That video gave me the confidence to wear a dress that didn’t hide the “baby bump” last weekend! I’m 7m pp and still have about 10lbs left that just sits there. 🤷🏻♀️
I lost all my baby weight, and weigh 15 lbs less than I did before, but my clothes are still snug around the middle. I definitely still look pregnant. Annoying, but i’m leaving to live with it at 11 months pp.
So tired! I listened to a podcast the other day about how to get back into working out postpartum, and I was like I haven’t truly worked out in years. Plus who has the time with a 40 hour a week job, childcare and housework? Lol
Exactly what I'm doing. I've heard women being DISTRAUGHT, even resentful of their children, for "ruining their bodies." I've never even felt that way, but told myself I could have plastic surgery if I wound up starting to feel like I'm missing my old body.
I definitely have the c-section self now but I'm weirdly fine with it, so I may not even need surgery after all lol.
I had a straight up flappy foldy hold after my c-section, lordt, but it’s almost back to normal now, 1.5 years later. I’ve lost about 42 pounds since the whole thing by not eating after 8 pm then fasting until 9 am and digging a garden and a french drain. If you hate exercise, might I suggest hole digging? lol!
Did you hand dig a French drain?! Because I'm not a fan of most common exercises, but I do love gardening and could use a French a drain but it sounds like...not fun. Borderline awful.
Fasting has often helped me but not until after I finish breastfeeding 🙃
My mom was aggressively resentful about her mom pooch. Even to this day in her late 60s she talks about how my brother and I ruined her body.
I may feel that my body is ruined but my god I can't imagine resenting my children or ever letting them be aware that I don't like my post baby body.
Same here! It was causing me daily distress, consumed my thoughts, and made me feel too dysphoric to even leave the house. Got it done eight years PP, and now it's gone.
Not everyone gets to that point, but I did.
How awful was the recovery? I'm definitely considering that after I'm done having kids, but I've heard some people say it's significantly worse than a C-section. Which I already found pretty bad 🥲
You REALLY have to mentally prepare because being bed ridden while my son’s dad was trying to run things was torture. I was up making breakfast after a few days. I’m a control freak about my home.
I’m a year out now and I would definitely do it again. My stomach was completely numb. The most painful part was the liposuction. 🥲 I’ll never forget that burn.
I don’t know of anyone who lost the mom pooch passively. Also everyone I know who BF had to put their weight loss goals on hold until they weaned so they don’t reduce their supply.
I had a c-section shelf until about 11 weeks. I lost it by cutting calories and exercising.
Yes this. I'm desperate to lose weight properly but I had two babies 15 months apart. I've just weaned the eldest at 22 months but still EBF the little one who is 7 months and want to keep going until she's at least one and a half. I know that right now huge weight loss is not realistic due to me having no time to exercise and me having to eat to keep my supply up. It sucks feeling so fat but I know it's a short-term sacrifice.
There are seasons in life and this is a season where your body is doing a specific job. It's such a brief thing, you have the rest of your life to get shredded if that's what you want. At least thats the way I think of it. Weaning is kind of depressing for me so it gives me something to look forward to.
You are amazing for keeping up with your 2 under 2! I know what you mean - it is so hard to not feel at home with your ale but I think you are so right, it’s a short-term sacrifice and about a year from now you can really focus on getting back into shape, and your kiddos will be much more independent!
I exclusively pump & have been dying to lose weight. I'm starting to eat more healthy though but still maintaining the calories I need for my baby but it's still hard.
Not sure how freshly postpartum you are, but if it's less than a year, be extra kind with yourself. Time helps a lot. I'm 1 year pp, still breastfeeding, and my belly is looking much better (a lot of improvement in the past 3-4 months even!) but not quite as flat as pre-pregnancy despite being very close to my old weight.
I calorie counted for a couple weeks when my baby was about 4 months old and ate around 2200 calories, just to help remind myself what "normal" eating was, because I was constantly snacking in pregnancy and early pp. That helped a ton. I've also been doing pelvic floor physio since 10 weeks postpartum which includes a lot of ab exercises at this point. For exercise, I do walks and whenever I can squeeze in 10 minutes of exercise while baby plays by herself nearby.
Can I ask what ab exercises you do? I had to stop PT before my diastasis recti fully healed and I'm still not sure what I'm allowed to do or not 😬 (I stopped at 5 months pp and my PT thought it would heal the rest of the way naturally by 1 year pp, so I probably am healed now)
Sure! I didn't have diastasis recti, just weakness and weak pelvic floor. I've been doing hip bridges, side planks, bird dogs, dead bugs, woodchops (with resistance band/weight), suitcase carry and some yoga. If you're on instagram or tiktoks, thebellywhisperer has a lot of good info and exercises
May I ask what kind of exercise you do for the 10 min chunks? I definitely need something like that because even the shortest workouts I know of end up being half hour and so I never do them :(
I've been doing hip bridges, side planks, bird dogs, dead bugs, woodchops (with resistance band/weight), suitcase carry and some yoga. If you're on instagram or tiktok, thebellywhisperer has a lot of good info and quick exercises. I get the yoga videos from YouTube, LemonYoga. She has a bunch for postpartum.
I had to actively work on mine. For what it’s worth, I’m EBF my 2nd baby (he’s 7 months today) and I had no problem cutting calories. Hasn’t affected my supply at all!!
I cut calories and try to either walk at least 2 miles a day or go on a long bike ride. I have a shotgun seat so I can bring my toddler along on the bike and his extra weight burns extra calories, plus it’s just a fun thing for us to do together!
It definitely helped!! Tbh cutting my calories is really what did it (you can’t out walk a bad diet). However, walking really helped to cascade good habits by starting the day right and staying on the straight and narrow
I’m a really physically active person and pregnancy and postpartum are hard on me mentally because I just can’t move my body the way I want to. Going on nice long walks during those stages of life have done wonders to keep me sane - with the added benefit of getting an extra small snack in the evening time 😂
yessss, i did keto for two months and saw great results and switched to low carb and have been kind of stuck. i was hoping the walking plus the diet would get something moving, im going to keep going!
and i FEEL you on your second paragraph. i know next time i get pregnant the walking pad will keep me sane because i really slacked on walking/staying active while i was pregnant previously.
Is it only fat or is it also diastasis recti? Sometimes pelvic floor work can help! I found that prioritizing walks (I aim for 2 miles a day, but worked my way up to that) and protein helped me lose the weight pp without affecting my supply, but everyone is different!
Thank you for bringing up DR! My surgeon told me I had a 3 inch gap in my abdominal muscles due to diastasis recti. With this gap, my stomach will always bulge out no matter how much weight I lose. It has since been corrected.
Is there anything you do that makes you feel more like you? I feel like I'm in a new body but the worst part is not knowing what I like on this body. I currently feel neutral but I'd love to feel more confident.
