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

[Jennifer13]

Heaven, I'm more impressed with how quickly my vagina got back into shape than my tummy. But the day I could put on my pre-pg pants was a very happy one!

I curse the c/s scar, that's the mark I wish I didn't have.

[Heaven]

Lol true. Even after a tear I was ready to roll after only a few weeks TMI?? Hahaha.

[Artechim]

My poor tummy (and vagina!) will never be the same again

After my first I had stretch marks and a softer tummy. After the second I had more stretch marks and a bit of overhang. After my 10 pound third baby it is just ruined - like that photo but add a heap of red/silver stretch marks from about 3 inches above my belly button and all the way down (continuing over my thighs...). Plus my belly button is a munted shape, the tummy skin is all crinkled and I have no feeling in a lot of it. I am pretty sure I could pierce my belly button and not even feel it. I have lost quite a bit of weight and the skin is so stretch marked that it can't shrink down so it just hangs over the top of my pants.

[Phteven]

I curse the c/s scar, that's the mark I wish I didn't have.

Mine is nearly invisible (don't hate me )

[Heaven]

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

My mum didn't get stretch marks either, I think she did get the same as me though, just not the red ones. She had 4 classical c/s though and her tummy was horrible so she ended up getting a tummy tuck. So not sure what it would have been like!

[Shanti]

I agree! My vagina returned to normal faster than my tummy

[~Kim~]

My scar's nearly invisible too - and it's a freshie, but that's beside the point.

I got no stretchies with DD1 and back to normal after the baby weight came off. I only gained 8kg with her. Went straight back into my work pants and utility belt.
LOTS of stretchies with DS but he was a whole kilo heavier than the girls. Another 8kg. Again, same as above. Skin went straight back, just with extra patterns
No stretchies again with DD2, but I did gain more than 20kgs. This time it feels like it's taking longer, but there was far more (like 3x) weight to lose. I have a slight sag over my scar, but my core is strong, so I suspect the skin is having a rest lol

Actually maybe the scar is relevant. You can't see any of my stretchies from DS, I know they can't go away completely but they aren't visible and they were never red. So maybe it is how well your skin heals?

[Vixstar]

Ummmmm.......I don't look at my body from under my boobs and down!

[DaintreeDream]

I am carrying a few extra kilos but my tummy looks fine, I have a few faded stretch marks that don't bother me. I think that my tummy will pretty much go back to how it was per kids if I lost these few kilos, it is quite flat. And the CS scar (after 3 of them) doesn't bother me either. I am actually pleasently suprised with the shape of my body after 3 kids and so quickly. Ask me again in March

I do think it is a very personal thing though as there are others who have only have 1 child and there body has changed a lot.

I remember my personal trainer told me before kids that if you have a CS you will never be able to have a flat tummy again, what a lie that is!

[OceanPrincess]

I'll report back in 5 to 9 weeks

[~Raven~]

Mine looks fine under clothes but I have to very choosy about what I wear these days. I have some shapewear undies for those occasions when i wear a dress. It resembles Cindy's tum actually! I can say I look like a supermodel now

Its wrinkled and saggy but nobody sees it except DH and he doesn't care two hoots. Honestly if you've got 4 kids people kind of expect that you'll have a bit of a battered about tum!

[misty]

My tummy is horrible and lopsided (thanks to baby number 3, who was huge and stated to one side to stretch it more then the other. My only option to get it semi normal is surgery and I will still have all the stretchmarks, thin crinkly skin and scaring - but it would be a huge improvement even so. Just need to make sure I'm finished having kids first.

[Cassius2]

I definitely noticed a big difference postnatally after DD2. my body didnt bounce back as readily...i mean, it bounced...but it shouldnt have lol!

I had the wrinkly skin thing for aaagggggeesss! it was gross that everytime i bent over i copped that sight lol. but after about a year it lessened and all the stretchmarks that i didnt know i had (they were under the belly on the bottom part ITMS) also went away and havent left a mark. I have one small stretch mark above my belly button and some faded ones on my boobs but nothing too dramatic.

Suprisingly, i entered this pregnancy much healthier (not talking weight-wise but just in general ITMS) and i have noticed a HUGE difference. I am no where near as carrying as big and have been ALOT more vigilant about doing my exercises for pelvic floor and am now forcing myself with a crowbar under my bum to go to yoga once a week....my belly scared me THAT much last time

Obviously i have to wait for the postnatal part to start to get a full evaluation, but i am feeling that my body is coping better....

[Butterfly Dawn]

I did yoga after ds2 and I was in good shape for dd. Now, a year later Im 3kg over pp weight- I gained 15kg lost 6 at birth. I think with some core training my tummy will be in good shape.
I'm not ashamed of my stretch marks. Very few people expect you to have your pp body after 3kids. Most ladies bodys change after 1 kid. My hips are different now. Wider and different shape.
Would like to swap my flat chest to flat tummy none the less lol. Miss my boobs

What's an apron?



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unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. its not.
Dr Seuss

[LimeSlice]

apron.jpg

DT - post-cs apron - not mine. But the "apron" is the bit that is hanging over where it never used to be! LOL

[Butterfly Dawn]

Bugger I have an apron *starts looking for pilates dvd*

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unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. its not.
Dr Seuss

[Artechim]

The apron isn't an exclusive CS thing - mine is exactly like that picture and I have had three vaginal births.

The most disturbing thing is that when I walk fast I can feel it swaying.

[Trillian]

After having 4 reasonably large babies, mines not as bad as it could be. I had no muscle separation with any of mine which has been a huge plus in terms of overall recovery. I do have a lot of stretchmarks, but they don't worry me - I'm not in the habit of showing anyone my stomach except dh so it's not an issue. I do have a belly and I do have an overhang, but then I always had a belly - even when I weighed under 70kg I still had a small pot belly because that' what my body shape is. It would be a lot better if I lost the extra 20kg i'm carrying though and maybe that would make it look worse, but meh, it's only skin. There are worse things I'm dealing with atm so a battered looking stomach is the least of my worries.