Moms w/stretch marks who have lost the weight--Question!

imperfectbird

This is me 20 months post pregnancy. Baby girl was 9.2 and my tummy was huge through pregnancy! I have just posted a topic showing my pregnant tummy at 36weeks. My stretch marks initially were deep purple but are now silver-white, because of my fair skin they are harder to see but the are very much there!! I used bio-oil and several other creams to help reduce the stretch marks and also took collagen tablets which help with the repairing process.

Not sure if the pic is useful or not....

Thanks for sharing this photo! You look great, seriously! It definitely gives me hope to see how flat your tummy is. Honestly, I've never even attempted to lose this much weight since I had kids, so I don't know what my stomach will look like at the end of the day, but I'm going to try my hardest. Doing lots of strength training in addition to my cardio to hopefully tone things up as I go!

fteale

My stretch marks are pretty bad, despite my tummy being flat now. I will always have loose skin and I have a bit of an overhang from a badly sewn caesarean scar.

The whole thing doesn't look as bad now as it did when I was heavier, but the stretch marks and loose skin are still very apparent.

imperfectbird

Hi ladies, I have had 3 babies, now 7, 4 and 1. I decided I was over my tummy and wanted to do something about it, so for the last 65 days I have exercised daily and logged my food on here. I have stretchmarks, as you will see from the pics. I have found they have faded a bit with the muscles firming up and the fat being lost. I still have a way to go with pot belly and hips, but don't think it's impossible to firm back up again



and today



nice whopper one on top of belly button thanks to it being pierced a million years ago lol

This is amazing!! My belly looks like yours in the first photo (well, plus 10 lbs or so probably ha!) so seeing this photos is very inspiring! What kind of exercise do you do?

imperfectbird

I really appreciate you all giving your two cents! If any of you need extra support, feel free to add me as a friend, by the way!

I feel like this saggy skin issue is one that no one EVER talks about after having a baby! Most people know about stretch marks, but I guess I just didn't realize before having kids what an issue the loose skin would be. I'll just keep doing my best and plugging away with the weight loss and strength training...

eatrunstretch

@imperfect bird, I too have that nasty stretch mark on the top of my belly button from a piercing. I hate that one more than all my pregnancy/fat stretch marks put together because it was self-inflicted!

Like a lot of posters, my tummy is decently flat standing upright but I get the sagging bit when I bend down. I think it is s-l-o-w-l-y getting better as I lose and tone but time will tell.

Perseverence...

aimesuk

I hate that too . I had terrible terrible swelling due to pre-eclampsia in my first pregnancy and have the worst stretch marks ever. Those don't bother me so much - I feel it's my 'badge of honour' for having carried twins! - but the fact that it may be that it doesn't really matter how much weight I lose, I might never ever have a flat stomach again. I might always have this horrible overhang.

Mind you, I know a lady who has 4 children, 2 of them twins. She dieted and exercised down from 12 stone to 8 stone, and although she does have stretch marks her belly is totally flat. You would never know she had children apart from the stretch marks!

msfitmom_3

Im so glad to see your post because I too have that seperation in my abdominal wall (called Diastasis Recti). I have done all I can do to tone it up and the hanging skin will not go away. I have a consultation on Friday with the surgeon to discuss repair/tuck. How was your recovery? And how long? I am a sahm of 3. Im very concerned how I am going to pull this off!

NthnButMoonshine

Add 20lbs to you first picture and about 2 dozen more stretch marks and we could be twins. Thanks for giving me some hope. Ive been working hard at the diet and exercise. Im down 42lbs with about 38lbs to go. I could give a crap less about the stretch marks. Its that pouch that gets me ticked off. For the love of Pete Id just like to be able to fit my butt (or extreme lack there of to be more exact) and my font in the same pair of britches! LOL!

EDIT: This was in reply to AMZBERRY's pictures. For some reason the reply didnt repost the pictures.

gettinthere

imtutucrazy---I had the surgery done several years ago and the recovery is quite intense!! I had to move in with my mom for a good week or so to have help with my kids. It was difficult to get up and out of bed and just like a C-section you are not able to lift or carry anything. My scar is like a big smile across the lower part of my abdomen, down by the panty line. It goes across from one hip to the other. I am so glad that I had it done, but wish I would have waited until I had lost all the weight before I did it. At the time I just felt I needed the excess skin removed to continue feeling motivated!

determined136

Just be sure that you research your tummy tuck and know exactly what to expect. I had one and I love the results but....it was excrutiating pain and I didn't expect it. I was down for 6 weeks before I actually felt like I might live. I love it now but WOW it was hard!!!

kchicka

Ladies let me tell you we can get a flat stomach and 6 pack. With hard work and clean eating after four children I finally have that. I still have my stretch marks they are the same colour as my skin but I don't give rip lol I have the best body that I've ever had because I sold out to my goals and pushed myself. If you want to know how long it took it was four months. No surgery required did I mention HARD WORK! Yes I had all the lose skin, yes I put on 20kg.

time4changexx

I'm new to mfp only been here a week. I had my son 2 1/2 years ago and he was a woping 10pounder. While I haven't lost weight I did get rid of 95 % of my stretch marks already. I do something called dry skin brushing. For those who don't know what it is; you use a natural bristle brush ( they can be found at target for about $5) and brush your skin while its dry. ( if you chose to do this please go on google and search because you have to brush in certain directions). It takes all of about 5 minutes then after I shower I apply cocobutter stretch mark lotion. After 1-2 weeks my skin was like velvet. After about 3 months the stretch marks started to fade. Supposedly it aids in weight loss by stimulating the lymphnods and ridding the body of toxins. However I've done no excersize and ate like crap so I don't know how much truth there is to that.

feliciananikazuniga

II just started my diet and exercise and this was one of the things I was worried about. Wasn't sure if I lost weight and excersied if I'd lose all this extra skin. My marks have already started to fade since it's been two years since my son. Just didn't wanna be walking around with lose skin I'd would just rather stay how I am. Thank you ladies for giving me motivation and faith I can get rid of this tummy. My marks on the other hand I'm sort of happy with cause just reminds me of my Two blessings I've carried that made them:)

Mabohlale

This totally depends on the elasticity in your skin. Everyone is different. You can not guarantee that with a certain amount of work or effort someone's skin will go back to their pre-pregnancy norm. Some people do in a matter of weeks. Some never will. I had three children and gained 40+ plus each time ... all in my tummy. (Stuck out like a horizontal watermelon! :laugh: ) C-Section with each baby ... terrible stretch marks. Stayed over 80 pounds overweight for a decade. Was 116 pounds (after losing 90 pounds) with my second child. Still had a pouch. When my doctor cut me open for the C Section he said, "You don't have an ounce of fat on you!" So it was all saggy, stretched out skin. My skin is a mess. I have a pouch. It will never go away. Stretch marks will never go away. I'm all right with it. I have about 20 pounds to go to my goal weight. However, I am so much happier with fit, healthy me (even with a pouch) than with all that extra fat. Rather have the extra skin then the extra fat. I might opt for an op someday ... time will tell. We all need to learn to be happy with not being perfect. There will be something you don't like about yourself even when you are at your perfect weight. We need to learn to accept and embrace what and who we are! Big hugs to all the saggy, stretch-marked Mommys out there! :flowerforyou:

briannadunn

I have had 5 kids and it shrinks but I have only been at goal one other time in my life and it was considerably smaller. I do Yoga and Ab routines and Pilates and use creams on occasion and lift weights and it is shrinking. I am hoping that it continues to go away too and with every 10 pounds that I lose it does go down but boy does it take its own sweet time.