Is There Hope For My Mommy Tummy?

stephv38

I work out. Could do more, sure. Currently doing Level 2 of JM 30 Day, Turbo Jam, DanceFit, and own HIIT. Dont do any heavy lifting that I know is popular here...
I eat fairly well. Could eat less sugar, sure. Diary is public.
I weigh 123 pounds, wear a size 4. Still look like I am 4 months pregnant. Have had 3 large babies, 3 c-sections. Am working on healing diastasis rectus abs. But this pic... oh my gosh! I have some tone to arms, even parts of my front. Are my interior organs, ie, uterus just so huge I will never win this battle? Interior fat? Just keep going? Or am I missing something? Any advice is welcome.
(Hope pics work, first time at this)

stephv38

Oh shoot, sorry the pics are so huge, I resized per directions... they are cropped weird too. Oh well, it took courage to post anyway!

fwilson1031

I sure hope someone can answer this... I'm in the same boat- except I am definitely not a size 4! But my stomach is very similar to yours and I worry how it will look when I lose the extra weight....

kimad

Hi,

I had twins via csection 7 years ago today!! Anyways, I am at 158 and I have alot of extra skin in my tummy. It resembles yours just bigger due to your weight difference. I still have some love handles. I work my butt off and can't seem to make a dent in it. I was hoping if I lost another 10 lbs it would help, but I have decided to just get a tummy tuck. I hope to get a consult early 2013. Maybe he will have different things to say.

If you do a search for tummy tuck on the boards you will find alot of response and some pics!
I have pics of my stomach but am a little nervous to post them here.

Good luck.

ETA: the more I look at your pic the more it really does look like mine just smaller. The upper pouch is the abs issue. I knwo those can be sewn back together, unsure of what exercises can help though.

Barbellerella

IMHO, when the stomach has the orange peel type look, it would be very rare for it to go away completely. The skin is stretched out and unless you bulked some major ab muscles to fill it in, its probably not going to improve a tremendous amount. I think if it bothers you enough, you would need to consider a tuck for it to be totally gone.

ecw3780

Your uterus does take time to shrink and your muscles also take time to recover. To me, it doesn't look just loose skin, so I would just try to be patient. Do you drink a lot of water?

Chessie24

Sigh.

I didn't even want to read this. I had one big baby via c section and I'm left with a mommy tummy. I had someone tell me that they have to go through 9 layers when they do a c section and it's very hard to get your stomach back after that. It really stinks but I feel like after I'm finally at my goal weight I'll have to think pretty hard about a tummy tuck.

BarbellBlondieRuns

I think your doctor would be able to answer that better than we can. Regardless, you look great and it's obvious that you're very fit. Great job!

missym357

How long has it been since your last baby?

Definitely look into exercises that will help the diastasis recti. Ab vacuums are your friend!! Imo, the tummy problem looks most likely due to the ab separation. The uterus shrinks down fairly quickly, but when the muscles are stretched past their limit, they do not hold things in properly.

kimmysueneal

You look phenomenal, to start. My stomach looks very similar to yours. It pooches out no matter what I do. I also have some hanging skin that will never go away w/o surgery. Actually hangs down in a V when I do push ups. I hate it too. Have had 3 big babies and the damage done (although well worth it since they're so precious) is irreversible.

My husband always tells me to think of my Momma Belly as my battle scars and to be proud. Sometimes I think that's a big load of crap, b/c who would ever be proud to have a stomach that looks like mine! But other times, you kinda just have to think good thoughts about yourself and realize that you've done all YOU can to improve the tummy. And you look FABULOUS!

stephv38

Wow! Thanks for the replies, positive encouragement and friend requests! In reply to a couple of the questions, I had my last baby two years ago- so quite a while. I have been working out since then, but only discovered the diastasis rectus a year ago? My stomach was doing this grotesque bulge when I did an ab crunch and I did show my doctor....and she thought it was the ab separation. I realized I had been making it worse with my hardcore stomach exercises and got off my game for a while, discouraged. My daughter literally told me I looked pregnant and I weighed at that time about 118! Basically, by getting firm obliques it only further separates the TVA. Also, while doing serious crunches and not being careful to keep that tummy in, I trained it to bulge out further. I have backtracked to the recommended exercises for healing this, especially quadraped ab vacuums. I think I have seen some progress, in fact the "3 finger diastasis test" seems to be even showing improvement. But that is below the belly button! And like one person noticed, that upper bulge, right under my bra line is just not going anywhere! I do drink tons of water and only water.... so... I will keep it up. I hate to think of surgery, my last recovery had some interesting complications, but weak abs affect more than vanity.... will have to search the forums for ab surgery posts. Thanks!

BusyRaeNOTBusty

So why don't you lift? It might help. I haven't had any C sections but have had 3 babies. I owe my abs to heavy lifting. I do very little direct ab work.

stephv38

So why don't you lift? It might help. I haven't had any C sections but have had 3 babies. I owe my abs to heavy lifting. I do very little direct ab work.

I am very interested in lifting and would really like to get into that! I dont see an actual gym membership in the near future, with kids at home I do my workouts by video. Your abs are from lifting? Yes, I definitely need to get into that!

VpinkLotus

Just found this post. I know it's old but I am bumping it as I am very curious to hear anymore advice. I weigh the same as OP but my belly is worse. also am sure i have diastasis too. Would love to hear from mommy's who have/are combating this problem. Add me !

VpinkLotus

okay thanks to this post i just goggled "quadraped ab vacuums' and found this. I am doing these all starting today!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/141940-vacuum-ab-exercises/