c section belly

Maggiemaelynn

I have had 3 c sections, and as I am loosing weight that wonderful "fold" is becoming apparant. UGH! Problem is.....I cannot do any sit ups or crunches due to a bad back. Any suggestions on how to tone my tummy?

jeeping_mom

Plank ) Good luck - I'm working with 2 c-scars. Ugh.

ChefJenn

sadly I had a bad c section ( they cut me hip to hip) .
then I lost 140 pounds and the skin just got worse.. I ended up having a tummy tuck.
( how ever if your flap skin causes skin rashes some insurance companies will pay for the tuck)

eillamarie

Planks! Planks with single leg lifts! Rowing machines! Ellipticals with the handles! And climbing machines!

lhuber1105

I have the same issue--could use any advice out there.

Flacachica

Yes, I agree with the plank poses. Or if you're interested in something "fun" I have Shaun T's 'Hip Hop Abs"... it's kinda like dancing, but it's supposed to work your abs without getting down on the floor to do crunches. I like it cause it's fun, but not much of a cardio workout or anything.
I too have had a C-section. I have that belly that hangs over the scar... I call it my "C-section Muffin top". :laugh:

CLJBell73

I am really glad some1 posted about this. I have had 2 C-section plus a hysterectomy & I have been kind of worried about that. It was great to see all the advice & different ways to work on that lovely area. Thanks all!!!

1Tammy2luv

I lift weights and my tummy seems to be shaping up nicely. I don't do an additional tummy workout,but do use a trainer. I had both my kids c-section. You may need to go a little under your goal weight to see if everything there is just fat or skin. I wear polypropylene shorts I got from Walmart(9.77) and use the cheapest normal hemorrhoid cream under them. It seems to tighten up the skin and soften the stretch marks nicely. Sounds weird,but really works. I have a friend who was bigger than me at the start and you can't tell she was ever big. I am getting ready for a bodybuilding show and I don't think I will be embarrassed at all. Good luck. Hard work and diet,exercise still works. Don't assume you'll need a tummy tuck. That isn't always necessary.

mlemonroe2

sadly I had a bad c section ( they cut me hip to hip) .
then I lost 140 pounds and the skin just got worse.. I ended up having a tummy tuck.
( how ever if your flap skin causes skin rashes some insurance companies will pay for the tuck)

AWESOME!! I will make myself get a rash if that is the case!!!
ps- not awesome about the bad c-section, just the insurance paying for the tummy tuck part

ChristinaKY

I have also had 3 sections and I know how frustrating this can be. I also have some back pain, but I am not sure how bad your's is. I like to use the exercise ball to do my ab work so that I am not on the hard floor. You might want to try this as well as some of the other suggestions others have already made. Good luck!

cohollywood

Oh boy! You guys are scaring me a little bit!! Hubby and I are thinking about #2 and I know I will end up having another C-Section. My doctor with my first told me as she was sewing me up that she did a rocking job on my incision. When I went back in for my check ups, she was super excited to see it, and each time told me how amazing she was (we had that kind of relationship, so it was okay for her to say that, lol). My scar now is about 4-5 inches and is almost invisable. I've never really thought about it before because I've never talked scars with someone, or seen anyone elses to think that they were that much worse than mine.

That doctor moved away, so I would have a new one with #2. I thought they used the same incision? Is that not true? Now I'm scared! I already have a bunch of (medical) reasons to not have another child, so I guess I can just add this to my list.

kevanos

When you say you want to tone you mid section i`m not sure what you are asking.

If thre is extra fat there, ab exercises are not what will make you lose that fat. you cant target fat loss.

To get toned abs you need to lower your overall body fat, do that by doing lots of cardio, some strenght exersices and eating healthy balanced meals.

Thats how people get ripped abs.

clevethin

I've had 4 C-sections PLUS a hysterectomy. Yes, there is definitely fat there, but the skin also hangs. I am really hoping that by getting my body fat way, way down ( near the bottom of the "normal" range) it will help this. Otherwise I will be looking to get a tummy tuck.
I hate this part of my body more than anything else.

momtozmc

Just as an fyi... once a c-section always a c-section does not always apply ... my first was a c-section and next two natural...
but planks are the way to go... I'm trying to lose that "fold" too!

L.

proverbs31chick

I lift weights and my tummy seems to be shaping up nicely. I don't do an additional tummy workout,but do use a trainer. I had both my kids c-section. You may need to go a little under your goal weight to see if everything there is just fat or skin. I wear polypropylene shorts I got from Walmart(9.77) and use the cheapest normal hemorrhoid cream under them. It seems to tighten up the skin and soften the stretch marks nicely. Sounds weird,but really works. I have a friend who was bigger than me at the start and you can't tell she was ever big. I am getting ready for a bodybuilding show and I don't think I will be embarrassed at all. Good luck. Hard work and diet,exercise still works. Don't assume you'll need a tummy tuck. That isn't always necessary.

That was one of my concerns, I always wondered was it possible to have a flat stomach after being overweight for so long. Even if you are eating right and working out??

Maggiemaelynn

When you say you want to tone you mid section i`m not sure what you are asking.

