c section - say goodbye to my stomach?

[annady]

i'm sorry and ashamed for dwelling on vanity when of course the health of the baby (and of me) is paramount.

but all the same: it's very likely i'll be forced to have a c-section because of my placenta.

i have one dc already, born 'naturally'. i kept myself fairly fit during that pregnancy and found it pretty easy to get back into shape / regain muscle tone in my stomach quite soon afterwards, mainly by walking and swimming when possible.

am i right in thinking, however, that with a c-section it's a different story, because they're cutting into you, and i'm hence unlikely to have a flat stomach / much control of my stomach muscles again?

is there anything i can do during pregnancy (am about half way through) that might help?

for even caring or bringing this up...

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I had my DS by c-section 10 months ago. My stomach is nearly back to normal but I can feel scar tissue and there is a little bulge around the scar. Think it will go in time though.

I've had 3 sections and my tummy is still pretty good

Not ironing board flat admittedly, but not bad. I exercise when I remember, try to keep my weight down and I imagine genetics has a lot to do with it (my tummy is ok but I have hideous thighs...)

I wouldn't say it's automatic that you will lose your stomach - I have a permanent little 'shelf' where they cut but it's very low so not obvious.

Annady I wouldn't worry too much (you already seem in good shape and you got your pre-pregnancy shape back last time easily) - the cut is made in your pubic area and is a horizontal cut rather than a vertical one as used to happen, thus it won't necessarily affect your stomach muscles too much.

I've never been blessed with a particularly flat stomach but the scar is below my knicker-line and doesn't affect much at all.

As long as you don't try to do too much too soon after the birth... wait at least 6 weeks to allow things to heal.

You'll be fine. I've had 2 sections and third due in a couple of months. While there is a very slight 'step' where the scar is it's well below the knicker line, so I'm still fine in a bikini (well I was in the summer - not now oviously with enormous baby bump no.3) as it's not something you can notice under bikini bottoms. I'm not saying my stomach was perfect after no.2, but I don't think that the sections had had any particular effect on it one way or another. They don't cut the muscle (they stretch it apart) so once everything has had a chance to go back to normal you just need to build up the muscle tone again in the same way you did after your previous baby.

thanks so much for your replies, and for not chastising me for being concerned about this!
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