post pregnancy belly FLAB????

christinexoxo2010
christinexoxo2010 Posts: 11
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
ok i had a baby may 4th 2009 and had another baby june 7th 2010. i weighed 328 the day i had my second child and since then i have lost 43 pounds. my stomach is saggy. i know its because i lost a lot of weight in the area really fast bt i want to know if there is any way i can fix it. will it go back 2 normal on its own? im 21 years old and my mama swears ill bounce back after time bt idk. its really saggy. i had a 9 pound baby! any ideas or advice???

Replies

  • ChancyW
    ChancyW Posts: 437 Member
    It may bounce back.

    Once you lose all of your weight it will tighten up over the next year. Whatever doesn't tighten after that year, isn't going to tighten.

    I know there are creams and lotions that are supposed to be good for stuff like that. Maybe you would want to try something like that :-)

    -Chancy
  • cthomas1967
    cthomas1967 Posts: 16
    This advice is probably going to upset a some people, so please just take it as one opinion.

    Unfortunately, realistically, there may not be much you can do without surgery. As you alluded, in many cases there is extra skin there and the muscles have usually been stretched out such that even if you work out a lot they'll never tighten up totally. It really depends on the person. Some women can bounce back without trouble to their pre-baby form. Others simply cannot, even if they diet and work out. Don't get me wrong... diet and working out will definitely help, but can't fix everything... not in some cases.

    The good news is that a tummy tuck and ab-tightening can be done and give amazing results. I know people who have done this and they are very happy with the results.

    Here's an example (taken at random):

    http://www.smartplasticsurgery.com/tummytucks-delgado.html

    I'd suggest giving the gym and dieting a good hard try, but if you're doing the work and have lost the weight but are still dealing with extra skin and stretched muscles... surgery may be the only real option to get back your pre-baby tummy. It's up to you to decide if that's something you're willing to do or not.

    Good luck!
  • MLgarcia3
    MLgarcia3 Posts: 503
    go to babooshbaby.com and look at their belly bands.. you're supposed to use them right after birth to shrink the uterus, but they also have workout ones that are supposed to help... I used a girdle after my first child and my stomach was flat again.. I used a baboosh band with my second and its back down to normal.. not 100% because of some stretch marks and a lil extra skin, but it's flat! my sister has had two kids and never used a band and her stomach never returned to normal.
  • christinexoxo2010
    christinexoxo2010 Posts: 11
    ugh:(
  • Kate_UK
    Kate_UK Posts: 1,299 Member
    My 8lb 15oz daughter was born in June 2008, and initially I lost a some of the weight (I put on 5stone!!!!) but In May this year I knew I was going to have to work hard if I wanted to loose the final 2 stone (28lbs) and my overhang. I stretched really badly during the pregnancy and now I have more stretch marks on my stomach than normal skin (yuck) I didn't think the over hang would go because of all of the extra skin. But I'm almost at my goal weight and the pouch has gone! Ok I still have all the wrinkles where the stretch marks are, other than surgery theres nothing to get rid of those, but at least I don't have to tuck my belly into my trousers anymore, because I don't have a belly to tuck in!
  • christinexoxo2010
    christinexoxo2010 Posts: 11
    i wish i could get rid of mine:( i dont really want to have surgery.
  • shelli1923
    shelli1923 Posts: 111 Member
    I had my baby Feb. 2009 and I have a disgusting after-baby belly! I have heard the bands are great but you have to use them right after delivery. I saw on The Doctors awhile back that the stomach muscles stretch and pull apart during pregnancy. Depending on the woman, they may or may not return to normal. They did a procedure that tied those muscles back together. Said this would be the only way to get the belly back to pre-prego state.:sad: :angry: :mad: :explode:
  • CGerman
    CGerman Posts: 539
    Honestly, a lot of it is just genetics. How much elasticity your skin has. You're young so you've got a good change of it shrinking back up and getting back to where you want it. Make sure you're losing slowly and keeping hydrated, that will definitely help. But like another poster said, if the problem is the separation of muscles, surgery is the only way to correct that.
  • bree1609
    bree1609 Posts: 136
    This is one of my biggest pregnancey fears--having a stomach that won't go back to normal afterward. I'm in the process of losing weight now so that I will have a healthy gain when I do get pregnant (my husband and I are going to start trying next year). But I'm afraid I'll love my new body so much that I won't want to be pregnant and risk the scary post-pregnancy body. Stupid, I know..
  • dericcarson
    dericcarson Posts: 78 Member
    My first son weighed 11 lbs when he was born in 1994 and I gained 80 lbs! The only thing that helped me get my stomach (besides the stretchmarks) back to somewhat normal was going to the gym and doing lots of sit ups and ab exercises. It will take some time, but if you are consistant you will see results. Good luck! :)
  • christinexoxo2010
    christinexoxo2010 Posts: 11
    what kind of exercise would be best? like to rebuild the tummy muscles that were weakened by pregnancy
  • Kittylips
    Kittylips Posts: 2 Member
    How long did ya'll wait to start exercising. It's only been less than two weeks and I'm ready. I did have a c section though :(
  • 33nessy
    33nessy Posts: 104
    I had four kids in just over 5 years so mine hasnt gone back to normal and unfortunately i dont know if it ever will without surgery but for me im not prepared to do that so ill just deal with it
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