swore I wouldn't have any more kids and thus never have another C-section again....

Then about 3.5 years later, I got pregnant again (by choice, a girl can change her mind!) and vowed I would NOT have another C-section (they're awful!!!!!). I went VBAC with my second son who weighed in at a whopping 10lbs, 13oz (at a week late). After that, I was DONE. All done with having kids (my own doctor, after delivering my second said to me, "You don't do anything small do you?" OUCH!)

I have an ugly looking stomach. I am pretty sure that wearing a bikini may be out of the question for me. I'm praying that's not the case, but I'm prepared to deal with reality. One of my first questions to my bootcamp coach after signing up was, "Is it possible to loose the pooch leftover from pregnancy/C-sections?" She felt it was possible. She herself has had 6 kids and has a flat (read that as "fit") stomach, but the stretch marks are still there and maybe still some loose skin. But she's EXTREMELY fit (eating right and exercising). So if I can get as small (read that as "fit") as she is, then I think I could be happy with my stomach. But I do believe genetics plays a part. How big a part? I don't honestly know.

With all that said, I'm not going to let the (seemingly) bad odds side-track me. I'm going to do everything I can to get fit and trim and feel good, with realistic expectations that I will probably not ever look like a model who has never had a baby.

rachelwarner32

What does having a c section have to do with being 100 lbs overweight? C section=/= fat. You're more likely to not have a flat belly after losing weight from skin stretching from being obese rather than an incision below your bikini line.

The issue with a c-section is even with exercise some women never have a toned belly because their doctor had to go through their abdominal muscles. The fact is after having a c-section it's more difficult to bounce back. I think she just wants to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel. For my 115 pound sister a tummy tuck would be her only hope and she's never gained weight besides her 2 pregnancies.

arabianhorselover

I had a C-section 20 years ago, then two normal births. Ever since the c-section, my stomach has had a different shape to it. It doesn't help that the surgeon didn't take time to make the cut straight. It is a little higher on one side, making the "ledge" larger on one side. And this was not an "emergency" where they had to get in there as quickly as possible. Of course it was a man who did it. Sorry guys, but a woman might have thought about it a little more.

I have not been slim since, so don't really know how it would look, but I doubt it would ever look great.

randomtai

I had 2 c-sections and 3 VBACs. My last c-section was 4 years ago. This was taken a few days ago. I lift heavy and it helps.

arabianhorselover

Wondering if you do abdominal work besides the lifting? You look great!

I had 2 c-sections and 3 VBACs. My last c-section was 4 years ago. This was taken a few days ago. I lift heavy and it helps.

rosemary98

I had a c-section 17 months ago. would like to show you pictures...how do people post photos in the thread?

randomtai

Wondering if you do abdominal work besides the lifting? You look great!

Thanks!
I follow the Stronglifts 5X5 program, and I do crunches on the weight machine at the gym, I am up to 75 lbs on that.

randomtai

I had a c-section 17 months ago. would like to show you pictures...how do people post photos in the thread?

[i mg] Link to image[/i mg]

That format minus the spaces.

rosemary98

I will try to post some in the next day or so...if not on the thread, to my album.

I do not notice any difference with my tummy pre/post baby. The only thing, my scar turned keloid on me. so it is a bit red and raised.

rosemary98

What does having a c section have to do with being 100 lbs overweight? C section=/= fat. You're more likely to not have a flat belly after losing weight from skin stretching from being obese rather than an incision below your bikini line.

WOW

You're more likely to not have a flat belly WHEN A PERSON USED TO LIVE INSIDE OF IT. The C-section is a unique situation because they move or in some cases even cut through abdominal muscle. In addition, if someone has a long healing time that is time they cannot be exercising. Also, there is scar tissue, which is less elastic. In all pregnancies, the abdominal muscles stretch a lot and can also separate. When you are fat, skin stretches, but with pregnancy it's the actual muscle that stretches.

(My son's almost 2... sooo not pleased with how my stomach looks. It's so much worse than just being overweight. It just hangs and ugh but at least the stretch marks are faded a bit. Doing lots of ab exercises to try and shrink the waistline but I don't know if the skin will ever snap back. And I didn't have a C-section so I didn't have to deal with that extra).

Thank you for posting this, because I found it very offending of the previous poster for being point blank rude. There are ways to state things without seeming offensive and many don't understand what someone that has had a C-section deals with. Thank you so much!

