Sweet jesus I just realised it's finally happened, I've tucked my belly apron into my knickers..

[SodOffCovid]

Sigh. 4months PP with dc2. Two stone overweight I reckon thanks to a hard pregnancy and it's finally happened. I'm tucking a saggy apron in to gargantuan pants.

How the hell do you get rid of this thing??? I've lost 6lbs in two and half weeks by walking the pushchair and not eating crap (in lockdown I expect a medal for this) and my legs and arms are really thanking me for it. But my apron belly still looks like a pork shoulder joint has been velcroed to me but the butcher forgot to use string .

Pretty limited with a two year old and a 4mo with what I can do here.

Am I being a fool for even trying right now and should just accept my fate and order some more granny pants.... Anyone else contemplating whether this is just an added misery right now??

* Am I being a fool for even trying right now and should just accept my fate and order some more granny pants.*

100% absolutely no. Unless you want to be a regular on the weight loss forums for the rest of your life.

Baby steps to start. Smaller portions and cut out junk. Still eat well though, you need the energy!

As baby older, and you have lost some weight (so exercise easier) Incorporate some form of exercise.

Don’t accept this as inevitable. 2 children down and honestly - I have a flat tummy and fitter than I was at 25

Sorry to add, but several fertility related operations, and one c-section, ivf drugs on top. Its usually here to stay.
Please go easy on yourself, it such early days!

I had terrible split stomach muscles.
So focussed on healthy eating and loads of walking and the exercises my physio gave me. For first 10 months

I Lost loads of weight and still had a saggy, wrinkly pouch. I know it’s not for everyone, but I had surgery to repair the muscles as you could get a fist between them and had all the saggy skin cut away and the muffin top above stretched down. Best £5000 I’ve ever spent! If I put on weight now, which is a daily battle as I get older, it never goes on my stomach.

Way too early now, so soon after birth you should be taking it easy and gently, but in a while, look up fasting, autophagy helps with saggy skin

Easiest and mega effective exercise: Lie on your back and suck all your stomach muscles in: the side ones, the ones below and above the belly button. Then clench your buttocks as hard as possible and also pull your pelvic floor in as tight as you can. Then keep squeezing, focusing on each muscle in turn to make sure they don't relax. Do this for the count of 120. It's exhausting but it's safe as you're not put any strain on the muscles, just pulling them in. If your CS scar is properly healed, you can then do the same exercise lying on your side, alternating sides. If you do this every morning before you get up, it only takes 2 mins but you notice the difference.

"Yoga, YouTube yoga for tightening tummies and joe wicks abs work out, also rub Bio Oil"

Bio oil is so gorgeous everywoman should have some

Just wanted to say well done for starting so soon.

I had an 11lb baby last June and have only now decided to get serious about losing the weight. I have 3 stone to lose but I have done it before after my first child so I know I can do it.
Last time, eating healthy I lost 3 stone in 4 months, then I joined the gym a year later and my stomach really toned up.
High waisted underwear, high waisted jeans, high waisted leggings, high waisted skirts - they are my best friend.

I'm allergic to bio oil so not for me!!

I'm on the same journey but my baby is nearly 7. I've had enough of being a wobbly size 14.

I'm starting with c25k just because I'm so unfit generally. Once I can run 30 minutes I'm going alternate running days with toning days.

I'm hoping feeling better in my own body will lift the fog of self esteem and low mood I find myself in.

Thanks ladies. I am now 13st 5 and size 14. I was a 10 before baby number 1. I've only been walking and doing resistance band toning as I'm scared to damage my stomach at this stage. I have been doing sit ups but can't do leg raises etc as there is no strength there at all and I'm frightened to push it. If this was a 'normal' mat leave I would've stood more chance but walking once a day with a toddler is hard. They walk so slow!! And I can only justify pushing them for abit as its unfair to keep them strapped in on their one bit of freedom a day.

I will treat myself to a scone for VE day though.

I have literally brought high waisted everythjnf lately. Thank god they're on trend

Great OP made me snort dribble my coffee out down my derigour dressing gown fastened loosely over my wobbling belly apron. I say Classic thread.

Someone told me once, it takes 9 months to grow a baby and even longer to recover from it

I was 10st 10lb when i had my first DC. She is 5 now and in January I was 7st 12 because id gotten the flu, i still had a tummy flap and its the slimmest ive ever been!

I think a lot depends on body type anf genetics too, i have a friend who has had 5 DC and she does have a skin flap and has literally 3 tiny stretch marks!

she doesnt have a skin flap

@HangeCnmea1263 knowing you lost all that weight and it didn't shift the sag makes me feel like eating two scones it's so cruel. I'm very sorry to hear you were so ill though.

There's some crazy biology going on post pregnancy to be left with an indestructible belly-berg

Aw OP give yourself a break, it's only been 4 months.

It takes a while but what you're doing with food and exercise is just great, keep that up and you definitely deserve a medal for that in lockdown. Your body will follow I promise just not overnight.

To counter the last post I had two sections, albeit 6 years apart, no overhang and still at my happy weight to date.

It is possible, good luck OP .

I'm not sure if this makes it better or worse but I have a very wrinkly, loose skinned tummy that looks like I am about 90...and I am a slim size 10. I had very bad distasis recti which has improved a bit but not loads. My belly button is deformed too...(my lovely 4 year old asked if it was my bottom last week and was incredulous when I said it was my belly button -sigh-). Everyone says I look great (with clothes on!) but I feel yuck. I've resigned myself that I have to either live with it or somehow pay to have surgery.

Your op has given me a good laugh! Love your descriptions. You’re doing great, here’s your gold star for lockdown weight loss Keep going!

If you are not BF (not read the full thread) you can do a lot with intermittent fasting and extended fasting. It can have amazing effects on saggy skin.

Keep going with the walking and healthy eating OP. Don't focus on getting a perfect tum, it's true that can't be guaranteed but you will certainly look and feel better if you get back to a size 10 in a healthy way.

Two sections here too and accept that it will never go. The appearance improves with exercise and weight loss for me. It used to say downwards now it holds up.

Apparently intermittent fasting is the best way to retract loose skin.

I've had 2 big babies, both over 9lb, and only 5ft size 10.
My stomach went back down after my first, but with my second (less than 2 years between them) i started getting stretch marks at 18 weeks (although no weight gain) my stomach is flat when i stand up, but sitting down i do have a little bit of excess skin that i can't shift, which i took in to my pants if i sit down an notice it.
I've been working out loads during lockdown, my abs are quite defined, but i still have that little pocket of skin that wont budge. Think it's time i learnt to accept it.

I don't know about the skin retracting but intermittent fasting is quite a good way to lose weight and has quite a few proven health benefits so worth a try.

Slimming world

You are only 4 months PP - you are supposed to have a massive flabby pork belly strapped to you. That is perfectly natural and it's only bullshit images in the media that make us think otherwise.

Do NOT do sit ups! Or planks! There is a real danger of damaging yourself and then you really will struggle to sort your body out. Look up some specific postpartum exercises and as soon as lockdown is over, book in with a women's health physio to get your diastasic recti examined to make sure you're OK to do abdominal exercise. In the meantime, walking is great and high five for managing to avoid binging on the lockdown biscuits!

Just to reiterate - 4 months PP is NOTHING! Concentrate on where you want to be this time next year and don't jeopardise that by going too hard too soon.