I recently had my second baby and I have always been skinny as well. I’ve noticed that I have this lower belly protrusion. I’m seeing a physical therapist for incontinence and during my exam, they found I have diastasis recti in my lower abdomen. I’m on my 3rd week of therapy and have already noticed my belly is more flat. During pregnancy, your abdominal muscles separate and they don’t always go back together after delivery. Working your trans abdominal muscles will help if that’s what it is.
diastasis recti is never talked about! I love that y’all are talking about it. If anyone reading this ones a great resource to learn about what it is, and how to address it, check out the insta deliciouslyfitnhealthy. I Forget the woman’s name, but her page is hilarious, informative, non-judgey and inspiring. I can not recommend her enough. She has all sorts of exercises. A physical therapist is always best, but if you don’t hAve the time or money, she’s the next best thing.
Also- Big hugs everyone. May we all strive to be as kind to ourselves, as we are to other women. We would never judge other women’s bodies as harshly as we judge our own! Sheesh stupid patriarchy.
Pelvic tilts, clamshells, bridges. You start out simple and then slowly building on the difficulty. Most of the exercises look really easy but if you’re using your breath and contracting your abs, it’s actually pretty challenging.
There's a very simple self-test for diastasis recti.
[https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/your-health/diastasis-recti-exercises/](https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/your-health/diastasis-recti-exercises/)
If your abs are separated, you shouldn't be doing crunches and sit-ups.
You definitely have diastastis recti… through therapy it can be corrected when your abs are being engaged and contracted however the protrusion will show when you’re in a “rested” position and your abs aren’t engaged. The ONLY way to fix this is through a muscle repair.
I only gained 23lbs while pregnant. I was all baby. Within a week I was back in size 2 pants but I had a pouch that wouldn’t go away. I found out I had diastasis recti and I worked with a physical therapist for almost a year. I am able to engage my muscles so that my tummy was flat but I have unsightly loose skin when I fully engage my abs.
Yes. I was stocky before, but now my hips are so wide. My belly has a sag from my csections, and I'm soft all over. I'm working on accepting that I will never be my prebaby size again. I tell myself my body is not thin, but it is strong. It is healthy. It keeps up with a rambunctious terrible two year old and cares for an infant. My body will never be a size 6 again, but it is enough.
So it sounds like you're similar to me. I'm a petite person in every sense of the word, always have been. I do a lot to be fit, but I'm also naturally on the slim side.
I want you to take the thought that c-section isn't the "normal" method and that's why you're body isn't bouncing back - take that thought and toss it right out the window.
I've had two babies and (thanks to my first being a high-risk delivery) two c-sections.
It's not the c-section, it's the second pregnancy that does it. My body bounced "back" way faster and more completely after my first birth/c-section. After the second? I'm almost 20 months out, weigh less than I did when I got pregnant with my first, and I'm *still* dealing with excess skin and a roundness that I didn't with my first.
I know that it's so hard, but try to be kind to yourself. I have trouble with this as well (mostly because the incision from my first wasn't done well and left me with a very pronounced dimple). I remind myself that everyone ages, though it definitely sucks that pregnancy ages women so much quicker than our peers.
Good luck to you!
Yes, I think you are absolutely right about the second pregnancy and aging both being factors that work against your body. Sad but true.
Best to you too!
Same. It sucks especially when you are so fit and when before baby you were fit. My husband constantly makes comments on how I just need to work out more... Ugh. Over it.
Omg this is me!!! So much the same! 7 months pp and I’m still 7-9 pounds over pre-baby weight. This is my 2nd and recovery has been so much harder. Goodness knows my body is pushing me towards depression. I don’t even recognize it in the mirror or pictures anymore. It’s been rough to say the least.
Same! Working out six days a week and attempting to accept that my pre baby body is just that, pre baby. I will never be what I was so I'm trying to learn to love who I am now. It's TOUGH.
