Belly Fat After 2 C-sections

I hear you! I lost all the baby weight after my c-section PLUS some! I still have that awful belly fat. It does not go away, does not tone....it only sags. I am not a big work out person, but I am active and not overweight. I am open to ANY suggestions.

I hear ya! As with everyone else I had 2 C-sections (17 months apart). My youngest is 15 months and I have lost all my weight from both pregnancies and still have this horrid pouch! So much for low rise jeans, those are a thing of the past. Maybe if we all get together for surgical removal we can get a discount! hehehe. I sure hope someone out there has a good suggestion to get rid of it.

Hi-

I am a physical therapist and exercise coach in the Valley. . . I have two thoughts about your "belly" issues. One. . . while you say you have good abdominal tone, you may not have regained functional use of your deepest abdominal muscle called the transversus abdominus. This muscle is hard to retrain and plays a big role of support in the area from the navel to the pubis. And two, your diet may be causing some inflammation in your gut which would also inhibit these muscles.

The exercises to retrain these muscles are not all that complicated, but to be sure you are correctly using them, I would recommend working with a professional for a few sessions. That way, you can be sure you are doing the exercises correctly. I have seen MANY people need a few sessions to understand how to properly recruit this muscle and then integrate its use into functional activities.

If you are local to Amherst, I would be happy to help you.

Email me at ____@____.com if you have more questions.

Good luck-

Mara Hahn

Hi Meghan,
I never had a c-section so I don't know much about the muscles that we're cut and all that, but I am a cardio kickboxing instructor so I could give you some tips on certain ab work that may help.
First of all, I would do at least half an hour to an hour of cardio workout a day (aerobics class or dvd turbo jam is a lot of fun, jogging,speed walking etc.) Getting your heart rate up and burning calories/fat is the best way to start out losing the belly fat, After your cardio workout, lie down on your back, hands under your bum, and lift and lower your legs so your feet are a couple of inches off the floor. You can also keep your legs straight up in the air with your knees slightly bent and press them up toward the ceiling, lifting your butt a couple of inches from the floor. Those are good for the lower abs. I would also suggest a pilates dvd. It's maybe something you could do while the boys are napping.
It is really hard losing that belly weight, I have a 3 month old and even though I'm very active I'm still struggling with it:)
I wish you luck!

I gave birth to my baby through cesarean and was getting out of my wits because of extra weight and belly fat. However, I got rid of this thing by using mummy magic weight-loss tea along with breastfeeding.

I have to agree with the first post - I have had two c-sections, 22 months apart. My youngest is now 11 months old, and I have lost 40 lbs since she was born! I am an avid exerciser, I am doing a half-marathon next weekend, and I eat well, and STILL, no matter how much weight I lose, that little "lip" and layer of fat hanging above my scar won't budge. I find the only thing that helps mask it is tight underwear and clothes that hit me just right in the waist area. I am not overweight but it kills me that I have this fat! So I TOTALLY can relate to you and sympathize completely. If anyone does write in with non-surgical advice, I will be psyched as well!! I attribute it to stretched skin but also scar tissue from cutting through all those layers of skin and muscle twice. I hear you, sister!!

Hi Meghan,

I too had 2 c-sections and I too can NOT seem to get rid of this "upside down kangaroo pouch" on my tummy. I've dieted, exercised & even though I lose the weight ... I still have that pouch. It's horrible.

Unfortunantly I have no suggestions on how to rid yourself of this issue. But I did want you to know that you're NOT alone. I've been working on this since before my 2nd son was born. And I keep trying & trying, but to no avail - it's still there.

I've begged my husband to let me have surgery, but he's an old hippie and feels that this should be left alone and that I should be proud to have had 2 beautiful kids & that I'm a mom now ... not a supermodel .. which isn't why he married me in the first place - he married me because he thinks i'm beautiful on the inside & out, along with his many other reasons.

anyways, good luck & if you find a way to get rid of the pouch - PLEASE let me know!

God Bless, C. B.

Oh Meghan,
How frustrating this must be for you. I have read through the 11 responses given already to your request hoping for either some ideas or something to trigger an idea of my own. I, too, am like so many of the others who have written. I had a c-section 15 months ago (on Tuesday) and have the same problem. I only gained about 15 pounds through the entire pregnancy, and by my 6 week check, I was 12 pounds below pre-pregnancy weight. I still have that "pouch," and the dr says that it is skin, not fat. I believe that it may go away on it's own, but that is to be determined by genetics and your age, not how hard you work at it. If you have very elastic skin and you are young-er, you have more of a chance of the skin rebounding to it's original state. Unfortunately for me, I have neither on my side at this point--I'm not "older", but I'm not 21 anymore. My mother had 2 c-sections and I believe that it went away after me, but not my brother (#2). But, I'm not completely certain. Another thing is that I have numbness on the right side of my scar and above it to almost my belly button--again, I'm told that it is completely normal and could take up to a year or more to regain the feeling--if ever! Whenever I happen to complain (like trying to get dressed nicely to go out) my dear, dear husband tells me to be proud and not hide anything--I did a lot of beautiful and miraculous things during those pregnancy months, and that I have nothing to be ashamed of or dismayed about.

I've also had 2 sections...last one was almost 4 years ago. I've lost all my extra weight, and even though I'm back to pre-pregnancy weight, I have the extra skin. It's so frustrating!! my doctor told me there is no way to get rid of it unless it's surgically removed (and that costs about 8,000 I checked :-)). Unfortunately, I think we're all stuck with it...but isn't it worth it!?!

I had 4 C-Sections, and have the same problem! I would love some non-surgical ideas, but I hate to say that I think we're stuck with that extra skin unless it's surgically removed!

Here I am, giving a nod to the other posters. I had 2 c/s and the same problem. Bleh!

I wish I had a suggestion. I saw your question and I didn't know if I should feel better that I'm not the only one in this situation, or worse in that your baby is 22 months old and you are still struggling to lose the "belly fat". My baby is 9 months, and I had hoped by now my belly would be close to "normal". After my first baby (c-section), I had pretty much gotten back to norml by 9 months. But, with my 2nd baby (c-section), I've been carrying this pouch around and I don't see an end in sight. I admit I haven't worked really hard it at, but I've never had to before. If you learn how to get rid of it, I'd love to hear it! Good luck!!

I dont have any advice - just support. I have had only 1
c-section, but I have a little ring around me..... I call it my permanent donut. I cant wait to see if anyone has any good advice b/c I could benefit from it too!

I was told the reson for this is because of the cut. Where and how they cut does not allow the skin to tone itself as it would if the cut was not there. Sorry i hate mine too.

Without looking at it, my guess is that it's skin and scar tissue not muscle. This isn't "tonable" and if you want to get rid of it you will have to do so with some surgical help.

If you can't get rid of it then you can change your mind and be proud of it....it's a "war wound" from the births of your baby! :)

I have the same problem. I lost all of the weight from my two pregnancies (one a twin pregnancy) and I still have that floppy skin where the c-section was. I also have good muscle control and do excersice, but I have that c-section 'shelf' as others have called it. If anyone else has any non-surgical ways of getting rid of it I'd be interested in hearing them!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that will never go away unless it's done surgically. It's not a matter of tone or diet or exercise habits - it's simply skin that was stretched too much. People will probably tell you to diet and do sit ups but that's ignorance. It's not fat, it's loose skin. Take it from a mom of four w/3 sections!

The best way to cope with belly fat and extra weight after the baby is mummy magic weight-loss tea. This is an organic tea without preservatives.