10 months after baby, stomach is still massive

[Monadami]

I had my baby by C-Section 10 months ago and my stomach still hasn't gone down. I am overweight, but it just doesn't seem right. It feels very hard when I'm upright. I also have Fibroids, but some days I look 7 months pregnant.

I had a scan when my LO was about 3 months, but the girl doing it seemed uninterested and I was there for about 2 minutes, before she said it all looked fine.

Today I was doing some crunches on a Stability ball at the gym and felt fine, but when I stood up, it was like something had moved inwards on the left side of my stomach and out on the right. When I looked in the mirror, my stomach was lopsided and stayed like that for half an hour.

Is this generally a problem with Caesarians? Or is it possible my Uterus hasn't gone back to it's normal size?

Thanks

I think you should go and see your GP

Hi

I think you may have diastisis recti. Its when your stomach muscles (the "six pack" ones) seperate during pregnancy but don't go back together.

It can make your bowels herniate thru. Yuk.

I have it and 9 months on I still look pregnant with my stomach feeling hard when upright.

The one thing you must never ever do are stomach crunches!!! They will increase the gap between the muscles and make it worse!

I've been advised by physio that I must never ever do a crunch again in my life.

There are plenty of exercises you can do to help and decrease the gap and improve your core stability as well improving the look.

There is also a book by Julie Tupler (£7) which is excellent.

You should go to your GP and be checked to ensure you've not got a fullblown hernia.

If you can afford physio, do it! Otherwise beg and beg and beg your GP. Some are more sympathetic than others and will help (mine were useless!).

And never sit bolt upright in bed (or anywhere else) its the worst thing you could ever do for the stomach.

Wishing you all the best
xxx

Many thanks Skandi, I did wonder if my muscles hadn't gone back together. I uded to have lovely abs, very strong, now I just look odd. I think I will go to my GP.

I had an incisional hernia after my last c-section, whiich needed surgical repair. If you lie down, does your tummy get massively smaller? If you cough while cupping it, can you feel it pop out.

I'd go back to the GP anyway, sounds not quite right.

I have to reply here in praise of the julie tupler stuff, which I have found amazing. No, I promise I don't work for her I just spend far too much time on the web...
I'm only 9 weeks after emcs and large baby and my stomach is very slowly shrinking down, I asked the Dr if this was my uterus and she said - oh no, that has shrunken away already. I wonder why I have a hard football like stomach? She said, oh it's just muscle laxity. Hmmmm. BUT, I have an 8 finger width abdominal separation and found an old thread on here praising the julie tupler method. So here is a link to her website
www.maternalfitness.com/diastasis.html watch the wee video and right at the end she shows you the exercises, which can be done when you watch tv sitting on a chair. I've been doing them for 4 weeks now and have closed the gap by half.
She also tells you to get out of bed by first rolling on your side and then swinging over the edge.
www.fitpregnancy.com/general/40871562.html?page=1 - follow through the links and click on the link titled 'click here to see the moves' to see how to get up from bed properly to avoid making the separation/diastasis any larger.
Before my pg I thought I had a lovely tight stomach but at 16 weeks my belly button popped right out. And there was also this ridge like thing when I tried to get up from sitting/laying kind of, now I know it was the separation....
HTH

Hi again,

Forgot to elaborate....

I had quite a large seperation which was made worse by the emegency c section in that the surgeon had repaired the lower part of the stomach muscles (ie knitted them back together) but stopped exactly at the centre of my belly button as this was as high up under the skin as they go for a c section.

So result was this sort of shelf of stomach at the top if you see what I mean. It also ended up pulling on the lower parts which had been repaired.

All very unattractive. The actual seperation when checked by the chartered physiotherapist was 6/7 finger so pretty massive.

I was quite upset as a lot of people would as me when I was due and how I got pregnant so quickly after having my girl. All depressing really when you've got a 4, 5 or 6 month old baby and you're not pregnant.

I thought there was something wrong with my uterus too so I went to see a gyno/obs lady and she was fantastic.

She told me that diastisis recti is extremely common and the very best thing is to follow Tuper exercises and physiotherapy if you can afford or beg GP to refer. She said do not under any circumstances have sugery to close it! It leaves your stomach weak putting additional pressure on your lower back and there is a real risk that one false move and you'll tear it again and be back to seperation again. Exercise is the best thing to do.

