Loose skin after pregnancy

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I had a c-section [my first baby] in February and about 2 weeks after I had him I braved the mirror and almost fainted, thats how bad my stomach looked. Seriously my belly looked like a deflated balloon that was hanging/sagging over my c-section scar. To see my scar I literally had to lift the skin of my belly up. Its been 4 months and I don't have to lift the skin up any more to see my c-section scar. I can see it in plain view. My "love handles" which were HUGE and also sagging with my belly have gone down soooooooo much, granted I still have love handles but they are little love handles now. My belly some what still looks like a deflated balloon but compared to 3.5months ago its looks like a lot smaller, tighter deflated balloon.

I still have about 30-40lbs I want to lose and than another 15 once I reach the 30lbs mark so I am confident that my belly will continue to shrink/get tighter as the weight comes off and I continue to exercise. It won't look exactly like it used to but seeing as how it looks sooo much better and im seeing results already im confident I can somewhat make it look as normal as possible lol.

I run 3-4 times a week and I SWEAR the running is what is making my belly shrink/tighten. I don't do ab exercises [not yet anyways] because you can't spot reduce. Its all about healthy eating and total body workouts! [i.e cardio!]
 
I also want to add that using coca butter everyday and vitamin e will help out a lot with tightening your skin. I did a vigorous workout routine last year where I worked out 6 days a week for 3hrs everyday. I rubbed my "loose areas' with coca butter every night before bed and every morning before work. Just after 3 months my skin was so much more tighter and toner and a lot healthier looking.

Right now I am taking a womens multivitamin and a fish oil vitamin everyday [good for your skin]. With some hard work and dedication you can shrink that loose skin! And when I say hard work I mean vigorous exercise. Walking is great [for anyone who is a walker] but it's going to take a looooooooooong time to see any kind of results by just walking. [at least with me anyways]
 
I agree with you Kasey... I just refuse to believe that this belly I have won't go away unless I get surgery. I've always had somewhat of a belly, but I thought it was cute. My post pregnancy belly is NOT cute.

I know it will take hard work, lots of aerobics (I plan on jogging also) and lots of muscle-toning exercise, but I just know its not impossible.

I do think that there is nothing wrong if you started sit-ups. You're correct in saying you can't spot reduce by doing sit-ups alone, but they will tone your muscles and give you better posture even if you can't visibly tell. But if you are burning fat and doing sit-ups, IMO the combination of the two would most likely get you bigger results on reducing your waistline.
 
No, there isn't anything wrong with doing ab exercises at all. With my workout routine im going to wait until I lose some of the "jelly" in my belly [haha that rhymes] before I start ab toning. I used to have a belly when I was a teenager and than when I lost 50lbs and started exercising [hard core] I got some really nice abs which I know I still have.... there somewhere under there lol.

My biggest thing is I REFUSE to have surgery to fix it. I had breast implants when I was 20 and the c-section were my only two "major" surgeries. I did revcover pretty quickly with both but I would hate to get my mid section cut open again. I am 23yrs old right, if I don't get a stomach that I am happy with by the time im 30 [with proper eating and exercising] than I will think about surgery lol... right now though... nah. I hate surgery and if I can avoid it im going to.
 
Yeah, I've had two c-sections. I'm only 22 so I've still got awhile to work on things. Before I got pregnant, I had really strong abs, so even after my first c-section... when I had lost half the baby weight my belly went down significantly. Then I gained it all back and got pregnant again. Thankfully I only gained 15 lbs. with my second baby so I didn't make it even harder on myself.

I agree though, even though I healed very well and pretty fast with my surgeries, I do NOT want to go through it again. Its way too hard with two kids to take care of!
 
dieting

i have found eating fiber rich foods helps a lot as well as breast feeding. i have started experimenting w ground turkey in place of hamburger. i am loosing 2-3 lbs a week.
 
i had my baby 2 1/2 weeks ago.. i have the flab. i hope it will eliminate itself at least a little bit still but i know ALL of it is for sure not gonna go away by itself...
surgery is no option to me either. i am young, and believe me, i dont wanna live with this kangaroo bag in front of me, but i dont wanna take my health to risk in having surgery. its dangerous, and i dont have the money either..

so the only option for me is working out.. when i'll hit my 6 weeks post partum i'll work out like never before...
right now im doing light exercises like going for short walks or biking on my hometrainer..
i also use cocoa butter as i heard it helps with stretch marks and loose skin.. who knows if it works, but its worth a try...
 
I have had 2 c-sections. My stomach is the same as it was, if not better than before children. I do not believe for a second that having a c-section will result in loose skin. I think it is a whole range of things.

It comes down to what you eat, the exercise you do and most definitely what you put into your body when you are pregnant. It depends what sacrfices you are prepared to put in to get the body that you want.

I find eating a mainly raw vege diet, with small amounts of protein and a few carbs makes a huge difference to your waist line.

I do 150 crunches every night and heaps of other ab work. It is worth every crunch.
 
I believe that it is possible to lose that loose skin post-baby, without surgery. Skin is a living organ; it doesn't "die" when it has been stretched out. Caring for your skin fully depends on what you nourish your body with, and on your muscle to fat ratio.

The problem most have with loose skin is that there still is a small fat layer behind it. No matter how much weight you've lost, it will be your body fat percentage (along with healthy foods) that determines if the skin tightens back up.

