Will my stomach ever go back to normal?

[Bellamuerte]

I gained 40lb while pregnant, all on my tummy which was HUGE. Ended up having an emergency c-section because baby was too big and badly positioned. Now 10 days postpartum and I'm still the size I was at six months pregnant. I've only lost the weight of the baby plus 8lb. My bump has deflated a bit and is hanging like an apron. The midwife has terrified me by saying it will always be loose because my tummy was so big.

I keep looking at pictures of women 10 days postpartum and most of them are well on the way back to being normal. I know I have a lovely new baby but I'm severely depressed and don't want to live in a body with an apron of skin. Not to mention the fact that I have a LOT of stretch marks. Has anyone experienced being in this state and actually returned to normal? Or do I need to start saving for plastic surgery if I ever want to look normal again?

[DollyLlama]

10 days is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I have a 3 month old and I haven’t shifted the weight yet but with my almost 3 year old, I looked miles better by about 6 months. Have a chat with your gp at your 6 week check about diet & exercise. Oh and the stretch marks do fade, mine went silver and barely noticeable where as when I was pregnant they were angry red and really deep.

It took 9 months to put the weight on so be kind to yourself

[BetterEatCheese]

It will tighten over time, much too early to tell. Mine was an apron and it has almost gone back but the skin is looser. 10 days is way way way too early but I do understand your concerns I was shocked when I had my Dd how long my figure took to go back. My skin hung like curtains for ages but did slowly change. Please be kind to yourself. It's unrealistic to expect things to go back so quickly, although celebrity mags would lead you to believe it's the norm

[boodles101]

I think it's definitely true what they say.; it takes 9 months to put on that weight and 9 months to lose it again. My DS is now 12months and I used to feel awful about my new wobbly mum tum. But it slowly started to get better and around 8/9 months it is pretty much back to the way it was. I know it's annoying to be told to be patient but honestly it does take a while for your body to recover and get over what it's been through.

[gryffen]

Depends on how well your body reacts to childbirth and pregnancy- some woman never get back to normal shape they were before having the baby.

Imho never look at celebs or other woman after birth, most have expert gyms and trainers and nannies to look after the baby and it's unrealist to the modern mother to look like red carpet material so quickly after.

Look at Kim Kardashian - her ass grew massive during each pregnancy and it took an x-ray to prove she hadn't had work done.
Four years later = still huge lol

Be a mum and be proud of the badges we get.

[Hulaballoo]

10 days is far too early... It took a lot of stretching especially if it's your first.... I focused on getting back to pre-pregnancy weight and my tummy was still saggy at pre-pregnancy weight... Took a year to be pretty normal but sadly I could never get rid of the wrinkly stretchmark look... It did improve with time but never back to what it was before... It's different for everyone though. Just keep remembering your beautiful creation! It's hard and it plays havoc with my self esteem but I try as much as I can to focus on other things. Xx

[tinytreefrog]

I was enormous with my first, put on so much weight and was covered in stretch marks. With my second I didn't put on anywhere near as much weight, so no new stretch marks, but I did have a c section, so have that lovely little scar that pulls your stomach back in and gives you that apron. It looked awful for a long time and I really hated it.

So 10 years on, has my stomach gone back to how it was before children.... no, it hasn't. But is it that bad......... no, it's really not. The stretch marks have faded to pale lines and my stomach whilst still a bit on the wobbly side, is fine. I do still have a tiny bit of over hang due to my c section scar, but you'd never notice it and I'll still wear a bikini on holiday, where no one knows me, lol.

Op 10 days is such early days. Your stomach may not be as flat and toned as it was before children, but it won't be like it is now forever. Some people just ping annoyingly back into shape and some don't, it's just one of those things. But give yourself a bit of time and I'm sure there will be a huge improvement.

[FancyNewBeesly]

I can honestly say I had the biggest bump I’d ever seen - I was having twins although they ended up being quite small when I hadn’t my emcs. I’ll never forget the first shower I had after my section - I saw my stomach in a mirror and I cried for a very long time.

I’m still carrying a lot of weight around my middle (I actually have been putting weight on since I stopped pumping) but it looks nothing like it did or like I thought it would. It doesn’t hang like it did (still a bit of hang but nothing awful). The worst part is the odd shape which is down to diastasis recti which I really need to deal with. Honestly it won’t be as bad as you think - skin can bounce back remarkably well.

[FranticallyPeaceful]

First time you should have no problem (although not exactly like before). it’s the second + ones that are the tummy killers as a general rule

[Jammycustard]

Mine was fucked the first time. Carried enormous and had split stomach muscles then I had a second pregnancy after 7 months.

Once you’ve had your six week check you can do exercises to improve your stomach muscles, but be careful.