My seperation is now down to 2 fingers and I look much better but there is still a way to go plus I've been a little rubbish at doing the exercises over the last 6 weeks so need to get back at it and I think I'll close the final 2 fingers of seperation.

I know its hard and particularly hard to find the motivation to complete and stick with a daily exercise programme when you've got a baby but honestly the Tuplers stuff is half an hour a day.

Don't dispair. Once you get started you'll notice improvements quickly.

Hope it works for you.

And I too wish GPs were more knowledgable about this and would offer support. I was practically laughed out of the surgery when I asked for help and told it was a "cosmetic" issue!!! Despite having lived with excruiciating lower back pain brought on my weak stomach muscles putting extra pressue on the lower back.

And even if it was "cosmetic" (grrr) its really upsetting to look massively pregnant half a year after you've given birth.

Sorry about the ranting on your thread but I could have been spared a lot of tears and unhappiness (and lower back pain) if I had been given correct info and support immediately after birth or at least at the 6 week check up.
Xxx

Sorry forgot to add that my bowels were herniating through and if I turned over too quickly in bed part of it would get pinched between the muscles and it was excruiciatingly painful.

And I'm perhaps not the model example, telling you to stick with it when I've almost closed my g
ap but then stopped doing the exercises for a while.

Anyway am wishing you the best with your efforts and massive sympathy for the pregnant looking stomach.

xxx

skandi1 You've made me wonder about myself, so thanks for posting up your info. Can I just ask that since you have closed your gap down, has your stomach been better? And, if you don't mind me asking, do you wear trousers and which ones? I know I am early days still (but still I am impatient) but I find I am looking very pregnant and still wearing big stretchy maternity trousers, I can't stand anything which touches my scar like normal trousers or is loose around my tummy, I prefer close fitting tops etc. BUT I realise I may also be left with this tummy for quite some time, and people have also asked me when I am due if I am out at the shops.....Just wondered what other people do, don't have any friends who have been in this situation.

I would definitly say split muscles. My dd seperated mine when she was inside and the physiotherapist could fit both hands between muscles . I had a csesction 4 months ago as muscles were so split dd kept engaging then popping herself out and turning, i am now waiting for my physio to restart.

You have my sympathy i too still look pregnant and my back absolutly kills as muscles are not supporting at front

I don't think I have a Hernia. About 6 weeks after I had the baby, I did go to see an Obstetric Physio and she did the test for the muscle separation. At the time my gap was more than 2 fingers wide and she said abdominal exercises could be done, but no oblique exercise to be done whilst the gap was still quite open. I did her Abdominal and Pelvic Floor classes for about six weeks, but haven't kept them up at home.

Last week when I looked 7 months pregnant, it was just before my period and now I'm halfway through it, my stomach has gone down considerably. I can feel myself the muscles are still lax and I do need to gently exercise them, but think I'll stay off the stability ball until they're stronger.

I will have a look at the Julie Tupler pages and also, I was looking online and saw a post pregnancy elasticated support belt. I believe some Midwives don't recommend them and they're probably for use soon after birth, but has anyone tried one?

Hi again,

indigobarbie, yes stomach is much much better. I do wear "normal" trousers now and have been for a while. I really helped after I gave up breast feeding as once the hormones settle down, the relaxin disappears from your body and you get a natural tighting - this is what the gyno/obs lady told me and it was true.

I still think I look preggers but DH says not and its been weeks since anyones asked when I was due.

It doesn't help that I'm a bit fat still (need to lose 2st) and I put lots of weight on during pregnancy. Had large DD last July(9lbs 4oz so not massive but still) and had extra water (polyhydranimous - spelling?) which didn't help. But most of all I really did eat for 2 whilest pregnant so being a bit fat now is my own fault.

Also being fat around the middle pulls the weak stomach muscles forward (in that attractive pregnant way...) according to the physio.

Monadami,
If your gaps a two finger one (sounds a bit rude haha) then you'll be back to yourself in no time once you've stuck with your exercises for a few weeks. The Tupler method should see you back to normal more or less in 6 weeks or so. It has helped me and will do again once I stop being a lazy girl and closing the last gap.

Also as I'm a bit fat, I'm not helping myself...

The gyno/obs lady also told me that babyfat/weight is often carried around the waist and once you lose most of it, you'll stop looking pregant.

