The flap

We all know what I'm talking about. That awful sagging flap of flesh where my tummy once was. My scar is very tidy, and despite their initial concerns of uretic injury, the drs did a bang up job. On that part anyway, lol. We'll just gloss over the rest this time! But what is up with my poor tummy?

It's like my stitches were too tight. I know this isn't the case, but my stomach was never perfectly flat. Now, right at the site of the scar, it is. Here's the problem- it doesn't match the floppy top lol.

As far as I know, it happens to all 'scalpel mamas'. But after 8 months, I'm over it. My tummy is so bulky at the bottom from the flappage and scar tissue, people ask me if I am pg :( . And I'm sick of every pair of pants, skirt, everything slipping down into what I call the cravass. It's uncomfortable, and my scar hurts when this happens.

So how do I reduce the flappage? Other than wearing granny knickers which come up so high they crush your ribs. No jokes. Am I forever doomed to hate my belly and be in pain from my clothes? What about another pg? Will my scar still hurt as much then? Will my belly sustain even worse damage? So many questions.

So, fellow ladies of the knife, enlighten me!

I ended up with what I called "the muffin top" or the "speed hump".

I hate my scar, it dents inwards and I will NEVER have a flat tummy because of it, there will always be that lip. It took quite a while for stuff to stop aggrivating it when undies or jeans etc slipped down into the cravass I cannot remember when exactly that was though. Its no longer painful but it is still uncomfortable.

I'll be honest though and say, 3 years on, I still hate things slipping down and have pretty much worn granny jocks since my section. Other pregnancies have annoyed me too and I will seek out over belly pants . Even photo's of my full term pregnancies you can STILL see the dint from the scar.

Did I forget to mention I only want you to tell me what I wanted to hear? :rofl:

I suspected this might just be how it's going to be. :( Excuse me while I go and put on my granny knickers.

HI cut pretties should be ok too ... I just haven't got any, but the mid range stuff will get pulled down by the scars tractor beam LOL :rofl:

It's like a vortex! Hi cut also fails, and winds up rolling into the ditch. There has to be something we can do to fix it!! Short of a tummy tuck. Or wearing our undies on the outside of our clothes. Thanks for the laugh though! :)

I don't have that. I'm not sure if it was like that just after my c/s or not. My tummy was big for a while and has shrunk back down to close to normal. I never had a flat tummy either so it's not unusual but I don't have a crease or anything where the scar is. It's quite low down. So maybe it will eventually go away??

Almost 3 yrs later, my scar doesn't hurt at all either so for me that got better. Anything rubbing on it won't make it hurt at all. I have also been through another pregnancy since then and it was no different to the first one, didn't feel anything in the scar at all.

I hope that gives you some hope :)

I havent had a section but my belly has a flap too, too many big babies!

Mine doesn't do that, so I'm not sure if you're stuck with it for life.

My ob did mention that he would 'neaten' up the scar if I ever needed a repeat c/s though. It went down on its own but I guess it's a little bulgier than some, since I don't scar very nicely. So although I hope you don't need another c/s - if you know you do, maybe ask if they can tidy things up then!

My stomach went back to how it always was after 6 weeks (well it was bigger, but the same flatness!) My scar is just a silver line that I can't really see, and if I push on it I can feel some nodule things, but it doesn't hurt. I never got stretch marks or anything like that either, my Mum had 3 classic cut c-sections and hers puckered, but she never had stretch marks. Maybe some skin is just different?

I used to belly dance, so my abs were ok (under that layer of fat, they were ok, lol), and once I felt ok I was doing stomach exercises. I do feel that my shape has changed over all, but not really my stomach.

I did the Tracey Anderson method post-pregnancy work out, I found it pretty hardcore, but I could do it eventually.

Oh, I also had staples instead of stitches, cos my ob said that it would be neater.

