Does the csectiom shelf/overhang ever go? Any tips?

[BumbleAw]

I'm coming up 6 weeks post csection and I still have a horrible overhang/shelf and my belly still looks 5 months pregnant. I cant really explaim in but my whole lower abdomen feels like jelly to touch/watery

I was never particularly big pre pregnancy so I don't think diet will be the answer, I'm assuming it's loose/stretched skin?

Does it ever go and if so how long does it take? Are there things I can do to help it improve?

I know it sounds so vain but it really doesn't look nice, and I'm worried I'll never fit in my pre pregnancy clothes again! Just want to feel more me again

my Stomach firmed up again eventually. I can’t remember how long it took- one day it just seemed a bit firmer! The fat that’s there 4 yrs on (I’m a tall size 12) is softer but no where near the jiggly postpartum softness.

I’m going to be completely honest, mine hasn’t gone. But I’m also lazy and did no exercise afterwards so that will be the reason why…

I’m pregnant again now and determined to do better this time. Check out Hannah Johnson Therapies on Instagram, she does scar massage which apparently can help it go down (she does online material and in person appts)

6 weeks is so soon to be worrying about this, please give yourself time.
9 months to grow a human, at least that for your body to recover.

However, I had 2 vaginal deliveries and 1 c-section and my body was never the same. They cut through so many layers for CS.
I had an overhang even being a size 10 and fit.

Eventually 20 years on I had a tummy tuck and am very happy with it

Look into c-section massage and diastasis exercises, you can start doing these anytime now. They should help. I've had two children but only one c-section 18m ago. It's much better as I've lost weight but there is a divot under my knicker line where the scar is. For a long time it was a loose roll of fat though.

I don’t know about the c-section but with vaginal delivery yes, it can go back to flat. I have two children and also had diastasis recti twice and managed to close it completely both times. It requires commitment and patience but can be done.
And don’t worry about feeling vain, having strong core is not vain at all! It helps with balance, back issues, carrying things - it’s good for us.

I would consult a physio on when you can go back to training and what kind of exercises are safe after a c-section. 6 weeks is not too early if you feel up for it, especially if you have any signs of abdominal wall separation the earlier you start fixing it. the better.

I’ve had 2 c-sections. Youngest DC is now 5. I’m fit/healthy/slim BUT there is still a small ridge. I can slightly see it through my trousers when I wear tighter fitting items (such as jeggings) However, I wear higher waisted trousers, bikinis, underwear etc and I don’t think anyone else would notice - unless you were a fellow c-section mum who looks at everyone else’s stomachs! (I’ve been this person!) At 43, I’ve made my peace with it. Would I feel the same if I were 24? Maybe not.

That being said, please don’t worry about it now. Enjoy your beautiful baby. Ignore your squidgy tummy! Baby doesn’t care if you feel like a Squishmallow! They love you as you are. Plenty of time for exercise and the like down the line. The best bit about having a baby in winter? Big jumpers! They cover it all!

I went to these classes after both of my c-sections. You can take the baby along. The instructors are really knowledgeable about post-partum bodies. Mummy Fit Exercise Classes

I’ve not had a C-section. So this may not work for you.
However I have back problems so I’ve always done stomach exercises as strong abdominal muscles protect my back.
After birth the physio showed me the best exercises to do postpartum.
My dh used to be really good at reminding me to do my exercises every night even when I was shattered, I appreciate it now ( I didn’t at the time).
I’m in my 60’s now and still have a flat stomach, which is more than can be said for my flabby upper arms.

Have had 3 sections and whilst slim, no, my little pouch is still there and nothing I have ever done has rectified it

I have a slight overhang - but I suspect only I notice. But I've had 3 C sections and a hysterectomy so I think that's inevitable for me. You should start yoga and /or pilates, you can do them at home.

6 weeks is far too soon. Give it 9 months to a year, it'll get much better. Keep walking, try to walk with the pram instead of driving to get places. Do your best to stand tall and walk tall with your abs engaged rather than with "mommy posture" (that's what it's called when you tilt your pelvis forward to help you carry your baby, it's tempting but it won't strengthen your abs)

I am also 6 weeks PP and can recommend the "MUTU system". It is a 12 week course containing videos, nutrition advice and more especially for postpartum women. The exercises focus on core strength.

I've been doing it because I have diastasis recti and a tummy bulge , but it has improved so much in just a few weeks.

A bit of a backstory - my wife had a c section in 2010 and then gave birth naturally to our second daughter in 2013. Until recently she's never been one for going to the gym etc, annoyingly she's never really needed to. But fast forward 12 years and she's now self-conscious about the bit of belly overhang she's got (I call it relaxed muscle). Personally I don't see a problem with it but it bothered her enough to join a gym (I think the turning point was when a child at the school she teaches at thought in all innocence she was having another baby). As I'm into fitness (training to be a gym instructor) she's asked me for a diet and fitness plan. Over the past three months she's lost weight, around 10lbs maybe more, down from 11st (she's 5'6) and lost some of the overhang (I've noticed and so has she). She won't take any OTC supplements but eats a healthy balanced diet, drinks alcohol occasionally and works out twice a week (weights and cardio). I've also encouraged her to increase her none exercise activity time by aiming to get 10k steps per day.

I just wondered if any kind ladies on here wouldn't mind sharing their experiences so I can pass them on. I feel a little out of my depth because anyone I've ever trained with in the past has been blokes. It would be nice to see her get some self confidence back, as no amount of positivity from me is cutting it.

@DaddyKev23 I have just had my third baby (not via c-section) and two things made the biggest difference for me: hypopressives and all types of oblique and transverse abs exercises. Hypopressives for diastatis recti are quite gentle so they won’t burn fat but they help build a strong core really fast (I noticed results within a couple of weeks)

@CortieTat thanks. I looked up some exercises for transverse abs and diastasis recti - which she's been doing. Never heard of the other one, so I'll look that up.

Check hypopressive breathing (if you google young Arnold Schwarzenegger you will find some very illustrative examples) - you can in theory then perform any other old exercise while keeping the vacuum - I started with some simple exercises I found on YouTube and now I’m doing various yoga poses together with hypopressive breathing. A good teacher on YT is Hypopressives with Alice__

I’ve had two c-sections. My first I had a wound infection and even though very slim had an overhang that was largely scar tissue. My second surgeon cut it all away and now it is perfectly flat. He was amazed I had just accepted it and was very happy with his neat handiwork. As was I.

Not really.
Even when I got down to the lowest weight still in a healthy BMI for me, it was still there. The issue is that the skin underneath the scar is pulled tight, which causes the overhang.

Core exercises are worthwhile doing, but they don’t necessarily get rid of the overhang.

@Redcrayons oh! On a scale of one to ten how much difference did the exercises and diet make in your experience (10 being back to where you were prior and 0 being no difference at all)?

@PocketSand that worked out well then! The exercise and diet has been working for her. Certainly with clothes on no one would ever know, and there’s certainly no comments from kids at school any more. We’re going to Zante next month and she wanted to see a difference by then so she’d more confident around the pool etc. to be fair we’re in our 40s and seeing men and women at that age strutting around with six packs and bikini bodies is something of a rarity.