Mother's apron = not okay

June 6, 2009 9:49 AM

Tell me about your post-pregnancy belly changes. Anatomy details within.

I had my beautiful baby girl about a week ago via c-section. I didn't gain an enormous amount of weight during the pregnancy, but my belly did get a lot of stretch marks. The belly is now shrinking appropriately, but there is a whole pocket of loose skin that is hanging down now. I don't think that I am particularly body-conscious, but the thought of this "apron" staying there forever (and possibly getting worse with further weight loss) is kind of bumming me out.

How did your post-pregnancy body change in the weeks-to-months following birth? Did it get better, or did you adjust to it?

I am delighted with my daughter and am exceedingly grateful for a healthy child and safe delivery. I know that this is more important than my belly flab. It's still a little depressing.

posted by LittleMissCranky to Health & Fitness (18 answers total)

Best answer: I had a c-section, they stitched me up, and then re-opened me a couple hours later for a hysterectomy. I had that gunt like you wouldn't believe - the big old roll.

It's been a year.

It's MOSTLY gone - if I had stuck to my post-recovery exercise regimen, it would be totally gone. But instead, well, there were serious intervening problems (i.e., the baby got cancer, exercise took a backseat). Your ab muscles will take a LONG time to recover fully, so be very careful about just starting in on crunches, etc. Do a really simple, like standing abs routine. If you happen to have Comcast, they have great 15-20 minute beginner ab workout videos free OnDemand. I loved those, since time and energy are challenges with a newborn at home.

Don't let people tell you that you need to give up on your body, or not care about it, or put other things first. It's important to feel good about yourself, for your mind and your health. Ease back into an exercise routine with doctor's approval. They'll tell you to wait about 6 weeks for any type of exercise.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DAUGHTER'S BIRTH!!! Hope she is healthy, happy and all are feeling well.
posted by bunnycup at 9:56 AM on June 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have 3 kids and each time, it seemed around the 12 week mark the belly looked pretty similar to prebaby. Not the same! Similar. And of course it gets better as time progresses, but before 3-6 months don't read too much into it.

My only permanent belly change was that my belly button kind of looks like a frown instead of just a hole, meaning the skin on top of the belly button kinds of sags. Weird.

Congrats on the new wee one!
posted by agentwills at 9:59 AM on June 6, 2009

Forgot to include, mine were not c-sections. So perhaps my experience is not as relevant as some others will be.
posted by agentwills at 10:01 AM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: Not a mother myself, but my wife takes some comfort from the Shape of a Mother site. You may too.
posted by roue at 10:03 AM on June 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I also didn't gain much weight during pregnancy. I was at my pre-pregnancy weight within a couple days after I gave birth and I wore regular jeans home from the hospital. I remember having that weird loose skin on my belly for a while after delivery. It looked sort of like somebody let the air out of my stomach, even though in clothes you couldn't really tell. It also felt a bit like my stomach was made out of jello, but that also went away after some time.

Your stomach might look and feel a little weird for a while yet. It takes a while to sort of tighten back up. A week is pretty soon. I felt like I was still retaining a lot of water and things like that a couple weeks out from delivery. It took about 3 months before I started to feel more or less normal, and maybe 3 more months after that before I had the same amount of stamina to work out like I did before I got pregnant.

It takes some time for things to snap back though. Like agentwillis, I have the frowny belly button thing now unless I've somehow gotten really thin, but aside from that, my body looks fairly similar to how it did before I had a baby, aside from a few stretch marks that have almost faded to being unnoticeable.
posted by howrobotsaremade at 10:12 AM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: Almost six months out of a c-section. Stretch marks have begun to fade. Belly roll is still there. At this point, I don't expect the loose skin flab to deplete any more. Even if I were to lose all the fat, that would probably still be there. :(

And while not related at all to your question, if you don't know about ICAN already, I highly recommend their online forums.
posted by zizzle at 10:17 AM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: One week out is no indication; you're still swollen, I would think.

Nine months out from my first baby, I'd say my stomach was the same as pre-baby. The three-week mark was, for me, when the deflation and tightening-up really started.

After two babies, I'm seeing more of a permanent change. But then again, I'm still carrying 10 extra pounds 11 months out, which is quite possibly part of it.