Iv got it, still the same after nearly 3 years. I have heard its very hard to get rid of as the muscles just don't go back to normal after being cut. I'm on a major weightloss journey and have lost 7kgs so far... I'll let you know how it goes after I loose the next 20-30kgs!!

I had my 2nd c-section 5mths ago and while I have a fat tummy if I pull my tummy up to pretend it's flatter I don't have a dent. My scar is neat and quite small. It does ache a little if things rub on it. What makes my undies roll down is the fat tummy ABOVE the scar :D My scar is also down really low.

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I havent had a section but my belly has a flap too, too many big babies!

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I concur with this. I have the same thing and no c/sect ;)

I don't really have a dent either, my scar is pretty flat and unnoticable 2.5 years on. I know that when my CS was done my OB didn't cut through the muscles, he stretched them apart. I wonder if this is what makes the difference :dunno:

I have it, hate it and it's been over 3 years so I doubt it's going anywhere, sorry!!! The only time mine has minimised a bit is when I am carrying less weight, I am about 5 kgs more than I should be and when I had lost a bit it was definitely much better. I also had 2 large babies so not sure if that makes a difference and after 10lb DS it's definitely worse than it was with DD> xoxoxox

3 babies, 3 (unwanted) c-sections, i think i'd call mine 'an apron'. Still look pregnant. It's most upsetting. Mind you i have another 10kgs to lose!

My mum also had 2 c-sections and 35 years later still has a 'flap'. Her muscles just never came back properly i guess. She finds she still needs to wear trousers (we're English!) with a side zip as it's easier on her belly & scar all these decades later.....

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I havent had a section but my belly has a flap too, too many big babies!

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I concur with this. I have the same thing and no c/sect ;)

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Me too. I think mine has alot to do with my stretchies too.

I had major iss-ewes with mine in the months afterwards (it was so hangy it was festy) and I asked a dr about it. She said you can get it tidied up surgically later on. Depending on the problems you're having Medicare will sometimes pay for a resection, but there has to be some kind of medical need, otherwise you're on your own because it becomes cosmetic surg. In which case it's worth waiting until you've had all your babes and get a bit of a tuck done at the same time. Start saving now, it ain't cheap!!

Forgot to add, maybe I got fatter or something but 4 years later it's not too noticeable, I've got other bulgier bits that just never snapped back into place. Granny undies are GO!

Yep, start saving! It happens to many VB mums too, me being one of them. The 'flap' isn't necessarily caused by the surgery, it's caused by pregnancy - a combination of the size of your baby, the amount of collagen and elastin in your skin, genetics (if your mum has a gut, chances are you will, too), the amount of weight you gain and lose during and after pregnancy, etc. Stretch marks DO have a lot to do with the 'flap', as stretch marks are a very accurate indicator of what your skin's elasticity is like - so if you have 'bad' stretchies, or get stretch marks when you lose or gain weight, then chances are you're going to get a 'flap' or the one you already have isn't gonna go away with a bit of dieting and exercise. Some mums can work it off (and that means you have great skin elasticity and core strength as well as a surgeon who had enough time and expertise to do the job right instead of just doing what they needed to do to get your baby safely into the world), others can do a million fitness boot camps and live on salads and seeds for years and still never manage to get their pants to feel 'right'. I know it's not what you want to hear, but I can tell you that I had a full tummy tuck earlier this year and it's the absolute best thing I've ever done (I suppose I should add 'well, it's on the list right after having my kids and marrying my husband' lol).

You may be able to consult a plastic surgeon and discuss scar revision surgery, which would be a lot cheaper but probably won't take care of the whole problem. In my case, I've always had a weak core, bad genetics and a pre-existing 'pudge' that was only made infinitely worse by carrying my kids. I had the whole kit and caboodle, which cost a bomb, but I finally, for the first time since childhood, have a flat stomach and can wear jeans that fit everywhere instead of having to buy them 2 sizes too big to tuck the belly into.