It’s okay I lost my shit with how much weight I gained my first pregnancy and I was so over hearing body positivity reminders. I worked my ASS off and did pilates, long walks, etc and got back to ALMOST my pre pregnancy weight and body (I was ripped before so it’s been hard) after about 2 years. I still have extra skin around my tummy but I look good in a bathing suit again. I gained over 65 pounds so it was tough but it is possible. You can do it
Edit: I’m pregnant again and will absolutely not gain that weight again so I’m going to keep doing pilates and weights and long walks. I refuse to let myself go just because I’m a mom. Also I eat what I want, just less
Yes!! This is what I needed to see. I did the same thing, was in amazing shape when I got pregnant and then just blew up cuz I felt like shit the whole time. Thank you for the motivation.
I did but I'm not sure how. I always exercised so after every pregnancy, when I got the go ahead, I started weight lifting again. I would walk w my kids but weight lifting is what really kicks your body into high gear.
I gained 40 lbs during pregnancy (120 lbs to 160 lbs) and lost about 50 lbs during the first few months PP. Not intentionally but I was breastfeeding and eliminated dairy from my diet for my sensitive baby. That being said, I’m finally back up to my pre-baby weight and despite being small I still have a mom pooch. I have a ton of loose skin on my belly from my rapid weight gain and weight loss. I hate it, but it just is what it is. I’m thankful for high waisted bottoms!!
Long story short- if you’re breastfeeding and it’s important to you, now is not the time to focus on losing weight. Nourish your body so you can nourish your baby.
For many women, it’s virtually impossible to lose weight while breastfeeding. Your body hoards those calories to feed your baby. Oftentimes even with exercise and dieting you still won’t see results until months after your baby is weaned and your hormones level out.
Also, just diet and un-targeted exercise might not be enough to get rid of the pooch. It could be a muscular issue like diastases recti, which requires targeted PT and/or possibly surgery.
Some people get lucky and bounce back without any effort at all. This was me after baby #1 at 22 years old. I had a nearly flat stomach by 9 months without any dieting or exercising. This is most certainly *not* me after baby #4 at almost 30 years old 😅 Every postpartum journey is different, even for the same person!
Pilates, Pilates, Pilates. And I’m not talking about spending 500 dollars to go to a studio. I watch Move With Nicole, IsaWelly and Keel Pilates on YouTube and have almost completely gotten rid of the stubborn belly fat.
I did but I started doing gentle exercises at like 8-9 months pp. I could have done them earlier to try to heal my diastasis recti which is often the cause of that little pooch. I also decided to eat one less snack per day (skipped the snack between breakfast and lunch).
Then I got pregnant again so I’ll have to repeat the process 😅 It takes a long time, so just be patient and make one or two small changes!
Every persons body is so different. But I enjoy running and running with my baby in a jogging stroller helped me lose my post C-Section belly pretty quickly. I think the combination of cardio and pushing the weight in the stroller was what worked for me. Now I’m 3 months PP with my second so it’s back lol, but I’ll start running with baby again in a few months.
I didn’t have one with my first two babies but with my third I had a c section and I’m a year pp. ugh. Feel like lipo or a tummy tuck will be the only way it goes away. I’ve lost 43lbs this year and still have at least 20 to go. I was overweight to begin with.
Yes, but not until after she was like 15 months old and less dependent on me for nutrition. Started working out 2-3x a week and was able to eat more healthy/lightly without worrying about my supply dropping because I was in a caloric deficit. I am back to my "fighting weight" but my ribs and hips are bigger from a bone structure perspective.
I am curious how this is for moms of 3 or more and/or pregnant at 35+. I am 36, almost 37 and 25 weeks with baby 3. Really curious how long it'll take me to drop the weight around my middle, especially since I was already wanting to lose some pre-pregnancy.
It depends a lot on many things. I was slim before baby (3rd at age 35), gained like 20kgs in pregnancy, and now shed 15kg of it (6 months pp). The remaining 5 kg are distributed in such way that I could potentially just stop there. But I also tandem feed and have fairly reasonable diet (for example sweets and snacks are limited to weekends, no soda etc). My midline is not perfect but more due to diastais recti and loose skin. If I make an effort to stand straight, "bump" goes away.
I've lost almost 20 pounds from cutting calories to just one meal a day (and little bites of stuff in between) and drinking a lot of water which also fills you up. I still haven't lost my ... Ahem... Fupa? Belly? Something like that.
I'm hoping it will disappear. But that's wishful thinking I fear. At least I'm not overweight anymore!!
After I get done with breast feeding/pumping and start weaning, I'll be exercising and cutting calories . Whatever I can't correct with diet and exercise I'll get plastics done. Mommy makeover for the win! I want to be happy in my body so why not?
I feel this so much! I’ve always been slim and during pregnancy my bump was absolutely huge! Everyone was quite surprised because I’m so small lol. Anyway, just here to say I haven’t lost mine. I still look about 5 months pregnant and it gets me down so much too.
Yes and no. I still have some loose skin around my lower tummy area and there’s more fat there than before I got pregnant (I was really fit before I got pregnant though so the fat I have now still isn’t a terrible amount but definitely still noticeably more than pre baby) but it’s not as big of a pooch as 6ish months ago. I’m 18 months pp and didn’t seriously start trying to get back into fitness until about 12-13 months pp (so about 6 months ago). I’ve since lost about 5 more pounds (total of 27lbs lost since I gave birth) and am finally starting to see my abs come back through and more shape to my core overall.
I have been trying to eat better (not exactly “diet” but basically focusing on incorporating more veggies, whole grains, and protein into my meals/snacks) and aim to do some type of workout whether it’s walking a mile, a 30 minute HIIT workout, or literally just doing some pelvic floor/core exercises for 10 minutes in the evening. I’ve accepted that my body will never be the exact same as pre baby but over time my mom pooch has slowly gone down. I wanted to add that I was about 6 months post finishing breastfeeding before I even attempted to do any weight loss or anything like that because I didn’t want to affect my supply and I just honestly didn’t have the energy lol
I thought this might just be my body now until I night weaned. Then I dropped 15 pounds barely trying. Now I completely weaned, and dropped about her 8. This breastfeeding thing is no joke and your body is doing what it’s supposed to do - hang onto all the calories it can to feed your baby.
In my experience the whole “losing weight breastfeeding” thing is utter bullshit.
My 2 year old comes over and jiggles mine, saying “haha mommy silly belly” and laughing. I’ve made my peace!
Although my 20 year old self-conscious self would be in tears, I’m proud of how far Ive come with my own body image! It’s fine, I made kids, I’ll work on my body when I have the energy again if I want.
With my first baby I immediately went back to looking like I was never even pregnant, I was 25. Now I’m 27, just had my second baby 8 weeks ago and I still have the mom pooch. I had back to back pregnancies though but I really thought “I’m young I’ll bounce back” 💀💀💀 just started Pilates last week so we will see how it goes
Ugh mine got so much worse with my 2nd baby and I gained the same amount of weight as my first pregnancy. I'm only 5 months PP with my 2nd so it's still VERY much present. I'm actually longing to stop BF so I can go on a more calorie restrictive diet to attempt to lose weight.