In desperation I had purchased "The Chinch" thingy (about 4 months after having DD). It didn't really make the stomach look better but it did support my back a lot and save me some back pain so probably ok but if you're thinking of it purely for the belly I'm not sure its worthwhile.

Finally I want to have a small rant again. I had to pay for the gyno/obs lady myself as my GP thought there wasn't an issue and he totally missed my enormous seperation (negligence anyone?) and I have had to pay a fortune for physio too which clearly I'm angry about (hence all the ranting).
But most of all, I'm angry about all of the pain and the embarrassment and tears this has caused me when I should have been enjoying time with my lovely beautiful DD.

I guess I'm not the only one who feels like this.

Love to you and hoping for smaller tummies....
xxxx

Indigobarbie,

In answer to your question on clothes....

I had to wear maternity clothes for probably 6 months after giving birth. It was rubbish.

I even had to buy more maternity clothes as I didn't have enough for winter (did online as was way to embarrassed to go to a shop and do it). Sob.

I am now waering normal clothes and started to do so around 7 months postnatally.

It really upset me and what upset me so much more was that I was completely unprepared for this. All the books say that "your body will be back to normal 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth". Ha bloody ha! Really? Its been 9 months and I'm just about turning a corner. Note I said just about....

If someone had told me not to eat so much during pregnancy it would have helped but I was really really slim before hand so I suppose none of the midwives/doctors considered my weight to be an issue.

And if, more helpfully, I had been informed of diastisis recti and the lower back pain it causes I wouldn't have spent the first 6 months of DDs life a miserable wreck crying myself to sleep every night.

OMG am ranting again.

skandi1 oh god, you have been having some time of it. I really sympathise, I have been feeling extra sorry for myself because I still have SPD and can't wait for my relaxin levels to disappear so I can see if it will actually disappear too. I was literally housebound since 24 weeks and mostly still am.

I know what you mean about not being informed, hence me searching the web and these forums to gain insight from others. You have been truly helpful, and for that I am grateful.

I was 11 st before falling pregnant and just before I gave birth I was 16.5 stones, so I too was deffo eating for 2. The thing is though - I was very immobile so wasn't burning off many calories, and I must have had body shape goggles on - I honestly didn't think I was that big. Hahha, I was a 12 before this and for the second half of my pregnancy I was like "they keep saying to buy your own size of maternity clothes, but I need a size 18/20 mat clothes now" Talk about ignorant bliss.

I don't know how I thought I wasn't bigger as my tummy, legs and thighs were stretched out to the max with water retention, I could hardly move let and I was bloody massive. My skin on my legs/tummy has stretched soo much that you can see the veins very clearly as the skin is so very thin.....Oh my. I am hoping this will go with the weightloss I am supposed to be getting back on the eating healthily thing, but my portion sizes are massive.

I am going to a wedding in a few weeks time and I'd rather not as I too have to surf the maternity clothes and see what will do. I also grudge paying the money for clothing, my feet I am waiting to see if they shrink back down, I've gone up 2 sizes, but I need something to wear in the meantime....

Thanks for your rant, it's deffo helped me and if it helps others then good on us! I am away to do more TVA exercises, I really want my belly back again! I think I can cope with being bigger until I lose the weight but if the tummy would just be less pregnant looking that would be a bonus. I wonder if I can wear suck in pants to help just for the wedding? It is still tender though.

PS my physio was actually seeing me on the nhs because of the symphysis pubis pain, and not actually my tummy. Hardly anyone I know has had this abdominal problem, guess we are just lucky. or something like that
xx

monadami Julie tupler recommends using a 'splint' to hold in your tummy when doing the exercises but I have only just ventured into trying a scarf round my waist when I do them - I am not sure if it is making a difference, but I will persevere. I am however going to ask my physio what she thinks of me getting support pants - like the very long ones that come up to the boobs, to see if she thinks that will give me more support, I do think that she may so don't wear them as it might make your muscles lazy. I really don't know.
good luck though and let us know how you are getting on. I will try to mark this thread and post up my progress too. But for now, I'm off to the white co website to buy another pair of roll top stretchy trousers, they are very comfortable xx

skandi1 You can do it, close the gap close the gap!

Indigobarbie

Oh no dreaded SPD! You've been having a rough time. A friend of mine is pregant with DC2 and has had it since she was 15 weeks and from her description its absolute agony. I do feel for you. Back pain from having rubbish tummy muscles is bad enough but add pelvic pain and you must be in so much pain.

