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Navigating Midlife with Coffee and Hot Flashes

The Fucking C-Section Shelf Pooch

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Screen Shot 2013-09-15 at 11.15.55 PMIt’s all their faults, the fuckers. 2 C-sections. Now I have this THING. Granted, I’m on the fat side. But it’s so concentrated in my lower belly above my scar it’s strange looking! (That is NOT my belly…mine is bigger)

What is this gigantic thing hanging from my body?

Before kids I had a butt, but my waist was ridiculously small and I had no tummy. My mom used to have to take in my jeans at the waist. My whole family has big butts and small waists and chests. Then I got pregnant and gained 65 points with my first kid (I actually came out of the hospital weighing more than when I went in to give birth and never took a pound off). Every pound was in my stomach.

For years, people asked when I was due. When I got pregnant again, I gained weight all over, and kept those pounds too. Now I don’t look as pregnant, just fat (though since my stomach sticks out way more than my boobs I can still pass for preggers). It’s all my kid’s fault.

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I don’t like being fat, but really, the worst part is where I’m fat. That lower stomach shelf is gross.

3 out of my 4 friends who had twins had their “twin skin” fixed in a tummy tuck. But I have twinskin x 10 mixed with fat. I’m sure if I lost weight, some would go away. But the Dr. says I make scar tissue like a factory, and supposedly my stomach muscles were damaged and I had a small hernia. But from my research, without surgery, this doesn’t go away. Even for skinny people.

For years, I wore spanx (click here to read about some “spanxidents”) but now I just try to dress to cover it, because those spanx would roll down and cut right into the damn scar that still hurts after 8 years. My underwear do that already, that’s enough.

So if there was one thing I could change about myself, that would be it.

How about you? Have you found anything to combat the dreaded c-section shelf? Any tricks to hide it? Exercises? (Who am I kidding, I need to lose 70 pounds before exercise could get near that area with results). Share with the group!

 

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  1. Good Lord woman, it’s like you were telling my story of my lovely c-section tummy! With my first baby, I didn’t have a c-section, and pretty much gained weight everywhere, which I’m fully accountable for, as I took it upon myself to eat everything I could. Seriously, I found out I was pregnant and got hungry…no morning sickness for this girl. When I got pregnant again, 9 months after my first was born, I found out it was twins, and no, I hadn’t lost all of the 80 pounds I gained the first time around. Yep, double whammy. It also didn’t help that they were giant babies (almost 7 and just over 8 lbs…thanks hubby!) so I had the lovely option of a c-section. I love my boys, but they left an ever lasting tummy pouch. I’ve actually managed to get back to the weight I was before kids (which is no where near skinny, another 20 pounds and I’d be close to my “target weight”), but that damn pouch kills me. I constantly suck it in, pull it tight, lift it up, everything gross, just to see what I would look like without it. I’m pretty sure I would be a size smaller without that stupid thing. I even did kickboxing for a while, and it took inches away every where but my stomach. If I ever managed to lose the last 20-30 pounds, I would definitely reward myself with a tummy tuck. For the time being, I just wear those stupid sucker-inner tanks, and that gives me enough of an illusion to think it’s gone, even though they’re uncomfortable and make me sweat 🙂

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    • If I lose the 70 pounds? I’m getting that shit tucked too. But considering I just shoved chocolate in my mouth again, it’s not gonna happen.

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      • There are these Body wraps that are called It Works ;; you’ve probably herd of it.
        But you can wrap yourself anywhere you want and basically it shrinks your fat within 24 hours + also it helps more with the more wraps you do in the same area!
        I’ve used them a couple time although I didn’t have dramatic results I could definitely tell a difference !!

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      • Well ladies…I hate to tell you that the only way to get rid of C-shelf is though surgery. I’m 71 and still have mine. My daughters are 11 months apart …both born in 1976 (January and December). The first was an emergency C section as she was stuck under my ribs. The second was too close to the first to do anything but a c section. The first was a botched up job that left tons of scar tissue which just compounded the C-shelf. That and 65 pounds extra each.
        Ok so that’s the background. I lost the weight but never the shelf. I looked into surgery and they actually wanted to move where my belly button was. NO WAY I said. and so I live with it.
        I do wear spanx but I found a trick that keeps them up. I buy high waisted spanx and bought large snaps. I sewed 4 (front, back, left, right) on each pair of spanx and sewed the other half of the snap onto my bras. Holds them up great and it much more comfortable. It takes a little longer to get them off when I have to pee, but for me, it’s worth it.
        As far as the C-shelf….well I named it George. No reason just seemed to fit.

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    • So what’s the deal, Ana? I ain’t readin’ through 5 years of fine print on my phone to find out whether or not you found panties that don’t have the “reminder roll down”. That being of course the lovely magic trick when your csec skin makes half of your panties disappear into it’s fold(s). Three words GAF fucking tape.

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  2. The fat build up is not because your c section, it’s because that’s where you carry your excess fat or you’re body does, same difference. I had the same issue, your body’s fat makes the scar tissue expand and the more weight you put on the more trouble you have. The only way to get rid of it, is to change your diet and get active. Don’t blame the baby weight and stop making excuses. (I was guilty of it too!) Light exercise is healthy when you’re pregnant, and I wish I would of done more to keep the weight off myself. Get motivated and get moving or you’ll never change. If you want it bad enough, you’ll achieve it even with the pain. (They won’t operate on the hernia if you are over certain weight, unless it’s life threatening.)

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      • I didn’t either but having a baby changes your body in more ways then one. Even skinny people, which I was before I got preggers. A common problem is after carrying a baby around for 35-40 weeks your posture changes. If you don’t stand correctly the fat will pull in certain areas, gravity’s nasty trick. Correcting you’re posture will help but a healthy diet and exercise is the only way to get rid of it.

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        • Get rid of it ????!!! Are you kidding me? I workout every day some how or another. Every other day I do the ab crunch machine at my gym. I do cardio for at least 30 minutes a day. I have job where I never stop moving and I still after 18 years cannot figure out how to dress without that pooch sticking out. The more I work my abs, the upper are toned and defined but the bottom dead ass ab tissue , which by the way is hard as a rock, sticks out farther. I look terrible no matter what I wear. I hate hate, HATE it. Short of surgery, I am convinced it is never going away.

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          • There is no way to get rid of it short of surgery. Even after loosing so much weight that people thought I was ill, the pooch is still there. Its smaller, but its still there–like having an extra butt in the front of your body. Exercise does help–but you will NEVER get rid of it. I have had mine for over 30 years! I exercise every day–run races–kick box–stomach crunch–eat a nutritionally good diet recommended to me by a personal trainer and doctor and guess what, ladies–its still there–a part of my history–a reminder that I am a mother! I still wear a size 6 jean–I used to wear a 4–but the pooch takes up that extra space. Oh well. There are worse things to worry about. The trick is to get yourself some nice higher rise jeans that will camouflage–hipster jeans just make a muffin out of it and it looks as if you have overeaten or are overweight.

          • I totally agree with you, I was told exercise is not the answer it will not go away.

          • If u had insurance for the section THEY NEED TO PAY FOR THE MUTILATION!!!! I FUCKING HATE! THIS SHITTY SCAR THE DOCTOR GAVE ME!! THE BASTARDS!!!!! Im mutilated! FUCK!.I;m skinny or normal weight and this shit shelf sags over like a limp squid!..I HATE IT!….god damn it!…I finally found others who have been damaged mentally from this stupid shit shelf.I did gymnastic for years and had abs until the second c section for a uterus removal.I told the doctor to tighten the smile line and then he fucking damaged it even more! its worse than beforeeeee! shit!I NEVER WENT BACK.