And congratulations! These first several weeks are so hard, but it'll get to be fun soon.
posted by palliser at 11:15 AM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: I think it depends a lot how far your belly extended in front while you were pregnant. People carry differently. I was huge out front and still have loose skin there, years later. My OB did mention it was a simple thing to take care of surgically, although I never pursued it.
posted by lakeroon at 11:15 AM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: I have had two babies, both via c-section. I am sure there is quite a bit of individual variation, but for me, I am small framed, gained 40 lbs with each and felt back to similar pre baby by 9 to 12 months after the births. The flap is gone now and my youngest is one. I would say, enjoy the chaos of new motherhood and know that it may be awhile for your body to feel like your own again. Congratulations!
posted by peeps! at 11:30 AM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: I've never given birth, but I remember my best friend's semi-depression after she had her first baby. She was in her mid-30s, and I remember that when the baby was about a month old, she was very sad that she hadn't lost all her "baby weight" and she also had a loose sort of tummy flap hanging down. (No doubt postpartum hormonal changes contributed to her tears.) I tried to reassure her, saying it had only been a month, give it time, and she about ripped my head off ("What do you know, you've never had a baby!!"). Anyway, by the time her son was at the stage when he crawls very quickly and starts pulling himself into a standing position on whatever he could grab, I noticed that my friend was wearing an old pair of pre-pregnancy jeans, and even with her shirt tucked in, they were a bit loose. I complimented her, saying "Well, it looks like you lost the baby weight and then some." Her reply, as she chased after Brendan for the umpteenth time that afternoon to prevent him from climbing onto a kitchen chair and toppling over, was "Huh? Oh, I hadn't even noticed." Apparently once Baby gets mobile, Mama gets a very rigorous daily aerobic workout. Congratulations on your new daughter, by the way!!
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:18 PM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: I've had two kids, and three years along I think my stomach is pretty much where it would be if I hadn't (but had aged the same amount). My waist is a bit wider than it was pre-pregnancies, but that could've happened anyway -- and I kind of like it, because I think it makes my hips look more in proportion to the rest of my body.

I didn't have c-sections. I don't know if that's relevant.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:31 PM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: start bellydancing!!

works like a charm to make your mid-section ease into a smooth muscular shape and could help with the tightening of the skin.
posted by babsomatica at 12:56 PM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: It's been almost exactly a year since my c-section and though the flap has diminished, it's still there. I started exercising about two months ago and that helps but I still have work to do. I'm close to my pre-preg weight, my body is just differently shaped.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 1:06 PM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: Congratulations!

I am one year post-partum. My belly looks the same now as it did pre-pregnancy. I had a vaginal birth but it was 8 weeks early. I did not get very big, but I am also tall so I think there was a lot more room inside my abdomen for my baby--she didn't protrude much.

I am just now starting to get serious about getting back into some semblance of shape. Walking has helped a lot. It makes me feel strong. And it's a great way to lose fat and strengthen your heart--if you walk fast enough.

I agree that although I am actually one or two pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight, the fat is somewhat differently distributed, so things are a little out of whack. I understand a lot of women have this.

Also you just had major abdominal surgery--swelling can take up to 3 months to go down. Don't strain yourself and end up with adhesions. Take it very easy.
posted by FergieBelle at 1:41 PM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: 2 c-sections and looking at a third. I got huge, as in if I stopped moving people might start a bucket brigade and try to push me into the sea level of big. I got back to pre-pregnancy weight with breastfeeding and caloric reduction BUT I have the belly overhang. I am going to look into abdominoplasty after the third.

I think each body is different and you should not make any decisions until all avenues of exercise and diet have been done, if only to prepare for surgery.
posted by jadepearl at 2:14 PM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: I am 9 months post-partum (not a c-section though) and my belly is still a lot bigger (probably 4 or 5 inches) than it was pre-pregnancy. I carried all out in front though. I'm only just now starting to get serious about exercising though (baby was *not* a good sleeper!)
posted by gaspode at 4:30 PM on June 6, 2009

Best answer: Our second child was born 2 months ago (vaginal birth). My wife's tummy has "deflated" quite a bit since then, but she still has a noticeable belly (when undressed).

The most interesting thing she has done is she wears a girdle as well as a special elastic belt that wraps under her buttocks and over her stomach. This is pretty normal in Japan, as it helps the hip bones etc return to pre-pregnancy shape; apparently hormones released for three months or so post-pregnancy help.

Anyway, it works. She didn't do this for our first child, and her bum, quite frankly, was pretty flat, and she had no noticeable hips. This time, she has more curves.
posted by KokuRyu at 6:52 PM on June 6, 2009

Yeah, your skin was being stretched out for 9 months. I would expect that it would take at least that long to unstretch. I know nothing of this, but common sense says to wear an undergarment that keeps the extra skin tight to the body. I would think that loose skin that's flapping around wouldn't tighten up as well as skin that wasn't.
posted by gjc at 7:19 AM on June 7, 2009