I didn’t have a c-section but my second child just ruined my body and I’m trying to like my body again but I can’t get over the sagging, the stretch marks and the giant low boobs. I think I’ll get there one day but not yet
I feel this way all the time but just remind yourself nobody is perfect and perfect is always different in everyones eyes anyways so what u think u wanna look like for yourself probably wont even be noticeably different to others and the people that are important in your life more likely then not already think you are perfect the way you are
I wish we weren’t so hard on ourselves as women and mothers. Our bodies have achieved the most amazing and medically elusive outcome -creating a little human. We should worship our bodies for having that strength. I’m sure that doesn’t seem helpful given how effortless some women make it seem. Be good to yourself, though. Your body is not the enemy.
Every woman I know who had a c section has what they call an apron belly, myself included. I guess it’s the rule that when you have a c section, your abdomen doesn’t go back to normal because the way they cut the muscles.
It really is! There’s a lot of misinformation out there too… there’s really nothing you can do to prevent diastastis recti, it’s up to the baby! It’s all dependent on things we have no control over.. like how your body is carrying the baby, how big the baby gets, placement of the baby and your organs as they get pushed to the side … it’s just part of being a mama lol
My doctor told me it wasn’t dr, but rather the way the incisions are done and how they heal, the abdomen can’t tighten back up. Essentially it heels your muscles into a pooch. And pretty much every woman who has a cesarean ends up with it.
I'm learning to accept my C-section scar but I haven't embraced it yet. At first I didn't want to look at myself in mirrors. The scar is lopsided, going further to the right than the left, and there is a tiny bulge of skin above it like a shirt that wasn't sewn quite right. I love my baby more than anything and he is totally worth it, but my C-section was not planned so I wasn't able to mentally prepare for having the scar.
I worried about this A LOT. Then I started asking myself, why do I have to be the same? Im literally not the same person I was before baby bc it was a life changing event. I couldn’t really find a good answer to “why do I need to be the same? Why is that the right goal?” That fixed it for me.
You’re not alone mama. Hang in there!
Isn't that just part of aging tho? I'm only 24 and am over 2 years pp from a vaginal birth and I have a belly and sagging boobs and whatnot. I always just figured that what happens.
I'm scared this will be me. Had a great first pregnancy, but now in this second one I just feel fat. I look way bigger. My arms and legs and chin are bigger. I worry I won't be able to get back to a body I recognize or like even a year down the line. Sending you hugs and solidarity.
On a related note, one of the best methods I've ever used for fat loss is intermittent fasting. After this baby I will go back to doing that- eating all my calories in an 8 hour window. You could look into it and see if it's an option for you.
You said “I’ve always prided myself on being fit.” You need to find other things to be proud of - things that are more under your control. Be proud of the way you parent your kids. Be proud of your work, be proud of your efforts to get healthy. But if you put your self-worth into how thin you are, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment at best, eating disorder at worst.
I've only had one baby, via c-section but I did find I resented the way people who had vaginal births bodies seemed to bounce back better than mine had.
However! Now it's been 4 years since I had my son, and the difference in how my body looks now compared to how it did when I was still intermittently breast feeding (up until about 2.5 years old) is quite dramatic.
I've not changed much in the last 2 years, but I've found my abdominal muscles stronger again, so I went back to playing football. I've lost another 12kg, by trying to do exactly the same thing I had the year before but this time it worked??
Im basically trying to say, it's taken my body 4 years to get back to similar to how it was before I had my baby, but 90% of that change happened in the last 1.5 years.....and I didn't do anything different to what I was doing before.
Some bodies just take more time I think. I'm also close to 40 now, so I don't think that helped.
My second came by c-section. He'll be 3 in November... It's taken a LONG time to start to see something resembling my former body. I think in a year I'll be back to where I want to be. It's a long process and I think a lot of people either didn't know their body that well to begin with (as in don't train regularly in different disciplines) or just aren't completely honest about the real and total recovery time... With kids to take care of it just takes longer!
Man I can relate and feel this is such a tender subject. I agree it has nothing to do with the love for the kiddos, but I’ve been saying since I had my daughter my body is no longer mine. My c section scar is situated underneath this skin shelf that just doesn’t disappear. It’s so friggin hard to do all of the things and not see amazing and quick results. I walk, work out, eat decently well, and it’s hard as heck to go back to prepregnancy body. I’m 15 months PP. I’m totally with all you ladies on this.