          • I use a waist trainer to hide my belly pouch. Make sure it fits right, or you won’t be able to breath . I can wear anything now, ?

        • I had a c-section with my first child I was 5’2″ and weighed 140 lbs. I gained 18 lbs, she weighed 9.5 lbs. My second pregnancy was high risk with twins I was 34. I again had a c-section. I gained 21 lbs. with the twins and they weighed 6.15 and 7.5. So, two c sections and on the same scar. I have a flap. Darci your telling my story…I had put on weight and then lost. Its not necessarily that my fat is accumulated there, but the flap of skin. It looks horrible when I lose weight and when wearing jeans looks like a butt in the front…I hate it and spanx does help but becomes uncomfortable because it rolls. I exercise and I am now 54…still a flap. I spoke to a plastic surgeon who said the only way to get rid of it is a tummy tuck. Why did they start doing the bikini cut? I hate it I would have rather had a up and own scar..

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          • I hear ya!.why a bikini cut if its gonna give u a damn flap?.Im 51.I’m seriously going to have someone cut this thing off..We all can get whats called a mini tuck…its more like a repair than a tuck

          • Lol up and down is no better I’ve had both 3 up and down c and one bikini cut for a hysterectomy.
            And thanks to my c section I have this fugly belly flap that is lopsided . One side hangs lower then the other !

          • I am 54 too. I had one boy, he is 26 now. I exercise, and am a little over weight, but nothing a diet won’t take off. I exercise at the gym. When I don’t go to the gym, I exercise at home, ( P90X or Ballet Body.) The damn pouch has been there for 26 years! When I got my lips voluminized I talked to the plastic surgeon, the only option is a Tummy tuck, and that is 10,000$. I seriously hate it.I feel the doctors who make the cut can do the tuck, but they don’t care how women feel. This is ridiculous.

        • Anyone who says preggers pushes the pyramid scheme narrative…put ur lulu (camel) toe leggings on And go to ur me time classes- for those of us with multiple cuts to our abdomens, 2 jobs, school, businesses (that we ACTUALLY own Not the pyramid ish again) and , all those household mom jobs we acquire with the damn scar …WE don’t say preggers and we wanna go fund me for the mommy makeover (or is that what “fans only” is for??)

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      • I had 3 c sections before i had an athletic body now my body is back but i have that fat. But those waist trainers are helping. Not the waist trainers at walmart. Im talking about online. The rel tight ones. I use that when i work out when im out in about. Sometimes i sleep in it. Im seeing a change.

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        • What brand of waist trainer? I had my 2nd c-section 6yrs ago got down to 130 which was my prebaby weight 13yrs ago. I bought a waist trainer that said it was latex its lost it shape .

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    • i have had 2 c sections im only 18 and i got that pouch too my husband says he doesnt care but i do and i had diabetes i did alot of exercise and eat well in the 2nd pregancy but i still cant lose the weight exercise doesnt help! i am small just my tummy sticks out and im sick of it. best thing is to get over it and eat healthy and do usual exercise it aint going anywhere!

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    • I don’t believe its where we carry the Fat. I had a normal delivery with my 1st child and everything went back to normal, my stomach was flat. With 2nd a C section went back down to pre pregnancy weight (115) but the scar has made a shelf. No matter what it has deformed my body. Clothes do not fit normally any more, and if I do put on a few pounds it all goes to that shelf. They should do tummy tucks instead of just closing you up. The beauty is theres no information given to you after the surgery or physical therapy to keep from forming hard scar tissue.

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      • I had 2 c sections and found it so frustrating that after any other type of surgery one goes through, there is so much information given for recovery, repair, healing etc. Yet after a c-section, which is so major, you’re basically told not to lift anything heavier than the baby for about 6 weeks. There should be more information about exercises (or do a proper tuck after the surgery!).

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      • I so agree!! I’m so glad I found this forum! I’ve tried very hard to figure out some way to make myself look better, but my first c section was 17 years ago and I look like crap when I look in the mirror. I’ve never been able to get back to my pre baby weight or size, by the way, I was a size 2 shwhen I got pregnant with my first. Now I’m about an 18. I even had a Dr tell me one time that because of all of the c sections, I’ve had 4, I’d never lose the weight. But I never lost any after the first one either. And I’ve done so many different exercise routines and diets its crazy.

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        • I’m so happy you ladies have all shared your stories! I am suffering from the EXACT same situation and I can’t stand it! The shelf makes me want to give up on working out entirely bc every time I get it down just a little, it blows back up again in no time! Its like a third boob! Can’t stand it!!! I was very fit before my C-Section. In great shape. Once a swim-suit model… Now, I can barely stand myself in a one-piece. Actually feel like I should wear a wetsuit whenever I am at the water! Arghhhhhh! SO appreciate hearing everyone thoughts… My Son is almost 3 and I fight this ‘shelf’ every day. I am presently trying to fit into an outfit for an upcoming wedding and the only reason I don’t fit is my stupid shelf! Such a bummer. Im glad the C-Section saved the Vag but this is kind torture too. Cant win! -Frustrated. ;/

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          • The first thing that bloats and swells is my damn pouch!! one weekend of restaurant eating and a few cocktails and bam the sack is back bigger than before!! Even after months of strict eating and exercise the pouch seems to have a memory. I saw a plastic surgeon and he said because the muscle has been cut, it will never be the same until it gets pulled and re-tightened surgically, which costs 6-10k and a month of painful recovery….and a hip to hip scar. I agree the cost of repairing the mutilation should be covered, (a canadian with free health care) but because this a woman’s issue, it will never happen.

      • It has been thirteen year. One child born by C section. Left telescopically surgery and the total removal of uterus, overiers and what ever, else. I exercises, I am a dancer and 51 years old. This puffy left side has altered my life. I understand, this uncontrollable demonstration of surgeon insubordination. This byproduct of allow us to patch up, cover up their
        f u c k ups. I feel your anguish. Who, has 10000 thousand dollars just laying around. I do not.

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    • Yes I’ve done the ducking in and pulling it tight. But now after 13 yrs it’s getting flatter! It’s gross and bothers me alot after my C cection. But I’ve only had one and under 100 pnds.

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    • No, actually the c-section and scar create an area of indentation, and often fat collects behind the scar itself. There are other physiological issues at hand with adhesions but I will spare you. Stop telling people they are just fat and to exercise. I am a health professional, and not only are you misinformed, but your ignorance could be upsetting to those who are already having a tough time.

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    • Nope not true my BMI is and has been under 15 and had my baby 2 mos. early. It was my 22nd abdominal surgery in the same spot and a shitty surgeon who didn’t pull the muscles and skin back in place correctly. Nothing I do helps it now..

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  3. I feel your pain!! I have had 3 c-sections. I was thin my whole life until I got pregnant,. I gained 65 pounds the first time & now have stretch marks EVERYWHERE! Places I didn’t l know people could get stretch marks, like behind my calves!? Really? I was also told that I had a hernia. How are our tummies suppose to bounce back if our stomach muscles have been pulled apart? I’ve lost weight in the almost 8 years since I’ve had my last child, but that “pouch” never goes away. I have exercised, but not consistently so maybe I haven’t’ tried hard enough. Who knows? I do wear Spanx cami’s to help disguise mine and I try to wear a lot of black as often as possible. Please let me know if you discover a way to get a flat tummy again.

