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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

C-section tummy and overhang - preventable?

28 replies

strangerjo · 15/02/2016 20:12

I've read stories of women saying they had 'overhang' after their c-section. Can anything be done to prevent this? E.g. surgeon's technique? Or belly band? Or is it inevitable?

OP posts:

wonkylegs · 15/02/2016 20:15

I haven't got one from my c-section so it's not inevitable. No idea why though.

Jitterybug · 15/02/2016 20:17

I don't have one either, always had a flattish stomach if that's anything to do with it.

Bluebird79 · 15/02/2016 20:19

I have had 2 c-sections and the scar and over hang is there. BUT I gained about three stone over the course of those pregnancies and my stomach has never been my best feature even as a young size 10! If you are reasonably fit and exercise its probably avoidable. But not the scar. That's just going to happen I'm afraid x

LuckySantangelo1 · 15/02/2016 20:21

I don't have an overhang. It seems to be that they are more common in ladies that were overweight before pregnancy.

OhShutUpThomas · 15/02/2016 20:24

I've had 2 and no overhang but I was slim to start with. Expecting DC3 now and not so confident as I'm slightly bigger now

BettyBooboid · 15/02/2016 20:28

I was a super slim size 8-10 pre DC1 but got quite a bad overhang after my section, so dont think its to do with weight.

Interestingly, I had staples not stitches. After my second section, I was stitched and the overhang (although still there) wasn't as bad.

Not sure if that is in any way related...

shggg245 · 15/02/2016 20:29

I was a slim size 8 before 2 sections and I now have separate 2 scars and a definite shelf even though I'm still quite slim. I think the surgeon has alot to do with it, the one that did number two was under instruction.

kaymondo · 15/02/2016 20:52

I've had 2 sections and have a really bad overhang. I was a size 10/12 pre pregnancy, but I did have a massive bump both times - with DS2 people were asking me if I was having twins/about to drop from when I was about 6 months - already getting those comments now at 21 weeks with DC3.

In my case, I think it's partly down to the fact that my skin doesn't have much natural elasticity so it didn't tighten back up after the birth so I have a lot of saggy skin which then hangs over my section scar - a classic 'mothers apron'.

My view is that it's just genetics - it's certainly not inevitable as I have friends with no overhang after 2 sections, but not sure that I could have done anything to avoid it in my case. Just her your fingers crossed that you're one of the lucky ones!

VagueIdeas · 15/02/2016 20:54

I don't have one either.

I DID initially, when my (massive) bump had barely started to shrink down. I had to lift my belly out of the way to check the stitched. That was alarming! But as my belly shrank, the overhang disappeared.

remembermewhen · 15/02/2016 20:58

I've got a bit of extra jelly but can't blame it on a section,
You can barely see my scar & no overhang.
I have been working out for about 18 months though not sure if that has helped.
Section 3 years ago,
You could never tell by looking.

ohanami · 15/02/2016 21:32

I had an overhang for a few weeks while everything shrunk back down, but the tummy I'm left with two years on is no different from the one I had before I was pregnant. It wasn't flat beforehand but the, ahem, curves are well above the scar and more to do with my hobnob habit than the emcs. Possibly just luck though and who knows what I'll end up with when dc2 makes an appearance in the summer.

ingeniousidiot · 15/02/2016 21:36

Well I don't have a friend that doesn't have a brother that certainly doesn't do the celebrity cs tidy ups that aren't done. Hope this helps

toffeeboffin · 15/02/2016 21:38

Had a section, being overweight makes a difference to it.

Stomach muscles definitely stick out more too. No stretch marks though.

DustOffYourHighestHopes · 15/02/2016 21:41

I reckon it's the surgeon. I'm quite slim. First time round - registrar under instruction, tight scar and overhang. Secondtime round - consultant did it himself, it's competely painfree and any overhand is just a slight tubbiness as I'm still eating loads.

ohanami · 15/02/2016 21:47

Sorry, to go back and answer the actual question, I was overweight in pregnancy and gained a lot more due to pre-eclampsia swelling. My main exercise postnatally was the "running round like a blue arsed fly" diet. I think I did a sit up once or twice then promptly forgot. I didn't do anything proactive to alleviate the overhang.

mrsnoon · 15/02/2016 21:52

2 sections, no overhang. Was a size 10 with a reasonably flat stomach before first pregnancy and only a bit bigger with no2. Don't think it's really got anything to do with the surgeon or technique, if you've got a bit of extra podge there its going to hang over.

Suzietwo · 15/02/2016 22:02

3 sections and had a nasty overhang since the first. It hasn't got much worse with multiple sections but not expecting it to get any better. I'm having my 4th section this summer but I've been told there's not much the surgeon can do about it and I'll need to go back for a tuck if I want to tidy it up. I won't bother, even though it's nasty.

It bothers the bloke b/c I don't like him touching my midriff but fvck it, I say.

knaffedoff · 15/02/2016 22:03

No section but had significantly large bumps, which have resulted in an overhang

BeStrongAndCourageous · 15/02/2016 22:27

I don't have one and I'm not particularly slim or flat-stomached. No idea why.

mrsmonkey14 · 16/02/2016 08:53

I don't have one. I wasn't overweight but will see what happens with this pregnancy as I'm carrying more weight around my middle now. I suspect your pre and post pregnancy weight are relevant, as are genetics, the skill of the surgeon and a bit of old-fashioned luck. I wore a band after c-sec for a bit, mainly to make me feel more secure moving about. I would recommend post c-sec doing post-natal Pilates to heal your stomach muscles. It's v common to have abdominal separation (Google diastasis recti) post preg regardless of delivery type, so launching into sit ups etc can actually make the problem worse. You need a trained post natal instructor to get you back on track - where I live there are a few options where you take baby with you so is nice activity to do when baby is small. Also, it's a good idea to massage your scar regularly post op, no idea why they don't advise us to do this but it helps prevent adhesions building up which can cause problems for future sections.

Wardrobespierre · 16/02/2016 08:59

You can fet them with a vaginal birth. You can get them if super slim. You can get them if overweight. You can get them with the best surgeon money can buy. It's unfair and incorrect to reduce it down to something a woman has or hasn't done. It's luck, a smattering of genetics and the peculiarities of circumstance combined. Similar to stretch marks.

I am and always have been a size 8. I have bloody good washboard abs. I also have an overhang. Only surgery would remove it. It doesn't bother me though.

FreeButtonBee · 16/02/2016 09:03

First section, no overhang despite putting in over 5 st and carrying twins to almost 39 weeks.

Second, a tiny bit but nothing that losing the last 10lb of pregnancy weight wouldn't resolve. Am not particularly slim or fit either before or after

JanuaryKat · 16/02/2016 09:10

I don't think it's got anything to do with weight. I was a size 4/6 before pregnancy, didn't put on an excessive amount of weight during - about 20lbs. Have overhang post emcs.

mrsmugoo · 16/02/2016 12:37

I had a little bit but it went when I lost weight.

Debdan · 27/07/2018 21:16

I’m 11 weeks pp and as early as I could I started strengthening exercises recommended by the nhs and then have recently started massaging scar once a week for only 5 minutes. I’m very fit and exercised up until the day before I went into labour. Good diet and sensible exercise girls and our bodies will return x x

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