What happens to your stomach after 2 or more babies??

[Heaven]

Getting a little worried about what my tummy will look like after I have another baby

After DD1 it mostly went back to normal. I didn't get any stretchmarks so my skin was the same. Took about a year for my stomach to get back to normal but it did.

With DD2 I didn't think I got any stretchmarks either but I could see after the birth that I did. I didn't get the red type stretchmarks that you can see, it's just that my skin now resembles crepe paper, lol. It looks normal standing up I think but if I lean over or sit it's all crinkly and my skin is just really thin! I'm ok with it, it's fine, just a bit weird looking. The skin on my boobs looks the same. I think it got seriously stretched with some crazy engorgement! I assume there's nothing I can do to fix the skin??

Anyway, I'm just worried about what will happen after more babies? I want 2 more. There just seemed to be a big change to my body with my second pregnancy, more than with my first. That's a bit scary. Will it get that much worse each time?? What damage will I do?? Or have I done all the damage already and it's already been stretched so it won't get much worse?? Please be the second one! lol.

And is there anything I can do now to prepare for the next pregnancy??

[Liz]

3rd baby gave me my apron :/ I was similar to you with 1 and 2 but 3.... Oh my :/ I'm only 3kg over my pre preg weight yet my belly just looks fat and saggy. I said to dh just the other day tht it was the price we paid for such beautiful children

[Sunny Love]

Im begnning to get a G-unt now, after baby number 2.
Its a good thing DP's gut gets bigger with each baby too

[Phteven]

Mine's pretty flat. There is some loose skin and I suspect that I'll always look pregnant after a large meal but it's nothing that I'm losing sleep over and nothing that some shaping underwear wouldn't sort out if I was fussed about it.

[Heaven]

You people are not giving me hope!

Except you onyx, you may stay.

[Nai]

Mine is still jiggly and flabby - but I'm old so it could be caused by that too

No apron or g-unt though, no stretch marks either Everyone is different I guess.

[Heaven]

I saw a photo on FB this morning though which made me feel better. I totally look like Cindy Crawford.

This is her tummy: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...46798563_n.jpg

[~clover~]

Um... mine is pretty much the same as it was pre pregnancy. I didn't get stretch marks or loose skin with any of my 4. I have a little podge after DD3, but its not really noticable & I've just noticed its starting to disappear.

I'm no help, but I don't think anyone can really tell you what will happen to your body IYKWIM? My mum is similar to me, so maybe ask your mum about her experience (although, it could be different for her too!) Stretch marks are genetic

[Sterla]

My stomach wasn't flat to begin with, but my first pregnancy was what ruined my tummy. I got heaps of stretch marks and the apron . My pregnancy with DD, nothing much changed. I didn't get any new stretch marks. I'm hoping the damage has already been done. I know I'll never wear a bikini.

[LimeSlice]

Love that photo! She still has a bloody 6 pack under the wrinkles though! lol
I suppose it is about the work you put into it too. I know people with 4 kids who have the podge, the apron, and look quite bad, and others who have a perfectly flat stoamch still ('tis ok, we all hate her too lol) ;p But she works for it and was very fit pre-babies too.

I suspect mine wouldn't look much different to what it does now. I got more stretch marks with DD2 but it was the cs that gave me teh apron, the gunt, and my iss-ewes! lol

[~ Mylitta ~]

I'm 8 weeks post pregnancy and I think I still look 4-5 months pregnant. It's taking me a lot longer to lose the baby weight this time so I'm not sure if maybe I was eating worse during the pregnancy and put on more weight not attributed to the baby, or whether it's just harder to lose after the third. I've only just started some mild exercising (walking and some wiiFit) to try to budge the weight. I was being a little lazy thinking that breastfeeding three would make the weight just disappear without any work on my behalf (besides the milk making lol). So far my "lazy plan" hasn't worked.

As for the extra skin, I asked my Ob about that because I thought that to some extent it would always remain, but he said that if I worked on my core tummy muscle strength the skin should also become firmer and back like it was. I'm not convinced my belly button will ever go back to being a cute little button rather than the crater it is now though...

[Three Graces]

I've just had our third bub a couple of weeks ago. With number 1 and 2, I didn't get any stretchmarks and my tummy went back to normal-ish, after a year or so. Still a bit wrinkly if I bent forward, but flat when upright. Well, number 3 bubs sat all out the front, didn't she! I'd had a 5cm dram after my second baby (who weighed 4.7kg at birth), so with this one, there wasn't any pregnancy out the sides, I was just bump out the front and therefore got heaps of stretchies I think my tummy is starting to get smaller, but I honestly don't think it's going back to where it was beforehand. I also ended up having to have a third c/s and the scar/s tend to pull in a bit. Will wait and see what's happening after a year (?) hmmm

[Novella]

My third is nine weeks and my belly is pretty much back to what it was before (not flat! Im about 10+kg over what I would like to be but this was pre baby) I dont seem to have any extra skin/stretched skin compared to pre bubs

I didnt get stretch marks with any of my pregnancies. DD3 was my biggest, almost 1kg bigger than dd1 but other than a crater belly button like mylitta it hasn't changed much, oh and I still have a line nigra but that lasted almost 6 months with my first two so Im not too worried

I would think the only thing you could do is make sure you have strong core muscles before you get pregnant? dont know if that would help though

I love this picture/poem Birthmarks sorry I wanted to post the image as an attathcment but it would be too small to read

[Shanti]

I saw a photo on FB this morning though which made me feel better. I totally look like Cindy Crawford.

This is her tummy: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...46798563_n.jpg

are you freakin kidding?? you should see mine then Heaven!!!!! it's worse.... ok well the same but more fat.....
I try not to look in the mirror while naked anymore.... PMSL mine has looked like that since after DD1!!!

[Floweryfields]

If it makes you feel any better, I have a low blub that looks like a post pregnant belly but I've never been pregnant! I blame it on the bulky uterus they said I have last US! Nothing at all to do with chocolate, nope, not at all.

[LuluHB]

Nothing good, and my stomach is great compared to my boobs

The upside is that they suit my thighs beautifully

[Jennifer13]

I'm wondering this too.

I look exactly the same as I did pre-DD1 (don't hate me ), so I think stretch marks aren't an issue for me, but more interested in how well the core muscles go.

I go to a postnatal exercise class that really works on those and it's definitely helpful.

[Heaven]

Oh very jealous Jen!