post baby body - am scared!

[xenabelly]

Just wondering what all your bodies look like? lol! I'm not a perv but some of my friends have been scaring me to death saying 'your stomach will be wrecked afterwards and look disgusting'...'its the second baby that does the permanant damage' etc etc ( I know, nice friends)

I had a c'section with my first and have a horrible overhang that I didn't realise was so common. Am booked in for a 2nd c section and am wondering if this overhang will go worse and will they go in same scar or create another one?

I am overweight and am determined to get to Slimming World after baby arrives but am wondering even if I lose weight will my body look horrible?

Apprectiate that everyone is different and some people are lucky and unlucky with genetics but just wanted a general idea about how you feel?

How do you all feel about it?

My body from my 2nd child is still the same as from my 1st just a couple more stretch marks but i did not have many anyway, i did put on an extra 2 stone but have just lost a stone & a half so am nearly back, i do have a little belly but i just think i will always have that now, shame but part of becoming a mother for me

Im scared just like you are! My tummy was left in a bit of a mess tbh scar wise cos i had an op to remove a cyst off my ovary at 14 weeks last time and I had an emergency section too, I did have that at 31 weeks though so i think i escaped all real stretching! I am convinced the docs "sewed me up wonky" last time LOL

My poor DP is already fed up of me and my counting stretch marks and asking does he think my scars will stretch and look awful afterwards!

I dont know about them going into the same scar hopefully someone else will be able to answer that. But I think I have resided to the fact if i can escape one pregnancy without stretch marks or overhanging bits Im not going to escape another! I already have a few on my hips!

Your not alone x x

Hi Xena

I think your friends are being a bit 'orrible!

They use the same scar for your subsequent c-sections to avoid weakening uterus more than necessary. Overhang depends on stomach muscles and luck IMO. I'm currently 32 weeks pg with no.3. Had 2 prev c-sections and my non-pg weight is probably 2 stone more than it should be. However my stomach doesn't look too bad given my lazy-arseness. Don't have any stretch marks (luck) and overhang is minimal. What I'll look like after this one though is another matter!

Grey hair & wrinkles are my major concerns ...

I was worried about this until dh pointed out that if men gave birth they would call them war wounds, be proud and show them off to all and sundry (!) so I've decided I will do the same

Your friends are being really horrid. It may cheer you up to know that actually, after my second I was back in my jeans a few months later (took aaaaaaaaaaages with my first, I was so depressed about it) and weigh what I did before having kids. I do get fed up that my ribcage has widened, which means my waistline has too.

They'll go through the same scar and you're overhang and tummy are unlikely to get any worse. If you're overweight and have a saggy tummy already then you're not going to come out looking like Victoria Beckham, but (a) would you really want to? and (b) you will look just as good as you already do. Your scars and marks are a sign of how much you wanted your children and what you went through to get them -- be proud of them! (Mind you, if there were a perfectly painless and foolproof tummy-tuck available I would be first in line when I finish having kids...)

Your, not you're. Oh, horrors!