Do your stomach muscles ever recover from a c-section?

[Ali5]

Doing some positions in yoga the last couple of weeks (nothing weird!) and I could sort of feel something, well, unusual around my scar - like pulling or tension. Enough to make me stop in case I pulled or tore something.
It's been nearly 9 months now and wondered if this was normal? Does that area ever go back to how it used to be?
I asked my HV about this, who was predictably vague.

[fishie]

i don't think they do, but my friend has regained a beautifully flat and strong stomach a few years on (i never had one to start with so no miracles expected here!) something is def the matter with one side of mine but more to do with preg than cs.

[ghosty]

Not in my experience, no.

But then I don't know how much of that is to do with the ridiculously large babies I had ...

Tummy wasn't too bad by the time DS was 3 actually - I had a neat scar and had toned up quite well (lots of hard work at gym). But DD is now 3 and tummy seems sadly wrecked. Nasty scar (pulled in on one side, unattractive overhang), Floppy skin (stretched beyond belief by heiffer 10lb 10oz baby), un toned (no chance to go back to gym with 2 children this time)


HOWEVER - in one month's time I am going back to the gym and in 3 months you will be able to bounce a coin off my stomach ... just you watch

[Ali5]

Ooh ghosty, I admire you SOOO much for getting to the gym. I never had a flat stomach either fishie, so am too not expecting to look like posh. I think I'm just worrying that things haven't knitted together as they should.

[fishie]

you could ask gp because muscles often get buggered up apart from cs - my friend had twins and had to have an operation afterwards. there are also exercises to do which i will get around to one day (ds is nearly 2), you could search on internet.

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[Eleusis]

I've had two sections (4 yrs and almost 2 yrs ago). Apart from the flabby overhang, everything is back to normal. Oh, the scar itches sometimes, especially if the elastic of my knickers goes right across it. But, the stomach muscles are everything they used to be. After the first section it felt like I was stretching the muscles just to stand up straight, but the went away after a few months or so. And, after the second section, I only felt like that for a few weeks.

OMG, you had a 10lb 10oz baby????

[RedFraggle]

I think it can do, but you have to really work at it. I was definitely getting there but am now pregnant again!

For me it was more to do with weight loss than just sit-ups etc. When I started running and lost a bit of the baby flab my stomach was noticeably better - no overhang, just a bit more rounded than previously! The muscle tone was starting to improve a lot too. I did find that I had a pulling sensation for a little while when doing new exercises, but it settled down after the first few goes. I was told it was just things being stretched back out again.

I will be back to the gym once I've had this baby to try to get it back again. I STILL have a wardrobe full of clothes that I didn't quite make it back into last time - determined I will this time around!! But as I'm having another c-section I will probably be waiting a good 4-5 months to let myself recover fully - I rushed back last time and it was too soon to be working out.

[nogoes]

I once saw someone with a 6 week old baby she had a c-section and her belly was as flat as a pancake. She did look naturally very skinny though.

[Eleusis]

Bitch

[piglit]

Probably had a tummy tuck when she had her section. Wish I had!

[Roskva70percentcocoa]

You're giving me some inspiration, girls. I hope you don't mind me hijacking with a slightly related question - I had a c-section 7 months ago. The surface around the scar is totally numb, but sometimes if dd kicks me or I lean against her changing table at the wrong angle, something inside really hurts - is that normal? My gp said it's ovulation, but I don't think so.

[Eleusis]

What do you mean by hurst? Like a stabbling pain or like a bruise?

[Eleusis]

hurts

[fishie]

i still had a dark brown bruise for about 10months and am only starting to get some feeling back in overhang (sorry tmi) so it does take ages.

[RedFraggle]

My scar felt numb for quite a while (trying to remember how long but my memory is crap!) I do remember that it felt numb to touch but if I pressed really hard it was tender on the inside (if that makes ANY sense at all). I think I was feeling the scar on my internal bits when I pressed down. Apparently the numb feeling is normal.
From my own point of view my scar felt totally normal after about 12 months (ish) and there was no pain on pressing. But I guess everyone is different and how you heal will vary....

[OrlandoTheMarmaladeCat]

I still have numb patches 8 years on, and I've learnt to live with it. I had a massive haematoma under the scar so I don't know if that had anything to do with it. You should check out the pain with your GP just to rule anything out.

Unfortunately though bikini waxes are still just as painful!!!

[madmumNika]

Hey all, joining this late too, I had an emergency c-section at 30 weeks and was quite lucky that after 4 months my tummy went back to it's previous shape (which wasn't due to mad exercising, just lots of breastfeeding/expressing, stress & postnatal yoga- & wasn't flat!! ), and after about 9 months the overhang went- but as my DS was born prematurely I had never got that big...

My scar still would feel strange with certain movements, but that sort of pulling sensation is typical of scar tissue as it's so much stiffer than normal tissue and can feel quite deep as they have to stitch a few muscle layers as well as the skin. It should ease gradually but may take years and I was advised to massage my scar quite vigorously once the scab had come off (sorry if TMI!) for months after to help loosen the scar & scar tissue beneath it. I also used vitamin E & bio oil to help the scar heal... However it was still VERY sensitive after a year so ended up being referred to a dermatologist & needed steroid injctions to stop the scar producing excessive amounts of scar tissue.

Still find knicker elastic on it sore, especially as I'm pregnant again so they keep rolling into it.

I was told to be gentle with sit-ups etc. for at least a year after the scar and avoid lifting the 2 legs together.. Found postnatal yoga great for months!

Hoping to avoid another section this time!

xxxx

[Ali5]

Thanks for all the info everyone. My scar still feels a bit numb about 1cm above and below.
Think I'll try a gentler form of what I was doing at Yoga. I went straight back into Advanced yoga and nothing has troubled me before these exercises, incidentally the ones that pulled involved lifting both legs off the floor.
Good to hear that some of you got ring of the dreaded overhang - thought I was lumbered with that forever no matter what I did.

[Aloha]

I've had two caesareans and have no side effects whatsoever, apart from the scar, of course. My tummy skin is a bit saggy & wrinkly (I don't look if leaning over near a mirror!) but that is definitely because the skin stretching (and possibly being 38 and 41 when pregnant) and not the mode of delivery.

[Aloha]

Kids are now five and two btw.

[southeastastra]

mine haven't but could be put down to too much wine consumption

[Earlybird]

Mine hasn't. But, as someone said earlier some of the reason may be the fact that I was 42 when I had dd/c-section. Also, I seem to be 'stuck' at 20 lbs heavier than pre-dd. No idea what tummy would look like if I was at pre-pregnancy weight.