Bloated Stomach 6 Months After Havng a Baby

J.,

It is not a strange situation. My two youngest are 15 months apart. The baby will be 5 in June. I still have the flabby tummy but am thin every place else. I am very athletic and am now enrolled in a boot camp class. As much as I eat healthy and workout, it still seems to be there. The only alternative is to have a tummy tuck to get rid of the extra skin. THAT I am not doing. It will just have to stay for me.

Some women just have a belly after pregnancy. Keep working out and there may be some result but don't expect perfection.

I just met this lady at her place off of union square, NYC, Maternal Fitness, SpaBebe, and I bought her dvd and splint to correct my diastsis. you can look on their web site for info:

julie tupler, RN

Julie is a Registered Nurse, NCSF Certified Trainer and a Certified Childbirth Educator. She has authored two books that quickly became a leading resource on pregnancy and postnatal recovery: Maternal Fitness®...Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy, an Easier Labor, and a Quick Recovery and Lose Your Mummy Tummy.

get a stability ball. mine was $10 at walmart. I too have the 3-3 1/2month prego look-and my son is 2-and im skinny everywhere else as well.

the ball helps tighten up your core-even if your just sitting on it to fold laundry! most brands come with a chart of excrcises you can do for certain parts of your body. if you combine it with light weights start at 2/3 and work your way up to 8lbs max this will tone your arms and core as well.

this SHOULD help. but take it easy and dont go untill you hurt.

if you need more ideas i'll see what i can come up with,
hope this helps,
K.

Hi J.,
That "mommy tummy" is due to a separation of your diastisis. Dieting won't help. You have to do exercises to close your diastisis. It's the separation of your muscles in the front. For more info go to www.maternalfitness.com
You don't have to buy anything but it will give you information. Hope that helps.
L.

J.,
I read some of the responses to your request. I agree with pilati's and other exercises for your core muscles. Keep watching your diet and exercise, but I have another idea. I am going to sound like a commercial, so bear with me. I sell a home spa device called the Galvanic Spa. It can do three things. First, it can iron out wrinkles on the face to make you look 10 years younger in 10 minutes. Second, with repeated use and special jells(2 - 3 months), it can reduce the amount of cellulite in various parts of your body. The giggle under your arms, your thunder thighs, your wiggly belly, etc... become firmer and less noticeable. The third thing is that it can help to regrow the hair, again with special jells and with repeated use (3 - 6 months). The second application is the reason why I am mentioning the product to you. To see before and after pictures and read more about the Galvanic Spa, go to www.Galvanic2.com. You can also learn about it on my website at www.S..nseDreams.com. My contact information is there.

Is it possible that you have that condition in which your ab muscles separated?

I also have three kids, the last two were 16 months apart and both boys of 10lbs! My stomach has never been the same - Exercise helps, but the skin will not return to its former state. I went for a health check-up and the dr pronounced me healthy but in need of a tummy-tuck! However, I'm not willing to risk my life for the sake of some hard-earned loose skin and a thicker waist - healthy is what counts. Try pilates, drink lots of water, live your life and try some fake tan if you want to wear a two piece in the summer! Anyone who has a problem with your stomach doesn't deserve your attention anyway. Oh, and buy some celebrity trash magazines which show Cindy Crawford's stretch marks!

I am in the same exact boat as you! I see this is an old post, so I am curious how things are with you now. Did you end up getting a tummy tuck or did you find any great exercises to help? Any feedback would be great. I am tired of looking pregnant, especially since I had the baby 10 months ago and I am weighing less than I did before baby! He is my third and I am 44 so maybe that is a factor for me! Look forward to hearing back from you!

Thats how my stomache looks, excersize helps a little but I was told it happens from torn muscles in your stomach,

I can definately tell you it doesn't seem to go away,

M

Hi,

You may have Candida....which is systemic yeast...It makes you bloated.....most people have it if they have ever been on Antibiotics....maybe after the pregnancies you may have an overgrowth of yeast....it is pretty easy to get rid of....if you have brain fog, crave carbs, and are tired alot....these are other symtoms...if you need more info..let me know..

C.

I am in the same situation with 3 kids and a big belly. Obviously since I have the big belly I do not have the answers but I read that if the belly is big due to stretched muscles from pregnancy vs. being overweight, the best exercise is to simply suck in your stomach. When you are driving, walking, doing normal activities, suck it in. It is supposed to help the muscles contract and become strong again. The article also suggested that situps may make it worse because you are stretching the muscles as you work them. Secondly, I recently read about a laser surgery that can get rid of 1-3 inches in your belly. I have not looked further into it at this point but plan to. It is not supposed to be invasive but takes several laser treatments. Let me know if you find the solution! :o) Good Luck.