If your scar is still tender (mine was for a long time and I couldn't stant even knickers pressing on it - TMI?), you need to find a type of outfit which doesn't press on it and I would try "suck it in pants". You wont enjoy the wedding as you'll be uncomfortable.

How a about an empire line dress (yes I know there's an issue with the tummy sticking out) - it would be comfy and glamourous and it wouldn't have to be a maternity one. Plus it might lift your spirits a bit.

Or you could go for Palazzo pants (you know, wide legged and most with elasticated waists but often is smart satin fabric or similar) and team with an empire line top? You could look really smart.

I know what you're thinking and no most of the time I'm not brave enough to go into a shop either. But buy online until you feel confident enough. Plus if you've SPD and walking around shops hurts this must be the ideal solution.

I would have suggested low cut linen trouers but as your scar is still sore you may want to avoid.

And for the record I mostly still live in roll top trousers - am wearing some just now.

Need to get back to to Tupler exercises and a diet. Juice diet anyone?

Also I think a lot of people have diastisis which is either undiagnosed or most are too embarrassed to talk about it. I was but now I explain it to everyone who asks either if I'm pregnant or whats with the tummy. If more people were aware, fewer ladies would be suffering in silence.

I will close gap and lose weight. Am on mission now.

BTW Indiobarbie, I may have eaten for 3 during pregnancy..... I went swimming 5 times a week right up until 3 weeks before I had DD and still ended up massively overweight

xxx

skandi1 thank you so much for all your advice, think I have to research more in the clothes dept!
best of luck, I want you posting up here, you too monadami telling everyone how you closed the gap and got your tummy back!! xx
hugs to everyone

Just a little update, I have now closed my diastasis from 8 finger widths down to 3 - Yayy. I have to keep going with the exercises That's been in about 6 weeks, so not bad going I reckon.

Hi

I've been doing them again and I saw the physio on Weds and he says its down to 1 finger now. Hurrah!

Well done Indigobarbie! You're getting there really fast!!! Much faster then I have. Am a bit that its taken me so long....

Do you feel the tummy is looking any better??

Sadly mine hasn't improved too much and I think I really need to lose weight so am trying the 7 Day Juice Diet. Started today so will let you know how I go...

The worst so far was giving up my beloved cups of tea.... Sob. Other than that not too bad and juice is tasty.

Cannot belive how well you've done with your gap! Congrats.
xxx

skandi1 awesome awesome awesome, well done you [hugs]
This is brilliant news. The juicing is great too, I make a right mess of my kitchen when doing it. I'm trying a bit of slimming world at the moment aswell. I really need to keep at it, my tummy has shrunken a bit but it really does look like 5/6 months pg. I will deffo keep at it. Please keep me up to date with your progress, I'm rooting for you. I took a picture of my belly a few weeks ago, so will need to get the camera out, take another one and compare. I am so glad that there are these exercises to help us, and it's not been too bad doing them - I just need to not slack off!!! You don't need the tea, just a massive turbo charge smoothie with lovely avocado in

Hi

Am back on the Tupler exercises! Its going to be hard work.

Its unfair! We had to have the babies and now we have to spend months putting ourselves back together again.

Am trying the juice diet. On day 4. Hmmm. Not sure I'd be able to keep this up for long! Hope it will work at least a bit and reset my appetite so that I can eat more sensibly after the 7 days are over.

Monadami, How are you getting on?? I hope we've not depressed you too much telling you about the hard work and exercises you'll have to do? Come back and let us know how you are.

If it helps, I have found it quite hard to deal with the horrible stomach and I was surprised how no one told me about this. Guess no one does as they're too embarrassed.

Indigobarbie, you're really going for it! Juicing and SW! Wow. Juice diet is my first ever diet. Until I had DD I was always a size 10/12 (depending on shop) and always had to eat loads to keep my weight up plus I swam a lot so was reasonably fit.

This is why I'm finding this so so hard. No sure if I have this sort of will power but am giving it my best.

The exercises are a bit boring but if you look at how the Tupler programme is 1/2hr per day then it helps or if short of time you can do the 15min workout and surely even I can manage this!