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  4. Yes I too suffer from the overhang pooch. I still cant fully feel my lower abdomen-like a weird Novocain sensation but not. Anywhooo.. I am trying to lose weight myself. Just started this week. I know it wont go away-this thing that hangs. I saw my moms when she had her C section and it wont look pretty no matter what we do. I guess we could do the celeb thing and go under the knife. Honestly, when was having my son, I begged the doctor to do lypo while he was there..if he was bored of looking at my hoo-hoo. The nurses thought it was funny. My husband. Well. He was green. And I still had the fat when the doc was done. That bastard. Wait..where was I? Oh yea..the flab flap. Have to work with what we got girls. I hate spanx.. They roll up or down. Never stay in place.

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  5. So I’m kinda the skinny bitch you love to hate. ( if they only new I wasn’t so skinny, I just hide it well) I used to be a size 2/4 until I had my daughter ( by Csection) at age 21 and my son ( by Csection ) at age 31. My body TOTALLY changed after babies. Tons of stretch marks and my barely there ass took on a whole new fluffy look that I had no idea what to do with. My boobs are still non-existent and never grew a millimeter the whole time I was pregnant ( I’m a triple A!?!). I breastfeed for 4 months just because I couldn’t say good bye to them. Now my hips are wide ( for me) and I look like a pear. I struggle daily with the boob thing but I think as I’m getting older the shelf belly bothers me more and more. i’m 38 a size 6 and gravity seems to be fucking with me a lot lately. I look like I’ve two different C-section scars because I think she tried to tighten things up and it just made it look worse.
    And i hate shaving my scars! It’s a horrible feeling to be numb done there. It makes my skin crawl! Bathing suit shopping is the worst. I’m lucky enough to have a pool at home so no one has to see my weird ass belly and boobs. ……. lord help my in Ft Lauderdale- I’ll need liquid courage!

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    • I am NOT putting on a bathing suit. I’ll take a nice leisurely boat ride, thank you very much. And I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who can’t stand to touch my scar.

      By the way, you are fucking gorgeous (especially in an Ana’s Attic shirt!) and we only hate you because we’re jealous (I don’t really hate you, I promise)

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  6. Oh might I add: Skinny jeans are NOT for people that aren’t skinny. They are for skinny people whom want to look MORE skinny. I put a pair on and it was a crime scene. Seriously. All it did was highlight my fatesque appearance.

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  7. with every line i read it was confirmation that u knew me and u were DEFINITELY talking about me!!! this stupid fucking pouch is the most ANNOYING thing on my body!! and i dont believe for a second that diet and exercise will help that shit because i’m back to my pre-pregnancy weight and the damn pouch has not budged! God I was hoping that someone would have posted some miracle shit that works ( i can hope right) but alas… sigh….And whats up with that numbing weird tingling crap after so long though??? i hate feeling the scar area.. so weird…i think i’m gonna get the fat sucked out of there because evidently going under the knife is the only option i see… i too have to get bigger clothes to facilitate the pouch.. if i have to wear something i already had i just wear a long top and not zip my pants… other than that i have to bigger bigger jeans to facilitate the hanging tummy because it has taken on a life of its own. my tummy is EXACTLY like that pic…. and ALL my panties, no matter the size or shape seem to eventually fall AND STAY right in the cut!! nice stumbling on here knowing that there are others who know exactly what i’m going through

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        • I had my first son at 19 by c section, I gained 80lbs because I had pre eclampsia, he was 10 lbs, I lost about 100 lbs after I had him, had my next baby, my daughter at 23, I gained 113 lbs, she was 9 &1/2 lbs….c section number 2. I lost about 95 lbs after having her. I did gain and lose weight a few times over the yrs. Than at 38 a big surprise was baby number 3, my second son. I was in good shape when I got pregnant, I had severe pre rclamsia this time and had to deliver by c section 2wks early. I gained 95 lbs this time, baby was 10lbs 13oz. He is 14 mon now and I have 80lbs gone. With all that said, that belly flap also known as mothers apron (how sexy) has never go e away, any improvement was only minimal and it has gotten worse with each baby. I always told the Dr to lol off a pile of that skin and pull it tight, but sadly they just giggled, if only they had known how serious I was. Hell had they offered me the scalpel I would have done it myself. This is something that will not improve without surgery, on the bright side ladies now that I am almost 40, between the new cellulite, flabby inner thighs I can not seam to improve, and the ever lowering ass, I am not sure I even care much about my belly flap anymore. I never got anymore stretch marks after my first pregnancy but I guess that is because every square in of me was covered with them at that time. Luckily he gave me plenty of extra skin to accommodate the other babies! If you want it fixed, fix it before you have 10 other things that need repair as well.

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          • Omgeee Im feeling discouraged about having more children My first was natural birth my second was a csection. I hate this pouch i sometime want to cut it off myself it hurts and itch like crazy. Im excersing to get to an ideal weight in hopes that it will minimize the pouch. After listening to all the comments im not sure So im not going to get my hopes high ill just keep aiming to be healthy and fit. Im newly engaged and my fiancee wants more children how can i avoid csection 2. Im dreading pregnancy im 32 have a younger fiancee hes nine years younger than me. I have to keep it tight. What to do? Well it is good to know that im not the only one.

  8. Reading this helps me more than you know, to know that I’m not the only one. I’ve had 3 boys all through c-section with the heaviest weighing 10lbs 4oz. He was my first and that’s where it started. After him my stomach was never the same. Thanks to genetics I’m top heavy with no hips or ass. So now I have a constant mushroom top that sticks out further than my D cups. When I try to lose weight I look funny because my legs and top get small but my stomach stays the same. Not only the size but the feeling. My stomach literally feels like fat abs because the scar tissue sticks out so much. But even if I figured out how to lose my stomach my belly button is now disfigured and raised. (Fucking weird…I know). I will NEVER put on a bathing suit again & I use to do pageants. SMH I look at before pics and cry.lol So during my 2nd pregnancy, my Dr. decided to make a separate incision. (Said the previous was too low. SMH) The 1st scar ended up healing nicely and you could barely see it. But since the dumb ass Dr decided to make his own and use glue to stitch me, the scar ended up getting infected and opened up. So now I have this deformed/lop-sided scar that I HATE to touch/shave as well. I pray one day I’ll be able to afford to get it all fixed or like I tell my kids…when they grow up to be successful, they owe me.lol

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    • OMG! Tht idiot fucked my tummy too. I had splenectomy 20 years ago so i had a long horizontal scar covered with a tattoo . It was fine until the day i gave birth to Sean. (18/11/13)I told that damn doctor to leave my old
      scar alone. I told her before going in theatre to hv it cut at the bikini line. Not to touch the first scar. But she insisted to revision my scar . It didnt turn out the way i was hoping for. It all went totally wrong , infected taking 2 months to heal .
      After 2 different female doctor re-cut the wound up .there was no good news i was still infected . i then decided to see male doctor . Only hoping he could make my scar smaller !!But it was too late all damage was done……my skin was too damn gone he couldnt stitch it . I hv to let it heal naturally . Now im left with a massive scar above my vag! The doctor blamed my tattoo for all infection tht caused.
      I was a size 8uk for 12 years after the baby im a size 12/14 . My belly is ugly as u could imagine!
      At lease im quite happy tht im not the only one who hv a disgusting scar xx

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  9. I’ve been overweight in varying degrees pretty much my whole life, except that summer I was 12 1/2 and my grandma put me on a slim-fast diet, nice right? Anywhore…I never carried much excess weight in my stomach area. But then I got knocked up and I carried really low. And now, I have the overhang…but wait, the sexiness doesn’t stop there – I also have the tire roll in the middle. Not that the two are related really, at least I don’t think so.

