How did you get rid of c-section 'overhang'?

[tigerbear]

It's 4 months since I had DD1 by emcs and my big jiggly tummy is really getting me down. Nothing fits properly apart from maternity jeans or leggings and it doesn't help that all of the girls from NCT are back to having totally flat tummies and able to wear normal things again.

I still look about 6 months pg on the tummy - looks weirder because I'm relatively slim everywhere else.

What are your top tips for getting rid of deflated balloon tummy??

[fourkids]

IME you can get as slim as you like but the 'overhang' may never go away :(

You have to pretend you wear it as a badge of honour...and tuck it into 'high-leg' pants!

[tigerbear]

Urgh, can't bear to think it will never go away! I need inspiring stories!

[LemonDifficult]

Sorry, I asked midwife for inspiring stories after c-section number two. She just made a wincey faced and shook her head...

[bushymcbush]

I don't think this is anything to do with c-section. I had a 'normal' vb and I have the overhang. It's where your skin stretched to accommodate your pregnancy but didn't snap back because it's just not elastic enough. The younger you are the less likely it is you will have this problem.

Unfortunately there isn't anything, AFAIK, that can be done about it.

[Wormshuffler]

It is worse with a Csect than a vb, especially with the second/third as they have to cut out the old scar tissue thus making the bottom part tighter.

[morethanyoubargainfor]

This is something i have been trying to work out for the last nearly 9 years, sadly i haven't come to any conclusion .

It goes up and down, as in shrinks and bloats and i find the best exercise to help shrink it is running. Nothing else i have done food or exercise related has worked, sorry.

[DrinkFeckArseGirls]

I was panicking like this but now at 9 months I can see it has reduced dramatically. It's just the stretched tummy skin over a scar that is rigid (if that makes sense) and also the scar is not just on the top layer of the skin, it has to also heal underneath . GP and midwives said only after a year you can have ab inkling what it's going to look like thereafter. Sorry to be boring but exercise and good diet are key (plus massage the area). I've seen some awful over-hang pictures years after c-section but none of those women looked as if they ever done any exercise.

[sprinkles77]

no tips, sorry. Some women get separation of the abdominal muscles due to preg (rather than CS). Depending on how bad the separation was, there may be some improvement naturally. I saw a woman on "embarassing bodies" who had this problem, and was generally very petite. She had finished having babies and had surgery. The overhang following a CS is different from after VB as the scar tethers the skin below the scar, but the bit above hangs over the scar.

I also had EMCS and my tummy is now (after 18 months) as flat as it was before pg (so not that flat). But I do have a little overhang (lopsided, worse on the side where I got a little infection), which I am quite aware of in a bikini, but not enough to stop me wearing one. It's not that bad, and everyone knows I've had a baby, so that's my excuse!

[tigerbear]

Oh shit :(
I guess it affects some people more than others as a friend who also had a section has a totally flat tummy and I've seen her in a bikini too! Grrr! She had her baby same time as me, so 4 months ago :(
SIL has also had 3 sections and is flat too.

[tigerbear]

morethan good to hear about the running as it's the only type of exercise I used to like. I really need something to aim towards though so have decided to sign up for a marathon so I don't slack off.

[foreverondiet]

Get body fat down to 20% and do lots of abs exercises (do 30DS to learn them, and then do abs exercises several times a day)......

[ihatethecold]

get body fat down to 20% ??? what a depressing thought, sounds like hard work to me!
its normal to have an overhag after a c section, dont stress about it. as long as you are healthy and not overweight, enjoy your baby.
its hard enough without feeling you have to be looking perfect.

[tigerbear]

ihate, I know I shouldn't be bothered about it but its really getting me down. I know the old saying is 'nine months on, nine months to get it off' but the thought of being like this for another 5 months isn't nice.

Forever what type of exercises do you recommend - is it safe to do sit ups yet?

[foreverondiet]

I recommend plank & reverse crunches. I actually recommend getting JM 30DS and 6W6P and using them for inspiration. Don't necessarily need to get DVD out each day, just will give you lots of ideas.

I don't really ever recommend sit-ups to anyone. re: whether its ok, lie on back tense stomach and see if gap has closed.

re: 20%, thats where I am now, have lovely flat tummy which I didn't have at 25% even though I was back at pre-pregnancy weight. Thats just what I have had to do.

[tigerbear]

Thanks forever - sorry to be naive, but what is JM 30DS, etc?

[foreverondiet]

BTW I didn't have CS, but did have big wobbly tummy!

30DS is 30 day shred DVD by Jillian Michaels
6W6P is 6 week 6 pack by JM

Do abs exercises several times a day....

[tigerbear]

Thanks forever - will give those DVDs a go, but if I can get a 6 pack in 6 weeks it'll be a miracle!! :)

[foreverondiet]

also recommend low GI / low sugar diet (like south beach diet) - very good for dealing with belly fat.

[tigerbear]

Ok, I'm going to give it my best shot!
Am on holiday at the moment and impossible to diet with so many yummy things, but will start on Thurs once back.
Will try to remember to report back in a few weeks!