Yes, it is true. there are so many variables regarding c-sections. was it scheduled or emergency. was there trouble healing. did the doctor take the care to "realign" the abdominal muscles prior to closing. (some don't).

conniedj

2 c sections here, the second was 5 years ago at the age of 40. My stomach is still not flat....but you can check out my profile pix. It's getting better every week!

Mokey41

What does having a c section have to do with being 100 lbs overweight? C section=/= fat. You're more likely to not have a flat belly after losing weight from skin stretching from being obese rather than an incision below your bikini line.

WOW

You're more likely to not have a flat belly WHEN A PERSON USED TO LIVE INSIDE OF IT. The C-section is a unique situation because they move or in some cases even cut through abdominal muscle. In addition, if someone has a long healing time that is time they cannot be exercising. Also, there is scar tissue, which is less elastic. In all pregnancies, the abdominal muscles stretch a lot and can also separate. When you are fat, skin stretches, but with pregnancy it's the actual muscle that stretches.

(My son's almost 2... sooo not pleased with how my stomach looks. It's so much worse than just being overweight. It just hangs and ugh but at least the stretch marks are faded a bit. Doing lots of ab exercises to try and shrink the waistline but I don't know if the skin will ever snap back. And I didn't have a C-section so I didn't have to deal with that extra).

Thank you for posting this, because I found it very offending of the previous poster for being point blank rude. There are ways to state things without seeming offensive and many don't understand what someone that has had a C-section deals with. Thank you so much!

You can't blame having a large belly on a c section. Lots of women have c sections for various reasons and it doesn't cause an issue. Being very overweight will cause stretched skin whether you have a c section or not. I had the same incision for a different reason so I do understand the surgery and the implications but it's not a get out of jail free card to say you have a flabby belly because you had a c section. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and admit your weight has more to do with it than your circumstances.

conniedj

You can't blame having a large belly on a c section. Lots of women have c sections for various reasons and it doesn't cause an issue. Being very overweight will cause stretched skin whether you have a c section or not. I had the same incision for a different reason so I do understand the surgery and the implications but it's not a get out of jail free card to say you have a flabby belly because you had a c section. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and admit your weight has more to do with it than your circumstances.

Actually I beg to differ. I wasn't overweight with either of my pregnancies--nor that much after. I did have an umbilical hernia with both, diastasis with both, and the "mother's Apron" from the incision being cut out from previous surgery and c section. The combined blew out my abs. And for me this is/was very hard to reconcile as I have always prior to pregnancy had really flat abs. It's better now....but it has taken a lot of hard work to get there! While weight certainly has something to do with it, condescending to unicorns and rainbows does not.

AFWIW....I also feel that regardless of weight--your skin, muscles and body will respond and heal more quickly if you are eating a good amount of veggies and fruits in all colors! <that is a useful rainbow reference!

AprilMae1975

I had a vertical c-section with my first child over 19 years ago. Since then I also had my tubes tied, gall bladder out and hysterectomy and they all went through part of the c-section scar. When I had my hysterectomy and the doctor went in, I had layers upon layers of scar tissue (abdominal adhesions.) My doctor did them best she could to clean up what she could. She also told me that they layers of scar tissue are a contributing factor to my lower tummy bulge. She said my only option would be a tummy tuck and even then, they might not be able to remove all the scar tissue and it could regrow.

Do I hate my stomach...yes, but I also don't want to go through another surgery. I am doing my best to lose all the weight I need to and at that point I'll see what's left.

I wish you luck in losing the weight and getting a flat tummy :flowerforyou:

watercolorarteest

I had 2 c-sections and 3 VBACs. My last c-section was 4 years ago. This was taken a few days ago. I lift heavy and it helps.

A ray of hope for the rest of us! You look fabulous! And kudos to you for having been through so many pregnancies! I am hopeful now. Thank you!

MommaSpunk

I had c-sections in 2006, 2007, and 2009. My youngest son will be 5 in February, and I'm down 109lbs. total since March-ish 2009. I don't have my highest weight in this picture, but over the years the pooch is finally starting to go away. I'm not perfect, but I don't think I want a tuck either. I'm finding that lifting heavy is really, really helping me combined with cardio. I wore a bikini for the first time in my adult life this summer, and I had no issues wearing it despite my stretch marks and little pooch. The most recent pic in my animal print was taken about 2 weeks ago.

Pics from over the years:

you are amazing lady!!