C-Section recovery and workouts?

MrsSherrill
MrsSherrill Posts: 58
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,

I just had a baby via c-section. I am still carrying alot of belly weight from the pregnancy. I ended up gaining 60 pounds!!!! =( i know, way too much. But i did lose 30 pounds within 10 days of giving birth =)=) ....and the rest remains =( still hoping that some of it is still water weight. My baby girl was a whopping 9 pounds 2 ounces which is a pretty big baby especially since im only 5 feet 2 inches tall. My concern now is that belly flab. Its only been 5 weeks and i know it will take time but getting back into the gym is going to be hard and i dont know what i should or shouldn't do as far as starting off. Alot of people have told me that i may never e able to get rid of the belly flab/hangover at the bottom of my belly but i am determined to prove them wrong. i dont want a flat stomach and never really had one even before pregnancy so im fine with a little bit of a pooch, i just dont want to have a hangover due to all the weight i gained and the muscles being cut from the surgery.
So what are the best workouts to start off with?
what are the best ab workouts to help heal the torn muscles?

And most of all, are there any of you ladies that have success stories and getting your body back after a c-section with no hangover? if so, please post pics =)=)

Thank you =)

Replies

  • stephysd
    stephysd Posts: 2,410 Member
    Please make sure you talk to your doctor before you start any exercising after your c-section. At 5 weeks you can do a lot of damage rather then make things better. They should be able to give you some ideas of what kind of exercising would be okay.

    Congrats on your little one. She looks beautiful!
  • delaniecastillo
    delaniecastillo Posts: 284
    Please make sure you talk to your doctor before you start any exercising after your c-section. At 5 weeks you can do a lot of damage rather then make things better. They should be able to give you some ideas of what kind of exercising would be okay.

    Congrats on your little one. She looks beautiful!
    Very much this.

    listen to your body. Start slow and then work up. Look out for twinges and numbness. I just had my last baby on 2.20 and did a 5k on 4/20. I had to walk most of it but I still did it! Now I am 56 down and still going. Every blue moon, I have to watch my tabata planks because they can cause some aggravation.
  • DragonSquatter
    DragonSquatter Posts: 957 Member
    I'm 6 months post c-section, and I still have quite a pooch. It has gotten a lot better though.

    My advice to you is to avoid trying to do too much and focus on your nutrition. If you're breastfeeding, you'll need to eat a little more to support lactation. If not, you can be a little more aggressive with your calorie deficit.

    Definitely do NOT do too much too soon. The risk of reopening your incision are not worth it. If you're not sure, consult your doctor and have him/her refer you to a dietitian for nutritional support if you need it.
  • CLKay80
    CLKay80 Posts: 1
    I went through this exact experience in January. C-section birth of a 9lb-1oz baby. I also gained 60lbs during my pregnancy and lost 30 immediately. Then gained 10 of it back.

    I agree that 5 weeks is far too soon to attempt any fitness routine. Be mindful of what you eat and let your body heal. I've read that even after a vaginal birth, your insides don't return to their deflated prepregnancy state for about five months. Also don't deprive yourself of too many calories if you are nursing. You need them to make breastmilk.

    Bottom line, don't pressure yourself into losing just yet. Also, talk to your doctor before making any decisions on how to proceed.

    Good luck!
  • georgann1114
    georgann1114 Posts: 30 Member
    Don't rush into anything. I have had 4 c-sections, each one it took a little longer to recover. Plus you will cause more scar tissue if you start to early. I dalso had the pouch but I am proud to say it is almost gone. It takes a lot of hard work a dedication. Start by walking and than add floor pelvic thrusts, contracting your abs. It will make it easier for when you want to start working out again. I also started with Turbo Fire and bought one of those belly wrap things to hold it tight while jumping and running. Good luck, you can do it!!
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    Absolutely YES, make sure you've been given the okay from your doctor to exercise before starting anything. Right now, you should still be focused on healing.
  • StacyReneO
    StacyReneO Posts: 317 Member
    Congrats on your little one!

    I would start off with just walking 30 minutes per day. With my son, I waited til the 3 month mark to start working out again. With my daughter, I went back to walking on the treadmill at 2 week post c/s and back to pilates at about 8 weeks. With both, I wore a medium support girdle/tummy tamer til for about 3 months. This not only helped with the loose skin, but it just felt better to have a little pressure on my incision. Also, drink plenty of fluids to rid some of that water weight. They pump SO much fluid into before, during and after surgery. With my son, I didn't attempt to flush out the fluid til I was home for a couple of weeks and the weight hung on for quite awhile.With my daughter, I started drinking a ton of fluid as soon as they took me to recovery. I had green tea and the nurse also made me a lovely concoction of 7-up, cranberry juice and water I believe. I was down almost 20 lbs by the time I left the hospital. Once I was home, I was drinking a smoothie of OJ, celery, spinach and spring mix lettuce. I lost another 10 within a few days. The last next 10 came off by the 3 month mark and the last 5 are what took the longest, but it was all gone by the time she was 6 months old (as opposed to the year it took with my son). So walk, walk, walk!!
  • MrsSherrill
    MrsSherrill Posts: 58
    Thank you for all the responses ladies. Yes, i should have mentioned that i dont plan to start off working out until i am cleared by my doctor next week at my 6 week PP appointment and was planning on asking what i would be able to start off doing as far as working out. =)
    i really want to run, i miss it but i know it will be a while before i can.
    i guess i just wanted a heads up on how long things will take, what i can do to start off with and so on.

    Please feel free to add me as a friend ladies, i know i will need more friends and support from people who have already been through this!
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    First of all, babies are the BEST, so congratulations.

    I'm also 5'2" and my second baby was born via C-Section; he was 9 lbs, 1 oz. Are you breastfeeding? The reason I ask is because my big baby was also a voracious eater and I ended up loosing all my baby weight just by nursing him and eating sensibly. In fact, once he stopped breastfeeding was when I ran into trouble... my weight crept up over the following year until I found this place and lost it all.

    Me now - standing up straight, my stomach looks awesome. My belly is flat, I have a six pack, the scar is actually quite hard to detect. I couldn't be happier from that front. I was 36 when my big baby was born and even though I've lost the weight, my skin will never be the same. Standing up straight, great. If I hunch over, my belly area is a maze of wrinkles caused by extra skin. So, basically, I can still rock a bikini - I just have to bend at the knees rather than my waist if I need to bend down if I want to maintain that toned belly appearance. But, that's better for my back anyway!

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