    Now, my OB told me that they cut across muscle and if you don’t start exercising that area once you’re allowed to (which of course I didn’t), BAM, pouch!

    I think exercise can help a little, mainly strengthening your core, which also helps posture. Stand at the mirror and pull in – like you’re sucking in your gut from the navel area…when I do it, I can definitely see and feel the pouch lift. But honestly, I don’t think diet and exercise alone will completely get rid of it. Especially if you’re someone like me who has a lot to lose.

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  10. Okay, so I’ve had two c-sections. My youngest is now turning 9 years old this month. I have lost almost 16 kg in the past two years, and ALMOST have a six pack from working out almost everyday (sometimes twice a day, and existing on salad)… BUT I still have the bloody shelf. I keep saying to myself I’m not going to stop till it goes. But will it? Has anyone actually managed to get rid of it just by diet and over excessive workouts alone? Or is surgery (which I can’t afford) the only way to get a flat stomach after c-sections? I would REALLY like to know if it is possible to have a flat stomach eventually (please someone tell me they’ve actually gotten rid of it)?..

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    • I lost tons of weight after my first c-section and though my flap did get smaller it didn’t go away. It was like having a little empty pocket on my belly 24/7. Now I am working on reducing the poodge from c-section #2 which is much floppier even though I only gained 8 pounds during the pregnancy and my surgeon did a good job. I try not to pay too much attention, but my jeans do look weird now. My lower belly bulges under my clothes no matter what I wear. I am totally stuck wearing loose mom clothes. I have even thought about buying control top workout pants just to have something comfy to wear that I can look better in. Good luck.

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  11. My aunt who weighs 97lbs doesn’t have the pouch! But her highest weight was 128lbs pregnant and had no stretch marks, I don’t think I’ll ever weigh that 🙁 never heard of anyone who has gotten rid of it w/o surgery, I even have friends who do the insanity workouts and still have the pouch. Has anyone tried firming lotions ?

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    • My sister who is 105 had it after giving birth to twins (her highest weight WITH TWINS was 127) by she had surgery to remove it.

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  12. Same here. I’ve had one c-section to deliver my 10.6lb baby (no I did not have diabetes!) and at the time I was suffering from bell’s palsy, which is treated with predinosone. So 38 weeks pregnant + 3 weeks of steroids= an extra 20lbs put on in a very short time (totaling about 50lbs after I had lost 15lbs in the first half due to horrible hyperemesis gravidarum). I had this huge pocket of fluid above my pubic bone and HORIZONTAL stretch marks from this mess. It was horrific. Had the baby at 41 weeks and lost the weight down to my pre preg weight, which isn’t fantastic, but not horrible either. I have an awful pooch, 3 years later. It’s just madness.

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  13. Same here. I’ve had one c-section to deliver my 10.6lb baby (no I did not have diabetes!) and at the time I was suffering from bell’s palsy, which is treated with predinosone. So 38 weeks pregnant + 3 weeks of steroids= an extra 20lbs put on in a very short time (totaling about 50lbs after I had lost 15lbs in the first half due to horrible hyperemesis gravidarum). I had this huge pocket of fluid above my pubic bone and HORIZONTAL stretch marks from this mess. It was horrific. Had the baby at 41 weeks and lost the weight down to my pre preg weight, which isn’t fantastic, but not horrible either. I have an awful pooch, 3 years later. It’s just madness. No matter which way my weight goes I still have it.

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  14. Hello y’all!
    It’s good to read all the stories, as I am in the same boat, but did not get the gift of a child out of it.:(
    I had endomitriosis, but the docs thought it was ovarian cancer- so I was rushed to surgery to get it all out. After they got in there, they found it wasn’t cancer, but endo, which is great! But not great as now I’m dealing with that for the rest of my menustrating life. I have the same scar as y’all, and the pooch. Where I never had it before. It’s not huge, but it’s definately a little shelf, and it’s only been 5 weeks since surgery- so I’m just now feeling better enough to exercise. It really was an awful experience. I can’t imagine going through a c section, and then having a baby to deal with, as well as all that pain!! Jesus!
    I wonder if my pooch will go away easier, or if it’ll be just as hard as a c section, cause the scar is exactly the same as that. I hate it! And it’s still so sore & numb. All my jeans, and undies fall right on it, so nothing is comfortable to wear- and I don’t want to have to buy new clothes! Ugh. So I guess I’ll have to try working out, and see if it goes down. Could it be still swollen? I really wasnt overweight b4 this- but now I feel like it’s a pronounced pooch- out of no where.
    Well, thanks for letting me know that I’m not alone in this. Maybe now that they cleaned out the endo, I’ll be able to get pregnant. Seems like having this scar and pooch would be worth it if I got a baby out of it. At least y’all have that! Good luck to everyone, and pls let me know if anyone comes up with a miracle pooch killer. Thanks!

    Reply

    • It is the same, but you don’t have the weight gain and loss of muscle that pregnant women get, so hopefully you’ll have an easier time of it.

      Reply

  15. Yep, I hear ya!

    I’ve had 2 sections and my little pouch makes me look like a marsupial lol! Unfortunately, I had cravings for fresh sausage rolls and homemade pancakes all during my pregnancies whereas friends had cravings for citrus fruits and pineapple. Why couldn’t I crave some fruit huh? Nope, instead you could find me constantly frying up batter and driving twenty miles for the juiciest sausages from the deli!
    But hey, my kids are my life and even though I wasn’t a yoga mom who snacked on rice cakes, I devote all my love and attention to them. That surely makes me a better person than someone who looks great but doesn’t listen to what their kids did today or constantly thinks of ideas to keep them entertained?

    Mia

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  16. I’m with you on the ass, flat stomach thing (though now its more fat than flat) I have a horrible pooch, wicked in stretch mark’s that folds in the middle with one lopsided flap of skin to the left. It makes my life miserable! Ironically I hated my stomach before pregnancy (even though there was nothing wrong with it!!) oh how I wish I could go back and wear the bikini I never did!! Anyway.. I know a few ladies who HAVE managed to get rid of the flap! On the other hand I know loads who haven’t.. but none the less, it may be worth a shot (or pure genetics/lies!) Apparently you need to get your body fat down to 15% or under, lots of pilates, cardio and full body exercises, but no sit ups!! My fat ass is on a diet (at some point..) this week. When I actually lose enough weight to see any muscle underneath this lard I’ll be sure to share.

