How long did it take for you to stop looking pregnant after the birth?

[Soontobemama]

My baby is 4 days old today and I still look pregnant. How long should I expect to wait until my stomach starts to go down?

Obviously I know its going to take a while but I'm new to all this and have no idea whats normal.

I had an emergency section and my legs are still really swollen too. I got a big shock when I looked in the mirror after I got home and saw them as nobody had warned me and I hadn't really gained weight on them during the pregnancy so I was a bit WTF!?

Also did any one else find they had no appetite afterwards? I'm not sure if its as a result of the tiredness or a side effect of the epidural etc.

I didn't have a section but it took my tummy about two months to fully go down (!). I did ask the GP at my 6 week check (which was more like a 10 week check) and she said it was normal as the uterus takes about 8 weeks to contract.

Swelling after labour/birth (assume you had labour as it was an EMCS) is quite common - my legs also swelled and feet were big! Worth checking with your midwife when she visits if its really bad though.

And congratulations!!

DD1 - I didn't really as was pregnant again when she was 8 weeks old and had 9 months of munchies...
DD2 - about a week.
DS - immediately. He was born at 28 weeks, I'd not even discovered I was pregnant until 6 weeks previously and didn't show at all.
DD3 - ELCS at 38 weeks, again immediately. I barely showed at all with her and was a stone lighter after having her than I was at the start of my pregnancy.

Your uterus does need time to contract though and I'm pretty sure that hat can take up to a week/ten days. Don't fret

Pretty much straight away I think. I gained 25 lb and must have lost 10-15 lb of that by the time I got home from hospital. Maybe I was lucky? I'm not saying I had a flat tummy or anything, just definitely no bump.

I have to say when I saw the pictures of Kate Middleton the day after having her baby I did notice the bump and was surprised as I didn't look like that at all - and she hadn't been very big in pregnancy either.

Guess we're all different. Nothing you can do and not worth dieting or anything yet. Let nature sort it out for you.

About a week, but it took me a long time to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

It can take a while to all shrink down. I think about a good 6-8 weeks for me, and I was breastfeeding (which is meant to help uterus contract).

Don't know if the section will mean it takes a bit longer or not, but yes, if you had lots of fluids in labour/post op, the fluid retention is shocking. That will go in a few days.

And congratulations!

I'm at 6 weeks and still quite doughy in the belly area. It was about 2 weeks for the bump to go. The abdominal exercises really help, when you're able when DS gives me 10mins to do them.

My legs really swelled up. Huge. Right the way up above my knees. I went home after 4days, then they went down in two. I think the heat on the ward and the inactivity made it worse. Sleeping with my feet on a pillow helped.

Not sure about the appetite - in the Ward I ate when food was offered, say no and you don't get another chance. Now I'm definitely eating for two...

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Thanks
MNHQ