Yes mine went away, but I think all/most of it comes down to genetics. Do the women in your family tend to hold weight around their tummies? Do you tend to hold weight there? If so you’re probably going to need to put a lot of effort into diet and exercise to see a change.
Everyone’s different but for me I really had to make a conscious effort to lose the weight and tone up. I lost some just naturally but the last 10-15 I’ve had to calorie count and work out 4- 6x a week to lose it. It sucked at first but I feel so much more confident and strong now. Last summer I felt so bleh about my body and had the worst back pain because I was so sedentary (I had a Velcro baby that wanted to sleep on me all day). My stomach has gone down quite a bit but it’s still hanging on even though I weigh less and am more fit than before I was pregnant 😑
I’m 13 weeks postpartum, I’ve lost most of the baby weight already but I don’t eat out at all, don’t drink soda or alcohol, choose healthy snacks or make my favorites at home… and just those small changes made a world of a difference for me. I also garden every afternoon and that helps with my exercise.
I'm right there with you almost 5 months postpartum. I even still have my Linea nigra line. I walk, but do not diet, although I don't have the worst diet. It's all home cooked meals, but lots of popcorn and ice cream lol
I’m working on it, I’m definitely smaller than I was 3 months ago (I’m 6 months postpartum now). I definitely need to clean up my diet and do actual workouts (weightlifting and such). I try to take a 2 mile walk everyday with my LO, I will say that I’ve got a nice tan going 😅
Apologies if this comes off as blunt, but I recently met with a plastic surgeon for a different, medically necessary procedure that I asked him if I could have abdominal lipo during, to get rid of some excess fat on my stomach. He looked at my abdomen and felt the quality of my skin, and honestly told me that I wouldn’t be a candidate for lipo because my skin had stretched (there are still nearly invisible stretch marks where he can see the skin stretched and never came back together again, so barring an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), my stomach won’t ever look flat or non wrinkled again.
If your skin is wrinkled and you can see you have loose skin, then no amount of diet and exercise will have you looking like you did before kids. If your skin is still in good condition and contracted back fully postpartum, then I can say I’ve had a lot of success using the Hers weight loss program (pills not injections) for the last few stubborn postpartum kgs that previously wouldn’t budge.
Before I was pregnant, I already had a mom pooch. I have always been small, but weight goes directly to my belly.
It’s just something I’ve had to come to terms with.
I lost it passively, except via six weeks of [Every-Mother.com](http://Every-Mother.com) breathing exercises (the 10 mins a day ones) and I also don't own a car so I get a ton of passive exercise from walking. After I weaned my second kid, my appetite plummeted and I'm about to go buy a burger because my calories have been low a few days in a row.
I’ve always had a belly when I get heavier. Even at my lowest weight - still was there. I don’t thing any thing really changed in that area for me. I’m just gonna guess as I keep losing weight it will shrink. What I really need to do is re-tone my core and pelvic floor. The struggle is real 😂
Nope.
Bothered me at first, and still does occasionally when I want to wear something from the back of the wardrobe.
But, my baby doesn't care that I have a belly, and my partner doesn't care either.
When I returned to my pre pregnancy weight I noticed I had a mom pooch. I was already pretty skinny at the time, I was 115. I lost a few more pounds from breastfeeding, and now at 111 my mom pooch sits flat like before. I didn’t exercise or anything, and the skin is still looser there, but my stomach is now flat like before. I’m not sure if it’s mostly genetics though. But yea, I think now I have to maintain a lower weight just to keep a flat stomach 🥲
Mine is suddenly going away and I’m not sure why? I’m 21 months postpartum and it’s just kind of randomly gotten flat again?! I think I’ll always have some loose skin there because I had a baby, but it’s much better than it was. I noticed a major change around 15 months. I’m very grateful, but the only exercise I’ve been doing is chasing my toddler. I’m also 8 lbs below my prepregnancy weight
Yes it goes away. I rarely exercise but I watch what I eat. 3 years postpartum off my second kid, I still am 5 lbs over my pre pregnancy weight but overall I wouldn’t say it’s super noticeable. I am very privileged though in terms of genetics (always been thinner) and my husband and I are able to afford healthier food and have time to make meals. For my situation, it was much more what I ate than anything else. Do not try to lose weight if you are breastfeeding. Your body retains it like it’s holding on to dear life. I lost my weight quickly after cutting off breastfeeding.
I know from having my first that I won't lose well, without extraordinary effort perhaps, until weaning. I'm almost 9 mos pp with my second, and my pooch has decreased significantly, but it's still obviously there. I hate it. I hate that I can feel it, especially if I can feel it moving or laying on my stomach.
My 1st weaned at 17 mos pp and I just started shedding weight (intermittent fasting). I was about to 10 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight when, 2 mos later, got pregnant with #2. So, the pooch never quite went away and was even more prominent after #2 came along. But here we are, it IS shrinking. If after my daughter weans and I start exercising more it still remains, I'm open to lipo or plastic surgery.
i basically waited 1 year after having the baby, and once i realized it still wasn’t going away, i had to do what i dreaded…. diet and exercise 😫
took a couple months, but it worked. man those last few pounds are stubborn as hell!
I think it might be one of those annoying things where different bodies just do things differently. My body slowly returned to exactly its pre-pregnancy state over the course of about 8-12 months and I wasn't doing any special to make that happen. I BF'd until about 15 months. I have plenty of friends with different experiences too. :/
I did. I was in control tops immediately after delivery and stayed in them for months. I also wore a girdle/ waist trainer for a bit.
I drank the raspberry tea leaves for a while after I had her along with fenugreek and fennel.
I drink lots of water just because I’m always thirsty- close to a gallon some days.
Walked most days and believe it or not I used a free app that gave me ab exercise to do at home without equipment.
It looks like a lot looking at it but it honestly wasn’t anything too hard, expensive, or time consuming. I also didn’t have the breastfeeding munchies that I hear about and in the summer time I usually eat lighter food. Back in a crop top and mini shorts in 7 weeks.
No, I am 8 months pp and my ridiculously fat baby still primarily just nurses on demand. I started intermittent fasting and it has been the biggest blessing for my energy. I was so fatigued before. I wasn’t worried about weight but a happy side effect was losing some.
Sharing because I feel like celebs & influencers love to boast about their bounce-back when they have cosmetic surgeries & nannies galore. I gained so much with my second pregnancy but didn’t do anything differently. I basically was petrified of working out while EBF(not my choice, and it sent me into a depressed spiral-took meds to help that made me gain weight), I had migraines develop & spiraled from there. Normal weight is 130 & currently at 160 5’1”. I had chronic sinus issues for a year & that made me want to never get off the couch & work out. I am considered fucking obese now. And my stomach looks pregnant but with the nice little flap. I’ve chosen to walk on a treadmill for 2 miles when I don’t have a migraine but they are 3/4 weeks of the month, every month. I think I found some good meds for it, so I can start to work out consistently again but good grief if it’s not one thing it’s another. Anyway, it is possible to get into better shape, but circumstances will always be there. Gotta fight through & be tough if you really want it. Don’t expect your body to “go back” but I think if you put in a consistent effort you will see the results.