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  18. Stumbled across your site and glad to read I am not alone. I am struggling hardcore with the fact that I had to have c-section and the overhang is making it worse. I am still not totally convinced I needed the c-section in the first place! I had been induced once… it failed. About a week and half later, I was sent in to be induced again since I was approaching the end of week 41 and not having any contractions. The only issue had been high-ish blood pressure but even then it wasn’t that high and I was convinced it was more personal stress that pregnancy-induced stress. Did they even have the due date correct… Anyways, after 36 hours of induced labor and water having been broken for at least 18 hours, there was no choice. 🙁 Now, I have the pooch and my abs area right under my boobs sag down and it’s soft like marshmallow. WTF? I was chubby before getting pregnant, gained only about 30 pounds, and was able to lose it in the two weeks after delivery. So, it was through some sort of miracle that I could return to pre-preggo chubby. HOWEVER, it’s like my whole middle was sucked down by gravity and I have no idea what to do about it. I’ve been trying to find ways to combat this but there doesn’t seem to be much out there. I guess it’s because it sounds like nothing can be done short of surgery. Well, really excited I stumbled onto your blog and look forward to reading your rants and raves. 🙂

    Reply

  19. I don’t know it why took me so long to look up about this to see if other women’s c section’s made them get a pouch. Besides it being lopsided a bit, when I look at it, I keep thinking, what they couldn’t pull my skin tighter and I honestly figured that surgery would be the only way to correct it somewhat. Thank you for this write up as I don’t feel alone anymore. I also agree, I’ve always worked out and there’s just no getting rid of it. Love reading everyone’s responses.

    Reply

  20. I’m so happy to know that I’m NOT ALONE in the C-Section pouch battle. I too struggle with the fact that I had to have c-section and the overhang is terrible and it seems like I could run 10+miles a night and only eat ice cubes and peanuts and the pouch won’t budge. I’m getting a tummy tuck! Thank you for all of the comments and blogs above!

    Reply

  21. I have the same damn pouch after my c section. I’m mad because I was forced into it, the doc didn’t wanna wait til 7 am the following day to see if I would dilate more (7 hours!). He had to be at his clinic all day. Asshole. I blame him completely since he didn’t give me the time or chance to not have this stupid scar and over hang. I honestly don’t know what to do about it. I want to be back at my healthy and curvy 10/11 I was pre pregnancy, but I fear I wont get anywhere near it. I could strangle that idiot Dr. If I have anymore babies I am refusing another c sec. This crap is ridiculous.

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  22. I have the pouch and I am determined to get rid of it. I don’t know how. But I will give it my best shot. I am surprised that no one treats C-section as a major surgery and is not followed up by Physical Therapy? Is that thing supposed to go back even after you cut it? Also you find massage therapy for regular scars but not C-section?

    I feel that moms are exhausted after C-section (baby and surgery on top of it) and no one cares to care for after effects of a surgery. I am sure any other reason for cutting open your tummy would follow-up with PTs and massages.

    Anyways, one thing I found useful is massage your scar.. try to get the sensation of your pouch bag(some people cannot feel that part of the body exists as the nerves are cut and there is no sensory perception).

    I also found out that some physical Therapists do these kinds of massages for you.

    I found a video by fitsugar very helpful. I know links are not good in conversations so
    go to youtube and type “fitsugar 10 minute ab workout without crunches” . you will see something like domino style leg workout and then an ab workout. Trust me it is only 10 minutes but you will sweat.. .

    I am researching on Ultrasound therapy to bring your tissues to life.. and help in waking them up. I will let you know when I find the right procedure. I don’t want to go to the route of tummy tuck.. this is my body and I will make it listen to me..
    Good luck ladies and I will keep posting.!

    Reply

    • Thank you! When the hell are we going to demand mothers get decent after care. It’s ridiculous and I’m half tempted to say we should all file class actions to remedy. Most of us didn’t even get provided with appropriate medical advice about after care for the scar tissue etc. Much less PT and massage. Mt hubby had a little hand accident at work that required a few stitches. He got massage and the cream to prevent scarring and the whole nine yards. I guess once we are mothers and especially of we have to get a c section we are supposed to not care about ourselves any more. While I’m glad to have come across this blog and feel a kinship with all of you its also depressing and deeply moving to see what we all have gone through and seem to resign ourselves to never enjoy a swim the beach or things we love again because of what birth and lack of decent treatment has left us with.

      Reply

  23. I love you all, i truly thought i was the only one going through this. My son is now 15 and this damn, fugly fat is still there. I exercise, eat well and keep in good shape, but this baby flap is there for good. I have contemplated surgery (MANY times) but I’m really afraid to go under the knife, we’ll see. I’m 36 now so perhaps for my 40th birthday I will have the courage to do it! Thanks for all your comments, though it sucks, i’m really happy i am not alone in this!

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  24. I had a hernia or hernias in my stomach. I had to have a major surgery . It was bad in icu for two days and hospital for six days. That’s when I discovered my pouch! Very frustrating! I never had a c- section, I had natural birth with my two children. I have been a member at Curves now for 13 years. When I go 3 x a week and eat healthy it really begins to go down a lot! I have a family member who did the same as far as exercise and diet healthy. And has the pouch so badly it’s terrible! I think it’s got something to do with your skin type. You know how some get stretch marks and others don’t?? I’m not in the medical field but I find it really odd! That some people can lose it. Or it disappears with exercise and diet ” healthy eating!”

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  25. This article is old, but I found it when randomly doing a google search. I just wanted to let you know that my belly looked the same after my two c-sections, but after working hard with exercising and healthy food options for a couple of years, I have seen a tremendous difference in this disappearing! My doctor(s) had told me the same as well. You can get rid of it! I learned it was just a matter of how hard I wanted to make it stop. I’m still a work in progress down there after two years, but it’s been an insane learning experience to say the least. 🙂

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  26. Hi everyone! I just came across this wonderful blog while doing research on exercises to effectively get rid my pooch. I have to say that this has made me laugh so much and cry at the same time. I have had 2 c-sections my first is 20 months old and my 2nd is only 10 wks old. I absolutely understand what is everyone is going through and I feel your pain and frustration! Unfortunately while pregnant with my 2nd i had to through 2 back surgeries which i think isn’t helping the pooch get smaller because I’m so weak everywhere. Surprisingly after my 2nd c-section I was walking around within 24 hrs of my operation and the physio came around and said my ab muscles weren’t in bad shape… (i don’t think so). My wonderful husband thinks the pooch “looks great” (WTF…) he rubs it and says it’s beautiful… this coming from a man who has a 6 pack and about 7% body fat and is all muscle! If we were to play hide and go seek with my daughter he could stand behind me and my pooch would cover him! Argh! I also thought breast feeding would help too but now I’m thinking it’s all a myth too! I wish everyone all the best in trying to loose the pooch and any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated!

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  27. At age 50+, my boys are now 12 and 15. The c-section came with my second son – for me, it was an easier recovery but who knew about THE DAMN DROOP! I’m 5′ 5″ tall, weigh 125 pounds, exercise almost every day, watch what I eat and guess what? I’ve still got that stupid pouch! A couple of things have helped a little – I call them “reverse crunch combos” – legs straight in the air over hips, ankles crossed, doing crunch while lifting legs up towards ceiling. Sounds ridiculous – likely looks ridiculous too, but I exercise at home alone! – but it has helped a tiny bit. Also, an old workout system (from my vintage!) called Callanetics has a 20 minute workout for legs that has also helped my lower abs. Don’t let the duration of this workout fool you – it’s a killer at first!! Hope this helps, my dears, because reading your posts certainly helped me!!