My daughter is about 9 months old now. My weight has dropped below my pre-pregnancy state, but my muscle mass greatly decreased. Up until about last month, my tummy appeared completely flat with muscle tone but loose skin still hung off when I would lean over. Since then, I put a focus on a strict and healthy diet and added weight lifting back to my routine. ... The "loose skin" is now almost gone, and I'm sure with more time it will be completely back to normal.

I'll keep anyone posted on my personal progress, if interested.
 
i did it, so can you

i didn't have a c-section, but i had 2 kids and after 6 months after having my second baby i am back down to what i was before i got pregnant the first time. it takes a lot of dieting mostly, you have to watch EVERYTHING you eat and not sit around and be lazy. i worked out a lot at the beginning but then i was traveling for the last few months and wasn't able to work out. but i got out and did things with my kids and didn't sit around all day. my stomach is mostly flat. just a bit of toning to do which i'll get started on when i get back home. but judging by how it's gone so far, i know i can get it back to what it was before no problem. so if you're motivated, don't let anyone tell you you can't do something. you have to keep a positive mind set and you can do anything you want. it's your body, if you want to be healthy then eat healthy and stay active and you're body will reward you in return.
 
My Daughters are now 2 and 4 months and have just started the journey of loosing the belly. I got up to a whopping 189 :O and now down to 162 and aiming for 125 (the thinest I'll have ever been). So I just hope that the tummy does tighten up some.
Any one try the creams out there?
Also anyone have good exercizes to loose the muffin top. its my worst area.
 
interesting article

I found this page a while ago after my friends and I were talking about our stretchy bellies. Be mindful that this guy is trying to sell his e-book but there may be some truth in it? bodyfatguide.com/LooseSkin.htm
 
Den84 said:
My Daughters are now 2 and 4 months and have just started the journey of loosing the belly. I got up to a whopping 189 :O and now down to 162 and aiming for 125 (the thinest I'll have ever been). So I just hope that the tummy does tighten up some.
Any one try the creams out there?
Also anyone have good exercizes to loose the muffin top. its my worst area.
Click to expand...

Try pure avocado oil, macadamia oil or coconut oil. Don't bother with any lotions or creams that are perfumed or have added crap all through them. They won't penetrate the skin or heal as well as one of the oils i have described. You an use these oils all over and on a daily basis for perfect skin.
 
Now this is a forum I can truly relate to. I was 125 when I got pregnant and 200 by my ninth month. My son was 9lbs 3oz and he stttrreeettcchhheeddd the life out of my stomach. It took me 2 years to get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight but the skin was still there and hanging. I know exactly how you guys feel. The only solution for me was surgery. I underwent a tummy tuck. Stretch marks are still here but the hanging skin isn't.
 
Yay for this post! I have had 4 kids the 3rd baby is the one that stretched my skin to the max... he ended up being 1/2 oz shy of 9lbs. it took me almost 2yrs before my skin was close to normal...I had my 4th 4 months ago and my skin is still sagging away but not nearly as bad as with baby #3. I have a lot of stretch marks from the 3rd but the skin seems to crinkle less around the marks if I use vitamin E lotion. Otherwise it looks like it will just take some time.
 
Hey awesome site,well I had the same issue when i had my 2rd daughter,but it was no biggie because, prior to that I lost the belly fat in my first pregnancy. I would suggest for you to be realistic about your goals, determine how much belly fat you wanna loose & by when & get at it. Despite many numerous diets & programs, all these latest tricks & ways to lose weight. it all boils down to 2 things,i.e nutrition & exercise. Basically make the right choices of what you put in your mouth & pick the right cardio workout-you don't need to torcherer yourself working out everyday.
 
I had my son 3 months ago, he had a birth defect and it didn't allow him to swallow the fluid like he was supposed to. Due to that, my belly was HUGE. Everyone I ran into thought I was having twins. I had 9 liters of extra fluid.

I have worked out everyday and been on a diet with dietary supplements and I have no pooch and no stretch marks. My problem is above my belly button is really wrinkled now and was wondering if anybody had suggestions on how to tighten the STRETCHED skin?
 
Navy Mom said:
I had my son 3 months ago, he had a birth defect and it didn't allow him to swallow the fluid like he was supposed to. Due to that, my belly was HUGE. Everyone I ran into thought I was having twins. I had 9 liters of extra fluid.

I have worked out everyday and been on a diet with dietary supplements and I have no pooch and no stretch marks. My problem is above my belly button is really wrinkled now and was wondering if anybody had suggestions on how to tighten the STRETCHED skin?
Click to expand...

Well, it's only been 3 months I'd say give it some more time for improvement. It may never go back to the way it was before, but it's likely to improve.

Keep eating well, staying hydrated and exercising.
 
Plzzz help me if u can...?

I had cesarean section 2 years 9 months ago.Now i wanna know that can i use ab roller slider for tighten up my tummy or no?If any one of you know then plzzz reply me:confused::confused:
 
Im having this problem now :( I had my little guy last year and I still have the loose skin...he streched my stomache to the MAX! He was 11lbs 8oz.... I was contemplating undergoing a tummy tuck, looked around at some pics, and the scarring is really extreme on some of these people.... which is preventing me from going this route....
 
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