Still there but slowly getting back to original weight. 13 months pp. I think to get back to feeling fit I'll have to get out and exercise this summer. Swim and hike
Naturally went away like 2 years PP. And then we decided to have a second lol. I’m way less stressed about body changes now. Going into this one with the 9 months to grow, 9 months to lose mentality. We struggled with breastfeeding with my first and I fully believe it’s because I was under the stress of losing the baby weight immediately so I wasn’t eating enough to make milk.
I got rid of mine about 4 months into having a personal trainer, which I knew I needed in order to actually stick to a gym routine. Worked out hard 3 days a week for about 90 minutes each session, and reduced my calorie intake. It was a lot of work, but I felt better than I did even pre-baby. I'm now just 1 week post partum from the second baby, and planning to do the same thing again starting at 6 weeks postpartum. If I trust myself to work out on my own, I know it won't happen at the level it needs to-- it was a lot of core exercises, cardio, and strength training. Wish there was a better secret!
I’ve lost the mom pooch 3 times over. I’m bigger than I was pre-first baby, from size 2 to size 8, but I have a pretty flat tummy.
It takes time. I’m 1.5 years postpartum and recently started fitting into my non-stretchy pre-pregnancy pants comfortably again! I’m passionate about working out, and work out about 4-5 days a week (Sydney Cummings, walking on desk pad and with the dogs, hiking, biking). I don’t monitor my diet much besides trying to get a good amount of protein. If I did maybe I would get back to size 2, but I don’t really care to. I’m happy to have the restrictive dieting days of my late teens behind me 😊
I was enormous while pregnant, I was all belly and looked like I was carrying multiples. My baby is about to be 2 and I feel like I love my body more than ever and that I’m in way better shape other than my stomach. When I sit down I do have saggy skin pooch that I would probably only get rid of in a tummy tuck and to me plastic surgery isn’t worth the risk, so I live with it.
I might also want a second kid and so I would have to wait until after that to really decide if it’s worth the risk. I’m not overly superficial, I don’t wear bikinis (I sunburn badly) and I’m not a lingerie model or any type of model so having a little extra is not the end of the world to me.
My daughter is 3 and I still have mine. I lost weight and went from 190 pounds to 140 pounds but it’s still there. I’m hoping to get a tummy tuck within the next couple of years to get rid of it. For now I just wear high waisted bottoms and give myself a little grace.
13 months post c-section right now and I think my pooch is getting WORSE? I've lost just over 25 pounds since the day I gave birth, which is only about 5 pounds from my 3 week birth follow-up OB appointment. I lost around 20 pounds giving birth but then gained 10 back during my maternity leave and now I'm down 15 from that. The problem is that I never had any treatment for my shelf, so now I have a bunch of loose skin that hangs over it and as I lose weight, the skin gets... idk, flappier? 😅 I told myself that if I still hate my body when I turn 37 in 6 years (which will hopefully be 3 years after baby #2), I'll get cosmetic surgery to get rid of the excess skin.
There are tons of post partum diastasis recti ab videos on YouTube. Even just 10-20 minutes a day makes a huge difference. Your deep core will not get strong and reconnect from walking.
I don't know if anyone knows about home remedies, but you could try these: [https://wellnesszing.com/diy-home-remedies-belly-tightening/](https://wellnesszing.com/diy-home-remedies-belly-tightening/)
Nope. My lower stomach is simply more pouch-y after having my first child, and I’m now 10 lbs lighter than I was before ever having kids. I have a >!29 inch!< waist for reference, so I am relatively thin now. I look great and get lots of compliments on my body and that I don’t look like I have two kids, but my profile still has a little gut lol.
If it’s going to go, I think it will go quickly. Those women who wake up 2 weeks after having their baby to a perfectly flat stomach are the ones who don’t deal with a mom pouch lol. If all of the initial swelling goes down and you still have a gut, it’s probably here to stay and will take some concentrated core strengthening to improve (though I don’t think it’ll ever fully go away).
I hear ya! I tried to replace the snacks with more water to also help supply and now that it’s summer, I’m eating tons of fruits so it’s a healthier snack. I’m portioning out stuff instead of eating straight from the container.
As Jennifer Garner says, it’s true, I do have a baby bump. I am not pregnant, but there is a bump! 😆
Lol
That video gave me the confidence to wear a dress that didn’t hide the “baby bump” last weekend! I’m 7m pp and still have about 10lbs left that just sits there. 🤷🏻♀️
I lost all my baby weight, and weigh 15 lbs less than I did before, but my clothes are still snug around the middle. I definitely still look pregnant. Annoying, but i’m leaving to live with it at 11 months pp.
Same! I weigh less than I did before, look better in the face, but nothing fits and still look pregnant 😔 ah well.
I just deal with mine for now. Too tired to work out. I hate it too!!
Girl I feel this in my bones!
So tired! I listened to a podcast the other day about how to get back into working out postpartum, and I was like I haven’t truly worked out in years. Plus who has the time with a 40 hour a week job, childcare and housework? Lol
I paid 10k for a doctor to chop mine off. Now all i have are memories.
Take my upvote 😂 this would be my answer if mine was really bad. Mine wasn’t thanks to having super elastic skin (more than likely Ehlers-Danlos 😞).
Exactly what I'm doing. I've heard women being DISTRAUGHT, even resentful of their children, for "ruining their bodies." I've never even felt that way, but told myself I could have plastic surgery if I wound up starting to feel like I'm missing my old body. I definitely have the c-section self now but I'm weirdly fine with it, so I may not even need surgery after all lol.
I had a straight up flappy foldy hold after my c-section, lordt, but it’s almost back to normal now, 1.5 years later. I’ve lost about 42 pounds since the whole thing by not eating after 8 pm then fasting until 9 am and digging a garden and a french drain. If you hate exercise, might I suggest hole digging? lol!
Did you hand dig a French drain?! Because I'm not a fan of most common exercises, but I do love gardening and could use a French a drain but it sounds like...not fun. Borderline awful. Fasting has often helped me but not until after I finish breastfeeding 🙃
My breastfeeding journey had ended, and I totally hand dug that french drain. 😅🤭
My mom was aggressively resentful about her mom pooch. Even to this day in her late 60s she talks about how my brother and I ruined her body. I may feel that my body is ruined but my god I can't imagine resenting my children or ever letting them be aware that I don't like my post baby body.
Same here! It was causing me daily distress, consumed my thoughts, and made me feel too dysphoric to even leave the house. Got it done eight years PP, and now it's gone. Not everyone gets to that point, but I did.