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  28. 2 c-sections for me. My first son in 2006 and then my youngest son in 2012. In those 6 1/2 years between the boys, I had lost a lot of weight and was looking fine, then I got pregnant again..like how that works? lol Now I’m in the same situation. I gained weight all over but as I lose it, I cannot seem to get rid of the lower flab that looks like a freaking flesh kidney bean..(you know what I’m talkin’ about)..Thankfully I didn’t really get too many stretch marks with my pregnancies at least. The ones I do have are so light you can barely see them. As far as I know though, working out hard and eating clean is the only thing that can help. Everyone is different. Some women may lose the pooch, some never will. Surgery is an option if you have the cash and the balls to do it..(I have the balls, just not the cash). I guess I’ll just stick to what I’m doing now because it is working for me so far. It took me FOREVER to get the motivation and willpower to start, but I honestly woke up one day and was like “This is fucking enough, I’m tired of hating the way I look!”. I eat clean and I work out 6 days a week between 40-60 minutes a day. Cardio and weight training mainly. I’ll work out like this for a month straight and then give myself one week off from working out, but not from eating clean. I still keep myself busy though. I take this time off because it actually helps me get past plateaus. I have lost a total of 21 lbs in 2 1/2 months! The pooch got incredibly smaller but it’s still there, staring back at me in the mirror, mocking me, laughing..I’ll get you, you little bastard pooch!!

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  29. IheartWes&G

    Posted 02/20/2011

    My tummy went back a few months after my first c/s and there is a puffy ridge over the right side of mine 3 weeks out this time around. When I went in for my post op my Dr told me to be sure to massage the scar tissue as much as possible to help get the ridge to go away,

    —

    Weston 5*17*07

    Eden 1*27*11

    Lucas James arrived May 13, 2013!

    Reply

  30. Hey everyone! I am so happy to have found this blog post! This is my life story told by strangers! I am currently pregnant with my 3rd and DEVASTATED to find out how much worse the pooch will be after my 3rd c-section. I was wondering, has anyone done research on the surgery and whether they will do it if you are still overweight? I feel like it would be so much easier to lose weight/exercise without this damn pooch! Even though there would probably still need to be a 2nd surgery at some point, I almost feel like it would be worth it.

    Reply

    • Oh my gosh, I was wondering the same thing!! I am so happy I found this post! Does anybody have any work pant brand suggestions that are, um, more flattering on a bigger girl with a humongous pooch?? Help!! Muffin top was bad enough…now I have fat below the waistband AND above!! WTF?

      Reply

      • I like CABI pants for hiding it. Their jeans and dress pants are mid-rise and button well above the pooch and the zipper keeps it tucked it. Their dress pants are not lined but are usually straight leg which I think is flattering. I can wear their pants with a tucked in shirt and a belt and jacket and I feel like my stomach looks ok. I’m a size 12-14 and sometimes a 10 and I’m 40-something. They sell at home parties and the prices are like Ann Taylor NOT on sale but the quality is high and I’ve worn the same dress pants two times a week for five years. They still look great. So, well worth $98. I go to a home party every year of someone I didn’t even know and now I’m friends with through CABI. Or you can probably go to the sales ladies house for a private meeting.

        Reply

  32. At 54 I also have a hunk of flab hanging over my who-ha. I wish that I could file a class action suite against my doctors or make the insurance pay for the removal of the flab that was cause as a result of surgery as per per my doctors. Why is it that after you have one c-section you automatically have to have one with the next pregency? That just did more damage. I’ve had 2 c-sections and a hysterectomy. My insurance will not cover the cost because they think it’s cosmetic. But it’s probably a board of men making that decision. If they had and extra pouch hanging around or near their penis that is the result of surgery, you can bet the insurance would cover the cost to get it removed.

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  33. Thank god I am not the only one with this dreaded pooch. I’m only 7 weeks out from my first csection and I was shocked at how my stomach just hangs over the scar. I’m not doing much about it right now though, as I stuff a chocolate donut in my mouth haha this thing has wrecked my confidence

    Reply

    • You are only 7 weeks out. You can still make it smaller! Talk to your doctor! He may say to massage the area or something.

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  34. Stumbled upon this post while feeling defeated about my post pregnancy body. I have two babies, both delivered by csection, the most recent being March 2015. The POOCH IS REAL. While my diet hasn’t been perfect, I have tried to maintain (for the most part) a regular workout regimen. I hate it! It’s not going anywhere and I am devastated about it. Anyone have any new suggestions or tips?!? Xoxo

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  35. Had a disgusting apron of skin hanging over my c-section scar and my “hoo-hoo”,,,
    Now I’m 11 weeks post op from a full tummy tuck…. looks like a 15yr old’s belly!!
    results are better than my wildest dreams, if you can do it… DO IT!

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  36. My csection had to be cut back open twice in the days following birth due to massive incision infection… with no anesthesia. The wound had to be left wide open, packed with gauze and cleaned multiple times per day for more than a month and then… when I called to say hey this isn’t healing correctly, was told I still had to wait a week to be seen, and then random doctor thought I was there for a normal check up and then was like oh. Yeah. .. that isn’t right. . The top literally rolled under and healed to the bottom beyond the edge. Jackass… So yeah I fucking hate everyone involved. One kid. Done. Tummy tucks should be included or covered by insurance. I hate that frigging roll and I cannot afford the tuck, BUT I can afford kinesiology tape! Fuck yeah! I’m ordering a bulk roll Get some of this shit. Tape that belly in. Voila! After 5 years, at least I can fake it and feel a lititle less deformed and angry looking on the mirror. Rock on all ye mamas with destroyed bellies and self esteem. ?

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  38. I hate to tell you this, but it’s not going away unless you have surgery. My first child was a c-section which is where I got my ugly flap. The next two were vaginal births. I gained approximately 60 lbs every time I got pregnant, but lost the weight after about a year. I was in the military, so I always exercised. They made me. Anyway, when my youngest was about 5 yrs old, I decided to try to get rid of the darn flap through exercise. I ran 3-5 miles a day, lifted weights, and did tons of ab exercises. I lost about 10 lbs and while I had six pack abs, I still had that stupid flap. I guess I’ll just save up for surgery.

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  39. Im glad i found this site and I’m not alone. I have never been skinny i was a size 16 before i fell pregant and gained alot of weight with my first and did not lose much when i had my son. I had 2 csections my youngest is 13 now. I have been on diets exercised everyday and have lost 20kg but can not seem to lose the stomach or pooch. I hate it. My scar get itchy. I hate going clothes shopping you its so noticeable.

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  40. OMG I feel ya I have had freaking 3! Two on the bikini line and one up as and down! From the bottom of the belly button to the pubic hair line! It sucks! Will prbly have to get a tummy tuck bt I’m scared! But yes it definitely suxs and I hate it its ugly! 🙁

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  41. I feel your pain ladies. I was 115 lbs, 5’1 before I had my two boys. After my c-sections I always lost the weight but I have recently began to gain in my late 20’s. I get motivated to start exercising but then I look down at the GROTESQUE tummy that never changes and I begin to feel depressed and hopeless. I think there should be a law put in place that women with cesareans should automatically be covered for a mini tummy tuck 6-12 months after the baby has been born. It has ruined a lot of my relationships with having low self-esteem, feeling ugly, hiding my body (during sex) and just feeling downright depressed. It is not fair but hopefully one day I will have enough to change it. Keep looking up ladies!!!

