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Original poster

If youve had a Caesarean section .... please come and give me hope!

20 replies

mosschops30 · 06/01/2010 13:01

I know after all Ive been through I shoudnt be even thinking about what my body looks like yet but I looked in the mirror this morning and wanted to weep

Its 5 weeks today since my second surgery, so I know its early days, but I have what looks like a pouch that Im sure I didnt have after my vaginal deliveries.
Its like a fold of skin hanging over my scar.

So even though its too early for me to exercise Id just like some hope that the pouch look does go at some point and that I wont look like this forever

OP posts:

belcantwait · 06/01/2010 13:04

hi mosschops
congrats on your new baby!
i had a cs 7 yrs ago and i know what you mean about the weird 'pouch' bit- its just where your muscles were cut through . mine felt numb for months too. but its now almost gone, its more kind of solid now iyswim but nothing like what it was post birth. thank god!!!!

hth

Original poster

mosschops30 · 06/01/2010 13:07

{shock] 7 years!!!!! Am I going to look like this for 7 years.
I wouldnt say its where the scar it, its just like a little belly hanging down sort of where my knicker line would be

OP posts:

belcantwait · 06/01/2010 13:09

lol i didnt mean it had been pouchlike for seven yrs!!!!just that thats how long ago my cs was! sorry didnt mean to panic you.
think it had almosty gone by about {whispers} a yr

if i could have been arsed to do more exercising i am sure it would have gone before then

Original poster

mosschops30 · 06/01/2010 13:18

phew thank god for that , i was sweating there for a minute.
After ds was born Id say it took me about 18 months (of not trying very hard) to get back to my desired shape and size, so Im aiming for about 2 years this time.
I cant do any exercise for 12 weeks, but havent even walked for 5 weeks so no wonder its looking so bad, I just wanted some reassurance that it does go, thanks

OP posts:

SnowballProofMum · 06/01/2010 13:21

There's always surgery!

Mine has gone - but probably only because I'm pregnant

GentleOtter · 06/01/2010 13:24

Congratulations mosschops!

I've had three sections (one was vertical) and your body will tone up a bit through time (especially during toddlerhood and all the extra running around, lifting etc) so don't be despondent as it is still early days yet.

You are still recovering from major surgery and inner bits are knitting together. Take it easy if you can and your body will settle into a more familiar shape.

Niftyblue · 06/01/2010 13:26

My pouch did go after a while
My scar faded and unless you know where to look you can`t see it
It takes time
I had 2 c-sections
Give yourself a chance to recover

got an image of a kangaroo now in my head

GingerbreadFolk · 06/01/2010 13:36

I mean this very, very gently and do not want to upset a lady who had a difficult delivery.

It may go, you may look like you did before. It will certainly improve immeasurably from how it looks now.

There is a chance that you will struggle to completely rid yourself of the overhang. I run 4/5 times a week, have quite a good 6 pack really but still have the overhang slightly. I know that years post cs and it still being here means that it won't go completely.

BUT, it doesn't look terrible. It really doesn't. It was major surgery and it's just the way I look now.

Thread here

Again

There are lots of threads on this, all with the same message. Exercise and toning helps, some never get rid completely, some do, some don't have them in the first place.

Original poster

mosschops30 · 06/01/2010 15:37

More surgery?? After what Ive been through?? Are you having a laugh??

Thanks for your post gingerbread, will take a look at the links. I know its never going to look like it did when I was 18, Im not quite that naive , i had a bit of an overhang after my previous two pregnancies, but this time it looks like a serious pouch and was just hoping that it would shrink back to looking somewhat normal.

OP posts:

SnowballProofMum · 06/01/2010 17:19

Must say mine didn't go - I also run and lost my weight but the overhang remained.

It did improve I just know that I will never wear a bikini again,

Sorry - it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

moocowme · 06/01/2010 19:43

welcome to the world of granny nickers forever!! you will probably find some firm full knickers help to hold it in a bit. i have not stopped wearing mine as they are more comfortable well above the scar.

flowerybeanbag · 06/01/2010 19:50

I don't know if this is what you want to hear or the opposite but I am 9 weeks post-section and have no overhang anymore. Bit of a wobbly post-pg tummy higher up still, but overhang is gone.

kateecass · 06/01/2010 20:01

I know, it's not nice!! I have one. Am often to be found examining it from the side in the mirror. But I'm a lazy cow and probably a stone and half overweight.

BUT it's where your baby came out!! If it hadn't who knows what would have happened. My DS had decelerating heartbeat. I sometimes call it my "tummy smile". Before the 2 CSs I had an op at same site to remove an ectopic and then had years trying for a baby..so I'm kind of proud of it too!!

GingerbreadFolk · 06/01/2010 20:14

I didn't mean to imply that you naively thought you'd look like you did when you were 18 again! Although, you might...

CS scar does often leave an overhang. Some people, like flowery, are very lucky and it goes, others, like me, run all the time, eat healthily and are super fit and the effects of abdominal surgery cannot be reversed.

flowerybeanbag · 06/01/2010 21:33

The fact that mine has gone must be luck as it can definitely not be attributed to any running or super-fitness....

Currypowder · 06/01/2010 22:26

Mine's gone,took longer than 5 weeks. Maybe 3-4 months. This was 4 years ago and now you have to really look to see the scar. It felt like a hard line to start with and now I can't feel it at all.

TOP TIP though. I massaged mine every day with whatever I could lay my hands on. Used up all those pamper lotions that you get with your first!! Someone told me (thankyou whoever you were!) that if you did this you had a higher chance of losing the numbness. Worked for me, have all feeling back. In fact I carried on massaging until all the numbness had gone. Only a couple of minutes a day.

Good luck with yours.

Meglet · 06/01/2010 22:36

Mine went after I had DS years ago and I got skinny again. But I have rather gone back to square one by having a CS and hysterectomy in the last 16 months, although maybe once I am really active again it should go. It's still quite numb though, and the hysterectomy was last July.

I'm a bit odd as I'm rather fond of the scar. I wax my bikini line low so wax over / round it and it's always visible....... just checked and the line is still pink. Its just taking a while to fade as it was opened up 3 times in 3 years.

5 weeks after a cs is incredibly early days, once the spring is here and you can get out and about I expect you will notice it improving a lot more.

SnowballProofMum · 07/01/2010 10:02

I'm 7m pg and still seem to mirtaculously have a bloody overhang - surely that defies science

Original poster

mosschops30 · 07/01/2010 11:14

I dont mind the scar being visible and dont expect it to ever fade, its the overhang that bothers me more than anything!
Thanks all for your posts, I am hopeful that once Im back up to speed i can minimise it

OP posts:

paddyclamp · 07/01/2010 22:53

Mine went..took maybe a year..scar after 3 years white, barely visible...don't know whether it's pot luck on type of stitches used etc etc...but there is hope!

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