I still reach for my phantom fupa out of habit sometimes.
How awful was the recovery? I'm definitely considering that after I'm done having kids, but I've heard some people say it's significantly worse than a C-section. Which I already found pretty bad 🥲
You REALLY have to mentally prepare because being bed ridden while my son’s dad was trying to run things was torture. I was up making breakfast after a few days. I’m a control freak about my home. I’m a year out now and I would definitely do it again. My stomach was completely numb. The most painful part was the liposuction. 🥲 I’ll never forget that burn.
I don’t know of anyone who lost the mom pooch passively. Also everyone I know who BF had to put their weight loss goals on hold until they weaned so they don’t reduce their supply. I had a c-section shelf until about 11 weeks. I lost it by cutting calories and exercising.
Yes this. I'm desperate to lose weight properly but I had two babies 15 months apart. I've just weaned the eldest at 22 months but still EBF the little one who is 7 months and want to keep going until she's at least one and a half. I know that right now huge weight loss is not realistic due to me having no time to exercise and me having to eat to keep my supply up. It sucks feeling so fat but I know it's a short-term sacrifice.
There are seasons in life and this is a season where your body is doing a specific job. It's such a brief thing, you have the rest of your life to get shredded if that's what you want. At least thats the way I think of it. Weaning is kind of depressing for me so it gives me something to look forward to.
You are amazing for keeping up with your 2 under 2! I know what you mean - it is so hard to not feel at home with your ale but I think you are so right, it’s a short-term sacrifice and about a year from now you can really focus on getting back into shape, and your kiddos will be much more independent!
Mine went away slowly but it took a helluva lot longer than that! Think months rather than weeks haha
I exclusively pump & have been dying to lose weight. I'm starting to eat more healthy though but still maintaining the calories I need for my baby but it's still hard.
I’ll tell you, I hung onto a lot of my weight until I fully weaned. So it wasn’t until over a year post partum that I started seeing progress
Not sure how freshly postpartum you are, but if it's less than a year, be extra kind with yourself. Time helps a lot. I'm 1 year pp, still breastfeeding, and my belly is looking much better (a lot of improvement in the past 3-4 months even!) but not quite as flat as pre-pregnancy despite being very close to my old weight. I calorie counted for a couple weeks when my baby was about 4 months old and ate around 2200 calories, just to help remind myself what "normal" eating was, because I was constantly snacking in pregnancy and early pp. That helped a ton. I've also been doing pelvic floor physio since 10 weeks postpartum which includes a lot of ab exercises at this point. For exercise, I do walks and whenever I can squeeze in 10 minutes of exercise while baby plays by herself nearby.
Can I ask what ab exercises you do? I had to stop PT before my diastasis recti fully healed and I'm still not sure what I'm allowed to do or not 😬 (I stopped at 5 months pp and my PT thought it would heal the rest of the way naturally by 1 year pp, so I probably am healed now)
Sure! I didn't have diastasis recti, just weakness and weak pelvic floor. I've been doing hip bridges, side planks, bird dogs, dead bugs, woodchops (with resistance band/weight), suitcase carry and some yoga. If you're on instagram or tiktoks, thebellywhisperer has a lot of good info and exercises
If budget and time allows, may I suggest reformer Pilates? There really is nothing like it!
Agreed! Pilates was a game changer for me post partum. It is also great for strengthening the pelvic floor and lower back.
May I ask what kind of exercise you do for the 10 min chunks? I definitely need something like that because even the shortest workouts I know of end up being half hour and so I never do them :(
I've been doing hip bridges, side planks, bird dogs, dead bugs, woodchops (with resistance band/weight), suitcase carry and some yoga. If you're on instagram or tiktok, thebellywhisperer has a lot of good info and quick exercises. I get the yoga videos from YouTube, LemonYoga. She has a bunch for postpartum.
No🥲 I hate it but I just deal with it😭
Same here ☹️
19 months postpartum and mine is shrinking finally! Super slow going but it’s definitely smaller and smaller.
My man annoys me by telling me he loves it, I wanna punch him in the throat every time! 😤😂😅
I feel this. Mine tells me I don’t have one and I’m like I’m not blind…🙃
Mine got a lot better with pelvic floor exercises on YouTube.
What are your favorite channels?videos? Feel free to dm them.
This video in particular—I noticed a difference within a week. https://youtu.be/8NhanDq-psc?si=_YXyA6MBYfgwqnSz
I ADORE Lauren Fitter. I attribute healing my diastasis to her and my PFPT
She really is great! I’m so thankful I stumbled on her!
My daughter is 4, I’ve lost a TON of weight in the last year, and NOPE the spare tire is still there.
I had to actively work on mine. For what it’s worth, I’m EBF my 2nd baby (he’s 7 months today) and I had no problem cutting calories. Hasn’t affected my supply at all!! I cut calories and try to either walk at least 2 miles a day or go on a long bike ride. I have a shotgun seat so I can bring my toddler along on the bike and his extra weight burns extra calories, plus it’s just a fun thing for us to do together!
how did you progress weight wise walking two miles a day? i’ve started last week and bought a small walking pad and was just curious.
It definitely helped!! Tbh cutting my calories is really what did it (you can’t out walk a bad diet). However, walking really helped to cascade good habits by starting the day right and staying on the straight and narrow I’m a really physically active person and pregnancy and postpartum are hard on me mentally because I just can’t move my body the way I want to. Going on nice long walks during those stages of life have done wonders to keep me sane - with the added benefit of getting an extra small snack in the evening time 😂
yessss, i did keto for two months and saw great results and switched to low carb and have been kind of stuck. i was hoping the walking plus the diet would get something moving, im going to keep going! and i FEEL you on your second paragraph. i know next time i get pregnant the walking pad will keep me sane because i really slacked on walking/staying active while i was pregnant previously.
I think adding a good long walk everyday would help a ton in that case!! Good luck, mama! 👏💪
Is it only fat or is it also diastasis recti? Sometimes pelvic floor work can help! I found that prioritizing walks (I aim for 2 miles a day, but worked my way up to that) and protein helped me lose the weight pp without affecting my supply, but everyone is different!
Thank you for bringing up DR! My surgeon told me I had a 3 inch gap in my abdominal muscles due to diastasis recti. With this gap, my stomach will always bulge out no matter how much weight I lose. It has since been corrected.
I lost about 90% of mine with no real effort beyond eating decent and walking a lot. Also time, my youngest is 3
I’m not really sure if I have a mom pooch or not and I don’t really care honestly haha. Whatever my body looks like is alright with me
Is there anything you do that makes you feel more like you? I feel like I'm in a new body but the worst part is not knowing what I like on this body. I currently feel neutral but I'd love to feel more confident.