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  42. I’m crying and laughing at the same time. I too have the pooch. I was 25 and ready to get out of the Navy when I had to have a myomectomy (removal of fibroids). The fibroid I had was the size of a grapefruit! So the GYN said I had to have a C section and therefor now have the pooch. That surgery was 11 years ago, I never had kids but I know that pooch and scar played with my psyche. I’ve been on depression meds since then. I hate it. 🙁

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  43. So all had c-secrions right or some kind of surgery well heres my question??? So where the scar is at its dead tisttue and by it being pretty much dead does that mean when you work out that you body muscles wont gain the muscle ,Do you all know what im asking its kind hard explaing ja…

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  44. I was so encouraged when I first googled help with my belly flap, but now I’m starting to see it isn’t just me that can’t get rid of it. Truthfully speaking it makes me a feel a little better knowing I’m not the only one but needless to say it’s still depressing. I’ve had 3 c sections and my youngest is about to be 5, and it still looks like it did the day I left the hospital. I’m 4’11 and 116 pounds and it NEVER shrinks. I’ve even gotten down to 102 while dieting and guess what…? It never changed!!! It’s so frustrating. My husband says I’m crazy because I obsess over it. He says it beautiful because I’ve given life, I’m not quite as convinced. Giving life is beautiful, but not the damn after effects on the body. He laughs because I say I feel like Adam Sandler in Click when he wakes up with his ‘ tongue’ of a belly flap. Needless to say I don’t think its so funny. If anyone ever figures anything out on this subject please let me know!!!!

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  45. OMGOSH!!!! I’m not alone!!! I’ve had three C-sections and a hysterectomy and this thing is has been with me for 22 years. I am a Zumba instructor and NOTHING has helped. To make it worse my husband divorced me a year ago and being 45 years old with this?? not a security blanket that’s for sure. Wearing jeans sucks. I have to wear long blouses to hide it. Spanx and those tight under shirts to tighten me more ?. All bundled up in 100 degree weather during menopause is a little piece of hell!!! Sorry just frustrated! I can’t afford a tummy tuck so I guess I’m stuck!!!!!

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  46. So, I just lost 60 lbs after having two c sections with my 5 year old and 2 year old twins. I am working out 6 days a week and weigh 116 lbs and am 5’5. That DAMN pooch over my scar is STILL there, and now I’m super skinny…..so….. Don’t feel bad!

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  47. I wish I could post a picture of my damn mom pooch to show you how much worse it could be. You think the shelf pooch is bad? Extending from the middle of my c-section scar, I have a 12 inch vertical scar from surgery when my intestines exploded from falling off a jet ski. It literally looks like I have ass cheeks on my stomach.

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  48. Hi ladies,

    I was doing some research on pregnancy bands, wondering if they’d work better than my spanx, and found this site. It has been an interesting read. I just wanted to tell my story of “the shelf.” I first developed my shelf when I started going through puberty, I think. It was either that or I didn’t notice it until I was 11 yrs. old. I’ve always been a little chubby, not fat, just chubby. When I was 11, I inherited my first two piece swimsuit from my older sister. It came up to just under my bellybutton. Unfortunately, every time I bent over or sat down, it rolled under my tummy. Nobody else had that problem. It was very embarrassing and confirmed what I was hearing from all the other skinny kids, that I was fat. In reality, I was about 10-15 lbs. overweight, but the only one around, plus I was tall, taller than the boys. I so desparately wanted to wear a two piece, I was thrilled when the “baby doll” suits came out. They were 2 piece suits that loosely covered one’s midsection. Anyway, I’ve had to deal with this shelf my whole life. My weight gradually increased to about 30 lbs. overweight. I’ve yo-yo dieted my whole life, too. It just gets larger or smaller depending on which way I’m going. The first time I lost 25 lbs., in college, I was so disillusioned and depressed that it didn’t go away. I had naively thought that it would disappear once I lost weight and I’d look like all those people on TV, with their flat bellies. Thought my legs would stop rubbing together, too. Nope, didn’t happen. Later, after several more yo-yos, I got pregnant with the first of my three kids. I gained 47 lbs. on top of the 25 lbs. I needed to lose. I lost the baby weight, plus a few more before getting pregnant again. Long story, shorter, I ended up at the same weight for all three kids (no C-sections), although I started at different weights. Fortunately, I’ve never gained above that ending baby weight and “the shelf” never worsened beyond what it had always been. I’ve just been up and down the same 70 lbs. since the first baby, 30 yrs. ago. Currently, I am 25 lbs. up and losing. Through it all I’ve tried to come to terms with it. I’ve always dreamed of getting a tummy tuck, but haven’t had the disposable income to do so. Now, with my health concerns, I don’t think I’d do it. Sigh…. Maybe I’ll look into CoolSculpting…. Yeah, that’s it- I’ll hold out hope for that!! Lol

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  49. I’m 22. I am an athlete. Cross country, basketball, and track. I’ve always had tight abs, then I had my daughter. I was 5’8 140lbs. When I gave birth I was 205! Now I’m about 145 after two years of staying in shape, but not eating healthy. I have a pouch. I hate it. I cry sometimes because I see other women without them. I don’t want this as a part of my body anymore. I was just diagnosed with stage four endometriosis and my pouch has gotten even worse with the excess bloating. The only thing that has helped is building up my upper abdominals so they level out and my stomach looks flatter

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  50. I’m 61. Had a C section at 30. There was no shelf until I hit my late 50s. I think it’s gravity. Everything else drops so why not my mid section??? For those of you with tattoos remember they won’t end up where you originally placed them. If you can afford plastic surgery then go for it.

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  51. C sections scars suck I want surgery but everyone is like no lose it on your own I can’t lose it on my own for one I don’t even feel like working out for 2 just think of tummy tuck will be easier.. And for 3 judging by all the comments is not going to go anywhere anyway unless I have surgery. So with that being said does anybody know a good surgeon?

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  52. Man. I’m 37 weeks pregnant and have to have a C-section due to having Elhers Danlos Syndrome. I was really hoping to find some encouragement on this page and find someone, anyone, who has had success getting their flat tummy back.

    I’m 5’2, weighed 135 before getting pregnant and am at 165 now. I guess I need to start getting used to the fact that my one good feature won’t be attainable post birth.

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  53. I had 2 c sections, my first child was an emergency c section and he was born weighing in at 10lbs 6oz I gained about 5 stone during the pregnancy I was huge, my second child was scheduled at 39 weeks as they thought he would be big too, he weighed 8lb 7oz. I’m now 7 years on and still got the awful pooch I have been exercising for the last 6 months and although i have dropped to the clothing size i was before pregnancy the pooch is still there but I’m guessing it must be smaller with the drop in clothing size. I have also been under a physiotherapist and she told be it’s all about posture and that I wasn’t standing correctly, as soon as she told me to tuck my bottom under the pooch immediately looks better, its because I have weak back and bottom muscles, glutes need to be strengthened as that’s what holds everything up. I have looked into a tummy tuck but the recovery process seems as bad as the c section one and I’m not sure I can do the again. I just dress to disguise my tummy now, although I’m tempted to go and buy a mass of bandages and wrap my stomach flat to see if that would work because those medical belts and the spanx type underwear sure don’t work.

