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Look pregnant ! Fat ,thyroid /intolerance or hernia?? ...help

Foursthemagicnumber
Foursthemagicnumber Posts: 32 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm really struggling with my tummy area . (Profile photo not recent and tummy hid away lol )

Compared to the rest of my body it really looks 6 months pregnant .
I've been pregnant four times so believe me I know ! Lol it does get that big.

I'm not sure why but I only feel comfortable when I wake up before I eat or drink anything ... Soon as I do it's like a balloon and uncomfortable . Even before I eat my belly is not flat though so atm it's hard to tell what's fat and what could be an underlying problem .
My Dr saw me when my belly was average and said its not water retention said do hour exercise a day . I've started to do this and I also have four kids two under three and a home to look after . So I'm not exactly sat down all day anyway .
This has been since I first was pregnant at age 14 I cannot remember before this lol

Living with it 15 years is saddening and I cannot live with this no longer .

I do hope this is a case of keep at the diet and exercise ..... Because searching my symptoms brings up a whole lot of other reasons my dr didn't even mention or look into .

It's not just a case of baby belly at all ... It's gotton worse after my fourth .

Being 5ft 2 and small everywhere else does not help . It's affecting my clothing choices and life . It's more noticeable more weight I loose off everywhere else .
I have lost eyelashes and thinned hair also . But had implant taken out so waiting to see if that helps .

Any advice would be great .... Thank you ...
(I don't smoke and drink alcohol rarely I have cut out choc crisps etc started drinking more water and cut out take aways . Started Pilates for my core . )
Possible thyroid ? Hernia separated muscles ? Food intolerance ? Ibs? Etc etc )

Replies

  • Foursthemagicnumber
    Foursthemagicnumber Posts: 32 Member
    Oh and I'm constantly hungry all of the time so I try sip water now and not give in it's so hard .
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    All good questions from your doctor. If your doctor isn't addressing your concerns, and doing the appropriate testing, find a new doctor.
  • Cryptonomnomicon
    Cryptonomnomicon Posts: 848 Member
    edited May 2015
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach#latest

    ETA: If you think your GP is inadequate see a new GP or specialist.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    See a doctor.
  • ArkMom35
    ArkMom35 Posts: 225 Member
    First of all, I'd probably get a second opinion just to be safe. But FWIW, I also have four children and my stomach will probably never be the same. I used to be huge and look 9 months pregnant all the time, now that I've lost 50 lbs I only look about 4 months pregnant, but still, my belly is bigger than it should be, in my opinion anyway. I think after so many pregnancies our muscles/skin/whatever are weaker and it just doesn't hold in as well.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,487 Member
    You can see if you have a sensativity to certain things you eat that causes you to bloat after eating.. You said that you wake up and feel fine and appears to be normal.. just a thought..

    Read up on this... this help put some perspective in you wanting to lean up that area... remember weight loss is not linear..

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/827838
  • tesha_chandler
    tesha_chandler Posts: 378 Member
    A friend of mine has thyroid problems and she carries ALL of her weight around her mid-section. The rest of her body is tiny. I would definitely see a Dr if you have any of the other symptoms.
  • marmaladepixie
    marmaladepixie Posts: 84 Member
    see a doctor... this happened to a girl i worked with that was also tiny. She said she would bloat up after eating, well, it turned out to be a huge slow growing benign cyst near her ovary, it was big enough that she lost 20lbs as soon as they removed it. She had no other symptoms except feeling bloated after eating.
  • Foursthemagicnumber
    Foursthemagicnumber Posts: 32 Member
    Thank you all for your advice
    It's not flat but it's not uncomfortable
    I've read that if muscles separated eating can aggravate it or if a cyst etc
    I'll ask Dr but they prob fob me off again they been good with everything else but this issue they prob think I'm hinting at a tummy tuck !

    Can I get the tests scans for cysts etc privately if they won't do it ???
  • Foursthemagicnumber
    Foursthemagicnumber Posts: 32 Member
    marmaladepixie wrote: »
    see a doctor... this happened to a girl i worked with that was also tiny. She said she would bloat up after eating, well, it turned out to be a huge slow growing benign cyst near her ovary, it was big enough that she lost 20lbs as soon as they removed it. She had no other symptoms except feeling bloated after eating.

    This is what worries me that it could be something like this .
    I will see Dr and hopefully they'll do some tests :-/ can't live like this anymore .
  • MamaMc3
    MamaMc3 Posts: 213 Member
    I have three children, and my second pregnancy was twins. I have a HUGE separation/hernia in my stomach, so I also look pregnant. I can't correct mine with exercise (could actually aggravate it). The doctor said the only way I can fix it is to have surgery, but it would be for cosmetic purposes only. Based on what you said, I am guessing you also have a hernia from your pregnancies.
  • blb85
    blb85 Posts: 187 Member
    Weak core & anterior pelvic tilt? That's my issue...

    But everyone is different. The only real way to know would be to see/ask a doctor since they'll know your routine. We can only just guess.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I would switch doctors.
  • Foursthemagicnumber
    Foursthemagicnumber Posts: 32 Member
    blb85 wrote: »
    Weak core & anterior pelvic tilt? That's my issue...

    But everyone is different. The only real way to know would be to see/ask a doctor since they'll know your routine. We can only just guess.

    And the way my second c section was sewn (4th child tho) has pushed in so the mons pubis pushes out looking erm well u can imagine do I have to wear long tops to hide !
    Basically cosmetic but I would argue to my Dr it depresses me effects the way I live and clothes etc self confidence cus it does . If exercise or Dr doesn't fix I'll have to save up for surgery abroad :-/ will see Dr /different one and keep up diet n exercise .
    Tried to self diagnose the diastasis recti but I just can't tell a thing lol !!! Can't find where starts and stops maybe cus tummy fat lol god knows will ask Dr .
    After my third Dr said muscles were normal .
  • Foursthemagicnumber
    Foursthemagicnumber Posts: 32 Member
    MamaMc3 wrote: »
    I have three children, and my second pregnancy was twins. I have a HUGE separation/hernia in my stomach, so I also look pregnant. I can't correct mine with exercise (could actually aggravate it). The doctor said the only way I can fix it is to have surgery, but it would be for cosmetic purposes only. Based on what you said, I am guessing you also have a hernia from your pregnancies.

    I'm gonna ask Dr .
    If it's that it will b a relief ! X
  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
    Yes, it sounds like a diastasis recti. Some exercises could help - do a search for "mommy tummy" or "mummy tummy" exercises. For many, only surgery will correct it though.

    http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/abdominal-separation-diastasis-recti
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
    How old is your youngest child?

    Thinning hair and especially thinning eyebrows are prime symptoms of hypothyrodism. Before I was diagnosed I'd completely lost about 1/3 of each eyebrow (the outer third of each brow).

    But sometimes hormonal upheaval from giving birth can cause hair loss, too. So if your youngest is just a baby it could be related to that.
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