In a nutshell, a C-section pouch is a 'shelf' of scar tissue that can protrude from your stomach after a C-section delivery. It usually appears near your incision scar and is often made up of a combination of scar tissue, body fat and excess abdominal skin.
It takes time for your body to fully recover from pregnancy. Your postpartum belly won't instantly go back to how it was before you were pregnant – it's a process that can take months or even years, while some bellies may take on a different shape permanently.
While diet and exercise can help women lose excess fat after pregnancy, a healthy lifestyle can't make a c-section scar and bulge go away. Some women may find their c-shelf sticks around for years, while others may notice the area gradually flattens over time.
This is common, and after you give birth, both your stomach and your uterus will start to contract to their pre-pregnancy sizes. Expect it to take around six weeks for your uterus to contract fully. At six weeks, you may have already lost the weight you gained during pregnancy.
The second issue with C-Sections is that a lot of times the scar is going to stick down to the muscle and that as you get more mature, as you get older, the skin gets looser and it just folds over that scar and you can't make that go away either.
Core strength exercises, such as Pilates, yoga, and barre, can help tighten and tone muscles in the stomach, which may help improve the appearance of loose skin. Cardio exercise, such as brisk walking, running, cycling, or aerobics, may help with toning muscle.
While this laxity is common among all pregnant women, those who have had a c-section delivery are likely to be left with a noticeable hanging belly following the birth. This is because a c-section scar creates an effect akin to a tight band being placed at the bottom of the abdomen.
The best way of getting rid of stomach overhang is a surgical procedure known as abdominoplasty at our London clinic, which will remove it completely. This procedure tightens the stomach muscles and removes excess skin and fatty tissues from the middle and lower abdominal region.
A hernia that occurs after surgery is called an incisional hernia. The C-section is a surgical procedure that can create a weakness in the abdominal wall. A hernia occurs when part of the intestines or stomach protrudes outward through this weakened area, creating a bulge.
Sometimes all your C-section pooch needs is time and regular massage of the scar. After 6-12 months, if that C-section shelf is still there, chances are high that it will always be there unless we treat it.
During pregnancy, the muscles stretch to accommodate the growing fetus. The connective tissue between the abdominal muscles can thin and weaken, and that can lead to a bulge in your belly. That post-pregnancy bulge is commonly known as a "mommy pooch" or "mommy-tummy" and it will not go away with diet and exercise.
Pannus stomach develops when an excess of skin hangs down from the abdomen. The main causes include: Pregnancy: After the delivery of a baby, the extra skin necessary to accommodate the pregnancy can hang down, causing a pannus stomach. This is why some people refer to the condition as “mother's apron.”
A diastasis recti looks like a ridge, which runs down the middle of the belly area. It stretches from the bottom of the breastbone to the belly button. It increases with muscle straining. In infants, the condition is most easily seen when the baby tries to sit up.
A C-section pouch is actually caused by scar tissue left behind by your C-section scar. In some cases, the way your body recovers after surgery can cause excess fat to find itself in your lower belly area.
This pouch normally reduces over time but may never totally disappear. The pouch is partly due to excess skin, the natural result of your pregnancy, but is primarily due to excess fat deposits. Some women are able to reduce or even eliminate this pouch through diet and exercise; others may not be so fortunate.
That scar can inadvertently form adhesions between layers of abdominal tissue pinning tissues down. If there is excess skin/fat from pregnancy or postpartum, it may end up hanging over the adhesion creating a shelf-like appearance.
Regardless of where you land in this six-week stretch, you can still expect your postpartum belly to continue to feel a bit squishy, as your core muscles still need to be strengthened.
What is an apron belly? Pregnancy, weight loss, and weight gain can cause you to have an excessive amount of fat, tissue, and skin hanging down from your abdomen. Called “apron belly” because it looks like you're wearing an apron around your waist, it can also be referred to as a pannus stomach.
Once the baby is born, the halves come back together and heal during the first 6-8 weeks. The “pooch” that won't go away, is often the result of these halves not healing properly, leaving a separation that acts as a hernia when the muscle is contracted.
No muscles in the abdominal wall are actually cut. In fact the Obstetrician goes between the muscles. Some people are concerned about the pain relief during a caesarean. Less than 1% of caesarean sections are performed under a general anaesthetic in a private hospital.
An incision is made in the uterus to allow removal of the baby and placenta. Other procedures, such as tubal ligation (a permanent birth control procedure), may also be performed during cesarean birth. (See "Patient education: Permanent birth control for women (Beyond the Basics)".)
After delivery, you'll experience hair loss up to five months after delivery. Stretch marks won't disappear after delivery, but eventually they'll fade from red to silver. Expect any skin that darkened during pregnancy — such as dark patches on your face — to slowly fade as well. Mood changes.
A caesarean is a major operation that carries a number of risks, so it's usually only done if it's the safest option for you and your baby.