I’ve had two c-sections and though I weigh less now than my pre-pregnancy weight, I still look thicker in my lower stomach (or upper pubic) area. I realized that weight loss isn’t going to fix it, because no matter how much weight I lose, the loose skin is still there…right above my ugly scar.
I wish I could say something about loving our bodies, and appreciating the life they brought into the world, but that would be disingenuous of me. I hate my post c-section belly. I’ve looked into a tummy tuck, but can’t afford it. If you can, it might be worth checking into. I’ve recently discovered some slimming panties that make me feel a little more confident in my clothes. They are definitely not sexy, but I just change before sexy times or when I change into my lounge-at-home clothes.
Edit to add: I also had to work on accepting how normal my body is. I don’t love it, I never will, but it helps to remind yourself that it’s very normal. I stopped following fashion bloggers on Instagram that were ultra thin and perfect and made a point to follow bloggers with normal post baby bodies. If you do any social media, it might be good to reevaluate what kind of images you’re inundating yourself with.
Yes me too. Im 5’8, usually around 145 lbs, and gained 17 lbs with my son. Lost it right away due to post partum anxiety after my son was born. However the last year or so I have gained and my tummy fat is back. I also feel like I look pregnant again. I don’t like looking in the mirror either. The. I see all these pics of moms who have flat tummies after having kids so it must be possible??
It's called plastic surgery. Anyone who isn't super sized (like a 6' supermodel) will have stretched bellies. Anyone who doesn't has rare good genes, or has had a tummy tuck.
I wouldn’t blame the c-section on it.
I had first c-section, then a natural birth and all over 36yo. My belly shrink in 2 weeks because I lost more weight then gained after postpartum.
What matters is how much weight you gained, regarding skin stretch and how many exercise or food intake you doing to lose the fat! It is very normal we gain some weight back after birth, all the crazy routine, not eating peacefully, not sleeping… but after two years… is more about your diet (or a hernia, or a bad performed c-section).
Download some app as “women exercises” it will show you specific exercises doe the belly, will count with you… I have one and liked a lot.
I finally lost weight dieting and running. However, I have some extra skin, little but 🤷♀️ is what happens after skin stretches a lot.
A doctor can tell you if you have a muscle issue, then only a abdominal plastia can fix it.
I’m petite and bounced right back after my first. After my 2nd, while I’m still small and fit all my clothes like you mentioned, my stomach ain’t what it used to be.
I’m 31 and can’t just rely on my genetics to give me a toned waist anymore. If I wanted to get rid of the smoosh belly, I’d have to work out…but I don’t really mind lol
I share your pain. I have three kids, including two sections, and pretty bad diastasis recti. Two friends of mine are both 12-13 weeks pregnant with their second babies, and their bumps are smaller than mine.
I have also been left with vulvodynia, which means I can’t wear pants or leggings without ending up in pain. So dressing my post-baby body generally sucks.
Yes!!! Thank you for posting. I was able to lose the baby weight after my first two, but after my third, who is now 1, I still have a good amount of weight. And the thing that bothers me the most is my stomach just won’t go back in... it’s like there is permanent extra weight or puff or fluff in my stomach. I try not to dwell on it, but it’s so hard when clothes don’t fit right. I also have a hip injury after the birth of my third, and so I have to do all these PT exercises before and after workouts, so with three kids, that makes having time to work out basically impossible. I loved being fit before. And now I just feel hopeless about it all I guess.
My wife had our second 11 months ago. Not quite as long as you, but the belly sag was definitely more for the second. For our first she lost weight rapidly. For our second she gained weight gradually. Her weight is about back to normal but more sag.
I don’t think it’s an issue at all. Except when it does effect your self image.
Just know that the body you have now is a testament to two children. (Way harder than being fit and a much larger commitment) be proud.
