To think saggy belly after childbirth can be fixed?

[rach6122]

Without surgery. Two babies in quick succession, weight coming off nicely. Starting to notice belly is getting bit saggy and droopy, please someone tell me they gave managed to sort this through working out? I'm willing to work hard. Any other suggestions welcome. Ps I know it will never look the same but want to minimise the droop!

Lol plate no you don't sound baggy. BUT mine looked great after first it's the second that's done it

Mama that's great to hear. Guess I need to get my bum in gear!

I agree that genes do help some.

I had a 6 pack before DC and had my two in my late 30s. Stomach went back quickly after DC1 and I didn't have to do much work. After DC2, it stuck out a bit more so I shredded and noticed a huge difference quickly. I find mixing up my workouts is key and I now have more of a 4.5 pack than a 6 pack.

YANBU.

My apron keeps my knees warm.

I had twins nearly 20 years ago and was told that the muscles had separated very badly and I'd just have to put up with it. So I do.

Depends.
If it is skin stretched beyond the point of no return then it doesn't and looks like a little mummy pouch of deflated stretchmarks.

If it is just a tum getting back in shape then yes of course it does.

Mine was pretty flat after DD1. Always had been before, and I was in good shape when I had her. I didn't do any stomach exercises, but was walking 5miles/day. I haven;t had a c/s though, and think these can give the pouch effect that's hard to shift.

I have a massive belly now, but that's not having a second child, it's too much cake and sitting on my arse all day.

Yes, I bounced right back after pfb. Four more pregnancies and two more DC later, it's a weird wrinkly pouch. There's firm muscle behind it though.

This will probably out me but this was me july last year and me today.

I wasn't pregnant but you could have mistakenly thought so.

Have the baby but leave the grow bag! That's how it's worked for me!!!

Weirdly also never realised that Katie Holmes was that thin

I was very overweight and had 2 large babies via c section in rapid succession. I then lost 6 stone in around 9 months - this wasn't my plan its just happened. I did think 'oh god, my stomach is going to look horrendous' . But I'm relatively lazy so all I did was apply some body lotion every day, 20 minute elliptical training sessions twice a week, 20 minute cycle twice a week and hula hooping 3 times a week. I don't have rock hard abs, I have some skin sag and am still stretch marked. But its really not that bad at all, and the apron is far smaller than it was before. You'd never tell I had anything like that when I'm clothed and I wear my bikini with confidence all the time when I'm swimming/sunbathing. Hope that helps.

My stomach is shot :( it looks terrible.

I had twins 22 months ago, they weighed 11lb between them and their placentas joined together weighing a hefty 5

...5lb5! I was enormous.

I have badly split stomach muscles and a hernia that needs surgery.

I have had to block it out my mind for now.

Yes, I was fine after dc1, but four m/c and 1 huge dc2 (10lb+) later, I am struggling. XH used to helpfully tell me the skin would just always be saggy (thanks for that). I am reading here with interest, thank you for sharing your tips.

I pinged back into shape after my first. My second was the killer for me. I have loads of work to do to get back in shape.

Slendertone did work after my first but I don't think the skin damage was as bad and maybe not quite as much flab! I'm seriously thinking about a tummy tuck but got to decide about ttc for dc3 yet! Wish I could fix it with exercise though. If I got it flat and firm enough, I want the stretchmarks tattoed over as if done right this can look great.

CulturalBear - Mine is skin, stretched and crinkled skin. My muscle under it is ok, it's quite firm but the skin on top, from a front view, looks like a smile or the way a child does a rounded W.

I used a slendertone first time and that seemed to work. Second time i cannot seem to shift, even though baby weighed less and i didnt put as much weight on mu saggy belly just wont go )-:

My over stretched belly went back after dd2. God knows if it will after dc3! I didn't do that much working out to be honest. I did 8 or 10 minute abs for free on YouTube every night though. And started a paleo lifestyle (that made the biggest difference!!).

I agree, I looked great after the first, practically as if I hadn't had a child. Second time around, the stomach muscles were shot and have stayed like that. I dread to think what it would be like if I had more.

I've had four dc's, the first at 18 and the fourth at 41. I put on loads of weight with dc4 as I had spd very early on and spent most of my pregnancy in pain, on crutches and comfort eating!

Last year I lost three stone through a combination of low carb & sugar but high protein clean eating, and lots of HIIT exercise. My tummy did go, I swear it's the sugar! I've relaxed quote a lot, and it's come back....fast. Hence why I'm convinced it's the sugar as I'm still a size 12.

I am slim and strong but my tummy is definitely on the soft side. That said, I never had a flat stomach before children - it's where my body likes to store fat, plus I don't have very stretchy skin so it never pinged back. I have good core strength, I can plank/do sit ups/scissor/twisty oblique things till the cows come home, I can feel there's hard muscle under there and in some lights I can even see it, but it's covered by soft squidgy skin.

I did have an actual pouch after my first child but that has absolutely gone just with exercise, so it's definitely possible to work with what you've got!

Depends if your muscle separation is too wide to fix, and if you have stretched the skin on your belly past the point of no return tbh.

It's mostly down to genes re the skin elasticity, I had 2 c sections and was very large during both pregnancies (big bump and 4 stone weight gain) - after both I got v fit again (very fit), but after number 2 my stomach was ruined and I had an apron that drooped onto the top of my thighs.

I gave it 2 years to see if I could exercise it away, then went to the doctor and was referred for a tummy tuck (went privately in the end though). It was the only way I could have got rid of the saggy apron, the muscles were stitched back together as well. I immediately went down 2 trouser sizes after the op.

My tummy bounced back after dc1.

But ever since dc2 I've still looked pregnant. I've gone from hourglass to Apple shaped.

It's a real disincentive to lose weight because weightless won't lift the overhang.

Nope but it's easier to hide and being slimmer in general helps it to be less noticeable. I bought my firdt bikini this year. I've never had one before as it was so bad.