I am so so that I took the NHS "diet advice" when I got pregnant which was to "switch to full fat milk and cheese and drink at least 2 pints per day and stay away from low fat products". I ate right in terms of fruit and veg as normal but all this high fat nonsense has left me, well, fat. And now just this year they've changed the advice to stay away from high fat for pregnant women as pregnancy is the largest cause of obesity amongst women. Ha bloody ha!

Did either of you get this advice and go with it?? And yes I know I can't just blame NHS as I did eat plenty but I could have saved myself some of it by sticking to low fat dairy etc.

Hope you're all doing well.

xxx

Hehhe, thanks for making me laugh - I'm sorry I am laughing as I am in the same situation - quote "all this fat stuff has left me, well, fat" priceless!!! .

I too am feeling very fat!!! I was a size 12 and sometimes needing a 14 before I got pg, but somehow (muffins, cheese, pasta, more cheese, biscuits, chocolate, peanut butter, crackers, icecream) I managed to put on 5.5 stones, YES 5.5 stones in pg and then as soon as baby came out I dropped about 2.5 of those but am left at a size 18 with giant stretched out feet that were once a size6, and may now even be a sz8 - will they shrink back? Oops I fear I may be repeating myself from my previous posts. Nevermind.

I fell by the wayside on the eating and tupler front over the last few days and I am now even more determined to get back on the wagon. It's my bad english that made you think I was on juicing too - I'm not that good! I'm just trying to cut back.......But good luck with it, it is so good for you and you do end up feeling much better. Must be all the nutrients.

I'm waiting on one of these flexee torsette It's only to see me through a few outings I am having - wedding and christening. I hope it will flatten me out a bit until I really do go flat.

I want to know how you are faring in all of this?

Hi Indigobarbie,

I'm sure your feet will shrink some. Mine went from a 5 to 6 but at nearly 10 months PP I'm back in size 5.

Unfortunately I'm still fat. I thought breastfeeding would help but no chance! I think it made it worse. Made so so hungry. Its been easier since I stopped and I actually think I could lose some weight now.

I'm not far behind you in the pregnancy weight gain stakes! It annoys me to see those who were back in the normal clothes before they stoppped BFing. Have a few friends like that. I sometimes avoid them because it makes me feel bad.

I saw the flexee torsette. Looks like it could do quite a good job. Bit uncomfortable perhaps? I have spanx which help a bit but to be honest the only thing that will work is losing the weight.

Still juicing away. I'll let you know the end result. Its not bad and its not too hard to do despite being a mummy and don't feel hungry either which is good. The only thing is I'm dying for a tea or a coffee! Not sure I'll be able to stick the caffeine deprivation out too much longer! Its going to be so hard to walk past starbucks when I take DD out this afternoon....

Let me know about the Flexee Torsette and how well it works and perhaps I'll invest in one in the meantime.
xxx

My boy is now 1 year old and my tummy is still huge. However, reverting back to pre-pregnancy my shape wasnt the best. I came across the TVA site www.floota.com/TransversusAbdominis.html
. and can now see that my muscles were so under used and poor that my body has now lost all condition. Around my ribs under the bust starts bulging high-up. Even though my bum and hip areas are slim-ish.
The TVA excercises tell you to hold your stomach in and sit up striaght. Try this until it burns! But keep breathing. I would assume that many woman have this inner strength and I have read that crunches dont work to shift this.

I firmly believe that any starvation/juices etc are a waste of time and its all about re-educating on food again. Even though I eat very well, I probably eat too many calories and my portions are too big for my frame and lack of excercise. I'm heading towards middle age and I know that I have to address this now as I struggle to find clothes. I am 5'3" smallish frame, flat chest and size 18. It doesnt look right!!!!

Hi Bacon,

Thank you for the webpage. The Julie Tupler exercises are similar as are the ones from my physio.

Sorry to hear about your tummy. My diastitis is now only around the belly button so my bulge is just around there. It doesn't look right either (as you say) and it annoys me a lot now. Am using tupler exercises too.

I'm going to try to post the exercise sheets my physio gave me but not sure how to do this so I'll come back and let you know.

Take your point on diets. Its my first ever one as was slim before DD. My aim was really to do the 7 day juice diet (for well 7 days...) and that should help to kick start smaller portions and healthy eating. Am on day 5 now and going well. Can report that no starvation is involved as its not just juice you have. You also have smoothies (with avocado, yogurth, banana etc etc) so you do have food (sort of).