Looking a few months pregnant 2 years PP

[Gena 22]

Wow there are a lot more important things in life than the size of my belly, but it's one of those little things that's finally gotten under my skin. I've worked hard to get in good shape PP, but my belly's still terrible.

Depending on how much I've eaten, I look 2-6 month pregnant. ALL. THE. TIME.

It's really discouraging and hurting my body image.

Are mommy tummy DVDs the female equivalent of penis enlargement? Is it all fantasy? Am I stuck with this belly?

Has anyone had this problem and solved it through exercise?

[DeerMother]

Hey you!

I've heard/read some ab exercises will make it worse. I know the core exercises we do in yoga have given me *some* results. We work the solar plexus a lot in there. Pm me if you want me to ask my teacher for other specific muscle groups. Beyond that, tummy tuck, spanx or hippie shirts.

P.s. Whatever you do, never ever get on your hands and knees and then look at your tummy. Personal and scary experience there. what is it anyway? Skin, stretched out or dislocated organs or a new layer of fat?

Btw, I don't think this means your vain or after female equi of a penile enlargement! Battle scars.

[Valerieg]

I'm glad you asked this. I've never considered myself a vain person, ever. But I can say that looking pregnant when your twins aren't itty bitty is tough. I hate being asked when I'm due! My boys are only 6 mo but my belly hasn't changed in a really long time. It's even harder and very PG-like.

I've had success with Tauts belly wrap but unless I wear it all day it goes right back (and it's 90-degrees here in the midwest...too hot for a belly wrap). My diastis recti has healed and is much better so I know it isn't my guts hanging out anymore. I am carrying about 10 lbs more than I'd like to be but I'm still nursing and figure I need to keep it around (so I'm doing very little to try and get rid of it). But this isn't belly fat. It is a round protrusion ABOVE my belly button (it is flat below it).

My friend works for a surgeon who said it'll cost me $5-6k and 2-6 weeks of recovery time. I never would have thought I'd be one to consider plastic surgery but I'm only 31. My hope is to live another 70+ years. I don't want to look pregnant for all of those years.

[christyc]

Ummmm... Did you SEE me when we met up the other week? LOL

Seriously, I don't have a success story there, or know of any non-surgical ones, but knowing other twin moms deal with this too makes me feel a little better.

[Gena 22]

Just a badge of twin-sisterhood! Yeah, I guess. Solidarity!

My belly did get a little better after eating lightly for a couple days. So more 2 months than 6. But I don't have the money for surgery, plus it weird me out a little. If it were just a skin issue, I'd consider it. But this is a get-the-muscle-tight issue, and that's harder to imagine what a surgeon would do. Then, there's the memory of all I did to avoid a surgeon coming near that part of my body when the twins were born. Feels defeatist to pay out of pocket for it now.

Agree on the girdle solution some days.

Hah, Emily! I've done that! I remember the scary look all that loose skin has. Just barely hanging on.

Christy, thanks for the empirical reminder. I'm torn on whether I want to commit to 8 weeks of exercises that may or may not make a difference. Is it worth knowing it didn't work for me? Probably, but man do I hate those!

[Zevy]

Do you have a diastasis? If so, exercises aren't really going to help much...the problem is a lack of muscle and you can't train muscle that isn't there. Getting the muscle tight isn't the issue...the issue is actually pulling the muscle that has separated back to midline.

My diastasis is pretty severe (a 4 cm hole down my abdomen) and the only way to fix it is surgery. I'm actually going to be having it september because I look a few months pregnant all the time and it really bothers me.

[Angela512]

I'm pregnant with twins now and I've already told my husband that I'm putting money aside/away for a tummy tuck afterwards. LOL I don't think it's vain. I can handle stretch marks. But, feeling like my belly is stretched out and flabby is not something I want to deal with. I will see what happens after the twins are born, but I am prepared to do what needs to be done so I feel confident about my body...

[Gena 22]

So I decided to bite the bullet and get down and do some exercises today. Before doing any ab ones, I though I'd do a few push-ups, which is an area I'd like to improve too.

How sad is it that when doing my push-ups, my belly flab was the first thing to touch the ground? Not the pregnant belly, that was actually OK. My form was good. Just the loose skin hanging hit the floor first.

So sad.

Not to scare you Angela, but you've got the right idea!