In the meantime, you can wear the lovely 'granny panties', although I swore I'd shoot myself rather than sweat through another QLD summer with knickers that touched my armpits. Hopefully one of the other mums here can give you some advice on how further pregnancies will affect the scar tissue. But my best advice is to have a chat with a plastic surgeon and discuss your options (including the possibility of more kids if that's something that you have in mind) and they can help you work out where to go from here, and what sort of costs you'll be looking at (yes, there are Medicare rebates available for tummy tucks etc even if you haven't had a c-sec, I got around $1000 back when I had my surgery because my Dr considered it to be medically necessary following two pregnancies and inheriting crappy skin genes from both sides of the family!). Good luck, I can relate to the discomfort and frustration you're feeling.

On my phone so apologies if I forget anything important.

Firstly, Glamourcide, I was hoping to hear from you. Y'know, since you've been there, done that, bought the tshirt. I appreciate the honesty.

Just to add a couple of details, My tummy looked a lot worse when the wound was fresh. It's snapped back into shape quite well, it's just like there's so many thick adhesions above the cut, it makes it 'pooch'. It hurts on a daily basis. Nothing extreme but the worst thing is the fact that it affects the quality of cuddle time with my son. If he kicks it, or toe gouges me in that area, it burns like hell. I find myself trying to protect my tummy and it's impossible to do that and be comfy. :(

Other small details-
I've lost all my pregnancy weight, 20kg.
I wasn't super fit before getting pg, but had a decent shape going on.
I had stitches, I don't remember having staples.
I had issues with the wound oozing fluid streaked with blood for about 3 weeks afterwards. I recieved contradicting advice from drs saying it's common, others saying it's cause for concern. Other than that, it healed well.
My stretchmarks aren't too bad. I got more on my hips than anywhere else.

So I wonder if it should hurt less by now, look better etc. The cut itself is a silvery line now. Is this worth maybe talking about with my GP, or can this all be considered in the spectrum of normal? I've just put up with it thinking it would be fairly temporary but it's been the same for months now.

Thanks everyone for your input, both informative and amusing. :)

I had a CS, I have a "flap" that hangs down. I also hate it.

My scar still feels bulky under neath (kinda like the bits werent sewn back together properly or something??)

I had terrible issues with my scar and belly for the first 18 months, I also had an infection and internal blood loss/fluid collection in something called the "morrisons pouch" that caused me to be quite swollen in the belly area for a good 12 weeks PP.

My scar still very occasionally aches (usually when I wear jeans, and I hate that I have a weird poochy bit that sticks out where it shouldnt) it also coincides with AF.

My belly will never be the same, it is so much better than it was back then (3 years on) but it will NEVER come close to what it was. my belly button is obscured by the hang down "elephant ears" that end up being my apron of flesh.

In the morning I look fine, but as soon as I eat something I look like I'm 6 months pregnant.
I do think that I still have quite a bit of abdo separation happening, I think if I could help that then it may help out the rest.

I have never seriously considered plastic surgery but its looking like I will be headed that way after I finish having children.

I'm definately no expert, but if you're getting pain at the site 8 months on then I think it is worth pursuing. Based on my experience, that's not normal. I'd be asking for an ultrasound of the area to look at how it has healed, particularly if you're worried about adhesions. HTH

I truly can't remember how long after my c-sect I stopped feeling uncomfortable or having no pain down there....
It could be scar tissue pulling, so perhaps really gentle massage with lots of cream may help break down the scar tissue. I am no expert & I just had a hard push on & around my scar & I have no pain (BTW DD is 4 now) / discomfort.
Perhaps consider getting an u/s to see what, if anything is going on in there.

I wouldn't consider it normal. I had my second c-section 5mths ago and I just poked and prodded quite roughly at my scar and no pain. So I'd be getting in to see your GP and maybe trying to see a private specialist. I know it might be expensive but it might be worth it to see what's going on.

Mine is much better now that I am at a normal weight and although my tummy will never be flat it looks much better.