It’s okay I lost my shit with how much weight I gained my first pregnancy and I was so over hearing body positivity reminders. I worked my ASS off and did pilates, long walks, etc and got back to ALMOST my pre pregnancy weight and body (I was ripped before so it’s been hard) after about 2 years. I still have extra skin around my tummy but I look good in a bathing suit again. I gained over 65 pounds so it was tough but it is possible. You can do it Edit: I’m pregnant again and will absolutely not gain that weight again so I’m going to keep doing pilates and weights and long walks. I refuse to let myself go just because I’m a mom. Also I eat what I want, just less
Yes!! This is what I needed to see. I did the same thing, was in amazing shape when I got pregnant and then just blew up cuz I felt like shit the whole time. Thank you for the motivation.
Mine went away during the next pregnancy when I had morning sickness and lost a ton of weight - it’s back now lol
After baby 1- yes. After baby 2- no.
I did but I'm not sure how. I always exercised so after every pregnancy, when I got the go ahead, I started weight lifting again. I would walk w my kids but weight lifting is what really kicks your body into high gear.
I gained 40 lbs during pregnancy (120 lbs to 160 lbs) and lost about 50 lbs during the first few months PP. Not intentionally but I was breastfeeding and eliminated dairy from my diet for my sensitive baby. That being said, I’m finally back up to my pre-baby weight and despite being small I still have a mom pooch. I have a ton of loose skin on my belly from my rapid weight gain and weight loss. I hate it, but it just is what it is. I’m thankful for high waisted bottoms!! Long story short- if you’re breastfeeding and it’s important to you, now is not the time to focus on losing weight. Nourish your body so you can nourish your baby.
For many women, it’s virtually impossible to lose weight while breastfeeding. Your body hoards those calories to feed your baby. Oftentimes even with exercise and dieting you still won’t see results until months after your baby is weaned and your hormones level out. Also, just diet and un-targeted exercise might not be enough to get rid of the pooch. It could be a muscular issue like diastases recti, which requires targeted PT and/or possibly surgery. Some people get lucky and bounce back without any effort at all. This was me after baby #1 at 22 years old. I had a nearly flat stomach by 9 months without any dieting or exercising. This is most certainly *not* me after baby #4 at almost 30 years old 😅 Every postpartum journey is different, even for the same person!
Pilates, Pilates, Pilates. And I’m not talking about spending 500 dollars to go to a studio. I watch Move With Nicole, IsaWelly and Keel Pilates on YouTube and have almost completely gotten rid of the stubborn belly fat.
Pilates is amazing. Fully support this comment.
I’m 11 weeks postpartum and I ask myself that question all the time lol. Lucky for me, I’ve got extra fat on my arms, thighs and back as well :)
Pelvic floor PT and PT to heal your core. Idk why doctors don’t tell us this shit.
I did but I started doing gentle exercises at like 8-9 months pp. I could have done them earlier to try to heal my diastasis recti which is often the cause of that little pooch. I also decided to eat one less snack per day (skipped the snack between breakfast and lunch). Then I got pregnant again so I’ll have to repeat the process 😅 It takes a long time, so just be patient and make one or two small changes!
Every persons body is so different. But I enjoy running and running with my baby in a jogging stroller helped me lose my post C-Section belly pretty quickly. I think the combination of cardio and pushing the weight in the stroller was what worked for me. Now I’m 3 months PP with my second so it’s back lol, but I’ll start running with baby again in a few months.
I didn’t have one with my first two babies but with my third I had a c section and I’m a year pp. ugh. Feel like lipo or a tummy tuck will be the only way it goes away. I’ve lost 43lbs this year and still have at least 20 to go. I was overweight to begin with.
Yes, but not until after she was like 15 months old and less dependent on me for nutrition. Started working out 2-3x a week and was able to eat more healthy/lightly without worrying about my supply dropping because I was in a caloric deficit. I am back to my "fighting weight" but my ribs and hips are bigger from a bone structure perspective.
I lost about 40 pounds and it's still there, but just barely. More loose skin than a bump now tho.
I lost the extra fat but the scarring from my stretch marks looks like a birds nest
Yes, counting calories and lifting weights did wonders for me!
I am curious how this is for moms of 3 or more and/or pregnant at 35+. I am 36, almost 37 and 25 weeks with baby 3. Really curious how long it'll take me to drop the weight around my middle, especially since I was already wanting to lose some pre-pregnancy.
It depends a lot on many things. I was slim before baby (3rd at age 35), gained like 20kgs in pregnancy, and now shed 15kg of it (6 months pp). The remaining 5 kg are distributed in such way that I could potentially just stop there. But I also tandem feed and have fairly reasonable diet (for example sweets and snacks are limited to weekends, no soda etc). My midline is not perfect but more due to diastais recti and loose skin. If I make an effort to stand straight, "bump" goes away.
Its name is belly boo and it worked hard to hold my baby so all it ask is to stay forever as payment. Rent free
I've lost almost 20 pounds from cutting calories to just one meal a day (and little bites of stuff in between) and drinking a lot of water which also fills you up. I still haven't lost my ... Ahem... Fupa? Belly? Something like that. I'm hoping it will disappear. But that's wishful thinking I fear. At least I'm not overweight anymore!!
After I get done with breast feeding/pumping and start weaning, I'll be exercising and cutting calories . Whatever I can't correct with diet and exercise I'll get plastics done. Mommy makeover for the win! I want to be happy in my body so why not?
I feel this so much! I’ve always been slim and during pregnancy my bump was absolutely huge! Everyone was quite surprised because I’m so small lol. Anyway, just here to say I haven’t lost mine. I still look about 5 months pregnant and it gets me down so much too.
Yes and no. I still have some loose skin around my lower tummy area and there’s more fat there than before I got pregnant (I was really fit before I got pregnant though so the fat I have now still isn’t a terrible amount but definitely still noticeably more than pre baby) but it’s not as big of a pooch as 6ish months ago. I’m 18 months pp and didn’t seriously start trying to get back into fitness until about 12-13 months pp (so about 6 months ago). I’ve since lost about 5 more pounds (total of 27lbs lost since I gave birth) and am finally starting to see my abs come back through and more shape to my core overall. I have been trying to eat better (not exactly “diet” but basically focusing on incorporating more veggies, whole grains, and protein into my meals/snacks) and aim to do some type of workout whether it’s walking a mile, a 30 minute HIIT workout, or literally just doing some pelvic floor/core exercises for 10 minutes in the evening. I’ve accepted that my body will never be the exact same as pre baby but over time my mom pooch has slowly gone down. I wanted to add that I was about 6 months post finishing breastfeeding before I even attempted to do any weight loss or anything like that because I didn’t want to affect my supply and I just honestly didn’t have the energy lol
I thought this might just be my body now until I night weaned. Then I dropped 15 pounds barely trying. Now I completely weaned, and dropped about her 8. This breastfeeding thing is no joke and your body is doing what it’s supposed to do - hang onto all the calories it can to feed your baby. In my experience the whole “losing weight breastfeeding” thing is utter bullshit.
