Mommy Pooch

I was curious about the whole c-sec thing... I had a c-sec and will have to have another if I ever have more children (mine was an emergency, and they had to do a classic c-sec, which means my uterus has a higher likelihood of rupturing during child birth - that plus a million other things that go wrong in my pregnancies = another c-sec.... just wanted to avoid the VBAC conversation).

Anyhoo... what is the deal with the pooch after a c-sec? I don't see much of one right now, but have read a few posts about it and am kinda scared that it's going to happen to me. Is that something that happens only to c-sec ladies?

After having 3 kiddos that I totally love and adore, I have the mommy pooch which i absolutely hate!!! Is there a way to actually get rid of that other than plastic surgery?
I posted this as a response on another post but never got a response.....so somebody help!!

It depends how badly the skin was stretched. Cardio and weights will help tone up the area, proper diet will also help along with the exercise to shed the fat, there's a ton of creams and crap..sorry, I wouldn't waste my money on it, that claim to help. Lazer resurfacing might be a good option, i've seen great results on one of my clients, there's also radio-frequency ..looks like an ultra sound machine that can help tone up the skin, but both are gonna run you between 600-1200. bucks. I'd stick with the exercise/weights and ab work and then re-evaluate your body when you're at your goal weight...it may tighten up enough that it really doesn't bother you. I regained my shape through diet and exercise alone and i've given birth to 6 kids...so it CAN be done!

What I can add though is that now i have a partial "outie" where it had never been there before..and that drives me nuts!! I hate it, it's ugly...even tough i've tightened it up..still not happy!! I'm selfish, I want everything back to normal..hehe!

I think it really depends on your body type and how much your skin stretched during pregnancy. I have a friend who had one natural and one c-sec delivery and she hardly has anything at all. I however had one c-sec - my first baby was 9lb 14 oz, then a natural delivery at 32 weeks - we lost a little girl, and then another c-sec with my youngest - he was 11lb 1 oz. So my skin had stretched a ton with those big ole boys and then I had two pregnancies right in a row as a result of our loss. This time it looks terrible - like empty skin hanging there. I don't stretch well and have the stretch marks to prove it. Everyone is different, but I think C-section tummies have a lot harder time toning back up thank natural deliveries because they cut through the skin and muscle and you are left with some scar tissue too.

This is probably why I don't really have the pooch or apron... my son was born (vaginally, but he was stillborn) at 30 weeks, and my daughter was born (emergency c-sec, but was born alive) at 28 weeks. Since I never got very far in the 3rd trimester with either one, I guess my skin didn't really stretch all that much. Though... honestly, I'd rather have the stretch marks and saggy skin if it meant that my kids were actually born healthy and alive and full-term. But we're doing well now - still missing our boy, but finding happiness in our daughter.