I got pregnant at the age of 19, I was skinny all throughout my teens until i hit 18 where it started to pile on. Pregnancy made me gain a silly amount of weight.
I’ve never exercised and I didn’t want to start whilst pregnant. After having my beautiful daughter I was left with a lot of excess skin around my tummy and my body is covered in stretch marks. I don’t mind the stretch marks though, to me they’re just as natural as freckles. But the excess skin has made me so conscious about myself. I have to wear long shirts to cover it all the time and it makes me cry when I look in the mirror. I guess I just want reassurance that with time & work it will tighten?
for sure with time and some healthyeating & excersice crunches etc would do it! try tony horton 10 minute trainer! love it!
I’m in the same boat! I wish I could offer reassurance, because I too, am looking for the same. By the way, you have amazing curves, and you should love them!
Hi Catherine, I’m 4 months P.P and ready to start working on my mummy tummy too. Here are some previous posts on SOAM that give me hope!: https://theshapeofamother.com/blog/what-6-months-of-weight-training-can-do-ashley/
https://theshapeofamother.com/blog/45-pounds-up-40-pounds-down-learning-to-love-my-new-body-saggy-skin-and-all-ruth/
Good luck!
A lot of people will say that loose skin always stays which was really depressing for me to hear and think after I had my twins. Despite feeling like my belly would never change I decided I really wanted to enjoy my body again and I started dancing, doing yoga, swimming and going on long walks – all things I really love to do and did before babies. My diet has also become really clean and fresh just because that is what makes me feel good. And now I won’t say that my belly looks like it did before. The stretch marks will never entirely disappear and when I lean forward you can see my skin is loose. But hey, I read on a post here that there aren’t that many people you will be leaning forward naked over and when you are he will probably have something else on his mind! Seriously though, my body was totally changed by my pregnancies and years of neglecting it to look after babies. I put on heaps of weight, got lots of stretchmarks and loose twin skin, had a muscle split more than four fingers wide (so my belly had a weird dip in the middle), acquired a caesarean scar and just became generally unfit. I felt terrible about myself. Now my belly looks pretty good and I happily wear a bikini in public and I feel pretty fit and sexy even though my body isn’t perfect. I have really learned that my body responds to love and attention. I chose not to be motivated by hating and wanting to change myself but by wanting to be as good to myself as I could. Good luck with your journey.
I feel the same.also and our body are very very similar when some them I felt.like.it was.me!im 20 and its hard bieng like this and I have a child. Almost 2yr old!
NO crunches! Look up diastasis recti and Julie tupler. Mine was similar but worse than yours, now better after 2 months of doing that technique kind of half-assed bc I work and have 2 kids, and I’m older, fatter, and further postpartum than you. My stomach still looks weird but not like a giant deflated butt, and it keeps improving. Its an injury, not just a vanity thing, and this can help you heal. But crunches & pushups make it worse.
Hi Catherine,
My stomach looked very similar to yours after the birth of my first child when I was 33. I was unable to commit much time to exercise until she turned 1 or so, but I did eventually get back into an exercise routine. I also gradually cut back on processed foods and got back into healthier eating. It took about 12 months but my tummy started looking a lot better. Now I am pregnant with my second baby and know what to expect after the birth. I know that I can gain some control back over how I look, you just need patience. Nothing happens overnight! Having that baby in your life is just the best and worth every flabby fold. Good luck. XX
Check out different clothes. As lame as it sounds, I love elastic waist bands – whether on pants or skirts. It sounds lazy, but the point is to make my curves smooth. It works!! I am able to wear some of the tighter shirts that I would not be able to if I was wearing tight jeans.