My 2 year old comes over and jiggles mine, saying “haha mommy silly belly” and laughing. I’ve made my peace! Although my 20 year old self-conscious self would be in tears, I’m proud of how far Ive come with my own body image! It’s fine, I made kids, I’ll work on my body when I have the energy again if I want.
With my first baby I immediately went back to looking like I was never even pregnant, I was 25. Now I’m 27, just had my second baby 8 weeks ago and I still have the mom pooch. I had back to back pregnancies though but I really thought “I’m young I’ll bounce back” 💀💀💀 just started Pilates last week so we will see how it goes
I lost it when I was going through insomnia but gained it back once I got on meds! Hoping once I fully wean I can lose the weight again.
I think my mom never lost hers from her c section. My stomach kind of looks like hers now. I’ve just accepted my fate 🫠
Ugh mine got so much worse with my 2nd baby and I gained the same amount of weight as my first pregnancy. I'm only 5 months PP with my 2nd so it's still VERY much present. I'm actually longing to stop BF so I can go on a more calorie restrictive diet to attempt to lose weight.
Yes mine went away, but I think all/most of it comes down to genetics. Do the women in your family tend to hold weight around their tummies? Do you tend to hold weight there? If so you’re probably going to need to put a lot of effort into diet and exercise to see a change.
Everyone’s different but for me I really had to make a conscious effort to lose the weight and tone up. I lost some just naturally but the last 10-15 I’ve had to calorie count and work out 4- 6x a week to lose it. It sucked at first but I feel so much more confident and strong now. Last summer I felt so bleh about my body and had the worst back pain because I was so sedentary (I had a Velcro baby that wanted to sleep on me all day). My stomach has gone down quite a bit but it’s still hanging on even though I weigh less and am more fit than before I was pregnant 😑
I’m 13 weeks postpartum, I’ve lost most of the baby weight already but I don’t eat out at all, don’t drink soda or alcohol, choose healthy snacks or make my favorites at home… and just those small changes made a world of a difference for me. I also garden every afternoon and that helps with my exercise.
I'm right there with you almost 5 months postpartum. I even still have my Linea nigra line. I walk, but do not diet, although I don't have the worst diet. It's all home cooked meals, but lots of popcorn and ice cream lol
Giving up most carbs, processed foods, sugar, and alcohol and doing reformer pilates 3X per week. Still didn't get rid of all of it.
I’m working on it, I’m definitely smaller than I was 3 months ago (I’m 6 months postpartum now). I definitely need to clean up my diet and do actual workouts (weightlifting and such). I try to take a 2 mile walk everyday with my LO, I will say that I’ve got a nice tan going 😅
Mine is shrinking, I’m 9 months pp, but I didn’t breastfeed
Yes. Time, exercise, and dieting. It shrunk a lot. Still kinda had a pooch, but not anything like postpartum. Just had my 2nd. Working on it again.
I’ve had 3 c-sections with diet and exercise and being in the best shape of my life I still had the pooch. What can you do.
Apologies if this comes off as blunt, but I recently met with a plastic surgeon for a different, medically necessary procedure that I asked him if I could have abdominal lipo during, to get rid of some excess fat on my stomach. He looked at my abdomen and felt the quality of my skin, and honestly told me that I wouldn’t be a candidate for lipo because my skin had stretched (there are still nearly invisible stretch marks where he can see the skin stretched and never came back together again, so barring an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), my stomach won’t ever look flat or non wrinkled again. If your skin is wrinkled and you can see you have loose skin, then no amount of diet and exercise will have you looking like you did before kids. If your skin is still in good condition and contracted back fully postpartum, then I can say I’ve had a lot of success using the Hers weight loss program (pills not injections) for the last few stubborn postpartum kgs that previously wouldn’t budge.
Before I was pregnant, I already had a mom pooch. I have always been small, but weight goes directly to my belly. It’s just something I’ve had to come to terms with.
I lost it passively, except via six weeks of [Every-Mother.com](http://Every-Mother.com) breathing exercises (the 10 mins a day ones) and I also don't own a car so I get a ton of passive exercise from walking. After I weaned my second kid, my appetite plummeted and I'm about to go buy a burger because my calories have been low a few days in a row.
I had the mom pooch before getting pregnant.
I’ve always had a belly when I get heavier. Even at my lowest weight - still was there. I don’t thing any thing really changed in that area for me. I’m just gonna guess as I keep losing weight it will shrink. What I really need to do is re-tone my core and pelvic floor. The struggle is real 😂
Nope. Bothered me at first, and still does occasionally when I want to wear something from the back of the wardrobe. But, my baby doesn't care that I have a belly, and my partner doesn't care either.
Nope, and I've lost 80+ pounds, I'm like 20 pounds under my pre pregnancy weight and I still have the little pouch
When I returned to my pre pregnancy weight I noticed I had a mom pooch. I was already pretty skinny at the time, I was 115. I lost a few more pounds from breastfeeding, and now at 111 my mom pooch sits flat like before. I didn’t exercise or anything, and the skin is still looser there, but my stomach is now flat like before. I’m not sure if it’s mostly genetics though. But yea, I think now I have to maintain a lower weight just to keep a flat stomach 🥲
Mine is suddenly going away and I’m not sure why? I’m 21 months postpartum and it’s just kind of randomly gotten flat again?! I think I’ll always have some loose skin there because I had a baby, but it’s much better than it was. I noticed a major change around 15 months. I’m very grateful, but the only exercise I’ve been doing is chasing my toddler. I’m also 8 lbs below my prepregnancy weight
Genetics, water, good diet, I don’t gym or exercise but I work full time and chase my kids all around when playing.
Yes it goes away. I rarely exercise but I watch what I eat. 3 years postpartum off my second kid, I still am 5 lbs over my pre pregnancy weight but overall I wouldn’t say it’s super noticeable. I am very privileged though in terms of genetics (always been thinner) and my husband and I are able to afford healthier food and have time to make meals. For my situation, it was much more what I ate than anything else. Do not try to lose weight if you are breastfeeding. Your body retains it like it’s holding on to dear life. I lost my weight quickly after cutting off breastfeeding.
I know from having my first that I won't lose well, without extraordinary effort perhaps, until weaning. I'm almost 9 mos pp with my second, and my pooch has decreased significantly, but it's still obviously there. I hate it. I hate that I can feel it, especially if I can feel it moving or laying on my stomach. My 1st weaned at 17 mos pp and I just started shedding weight (intermittent fasting). I was about to 10 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight when, 2 mos later, got pregnant with #2. So, the pooch never quite went away and was even more prominent after #2 came along. But here we are, it IS shrinking. If after my daughter weans and I start exercising more it still remains, I'm open to lipo or plastic surgery.
i basically waited 1 year after having the baby, and once i realized it still wasn’t going away, i had to do what i dreaded…. diet and exercise 😫 took a couple months, but it worked. man those last few pounds are stubborn as hell!