If thre is extra fat there, ab exercises are not what will make you lose that fat. you cant target fat loss.

To get toned abs you need to lower your overall body fat, do that by doing lots of cardio, some strenght exersices and eating healthy balanced meals.

Thats how people get ripped abs.

I think all of us ladies understand the fat part, its just the extra skin from it being stretched out from carrying babies. Being as we were "cut" open to deliver we have loose stretched abdominal muscles.

Maggiemaelynn

Thank you everyone for all the input!!! I appreciate it!! I did some research and found this site too!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/193788-how-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-a-c-section-birth/

spcopps

I too had a csection with my twin boys 3 years ago. Just babies alone weighed in over 11lbs. I have that nasty hanging over the csection scar flab (I have fat too) and I worry about not being able to tighten it up. As for your question about ab exercises...Turbo Jams has a section of standing ab exercises. I am sure if you youtube it you can see what moves they are doing. You tuck your butt forward while knees bent and crunch from side to side paying attention to keeping your butt tucked. This is just 1 of the exercises but I wanted to give you an idea of what it was. HTH

Snelllee

bump

newmeat30

Oh boy! You guys are scaring me a little bit!! Hubby and I are thinking about #2 and I know I will end up having another C-Section. My doctor with my first told me as she was sewing me up that she did a rocking job on my incision. When I went back in for my check ups, she was super excited to see it, and each time told me how amazing she was (we had that kind of relationship, so it was okay for her to say that, lol). My scar now is about 4-5 inches and is almost invisable. I've never really thought about it before because I've never talked scars with someone, or seen anyone elses to think that they were that much worse than mine.

That doctor moved away, so I would have a new one with #2. I thought they used the same incision? Is that not true? Now I'm scared! I already have a bunch of (medical) reasons to not have another child, so I guess I can just add this to my list.

I have 2 different c-section scars. The scar from my 1st was almost invisible and then I got pregnant with my 2nd. The first scar ended up stretching and went froma thin white to a thick red all over again. With the second c-section, I asked my doctor if he would be using the incision line from the first and he told me that it wouldn't be possible. Now, almost 3 years after the 2nd one, both scars are starting to get thin and white again. However...I'll be trading the im for the hip to hip tummy tuck scar in a few months.

Coyotemama

This topic came up at just the right time. I was just looking for this information earlier today. I have a horizontal c-section scar and a vertical scar from having an ovarian cyst removed. Between the two of them my tummy is a mess. I was hoping that with losing weight and the exercising I've been doing that it would gradually improve but was uncertain if it would ever really happen even with the exercise.

chullin26

Usually when the mother has already had a c-section, they cannot cut right at the same place because of scar tissue. With me, they went just underneath the first scar and went from there. (Although it might have been the fact that the second time around I had twins and it was only 15 months after my first c-section....but you always want to talk to a doctor about that and do lots of research.

MercenaryNoetic26

I've had 2 C-SECS. My last one approx 10mos ago. I started lifting heavy again 3mos ago and as my body fat is decreasing, my tummy is flattening. You just got to give it time and patience. Even if you start working out doing cardio or lifting heavy, it's not going to happen over night, but it will happen. Your tummy can def improve.

zornig

Squats and deadlifts also involve the abs. You can also do lateral raises (Jillian Michaels includes something like this in 30 Day Shred) and other weighted oblique exercises. Also, the cable/pulley machines are your friends. There are many non-crunch exercises you can do with pulleys that will work your abs.

DragonSquatter

I had a c section 4 months ago with my son, and my belly is getting smaller. Unfortunately, the lower belly "foldover" pooch is just getting more apparent. I'm hoping that will shrink as I shrink. From what I gather, losing body fat and giving it time to tighten back up are about the only things that work.

cbendorf13

Oh boy! You guys are scaring me a little bit!! Hubby and I are thinking about #2 and I know I will end up having another C-Section. My doctor with my first told me as she was sewing me up that she did a rocking job on my incision. When I went back in for my check ups, she was super excited to see it, and each time told me how amazing she was (we had that kind of relationship, so it was okay for her to say that, lol). My scar now is about 4-5 inches and is almost invisable. I've never really thought about it before because I've never talked scars with someone, or seen anyone elses to think that they were that much worse than mine.

That doctor moved away, so I would have a new one with #2. I thought they used the same incision? Is that not true? Now I'm scared! I already have a bunch of (medical) reasons to not have another child, so I guess I can just add this to my list.

I have had 4, each c section creates scar tissue so it is often difficult to go over the same scar, but honestly I can't really see much of mine.

RyanMastrosimone

Ugh- I know what you mean. 1 natural delivery followed by 4 c-sections (1 that they butchered me) has left the stubborn fold that everyone tells me will be very hard or impossible to lose. BUT as I have lost and toned, that flap has lifted a little higher, making it easier to work the surrounding muscles. I have arthritis in my legs and back, so some days I can do more than others. If I get in a plank pose, then take turns - lift right leg in toward stomach and then give it a little twist, then switch to left leg- it seems to work that areas muscles a bit more than other things I have tried, along with those side belly muscles.

Good luck.