You gain weight over 9+ months of pregnancy, so it's normal to take 9+ months to get back your pre-pregnancy body after your baby is born. However, a belly bulge that doesn't go away for months after delivery can be a sign of diastasis recti—a separation of your abdominal muscles.
All women (even the Duchess of Cambridge!) have a bit of a belly for the first four to eight weeks after giving birth, as the uterus shrinks back to size. But for some of us, that “five months pregnant” look can last months or even years.
The C-section pooch occurs when the C-section scar is anchored down to your core abdominal muscles. That makes the stretched out skin of your belly and the fat above it more noticeable. When the layer of fat between the skin and the muscle is disrupted during the surgery, the scar is not able to move freely.
This incision is what can cause a C-section shelf from appearing, which can present as a bump or a stubborn pouch of fatty tissue. For some women, this scar tissue can't be removed with exercise or diet changes alone (which may mean surgery is the only way to completely eliminate a postpartum pouch).
A C-section pouch is typically treated with exercise, a healthy diet, and cosmetic procedures like tummy tucks (Abdominoplasty). While diastasis recti is treated with physical therapy, corrective exercises, and surgery.
You may have what is generally known as Mummy Tummy, Mummy Pooch, of Baby Belly. Many people think it is an inevitable retention of pregnancy weight, but it's not; it's not even weight, or fat, at all. In medical terms, it is a pospartum complication called diastasis recti or divarication.
They cause a major impact on your muscles in the abdominal area and the floor of the pelvis. Also, the body loses major quantities of blood during a Caesarean Delivery. During this process, you will gain lots of fat and accumulate a large quantity of fat in the abdomen area.
You should plan to return to your pre-pregnancy weight by 6 to 12 months after delivery. Most women lose half of their baby weight by 6 weeks after childbirth (postpartum). The rest most often comes off over the next several months.
Well, yes you are probably still carrying a few extra pounds after your pregnancy and that is normal. But what you need to know is that one of the biggest contributors to mummy tummy is diastasis recti. Diastasis recti (abdominal separation) is when your ab muscles called the rectus abdominis separate.
Sometimes, postpartum weight can be incredibly stubborn. If it's harder to lose baby weight than you expected, there may be several reasons for this, including sleep issues, breastfeeding, and hormone imbalances.
Some women are lucky to come away scar-free, without any sign of a C-section pooch. However, other women are left with a red, rigid scar often accompanied by an overhang of loose skin.
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.
Embarking on a weight loss journey after a C-section can be challenging but with the right approach, it is possible to achieve one's goals. By prioritising a healthy diet, regular exercise, and patience, new moms can gradually regain their pre-pregnancy shape and transform from flab to fab.
Postpartum weight gain can happen for a number of reasons, from the fact that you're fatigued or don't have time for a regular excercise routine, or because of an underlying health condition that requires attention, such as postpartum thyroiditis, diabetes, or PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
Holding onto to some extra pounds after pregnancy is normal
above their pre-pregnancy weight a year after giving birth. A sizable minority, 15-20% of women, will hold onto 10 lbs or more.
Does a Postpartum Saggy Belly Go Away on Its Own? With time, your postpartum belly will start to reduce on its own. Although, there are a few things you can do to help the process along from home.
For some women, this remains true a year or more after giving birth. It's possible for your postpartum belly to go away, but it takes time and dedication.
For the first couple of days after giving birth, you'll be able to feel the top of your uterus near your belly button. In a week, your uterus will be half the size it was just after you gave birth. After two weeks, it will be back inside your pelvis. By about four weeks, it should be close to its pre-pregnancy size.
Moves like squats or planks—a.k.a. exercises that focus more on stability than rotation or extension—allow new moms who've had C-sections to rebuild and strengthen their cores and pelvic floors, says Ellis. Even though you didn't deliver your baby vaginally, your pelvic floor will have still experienced trauma.
The results demonstrate a causal relationship between C-section and increased body weight, supporting the involvement of maternal vaginal bacteria in normal metabolic development.
Most women shed around 13 pounds after giving birth, whether they delivered vaginally or via C-section.