I’m a new Mommy, I gave birth by cesarean section a little over a week ago and up until now my biggest worry was if my stretch marks would fade but now I’m noticing that my skin is VERY saggy. I am only 20 years old and my tummy looks just as awful as my mom’s after two babies. Is there any chance the skin will bounce back and not sag?
Updated here.
oh, hun you gotta give it some time. The skin will draw right back up I’m sure but it will take a few months at least. I still looked good and pregnant a month after I had my baby. And I stayed looking about 5 months pregnant for a few months after that. It takes nine months to get it that way and at least that long to get it back (usually).
ok, so I don’t mean to discount your feelings because I felt the same way. I had a 10 pound baby and needless to say my belly didnt look as good as yours! It has only been a week for you! Please do not even THINK about it for at least another 6 months. Every day your belly will look better and better. If your that worried, wait the recommended 6 weeks or whatever and take your little one on walks. One day you will wake up and it will be flat! It took me about 9 months to get mine flat but it will happen. And in the mean time focus on your little angel :). Good luck!
Wow, that is like looking in a mirror.. I am 21 and am having a hard time too.. My c-section was almost 5 months ago. It is definitely tough but we are beautiful though :) I just think of it as totally being worth it. Battle scars if you will lol. You are beautiful.
time to time, only a week i looked a lot worst… you have the navel perfect and stretchmarks become lighter everymonth!! so be patient… you can see mine “all you can be happy…”
The volume will decrease a lot everymonth… with caessarean we have belly’s inflated, its a big operation, you look totally normal for one week!!! now you have to rest and wait for time…you will see it become more better.
again sorry my mi8stakes, i’m spanish!!
It WILL go down. Mine seemed to take forever – I think it takes longer after a c section ( I had one too). I agree with Healthnut Mama, give yourself some time with your baby before worrying about your belly, it gets better everyday – promise.
You are so brave taking pics of yourself 1 week pp! Maybe you’ll be encouraged at the progress if you keep taking pics every other week. You’ll DEFINITELY see it going down. I would say all the way up until your child is 18 months old.
Honey, don’t be so hard on yourself. You are only one week post partem! It will start to disappear. Just think about what your body has been through. Your stomach and skin has been stretched out over a period of 9 months and then you had surgery! Its going to take more than a week for it to go down, but it WILL go down and your stretch marks will start to lighten up.
I am 21 years old and looked a lot like you after I had my little one. Hang in there. Once you’re feeling better and your baby becomes a little more active your figure will change even more.
At one week postpartum your uterus isn’t even back to it’s original size. That’s not all belly you’re seeing, it’s mostly your uterus at this point. Just have patience. You look great :)
9 months in, 9 months out. Really, it will all change. I had a c-section as well and thought I would never fit into regular (non-maternity) clothes again!! Eat well, take walks with your baby, and you will be amazed at how much things change.
I just had my second child 6 weeks ago and my stomach is the same way. (c-section of course.) It was the same after my first as well. It takes a long time (unfortunately) but it does go down…Im not happy with how I look right now either, but I know that time makes a HUGE difference!
oh darlin, don’t worry :) it’ll go. Like another said, at one week your uterus hasn’t even completely returned to normal size, so that’s ‘poking out’.
You’ll be amazed, and its probably a good thing you took this because its sometimes hard to see the change when you’re seeing it day to day. But pull this out 6 months from now and you’ll see the difference!
I had a c-section, and I do have some sag (right where that incision is, you’ll always probably have a teeny bit there) but I also lost a bunch of weight a couple of years after, so some of it is from that.
It just takes time for your uterus to contract back down, and then for the stomach muscles to regain some strength, ESPECIALLY after you’ve had them cut with a csection!
It’ll get better :)
I ditto everyone’s sentiments. Don’t stress right now. You are only a week postpartum! Jeez, two years later, I’m still losing weight! Give it time, try not to concentrate on your body. It isn’t your new body yet. (If only I’d known that! After giving birth to my daughter, I threw away all of my size A bras, thinking I’d stay in Bs–that makes sense, right?–but now I’m back in As and I need to buy bras!–Same with size small shirts and size 5 jeans *sigh* –point is, it is not your new body yet. Give it time. Your body changes every day!!!)
Wow! As PP said, that IS like looking in the mirror. After my first son I looked the same way and I had him vaginally. My tummy bounced back so fast. Don’t worry about it at all. You’re doing so awesome.
oh sweetie, it will get better. i had a c section two years ago. i looked just like you. i won’t lie, it doesn’t disappear, but it will get a lot better. my stretch marks are still visible but they are skin color. being a mommy is worth it all! :)
Pingback:6 weeks postpartum (Anonymous) | The Shape of a Mother
Gollyat six weeks post I looked like I was going to deliver twins, 16 months and the pouch is there but less. I am still breastfeeding, stretchies on my butt, legs, boobs, and probably some lurking on my scalp (as I have them everywhere else). Clothed you can hardly tell, naked another story, funnily enough I am not distressed by it maybe it takes time to get used to it, or your mother pride takes over.
I wouldn’t worry about it. I looked just like that one week PP. You look puffy because your uterus still hasn’t contracted all the way from having a baby. Give it time, it will snap back.