Wearing a bikini...does anyone else feel like this?

[blueberrymojito]

Since having my DC 8years ago my stomach was left in an awful saggy mess, basically the area from my belly button down, and including my belly button, is just wrinkly and awful. I've only ever shown it to my DP (who obviously loves me whatever). I've never been confident to wear a bikini and so haven't for over 8 years.

I'm slim all over, eat healthily and exercise but no amount of exercise will improve the loose skin on my tummy and so I know the only way to get rid of it is to have a tummy tuck.

I'm going on holiday next week and instead of being happy I'm so fed up, I've bought some lovely swim suits, and I know they're more back in fashion now than they were but it's just not the same as wearing a bikini. I'm still in my twenties and I just want to feel liberated and happy on the beach in a bikini but my stomach is just awful and I'm so embarrassed.

No one would know from my figure and clothes but underneath its wrinkly and awful. I know we should celebrate our bodies but I'm really struggling to right now.

You look amazing @GplanAddict

Go for it ... wear a bikini! I wore one on holiday, first holiday after 4 children, I have a wobbly tummy and the worst varicose veins ever but around the pool were ladies of all shapes and sizes and 95% were wearing bikinis. Like a pp said, it was fantasic to let the sun hit all that flesh that spends most of the year buried away!

My advice is pack a couple of them for just in case because like other posters have said sitting on a beach abroad surrounded by a millions different people of all different sizes all wearing swimwear is not the same as wearing it at home or in a changing room.

Thanks for all the lovely responses, I wish I had some of your body confidence!

You're right it's probably not as bad as I feel, I just have a dreadful habit of comparing myself to everyone else! It's the wrinkly-ness I hate. Stretch marks I could deal with but I hate the lack of tone and looseness.

I'm going to take a bikini with me and I may wear it, at least I have the option when I'm there, to the pp who mentioned the fold over bikini bottoms, I do have a pair and they're very forgiving

That's great to hear blue.

It will take time and work on your part to look at yourself with loving eyes, it's one of the hardest parts of being human we are horrible to ourselves sometimes because we have a distorted view of our selves.

I'm not there yet either but Iv found that a good starting point for me was to look at myself as though someone I love was looking at me (what I mean is the way I look at someone I love is never the same as I look at myself, I see their beauty and very rarely notice flaws, and I assume they see me the same)
So the bits I notice that I loathe and hate I just catch myself and say how would dh/best friend/my child/mother etc see this part of me? The answer is usually in a good way so I really push the hate away and try very hard to acknowledge that it's not real and ignore it and then try to replace it with she/he would think this.

Sorry I'm rambling, does that make sense?

I'm slim like you and my belly is extremely wrinkled. When I lean forward it leans forward too. It's taken some time you accept it but no I can honestly say Ploppymoodypants post x1000

I'm single, so have to get my belly out on occasion when meeting new guys and all I can say is none of us are supermodels, I had two kids, what's your excuse?