Can post-pregnancy belly w/ stretchmarks ever be "tight"?

sarahkittymeow
sarahkittymeow Posts: 146
edited December 18 in Fitness and Exercise
I am actually three years post-pregnancy now and down to 125 and BEGINNING to become toned. But I am constantly worried about what is going to happen to my stomach as I continue to get closer to my goal...I currently have a very thin upper stomach but still have the pouch of fat at the bottom, which is also where I happen to have fairly bad stretch mark scars. Ideally, I would love it if I could work off the rest of that pouch and eventually have bottom abs visible (I do not care at all about the scars themselves, it's the stretched out skin because of them that bothers me)...but will that EVER happen with scars there, without surgery?

I just need some now-fit moms or anyone who knows to tell me whether or not my dreams are completely unrealistic or not.

Replies

  • LemonBurns
    LemonBurns Posts: 538 Member
    Oh Lord - I sure hope so... I am in the same boat :(
  • britzzie
    britzzie Posts: 338 Member
    bumpppppp
  • Katie41907
    Katie41907 Posts: 27 Member
    I honestly have no idea but to help with the pooch in the lower stomach I was told to do Reverse crunches. In Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred she has a circuit with them in Level 1!

    Good Luck!
  • sarahkittymeow
    sarahkittymeow Posts: 146
    I just wish there was more people talking about it/more info on it! I mean, this happens to MOST women after a child. Now, I know that a tummy tuck truly does wonders...takes the stretched skin and just, poof, pretty much gone. But who can afford it, man?
  • neesie0358
    neesie0358 Posts: 29 Member
    My children are 25 and 23. So, I've had my "pouch" for a long time! But I walk 30 to 60 minutes a day and skate for 2 hours twice a week and mine is slowly but surely going away. Yay!!! But......you have to eat right. I believe eating is 70% of the battle.
  • sarahkittymeow
    sarahkittymeow Posts: 146
    Thanks :) Yeah I'm definitely doing well on workouts, I can FEEL my abs getting defined under my bit of fat, but I'm just trying to picture how I will look once the fat is gone...as in, what will my stretched skin look like at that point, you know? I just don't know at all what to expect
  • jdm120
    jdm120 Posts: 54 Member
    I have only seen other women get rid of it by losing fat. I am on a similar mission and believe I will only lose it by continuing with my situps, crunches and cardio - and of course by shifting more pounds. Sorry I can't be of more help, but yes, I do think it's possible.
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
    Yes, it can happen! I had multiple cesareans plus a couple of other abdominal surgeries in my 20s and had a flat stomach all through my 30s. I'm working to get that back now, and even though I'm closing in on 50, I think I can do it. I definitely have the pouch again, but there is FAT in there - I'll work the fat off.
  • 0lightasair
    0lightasair Posts: 42 Member
    Yes, there is hope. While I have not had a child, my mother has no post pregnancy marks/pooch. The key is a good diet, endurance cardio and some tight high-waisted pants that hold the skin close to the muscle, especially as you exercise, if not all day. Of course, while this does show results, they are slow as any sustainable weight loss endeavour is. =)

    Good Luck.
  • bettygrable72
    bettygrable72 Posts: 1
    It really depends on your skin tone and your body. Some women never have a pouch, some have one and lose it, and some will have loose wrinkled skin there forever no matter how thin they are--in which case only a tummy tuck would cure it.
  • chetnabhatt
    chetnabhatt Posts: 77
    I hope someone posts 'yes' to your answer because I dont like those scars at all over my tummy.:sad:
  • jdm120
    jdm120 Posts: 54 Member
    I hope someone posts 'yes' to your answer because I dont like those scars at all over my tummy.:sad:

    Sorry hon, pooch can be worked - scars are your badge of a job well done - wear them with pride. Your body did good! :)
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    I don't know if it will ever be 100% tight. My skin had tightened up, but the skin still hangs a bit when I am bent over or in a plank position. Standing up, it looks fine. I noticed that it hangs less as I continued to exercise though, but I dont think it will ever be 100%. My kids are 3.5 and 2 years old.
  • kaydensmom12
    kaydensmom12 Posts: 338
    Are you doing strength training? That has really started to bring my pooch back in, although I still have work to do. Crunches and situps do not help anymore than any other exercise. Actually doing too many crunches and sit-ups can make it appear worse! All you can do is lose overall body fat, and unfortunately your body decides where it wants to lose it from. My stretch marks shrank and lightened from weight loss but they will never be gone:)
  • leez1984
    leez1984 Posts: 22
    I don't know how to post a pic from my profile pictures? But the 3rd pic in my profile (short skirt and boots - my inspiration pic) was taken 6 months post 3rd baby. My stomach was impressively taught! I admit, at that point, I had a very good metabolism - I could eat like a HORSE and not gain a pound, I was lower than my pre-pregnancy weight a week post birth. But, I didn't exercise or eat particularly well...