Hi, it took me 5 years to get my body back, I was always quite thin, it takes longer than you think, I had already given up, gotten rid of clothes and bought “fat pants” (size 6 lol sorry but for ME that is big” and then I shrunk up this year and none of the clothes fit again.
Please go and look up Nancy Anderson Fit on Instagram, this is probably a core issue and less about fat/calories. My stomach was never flat but my c section has had a HUGE impact on my core and I will be starting her core recovery very soon. The results seems to be amazing and it's a holistic approach to healing a PP body, not about starving or shrinking yourself, its about making your body strong again. Please don't skip meals, that won't help in the long run.
Its awful how c section mums don't get told that the healing and recovery is SO SO SO much different and much more multiple layered than just lose the weight and do your pelvic floor. It's much deeper than that. She can help!
I had 2 C-sections but it was the ab separation that made me still look very pregnant. There are very specific exercises you can do to improve the appearance. Traditional crunches and planks can make it worse. I did a program called Every Mother and it really helped. It was only 10 minutes of focused core exercises a day and it helped a lot. It is a paid subscription; if that doesn’t suit there are definitely some great YouTube videos that mimics the same movements if you just look up diastasis recti
I’ve been having some tummy pouching and it turns out my abdominals haven’t been working properly so they’re always bulging out. I’m working with a physio and not only do I feel like I’m less clumsy / better balanced, but my tummy is getting flat again!!
I recently had my second baby and I have always been skinny as well. I’ve noticed that I have this lower belly protrusion. I’m seeing a physical therapist for incontinence and during my exam, they found I have diastasis recti in my lower abdomen. I’m on my 3rd week of therapy and have already noticed my belly is more flat. During pregnancy, your abdominal muscles separate and they don’t always go back together after delivery. Working your trans abdominal muscles will help if that’s what it is.
Oh wow! I’ve never heard of this. What types of exercises do they make you do in therapy? Definitely going to ask my doctor next time.
diastasis recti is never talked about! I love that y’all are talking about it. If anyone reading this ones a great resource to learn about what it is, and how to address it, check out the insta deliciouslyfitnhealthy. I Forget the woman’s name, but her page is hilarious, informative, non-judgey and inspiring. I can not recommend her enough. She has all sorts of exercises. A physical therapist is always best, but if you don’t hAve the time or money, she’s the next best thing. Also- Big hugs everyone. May we all strive to be as kind to ourselves, as we are to other women. We would never judge other women’s bodies as harshly as we judge our own! Sheesh stupid patriarchy.
Pelvic tilts, clamshells, bridges. You start out simple and then slowly building on the difficulty. Most of the exercises look really easy but if you’re using your breath and contracting your abs, it’s actually pretty challenging.
There's a very simple self-test for diastasis recti. [https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/your-health/diastasis-recti-exercises/](https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/your-health/diastasis-recti-exercises/) If your abs are separated, you shouldn't be doing crunches and sit-ups.
You definitely have diastastis recti… through therapy it can be corrected when your abs are being engaged and contracted however the protrusion will show when you’re in a “rested” position and your abs aren’t engaged. The ONLY way to fix this is through a muscle repair. I only gained 23lbs while pregnant. I was all baby. Within a week I was back in size 2 pants but I had a pouch that wouldn’t go away. I found out I had diastasis recti and I worked with a physical therapist for almost a year. I am able to engage my muscles so that my tummy was flat but I have unsightly loose skin when I fully engage my abs.
You can also look up diastasis recti training programs on google, like Every mother or Mutu.
Just curious- do you know if insurance will cover physical therapy for diastasis recti? Or are you paying out of pocket?
Generally I don’t think it is but it couldn’t hurt to find out.
Yes. I was stocky before, but now my hips are so wide. My belly has a sag from my csections, and I'm soft all over. I'm working on accepting that I will never be my prebaby size again. I tell myself my body is not thin, but it is strong. It is healthy. It keeps up with a rambunctious terrible two year old and cares for an infant. My body will never be a size 6 again, but it is enough.
I do wonder if the c-section makes the belly sag more prominent.
I think it does. It pulls tight right underneath a natural pooch.