It def sounds like you have a seperation of the abdominal muscles. You can close it back up with certain excercises, but it does take time to heal. Otherwise, yoga and fast walking will help tremendously. Lay off processed foods/junk foods, up the fruits, veggies, water. You may not get down to your perfect(before baby) figure, but you'll get pretty close to it. There is no magic pill. Hope this helps!

go for a second oppinion. I have heard stories of women being told they are retaining water and finding out it's something else.

Hi - I don't know if this will help, but first let me say that your body is still recovering!! even though you lost most of the 'baby fat' your body is still a little stretched out from carrying those 2 babies so close together. Your pelvic bones, muscles and ligaments need some time to adjust...that being said, have you tried wearing support garments? ( a girdle?) one lady told me after my 1st baby to wear a girdle to 'train' the abdominal muscles back into place. She was a bit of an older lady, those things were probably more in style when she was young, but I did try it. It did work a little. When you wear it, it makes you stand up straighter and kind of hold your abs in, so that even when you take it off it still feels like you are wearing it. I did notice a difference. You could just try wearing it around the house for a few hours a day, you don't have to wear it all the time or go out with it on. For a small amount of $ you can get one on sale, I think it's worth a try!

The belly pouch is from your muscles being stretched by pregancy. The best thing that someone told me while I was pregnant was to get a stretchy girdle to wear after birth. Ace (the bandage manufacturer) also makes something that is stretchy and used by people after abdominal surgery. It helps to push excess air and gas out of that area as well as "re-training" your belly muscles. Of course, you should also start (when your doctor says it is okay for you to start) an aerobic exercise program to burn off excess fat. Crunches are very good for targeting the belly area but is not a substitute for a good 1/2 hour sweat-fest.

My friend recently sent me a packet about the Mummy Tummy (technical term is diastasis). It is caused by the separation of the outermost abdominal muscles during pregnancy. The separation is why we show earlier second pregnancies. Doing crunches can make the separation larger, but a Tupler Workout can fix it. Maybe you can find more information online, and I think there is a book out there somewhere. Good luck!

If your doctor is telling you that you are ok...and you want to make improvements on your body. Then eat healthy, drink water, and get yourself into an exercise program and work hard at it several times a week. These changes you want to happen, aren't going to come knocking at your door....you have to put in the time and make the effort to get results. It's a hard and slow process.

Surgery is faster...and there is always a danger that comes with surgery of any kind. And then, what about the long term effects?????...very easy for the doctors to suggest. They go home after the surgery, suffer no pain or side effects and don't have to deal with caring for your family.

Being thin everywhere else has nothing to do with anything.....thin people need to eat properly, drink water and exercise to keep their bodies in shape as well.

Reading the responses they are full of good information. The exercise ball and bridge exercises (lay flat on your back and lift your butt and back off the floor) works well to target the abs. A local swimming are exercise class maybe at the Y are great!
It takes atleast 2 years for your body to recoup after having a baby. Having another before that time puts extra pressure on your body. It may just need some extra time.
As far as your Dr suggestion about surgery, that seems premature at best. Did he say why you would be in "need" of the surgery. i.e. a sepation of the muscle etc. Did you have a c-section? As they purposely cut the muscles and you stay "deformed"
The muscles of your abdomon are made up of several sheet type muscles that overlap. One starts from your rib cage and goes to your pubic area. There are also your oblics that come fromyour back and around to the pelvic area. Unless you have a muscle tear or cut through all layers there should be no reason for you to get tone back.
i have had no trouble getting mine back after each of my three birts but have been very active, did not gain an obtrusive amount of weight, had "normal" deliveries, did Kagels and the like, before and after delivery.
i now cannot keep it in but that is because ten years after my last child, i had lopascopic surgery for investigation of a pelvic mass in my ovary that was too large for a sist. The muscle was cut internally and nurses are always asking if i had a cicirian.

Don't listen to your doctor. You had 2 babies in 13 months. Of course your stomach is going to take some extra time to get to where you want it. Just keep working at it, I'm sure you'll get at least close to where you want to be.

If it makes you feel any better - I still have a bloated belly and it's been almost 3 years since my daughter was born. I look like I am 2-3 mths pregnant and all of my pants fit horribly uncomfortably. The rest of me looks thin as well.

I go to the gym regularly but I don't focus enough on the stomach area BUT I would suggest pilates or massive amounts of sit up's. Besides surgery that is probably our only option.

I still have a bloated stomach after four years!!! I have three boys, 4/95, 2/01 and 7/03. Believe me, every time you have a baby, it becomes worse. Depends on your age as well, I am 45 yrs. old. Diet and exercise are probably your best bet. Also, get a good checkup with your gynecologist to make sure everything is back in order. Good luck.