    So it ***IS*** possible to get rid of that pooch! And I had caesareans with all of my kids (3 then, 5 now) - so even if you've had surgery, you DO have hope of tightening it up!

    Unfortunately, thanks to bad genes (no family on either side under a BMI of 25 - going back 2 generations - except me!) and some really badly advised medication, my great metabolism has disappeared :( I went from being 7.5stone to 9stone in 4 months, and am struggling to drop it, as I knew would happen.

    *trying to see if this will work*

    20727836_5763.jpg
  • Jessie__86
    Jessie__86 Posts: 71
    I hope so! Im about to go crazy! I have two kids 13 months apart, the youngest is 7 months old. My belly is driving me insane! My top and obliques are toned, but my bottom part is shot! I dont know what to do!
  • superhippiechik
    superhippiechik Posts: 1,044 Member
    In short the answer is no. Think about a baloon that has been blown up,when it deflates it is wrinkly because of the crevices the stretch marks made. I have had two kids, I was very fit after my younges and the smaller I got the more my stomach looked like Freddy Kreuger's face. I gained 60 lbs. from 2007-1010 and have lost most of it again but just like before the smaller more fit I get the worse lhe loose stretched out skin looks. That is why I drink beer....It keeps my "beer baby" inflated! lol Regardless of the loose skin you are beautiful and they are worth your beautiful baby!
  • fve4fighitng
    fve4fighitng Posts: 1
    my wife has seen wonderful results with this ultimate body applicator and stretch mark creme she got from her best friends website. i believe is it www.dreamwrapachieve.com
  • Jribeiro86
    Jribeiro86 Posts: 108 Member
    I honestly have no idea but to help with the pooch in the lower stomach I was told to do Reverse crunches. In Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred she has a circuit with them in Level 1!

    Good Luck!

    I second the reverse crunches! I don't think I'd ever done them before 30DS, and now that I've started, my lower abs feel a little sore and like they're slowly tightening... This is definitely my problem area as well, so I was thrilled to start feeling the burn there. Traditional crunches only seem to work my upper abs.
  • jazziloz
    jazziloz Posts: 1
    I hope so, I'm 19 with a 3 year old daughter.. I gained weight allot of it.. I want to get rid of the marks though.. I lost all the weight, but I can't seem to be able to look the way I want.. like having muscles on my stomach again.. Another thing is I feel week allot, my bones couldn't handle the weight or something I guess. Has this happened to anyone else?
  • AngelsInThighHighs
    AngelsInThighHighs Posts: 247 Member
    <~~~~ i have a two year old i delivered via C-section. I couldnt feel my lower abs for a year. Its possible you will always have stretch marks but with toning your body and belly they will be less visible. I felt weak for about a year i ended up taking prenatals for a year and a half that helped ALOT i gained 60 pounds with my daughter LOL. Seriously though when your exercising and getting the proper nutrition you wont feel like this, you will feel amazing i have more energy now that i do Insanity then i ever did before i had my babygirl.

    I started with the 30DS, once i finished at this--

    Lvl 1- 10 days

    Lvl 2- 10 days

    Lvl 3- 10 days

    I started doubleing them up for another month i also used 5pound then 10 pound weights.

    Lvl 1 & lvl 3 - 10 days

    Lvl 2 & lvl 3- 10 days

    Lvl 3 & lvl 3- 10 days

    THEN i started Insanity i completed month 1 and half of month 2 got sick now im starting month 1 over with a combination of hiphop abs. That hang you probably have when your on your knees or in a plank, i never got rid of it woth the 30 days shred, Insanity is what caused my body to transform i do not have a hang my stomach is very tight i even managed to tighten up my belly button piercing that had began to hang horribly! The 30DS prepared my body for Insanity as it is a hard workout. Insanity changed my life. Another thing i used for my stretchys and still use is lotion! Everyday all over after my showers ALWAYS!
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    I was extremely fortunate not to get any stretch marks during pregnancy. My stomach HAS been completely flat since having a child,though. (almost there again!) I don't know if it has to do with not having scars, but the skin isn't loose at all. I really think it has a lot to do with your skin and there is no definitive answer. :ohwell:
  • FaerieCae
    FaerieCae Posts: 437 Member
    I hope someone posts 'yes' to your answer because I dont like those scars at all over my tummy.:sad:

    Ditto :sad:
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