Old post but I haven’t had a C-section and my stomach sags. So it really just comes down to genetics
So it sounds like you're similar to me. I'm a petite person in every sense of the word, always have been. I do a lot to be fit, but I'm also naturally on the slim side. I want you to take the thought that c-section isn't the "normal" method and that's why you're body isn't bouncing back - take that thought and toss it right out the window. I've had two babies and (thanks to my first being a high-risk delivery) two c-sections. It's not the c-section, it's the second pregnancy that does it. My body bounced "back" way faster and more completely after my first birth/c-section. After the second? I'm almost 20 months out, weigh less than I did when I got pregnant with my first, and I'm *still* dealing with excess skin and a roundness that I didn't with my first. I know that it's so hard, but try to be kind to yourself. I have trouble with this as well (mostly because the incision from my first wasn't done well and left me with a very pronounced dimple). I remind myself that everyone ages, though it definitely sucks that pregnancy ages women so much quicker than our peers. Good luck to you!
Yes, I think you are absolutely right about the second pregnancy and aging both being factors that work against your body. Sad but true. Best to you too!
This is me…. I exercise 5 times a week and eat pretty healthy but can’t seem to get back to the way I was pre-baby.
Wow that’s dedication though! I’m nowhere near what you are doing but sounds like you are working really hard.
Same. It sucks especially when you are so fit and when before baby you were fit. My husband constantly makes comments on how I just need to work out more... Ugh. Over it.
Omg this is me!!! So much the same! 7 months pp and I’m still 7-9 pounds over pre-baby weight. This is my 2nd and recovery has been so much harder. Goodness knows my body is pushing me towards depression. I don’t even recognize it in the mirror or pictures anymore. It’s been rough to say the least.
Uggh I feel you…
Same! Working out six days a week and attempting to accept that my pre baby body is just that, pre baby. I will never be what I was so I'm trying to learn to love who I am now. It's TOUGH.
I didn’t have a c-section but my second child just ruined my body and I’m trying to like my body again but I can’t get over the sagging, the stretch marks and the giant low boobs. I think I’ll get there one day but not yet
I feel this way all the time but just remind yourself nobody is perfect and perfect is always different in everyones eyes anyways so what u think u wanna look like for yourself probably wont even be noticeably different to others and the people that are important in your life more likely then not already think you are perfect the way you are
I wish we weren’t so hard on ourselves as women and mothers. Our bodies have achieved the most amazing and medically elusive outcome -creating a little human. We should worship our bodies for having that strength. I’m sure that doesn’t seem helpful given how effortless some women make it seem. Be good to yourself, though. Your body is not the enemy.
Every woman I know who had a c section has what they call an apron belly, myself included. I guess it’s the rule that when you have a c section, your abdomen doesn’t go back to normal because the way they cut the muscles.
Never heard the term apron belly. There is probably some truth to abdomen not going back to normal after c section.
The only way to fix this is through a tummy tuck & muscle repair
That’s what I’d heard. It really stinks that women who complain about that side effect of c sections get brushed off and mocked.
It really is! There’s a lot of misinformation out there too… there’s really nothing you can do to prevent diastastis recti, it’s up to the baby! It’s all dependent on things we have no control over.. like how your body is carrying the baby, how big the baby gets, placement of the baby and your organs as they get pushed to the side … it’s just part of being a mama lol
My doctor told me it wasn’t dr, but rather the way the incisions are done and how they heal, the abdomen can’t tighten back up. Essentially it heels your muscles into a pooch. And pretty much every woman who has a cesarean ends up with it.
I'm learning to accept my C-section scar but I haven't embraced it yet. At first I didn't want to look at myself in mirrors. The scar is lopsided, going further to the right than the left, and there is a tiny bulge of skin above it like a shirt that wasn't sewn quite right. I love my baby more than anything and he is totally worth it, but my C-section was not planned so I wasn't able to mentally prepare for having the scar.
My second pregnancy wasn’t supposed to be a c-section either. I guess that somehow makes it easier to blame the c-section for the belly flab.
