To be sick of looking like this (pic attached)

[Yousaidwhatagain]

I had 2 CS and have that pooch. I eat well, exercise and have gone down to my size 8 again except for this horrible stomach that does not want to shift.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to find a pair of trousers or jeans.
I have to go for a bigger size to fit my stomach but then it looks so baggy and shit fitting on me. I feel so frumpy because I just cannot find good clothing.

I recently bought a pair of trousers for 100 pounds and then spent 50 to tailor it because it was huge all round from butt to the thighs and bottom - all because it can fit my stomach. I just can't do that again.

I'm honestly depressed. I am 5'3, petite but look pregnant. Why isn't there more options available for women's bottoms given that many women experience this. Please help. What can I do? Where can I shop.

What was the recovery like? Wasn't long before you were able to move about as normal?

You look absolutely fine to me. My belly is twice the size following three big babies and a hysterectomy. I just accept it is what it is.

Honestly though I really think you look fine.

I probably shouldn’t have laughed but I did 😁

Have you been assessed for diastasis recti, OP? There are also lots of self-assessment videos on Youtube, so you wouldn’t need to see a women’s health physio right away. There are lots of workout videos online that can help close the gap, sometimes entirely.

Scar tissue massage (also look into cupping; the YouTube channel ‘pregnancy and postpartum tv’ has some really good videos on both, as well as diastasis recti workouts) is really wonderful for healing and can even be done years down the line.

That being said, a pooch is really related more to abdominal muscle separation than factors like a c-section. Were any of your babies particularly large? I had a ton of abdominal separation after my second, as she was a very large baby. Doing diastasis-friendly pilates workouts (some exercises put strain on the abdominal muscles, thus worsening the gap in the muscles) at home, and it’s made a huge difference. While nowhere near as large as when I started doing diastasis-focused workouts, I still have a bit of a pooch, and it does feel very defeating at times. Once my husband and I are done having kids, I think the only option to fully close the gap would be to have surgery, although I’ve read about plenty of women eliminating the pooch entirely from exercises to help the abdominal muscles.

Only way I made mine smaller (not totally flat) is doing ab focused youtube videos like chloe ting / Pamela reif.

Also high waisted trousers and crop top or floaty belted dresses seem to disguise mine better.

Try adult ballet classes to help adjust your posture.

I might give mine until 5 years PP doing exercises etc and then think about a tummy tuck.

Mine is kinda of hard to the touch, it's not flabby. It's solid. So I suspect it wouldn't go without surgery.

I think it looks not as bad as you imagine.

I've had 2 DCs but not a C section.

I think that if you stood straighter and even lost a couple of pounds, the bulge may go.
I am not remotely overweight (BMI 19) but any weight I put on goes straight to the belly area under my navel.

I can lose it and it just takes a bit of cutting back and losing a kilo or two.

A temporary fix is wearing your size but in maternity wear.

My sister did this because she was very slim but had a tummy and so the elasticated waist band fit nicely, without having to size up.

Shapewear?

I feel you OP. I also have the pouch but I don't have any DC to show for it! I'm 5'5, size 8, very little fat anywhere else (28inch waist) but with this stupid bloated pouch that just makes clothes look shit on me. I'm also working on my posture and core strength but my PT friend said that if you fatstore there, there's not a lot that can be done. I also get asked if I'm pregnant and it just shatters my self confidence.

I'll echo what the others have said about having an assessment for diastasis, ideally by a specialist physio in person. Have caution with doing planks before then though, could make it worse depending on the issue and your technique (link to better explaination- every-mother.com/empower/diastasis-recti-exercises-planks )

Maybe jeans just aren't right for your body any more. I've never found a pair which fits properly so I've just never worn jeans. My wardrobe is almost exclusively dresses with a few leggings/skirts and tops combos.

Same! Best thing I ever did. I found the more weight I lost the more the pouch hung down. I was fed up of wearing clothes a size too big to cover it. And there were so many clothes I couldn't wear at all.

You look to me like you have an 'S' spine (big curve in from shoulder blades to bum) which I do too. If you're not careful with posture you will end up leading from the belly which makes your (tiny) belly stick out more. You need to stand up very straight and tighten your core all the time. It feels like a lot of effort at first but becomes second nature and helps a lot.

Honestly I think your figure looks lovely and many people would be very happy to have it x

I had a tummy tuck.

I had a TT, too. I'm bmi of 19 with a 20% body fat, but I still looked pregnant due to separated muscles and loose skin. There was literally nothing I could do to improve it apart from surgery.

I had a tummy tuck. It's expensive, but the best money I've spent tbh. No more back ache and no more looking 5 months pregnant, struggling to find clothes that fit.

I'm 5ft 1 and size 6, small breasts and get a lot of bloating due to a crappy digestive system. I've had to learn how to dress to suit an often disproportionately large stomach. Dresses are my preferred option - look for styles that accentuate your breasts and waist but hide your stomach.

Also what winterjoy said.

I am obese and what I would do to have a body like yours!

Is it fat or bloating though? If its bloating it might be related to diet. I stumbled across the fodmap diet and did that. From that I found that onion and garlic, which I had in most meals, were causing most of my bloating. Now that I have cut them out, I'm not 100% bloat free but the difference from before is amazing.

😂😂😂 I’m going to try that.

That's good advice, although I haven't has a CS a friend of mine had two & her stomach muscles had seperated, Diastis Recti,or something like that but she swent to a physio & it made a difference in her opinion
I'm sorry you're feeling like this, it must be awful especially after losing the rest of the baby weight

😂

I feel for you @Yousaidwhatagain
I had the same, and as soon as I hit menopause I booked my tummy tuck.
I had diastasis rectis and ibs which caused bloating also, and no amount of pilates or cardio made a difference to the pouch.
Never regretted it for one second.