How can I get rid of my C-Section (x2) Overhang??????

Evansmum I have had 2 sections, i emergency and one planned 22months apart. I still have a belly but I am so lazy and hate doing exercises but my husband commented that maybe I ought to tone up a bit ! Let me know what works for you. I have a very thin friend who is very athletic and she still has a bit that sticks out above the scar. It is harder i reckon when you have had your abdominals cut.

I can only think the celebs get back to normal because they have loads of time to exercise.

EM, don't believe it about girls needing their mums more. See my thread about my daddy-obsessed dd1.

I keep resolving to practise more pilates at home, but am just too knackered. Bizarrely, I didn't put on much weight with dd2 as opposed to dd1, but I contemplate the strange rumply vista of my tummy with considerable despair and horror I have to say.

What are the pants like, EM?

Is it just the emergencies that leaves such a contrast between upper belly and pube region?
(I've had 2)

Now that I've got back to my pre-pregnancy weight I have been wondering the same thing. When I get myself organised enough to get to work on time (managed it twice in 3½ weeks!) I'm going to take at lease one long lunch each week and go swimming.

I THOUGHT I had an overhang after dd1 and ds, both vaginal births, when I saw THE OVERHANG after dd2's emergency CS I realised that in comparison my stomach was relatively flat.

thanks MI! but you should talk to dh who would laugh his sox off at me being chilled out. Prob because he came home about 4 weeks after ds was born to find me in floods of tears. oh no, he wondered, what is it this time - the wobbly stomach? the ginormous sore breasts, the painful nipples or does she think the baby has hypothermia again because she took it round the block for a walk? On enquiring he found that it was 'because one day he will g-g-g-row up and find someone else to love and won't need his mo-mo-mother so much'. Wonderful thing the baby blues aren't they?!

Squirmy, you are sane and chilled out and reasonable. Oh how I envy you

PS I am a tremendous fan of Pilates, myself. Only exercise I currently do with SPD still making swimming impossible.

OH one more thing. I thought I'd mind terribly if my body changed loads after birth of ds, BUT while I'd like to work on the overhang a bit it actually bugs me MUCH less than I thought it would...anyone else feel the same? or have I just conned myself into being ok with this so I don't have to exercise

oh evanmom you have made my day. I wondered if I was the only one with the strange little new balcony over my bits. I also started to try sit ups and felt dreadful for 2 days. I've heard swimming while pulling in your abs gently with every stroke can help...

sorry not to have more useful advice but at least with all these messages you know you are not alone!

EvanMom, what about buying DVD's or Videos, of Pilates or of Aerobics etc so that you can do it while your DS's are otherwise occupied, or books even. The older one might even find it funny and join in. I did Pilates out of a book while pregnant and found it quite good.

I have just joined a Gym that has a kids club and am making a resolution to go twice a week and possible supplement with some exercise at home.

For Cardio you could get a heart rate monitor chuck your DS's in their pram and walk at a pace that keeps you in the 'fat burning' zone.

Fit Ball or Swiss Ball or whatever are just rather large air filled balls that you can do exercises on - because they are prone to move they actually cause you to use your core muscles that you didn't even know you had. I guess some gyms do classes with them. Just sitting on one while working on a laptop resulted in me feeling my inner thigh and groin muscles more.

Good Luck!

Are you just starting to exercise again? If so, I'd be really gentle with yourself. Whenever you're walking try to contract your tummy muscles and "hold yourself" - a good feeling to get used to and to get used to your muscles again. Sit-ups are good, but, I think, you need to find out whether your abdominal muscles seperated during pregnancy - can't remember the technical term, but it does happen in pregnancy and in labour - know you had c'sections. Would be good to invest in a good book/get advice and build up slowly. I htink you'll need to do very gentle tummy exercises first - the ones they recommend post c'sections - did they give you a pamphlet in hospital?

It's a combination. Pilates is REALLY good - but, it's recommended that, if possible, you do it two/three times a week - ie, to really see a difference. Fitball is good too - again its core strength/isolation work. But you do need to do some aerobic stuff. I'd recommend joining a gym for a trial session and really getting the instructors to advise you - you don't have to pay for a personal trainer - there should be people there to help and advise anyway, recommend exercises/particular classses. I'm slightly (?) obsessive about exercise.

I had two c'sections - one emergency. I exercised a lot pre-pregnancy and a lot post-pregnancy. I recommend, pilates, body conditioning, swimming, running and kick-boxing. Oh and fit-ball classes. I think you have to make a massive effort c'section or no c'section but it does pay back in the end - well it did for me. But it's very hard work. I exercise at least five times a week. And I find it, sometimes, incredibly boring and hard work - but I wanted my figure back. I'm lucky in that I do a lot of classes at lunchtime - ie must be hard if at home and no one to look after the children. My doctor recommended massaging the scar with oil at first and I think sometimes due to stretched skin/bad luck there's only so much you can do. Apart from surgergy - a friend of mine had a tummy tuck after two massive twins.

VB never makes the list of most beautiful/sexy women despite her efforts not to eat! Men wants curves. Maybe even David according to Jordan....

you see I really want to feel like that fairymum but I can't secretly I'd really like to have a body like VB.

I just can't help it.

EvanMom - look what you have started, a run of ! We are all depressed now. (only joking)

Damn - thought I might get some help here too!! Also had 2 sections and have an overhang. Was thinking of getting a tattoo next to my scar with the names and dates of my DSs but not done it so far I am dieting at the moment - is there really no chance it will ever go completely I have tried to spread my fat out a bit by massaging it as my scar is right on my bone and feels like it needs some fat underneath it IYSWIM but it hasn't worked!

The celebs have tummy-tucks with c-sections I think. Or they go on crazy diets while their nannies take care fot heir kids. Don't compare yourself to them! I had 1 c-section and shaped up by swimming. Only excersise I do. Still have a litle bit of a tummy (even when not pregnant), but that is my baby-tummy and I love it. So does DH. All mums have nice soft tums, don't you think? I would hate to have Posh's body. I am not a 12 year-old boy!

I will bookmark this thread for August when my second is due. Have mini overhang after one section but am lazy so probably my own fault (ie no situps).

Dh calls my scar 'Grace's door' which I think is quite sweet so I think I will christen my overhang 'Grace's roof'.