My body after birth

[Diamondsareagirls]

I am currently 34 weeks pregnant with b/g twins. I am starting to really feel the toll on my body at this stage and also thinking about what things are going to be like after I give birth. At the moment we are keeping the options open for either a C section or a natural birth depending on what position they are in.

Anyway, I think it would really help me to prepare mentally to know what my body is going to be like after I give birth. Don't spare me any details - I want the truth please even if it is scary :)

[neversleepagain]

It took about 12 months for my body to feel back to normal after the babies were born. I have a lot of stretch marks on my stomach and excess baggy skin but it be honest, it doesn't bother me.

My pelvic bone still clicks when I turn over in bed and I had my twins nearly 18 months ago

[FreeButtonBee]

I went to 38+6 with my B/G twins and had a section (they were both breech).

I was in a lot of discomfort and pain in the last 3 weeks. V v uncomfortable and v v tired. I am only 5ft 3 and short waisted so my lungs were very crushed and I fond the weight on my hips and knees very difficult to manage.

Post birth, it felt like my organs were kinda hanging in mid air!

Knees and hips were still very uncomftable for a while.

I had a lot of lochia - I hope the section would hoover a load of it out but I had bleeding for a good 6 weeks and heavy for the majority of that time.

My section scar was fine. Sore but healed amazingly well and at 10 weeks was in v good nick.

I had carpal tunnel for the last 3-4 weeks as well and some numbness in my left hand. The numbness took about 4 weeks to resolve and then the impact of carrying two babies about all day and night started to take its toll and i wore wrist supports for about 3 months (just tubigrip ones).

I found the rugby hold breastfeeding position was much much more comfortable on my scar and I used a couple of pillows to prop the baby up so I barely had to hold them. Couldn't have managed without my twin breastfeeding pillow once they got going. It was a lifesaver. again it meant that they were set away from my body enough to protect the scar.

All in all, though, I am a stone lighter than pre-preg and although my boobs are a bit softer, they are in reasonable shape despite a year of feeding twins. I rubbed a lovely rose oil onto my tummy after ever shower and when i remembered - mainly to make myself feel better rather than because I thought it would make much difference. Although it's a bit wrinkley, the skin is reasonably firm and I still wear a bikini.

Be warned though, it's not pretty for the first 2 weeks but you won't have time to look at yourself in a mirror so no real need to worry!

[rachyconks]

I haven't had any mutiples, but have had two pregnancies pretty much back to back. My stomach area has never been much to look at, but is destroyed now. Sooooo many stretch marks, saggy skin. I can't even look at in the mirror. My friend, on the other hand, had id twins at 36 weeks and two weeks later she looks better than she did pre pregnancy. Not a stretch mark in sight. So basically, try not to worry too much. Everyone is different.

[Linguaphile]

I got back to my normal size 8 in about 2 weeks, and by 3 months my stomach had gone completely flat again... Enough to comfortably wear a bikini on holiday at Christmas. I did have a nice little road map of stretch marks, but those we're fading away by 3 months and have almost completely faded now at 6 months post-partum. I also had abdominal separation and a broken rib by the end of the pregnancy. The rib healed in about a month and a half, but my abdominal muscles are still separated. I'd probably have to do some crunches to get those back ship-shape, but I can't be bothered with working out; at the moment I'm struggling to keep weight on as I'm so distracted with mobile 6-month-olds that I often forget to eat.

On the whole, I feel like my recovery has been a lot easier than I anticipated, and possibly even quicker/easier for me than it was for my friends with singletons. I know there's more weight gain with twins, and that can have a knock-on for how much it puts your body out of shape, but with running around twice as much, carrying twice as much, pushing around twice as much, and breastfeeding twice as much, I think you also get back into shape much faster.

[Diamondsareagirls]

Thanks for the contributions everyone. Nothing too shocking so far so that's a relief. I am trying to pace myself for a long recovery if needed but would just settle for a night's sleep on my stomach at this point!

[Mommaloca]

I had twins a month ago- at 37 wks, i had vast swelling and could not really move in the last throws of pregnancy. Not I am almost completely back to normal, no stretch marks and a little belly.

[rainbowsmakemesmile]

It might not be too bad. I was 11 stone 2 before the pregnancy. I went to 36+3 and had an elective section.
9 months later with a combination of weightwatchers and generally running round with the twins I'm 10 stone 1. No new stretch marks and in better shape than before.
That said, I do leak wee when I sneeze or cough- sorry :)

[MultipleMama]

I was lucky. I had no stretch marks, no lasting "phantom" cramps/pains and got my pre-PG weight back within a few months of both twin PGs. I had bleeding for a few days but nothing heavy.

During pregnancy, I never got that big to where I hated it or got uncomfortable. I am an avid stomach sleeper so that was quite annoying and having to depend on DH to wax me was an annoyance too! Haha.

[Margetts]

I had an emergency C-section, which healed really easily and didn't cause me any problems. I still have the scar but that doesn't bother me.
I have no stretch marks but I put that down to eating at least 3 avocados a week throughout pregnancy.
I was back in my normal clothes 2 months after birth. This was down to breast feeding and my refusal to have a changing mat downstairs, so ran up and down my stairs to change babies all day!!
During pregnancy I swam, walked and did Pilates. I gave up Pilates at 35 weeks as I struggled to get up! Once off an maternity leave I went out for a walk every day and did so until I gave birth at 40+ 3 days!

[ClairesTravellingCircus]

I had bad SPD which to my suprises continued for a couple of weeks after giving birth. (38 weeks)

So that, coupled with the c/s scar amde for a slower recovery than I expected. One day I was trying to turn in bed and got stuck halfway through, I could not move and had to call dh to help me!

Other than that, there was a LOT of extra skin for a few weeks (this was my 3rd pregnancy as well and I was 40, not so young anymore), but I did lose lots of weight by breastfeeding, and a year later I was actually 7kgs lighter than before pregnancy!

(I have now regained most of it, through sleeplessness and comfort eating)

Good luck

[piratecat]

everything has dropped! but more noticeable as I've aged really and my skin has lost tone. My dd is now a preteen.

i wish i'd had mumsnet, and a bit of knowledge about what can happen to your body so it's a good idea you are asking. Too many women imo end up in shock when they are not 'informed', I was one of them.

I tore pretty badly, that healed after about 6 months, but never went back to normal. I had SPD which made recovery very hard, it took about 3 yrs to feel stable. Hence i didn't have any more (but dh left anyhow)

Very heavy feeling of everything falling out, bruised, as i pushed for way too long. So that can vary depending on the birth itself. Like being kicked in the crotch, and not being able to sit down without wincing for about two weeks. This is just one experience!
Weeing very hard after.
Nipples being chewed off whislt trying to establish breast feeding.

hth and best of luck to you xxx

[piratecat]

oh my weight stuck around for about 2 yrs, but i i wasn't looking after myself, you tend to grab what you can when you can.

i had no stretchmarks until about 35 weeks. they are still there, but faded and i quite like them, as it reminds me of when i grew my dd!