Accepting I will always look pregnant. Anyone else!

[RaspberryB3ret]

I have had 2 children. Youngest is 3. I have been dieting/healthy eating since DC was 3 months old, so the best part of 3 years. I lost 2 stone (12 st down to 10 stone current weight). I'm 5 ft 5, BMI is in 'healthy' range. I am happy with my weight but no matter what I do I just can't shift the '6 months pregnant' look. I have tried core workouts but if anything that seems to make it stick out more. So... I think I have just decided to accept that I will always look this way, and that's ok. I've made two beautiful children and lost the weight to get healthy again. It's my natural body shape and I don't think it's going anywhere soon.

Anyone else accepted this? I'm now trying to work out the best way to dress so as to highlight my best features (legs/arms). So far I have come up with skinny jeans/loose fitting tops and shift dresses which skim the tummy. Any other tips? I'm going to learn to love my tum!!

Sounds like diastasis recti to me, have a Google and see what you think. Would also explain why core workouts seem to make it worse.

@QueeniesPotOfRouge I thought that too but I had a feel and there is very little gap so I think it's not that. It's only about a finger's worth of gap if that makes sense. I think it's just my shape - I am an 'apple' so tend to hold weight around my middle

I'm like this too but mine is more the beloved post c-section apron. I've also lost the shape of my waist.

I've learned to live with it. Skinny jeans and loose tops is my staple.

I have DR. I think it's less about the gap width than the strength of your muscles. So you can have a one finger gap but still have issues. My gap ranges from 1-3 fingers in different places.

It is a standard problem post childbirth. In other European countries, women are offered rehabilitation physio courses to put right/ mitigate the damage to the pelvic floor, core muscle etc caused by pregnancy and childbirth. It is part of postpartum recovery. But here you are just left, abandoned. Nobody seems to care about mothers’ incontinence issues and separated abdominal muscles. Weak pelvic floor and decimated core aren’t as harmless as one would think. They may lead to hernias, prolapses, and ‘less terrible things’ like bad posture, internal organs not being supported properly and all that entails. It is not a purely ‘cosmetic’ issue by far and putting a longer top over it and generally ‘making peace’ with it ain’t gonna fix it.

Good physio is best, especially the one who specialises in postpartum recovery. But generally rebuilding your core slowly will bring so so many benefits.

Hmm maybe I should see a physio then to check it's not DS...do such people exist? Postpartum physios?

Your GP might be able to refer you to a postnatal physio at the hospital?

There’s plenty of private physios around, now that it’s harder to see an nhs one - just google.

I've made an appointment with a private physio. Let's see what she thinks!

I second core and back strengthening. I only look around 5 months pregnant now down from about 8 months after keeping up a strict exercise regime for the last 3 months. I only do very low weights on my stomach but lots of repetitions, lots of cross trainer, rowing machine and swimming as well.

Diet will not do anything to tone muscles.

I've had 4 pregnancies, the middle two being only 10 months apart, the 2nd of those being twins needing a c-section but my stomach wasn't too bad (apart from stretch marks!) until my 4th pregnancy which really ruined my stomach as DS was very big and my stomach muscles were already so wrecked I could clearly see him moving around with feet and hand outlines when I was lying in the bath! It totally freaked me out the first time it happened, though he was going to break through.

Same here. I’m
Going to have a tummy tuck once I’m done having children

I would have agreed with you 4 months ago, but thanks to the Blood Sugar Diet( aka Fast800) and an exercise class called TRX , my torso has halved in size and I can wear a wider range of clothes than I’ve been able to since ore kids.
I’ve been lighter and slimmer than this, but never with a flat tummy and a waist. It’s lovely.

@Ohyesiam - thanks for sharing!

@ OP - if you think of it, can you let us know how the pysio goes?!

Thanks, I could not have done theBlood Sugar Diet without this fantastic supportive thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/3593022-blood-sugar-diet-and-fast800-thread-15

I’m similar, and had a women’s health physio and a personal post natal Pilates trainer fortnightly after ds2, so can confidently say my pelvic floor is decent, diastasis recti mild at worst , but I do look 4m pregnant. I still avoid crunches, but I just went for a slow 5k jog so I’m not completely inactive. I think if I lose the last 2kg it will make a big difference but I just don’t seem to get my tummy back.

What’s your routine OneToughMudderFudder?

I have been doing the 5:2 and weight watchers which is how I lost the weight, however I'm finding it harder and harder to stay motivated on the 5:2 as I don't seem to be losing anything anymore and even if I do lose weight I still look pregnant. It's so demoralising! I wanted to try the 800 sugar diet thing but I'm finding the endless calorie counting is really starting to affect my mental health so I'm having a break from calorie counting and just trying to eat well, exercise and maintain current weight. I would ideally like to lose another stone but struggling to lose anymore now.

The thing I find most demoralising is clothes sizes : I'm size 10 on top but usually size 14/16 on bottoms because of this huge tummy! So trousers always really baggy round the bum/legs but only just do up round waist. Argh! I'm hoping the physio can help!

@boosterrooster yes of course! It's not til mid-aug but will update

Yes me. I carry all my weight in my gut and it never seems to go down when I try and lose weight. So sick of it and it's hard to find anything flattering to wear