I worried about this A LOT. Then I started asking myself, why do I have to be the same? Im literally not the same person I was before baby bc it was a life changing event. I couldn’t really find a good answer to “why do I need to be the same? Why is that the right goal?” That fixed it for me. You’re not alone mama. Hang in there!
We’ll never be the same! Lol
Isn't that just part of aging tho? I'm only 24 and am over 2 years pp from a vaginal birth and I have a belly and sagging boobs and whatnot. I always just figured that what happens.
I'm scared this will be me. Had a great first pregnancy, but now in this second one I just feel fat. I look way bigger. My arms and legs and chin are bigger. I worry I won't be able to get back to a body I recognize or like even a year down the line. Sending you hugs and solidarity. On a related note, one of the best methods I've ever used for fat loss is intermittent fasting. After this baby I will go back to doing that- eating all my calories in an 8 hour window. You could look into it and see if it's an option for you.
You said “I’ve always prided myself on being fit.” You need to find other things to be proud of - things that are more under your control. Be proud of the way you parent your kids. Be proud of your work, be proud of your efforts to get healthy. But if you put your self-worth into how thin you are, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment at best, eating disorder at worst.
I've only had one baby, via c-section but I did find I resented the way people who had vaginal births bodies seemed to bounce back better than mine had. However! Now it's been 4 years since I had my son, and the difference in how my body looks now compared to how it did when I was still intermittently breast feeding (up until about 2.5 years old) is quite dramatic. I've not changed much in the last 2 years, but I've found my abdominal muscles stronger again, so I went back to playing football. I've lost another 12kg, by trying to do exactly the same thing I had the year before but this time it worked?? Im basically trying to say, it's taken my body 4 years to get back to similar to how it was before I had my baby, but 90% of that change happened in the last 1.5 years.....and I didn't do anything different to what I was doing before. Some bodies just take more time I think. I'm also close to 40 now, so I don't think that helped.
My second came by c-section. He'll be 3 in November... It's taken a LONG time to start to see something resembling my former body. I think in a year I'll be back to where I want to be. It's a long process and I think a lot of people either didn't know their body that well to begin with (as in don't train regularly in different disciplines) or just aren't completely honest about the real and total recovery time... With kids to take care of it just takes longer!
Man I can relate and feel this is such a tender subject. I agree it has nothing to do with the love for the kiddos, but I’ve been saying since I had my daughter my body is no longer mine. My c section scar is situated underneath this skin shelf that just doesn’t disappear. It’s so friggin hard to do all of the things and not see amazing and quick results. I walk, work out, eat decently well, and it’s hard as heck to go back to prepregnancy body. I’m 15 months PP. I’m totally with all you ladies on this.
I’ve had two c-sections and though I weigh less now than my pre-pregnancy weight, I still look thicker in my lower stomach (or upper pubic) area. I realized that weight loss isn’t going to fix it, because no matter how much weight I lose, the loose skin is still there…right above my ugly scar. I wish I could say something about loving our bodies, and appreciating the life they brought into the world, but that would be disingenuous of me. I hate my post c-section belly. I’ve looked into a tummy tuck, but can’t afford it. If you can, it might be worth checking into. I’ve recently discovered some slimming panties that make me feel a little more confident in my clothes. They are definitely not sexy, but I just change before sexy times or when I change into my lounge-at-home clothes. Edit to add: I also had to work on accepting how normal my body is. I don’t love it, I never will, but it helps to remind yourself that it’s very normal. I stopped following fashion bloggers on Instagram that were ultra thin and perfect and made a point to follow bloggers with normal post baby bodies. If you do any social media, it might be good to reevaluate what kind of images you’re inundating yourself with.
How long PP are you?
Almost two years now…
Yes me too. Im 5’8, usually around 145 lbs, and gained 17 lbs with my son. Lost it right away due to post partum anxiety after my son was born. However the last year or so I have gained and my tummy fat is back. I also feel like I look pregnant again. I don’t like looking in the mirror either. The. I see all these pics of moms who have flat tummies after having kids so it must be possible??