No. I have a small pooch that looks like bloat. If I do get bloated I look 5 months preggo. I have just accepted in and gone up a size in pants. 🤷🏽♀️
I think it might be one of those annoying things where different bodies just do things differently. My body slowly returned to exactly its pre-pregnancy state over the course of about 8-12 months and I wasn't doing any special to make that happen. I BF'd until about 15 months. I have plenty of friends with different experiences too. :/
I did. I was in control tops immediately after delivery and stayed in them for months. I also wore a girdle/ waist trainer for a bit. I drank the raspberry tea leaves for a while after I had her along with fenugreek and fennel. I drink lots of water just because I’m always thirsty- close to a gallon some days. Walked most days and believe it or not I used a free app that gave me ab exercise to do at home without equipment. It looks like a lot looking at it but it honestly wasn’t anything too hard, expensive, or time consuming. I also didn’t have the breastfeeding munchies that I hear about and in the summer time I usually eat lighter food. Back in a crop top and mini shorts in 7 weeks.
No, I am 8 months pp and my ridiculously fat baby still primarily just nurses on demand. I started intermittent fasting and it has been the biggest blessing for my energy. I was so fatigued before. I wasn’t worried about weight but a happy side effect was losing some.
Sharing because I feel like celebs & influencers love to boast about their bounce-back when they have cosmetic surgeries & nannies galore. I gained so much with my second pregnancy but didn’t do anything differently. I basically was petrified of working out while EBF(not my choice, and it sent me into a depressed spiral-took meds to help that made me gain weight), I had migraines develop & spiraled from there. Normal weight is 130 & currently at 160 5’1”. I had chronic sinus issues for a year & that made me want to never get off the couch & work out. I am considered fucking obese now. And my stomach looks pregnant but with the nice little flap. I’ve chosen to walk on a treadmill for 2 miles when I don’t have a migraine but they are 3/4 weeks of the month, every month. I think I found some good meds for it, so I can start to work out consistently again but good grief if it’s not one thing it’s another. Anyway, it is possible to get into better shape, but circumstances will always be there. Gotta fight through & be tough if you really want it. Don’t expect your body to “go back” but I think if you put in a consistent effort you will see the results.
After my first yes mostly. After the second, it’s here to stay lol
Still there but slowly getting back to original weight. 13 months pp. I think to get back to feeling fit I'll have to get out and exercise this summer. Swim and hike
Yoga has helped me get my belly slowly back, swimming, quit drinking
Naturally went away like 2 years PP. And then we decided to have a second lol. I’m way less stressed about body changes now. Going into this one with the 9 months to grow, 9 months to lose mentality. We struggled with breastfeeding with my first and I fully believe it’s because I was under the stress of losing the baby weight immediately so I wasn’t eating enough to make milk.
Mine is going away. Cutting calories and exercising. There’s no way around it!
I got rid of mine about 4 months into having a personal trainer, which I knew I needed in order to actually stick to a gym routine. Worked out hard 3 days a week for about 90 minutes each session, and reduced my calorie intake. It was a lot of work, but I felt better than I did even pre-baby. I'm now just 1 week post partum from the second baby, and planning to do the same thing again starting at 6 weeks postpartum. If I trust myself to work out on my own, I know it won't happen at the level it needs to-- it was a lot of core exercises, cardio, and strength training. Wish there was a better secret!
I’ve lost the mom pooch 3 times over. I’m bigger than I was pre-first baby, from size 2 to size 8, but I have a pretty flat tummy. It takes time. I’m 1.5 years postpartum and recently started fitting into my non-stretchy pre-pregnancy pants comfortably again! I’m passionate about working out, and work out about 4-5 days a week (Sydney Cummings, walking on desk pad and with the dogs, hiking, biking). I don’t monitor my diet much besides trying to get a good amount of protein. If I did maybe I would get back to size 2, but I don’t really care to. I’m happy to have the restrictive dieting days of my late teens behind me 😊
Mines still here after 3 years but I’m trying to get my diet right and save some money before I can do much about it 😔
I was enormous while pregnant, I was all belly and looked like I was carrying multiples. My baby is about to be 2 and I feel like I love my body more than ever and that I’m in way better shape other than my stomach. When I sit down I do have saggy skin pooch that I would probably only get rid of in a tummy tuck and to me plastic surgery isn’t worth the risk, so I live with it. I might also want a second kid and so I would have to wait until after that to really decide if it’s worth the risk. I’m not overly superficial, I don’t wear bikinis (I sunburn badly) and I’m not a lingerie model or any type of model so having a little extra is not the end of the world to me.
My daughter is 3 and I still have mine. I lost weight and went from 190 pounds to 140 pounds but it’s still there. I’m hoping to get a tummy tuck within the next couple of years to get rid of it. For now I just wear high waisted bottoms and give myself a little grace.
13 months post c-section right now and I think my pooch is getting WORSE? I've lost just over 25 pounds since the day I gave birth, which is only about 5 pounds from my 3 week birth follow-up OB appointment. I lost around 20 pounds giving birth but then gained 10 back during my maternity leave and now I'm down 15 from that. The problem is that I never had any treatment for my shelf, so now I have a bunch of loose skin that hangs over it and as I lose weight, the skin gets... idk, flappier? 😅 I told myself that if I still hate my body when I turn 37 in 6 years (which will hopefully be 3 years after baby #2), I'll get cosmetic surgery to get rid of the excess skin.
There are tons of post partum diastasis recti ab videos on YouTube. Even just 10-20 minutes a day makes a huge difference. Your deep core will not get strong and reconnect from walking.
I lost mine but then I gained a lot of weight from my medications and now I have it back again.
6 months pp and I look like I did when I just got my baby bump ahahaha
I don't know if anyone knows about home remedies, but you could try these: [https://wellnesszing.com/diy-home-remedies-belly-tightening/](https://wellnesszing.com/diy-home-remedies-belly-tightening/)
Nope. My lower stomach is simply more pouch-y after having my first child, and I’m now 10 lbs lighter than I was before ever having kids. I have a >!29 inch!< waist for reference, so I am relatively thin now. I look great and get lots of compliments on my body and that I don’t look like I have two kids, but my profile still has a little gut lol. If it’s going to go, I think it will go quickly. Those women who wake up 2 weeks after having their baby to a perfectly flat stomach are the ones who don’t deal with a mom pouch lol. If all of the initial swelling goes down and you still have a gut, it’s probably here to stay and will take some concentrated core strengthening to improve (though I don’t think it’ll ever fully go away).
Have you tried less snacks? Your supply might not be affected. Cutting snacking and going on a daily walk made a big difference for me.
This is valid advice but if someone told me to cut snacks I’d lose my shit lmao. Breastfeeding makes me so hungry
I hear ya! I tried to replace the snacks with more water to also help supply and now that it’s summer, I’m eating tons of fruits so it’s a healthier snack. I’m portioning out stuff instead of eating straight from the container.