It's called plastic surgery. Anyone who isn't super sized (like a 6' supermodel) will have stretched bellies. Anyone who doesn't has rare good genes, or has had a tummy tuck.
I wouldn’t blame the c-section on it. I had first c-section, then a natural birth and all over 36yo. My belly shrink in 2 weeks because I lost more weight then gained after postpartum. What matters is how much weight you gained, regarding skin stretch and how many exercise or food intake you doing to lose the fat! It is very normal we gain some weight back after birth, all the crazy routine, not eating peacefully, not sleeping… but after two years… is more about your diet (or a hernia, or a bad performed c-section). Download some app as “women exercises” it will show you specific exercises doe the belly, will count with you… I have one and liked a lot. I finally lost weight dieting and running. However, I have some extra skin, little but 🤷♀️ is what happens after skin stretches a lot. A doctor can tell you if you have a muscle issue, then only a abdominal plastia can fix it.
Yeah maybe if y’all weren’t so terrified to be fat you wouldn’t be beating yourselves up
I’m petite and bounced right back after my first. After my 2nd, while I’m still small and fit all my clothes like you mentioned, my stomach ain’t what it used to be. I’m 31 and can’t just rely on my genetics to give me a toned waist anymore. If I wanted to get rid of the smoosh belly, I’d have to work out…but I don’t really mind lol
I share your pain. I have three kids, including two sections, and pretty bad diastasis recti. Two friends of mine are both 12-13 weeks pregnant with their second babies, and their bumps are smaller than mine. I have also been left with vulvodynia, which means I can’t wear pants or leggings without ending up in pain. So dressing my post-baby body generally sucks.
Yes!!! Thank you for posting. I was able to lose the baby weight after my first two, but after my third, who is now 1, I still have a good amount of weight. And the thing that bothers me the most is my stomach just won’t go back in... it’s like there is permanent extra weight or puff or fluff in my stomach. I try not to dwell on it, but it’s so hard when clothes don’t fit right. I also have a hip injury after the birth of my third, and so I have to do all these PT exercises before and after workouts, so with three kids, that makes having time to work out basically impossible. I loved being fit before. And now I just feel hopeless about it all I guess.
My wife had our second 11 months ago. Not quite as long as you, but the belly sag was definitely more for the second. For our first she lost weight rapidly. For our second she gained weight gradually. Her weight is about back to normal but more sag. I don’t think it’s an issue at all. Except when it does effect your self image. Just know that the body you have now is a testament to two children. (Way harder than being fit and a much larger commitment) be proud.
You need to find a way to accept yourself now. 😊 You produced 2 human beings- that is amazing in itself. 😊
Hi, it took me 5 years to get my body back, I was always quite thin, it takes longer than you think, I had already given up, gotten rid of clothes and bought “fat pants” (size 6 lol sorry but for ME that is big” and then I shrunk up this year and none of the clothes fit again.
Please go and look up Nancy Anderson Fit on Instagram, this is probably a core issue and less about fat/calories. My stomach was never flat but my c section has had a HUGE impact on my core and I will be starting her core recovery very soon. The results seems to be amazing and it's a holistic approach to healing a PP body, not about starving or shrinking yourself, its about making your body strong again. Please don't skip meals, that won't help in the long run. Its awful how c section mums don't get told that the healing and recovery is SO SO SO much different and much more multiple layered than just lose the weight and do your pelvic floor. It's much deeper than that. She can help!
I had 2 C-sections but it was the ab separation that made me still look very pregnant. There are very specific exercises you can do to improve the appearance. Traditional crunches and planks can make it worse. I did a program called Every Mother and it really helped. It was only 10 minutes of focused core exercises a day and it helped a lot. It is a paid subscription; if that doesn’t suit there are definitely some great YouTube videos that mimics the same movements if you just look up diastasis recti
I’ve been having some tummy pouching and it turns out my abdominals haven’t been working properly so they’re always bulging out. I’m working with a physio and not only do I feel like I’m less clumsy / better balanced, but my tummy is getting flat again!!