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  54. Hello I cannot lose my belly fat from my c-section I lose weight or gain it back I swell up all over the place not sure what’s going on with the swelling doctors have me on blood pressure which is diuretic I lost 30 pounds walking 4 miles every day had a total hysterectomy and gained it all back and more I was so depressed please help

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  55. Has anyone seen any change? This shelf is fuck ing bullshit!! Ladies, mine is even worse because I used to have a sexy little tattoo about 2 inches below my belly button…ugggghhhhhh….just imagine the c-shelf that sits there! 2 csections. It is resistant to anything. Yes, they should pay for the tummy tuck…has anyone tried cool sculpt??? Will anything help? I blew up with both of my girls, regardless of what I ate & exercised. Lost all the weight but the ab purse will not go away… please get rid of this thing!!!

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  56. I had an emergency C section with my only child. 3 days after going home my incision ripped open on both ends for bo apparent reason aside from the fact that 1 in 15 women go through it when having big babies. I wasn’t allowed to work out for 3-4 months, now it’s too late. As a single mother, I feel like it’s worse for our body image, especially when my ex told me to leave at four months pregnant for not getting an abortion. Now he tells me I still look pregnant and that that’s what I get for having a baby. I breastfeed and I’ve gained more than I lost. Now that I’ve slacked on the pumping, and started a transition to a vegan diet(6day vegan- 1day lean meat), I feel more energized, I notice a difference in my body and everywhere but my stomach is shrinking fast, my stomach is shrinking little by little but I know ill have a pooch. I was 96 pounds with a little pooch before I got pregnant no matter how much I worked out, so I know I’m screwed. It’s just depressing. I even had a dr tell me that a tummy tuck for me isn’t going to work because I have no extra skin, that I just have bloat and fat which causes an overhang. Not that I can afford one anyways, I cant even afford a gym membership. I won’t give up though I’m 5 months pp and determined atleast make my pooch look tasteful. 🙁 🙁

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  57. Just …thank you. Thank you for writing this piece and for all the ladies who commented. I have been training like Linda Hamilton for Terminator 2 and that shit is going NO WHERE. I feel like I have been lied to – by my expensive trainer who said it would eventually go away and by the medical establishment. You all have confirmed what I have thought all along. I am still not going to go the surgery route, but thank God for you all sharing your experiences so that I know I am not crazy, and its not just me. YOU ARE MY TRIBE! Thank you!

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  58. Ive had 3 csections
    I loathe this flap. Ive contemplated freezing it and hacking it off myself that will force a dr to stitch me up any scar would be better than this thing
    Ive lost all the baby weight
    Been going to the gym 3 years
    Im looking better than inwas before kids
    Except the flap
    Nothing changes it
    It hangs there. I hate it so much
    There is no way to remove it …why??? Whhhyyyyyyytt

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  59. I love all of these posts! I have felt like the only woman on the planet that struggles with this disgustingly huge overhang across my c-section scar. It was there when I was a size 5 after 3 babies and of course even worse at a size 10/12 after now 5…yes 5….cesareans. Babies 4 and 5 finally killed my blessed metabolism and I’ve been stuck overweight ever since. I’ve worked out and worked out and worked out. I’ve watched what I’ve eaten. It NEVER goes away. It NEVER gets smaller. I actually lifted it up one day and placed it on my scale, just to see what my stomach alone weighed…almost 8 freaking pounds!!!! That was a horrible moment! I feel so disappointed and disgusted with my stomach, even though my husband constantly tells me how beautiful it is. We just found out we’re pregnant with baby number 6, yes major surprise, yes this means another cesarean, and I just keep thinking how badly my stomach is going to fare after being cut open yet again. I hate this fat flab. I hate that aside from spending $10k there seems to be no hope of it going away. I so wish I could be like all these women that have normal bodies. I’m all for body positivity, but I just don’t have it for myself and it’s all due to this disgusting, hanging, fat flab. I’m so grateful to all you women sharing your frustration with the same issue. At the very least, it makes me feel less alone in this emotion.

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  60. I have been online desperately trying to find out how common this was. It is so comforting to know that I am not alone but so frustrating too. I just found some potentially helpful info. I can’t say whether this will work or how to go about it as I have only just found it. But I will be looking into this more and wanted to share this info in hopes of helping others who want to try it as well. Found it on this site: https://thediamethod.com/5-secrets-your-obgyn-never-told-you/

    From the site: “You can banish the dreaded ?C-section muffin top?!
    Recovering from a surgical birth poses unique challenges, and a lingering ?muffin top? is among the chief complaints. The good news is that you can eliminate scar adhesions, the underlying cause of muffin top, with daily scar massage. Even if you underwent a C-section decades ago, massage will effectively release scar adhesions and banish the muffin top.
    As a mother, you have given so much to your children. Now is the time to give back to yourself, to nurture your own amazing, life-giving body.”

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  61. Don?t be so hard on yourself…it has nothing to do with how much you weigh. I had abdominal surgery with a c-section bikini line incision. I was so underweight (99 lbs. at 5?7?) that they had to tube feed me for weeks afterwards. My surgeon said I had no subcutaneous fat whatsoever. I was very, very ill for a year before the surgery which caused me to lose so much weight, it was awful. Anyway, I?m up to 107 lbs. now. Still underweight but much healthier and gaining every week. I, too, have the dreaded overhang, the c-section scar shelf. It?s not fat! (I wish it was, I miss my lady lumps so much.) That just goes to show that it has nothing to do with weight. I?m guessing it?s surgical technique. Let?s love our bodies anyway, shall we? ?

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  62. Ugh, the Pooch… There is nothing I can do to get rid of it or hide it! 2 csections here. Ran through both pregnancies, even won a race at the beginning of my 3rd tri during my second pregnancy. I lost all the weight I had gained in just about the same amount of time I gained it-both times. But. This. Damn. Pooch. NOTHING I do is helping 3 years later! Not my hour long runs, HIIT workouts, yoga, pilates, weight training. NOTHING. At this point, I’ve given in to the fact that once these children aren’t attached to my hip and I can get my body back to being MINE, I’m getting a tummy tuck. BTW, they ruined my boobs, too, but at least a bra can hide that damage! NOTHING hides that pooch!! ARGH!!

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  63. I know this is an old post, but take a serious look into the 10 in 20 diet by Dr. Furhman. I swear, it’s the best way to lose weight. You might feel bad the first few days, but that is just your body detoxing. You have to be committed to it though. You have to go all out from the beginning. I’ve lost 10 lbs in the first 15 days. I didn’t have to exercise. I’m not starving and most of my cravings are gone. Also, read or listen to the audio book of Eat To Live, by Dr. Furhman. It’s not just a diet, it is a lifestyle change. And it truly is life changing. Trust me. Good luck!

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  64. Thank God for the Internet! One c-section (twins) and two vaginal births. I swear, it’s like I have two butts as well. I can’t even wear spanx, it becomes a donut that’s harmonious with my stomach. Good luck and thanks for the support.

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  65. OH MY GOSH!!! Here I was thinking I was the ONLY person suffering from this!!
    I’m 47 now and have had fibroid issues since I was about 19. By 24, I had my first myomectomy. By 27, had my second one. I had my only child at age 31 and ended up having to have a C-Section with him because of my past issues with fibroids. By the time I was 36, I had gotten married in July, and from August – April, I had a never ending period. I lost a whole lot of blood and needed blood transfusions. I wanted to try for another baby so a hysterectomy was out of the question. (I had 2 miscarriages prior). So I chose to have yet another myomectomy. (If you’re keeping count, That’s 4 surgeries in the same cut so far).
    A year later, more fibroid issues and more time in the hospital with a hemoglobin count of 2! Reluctantly, I decided to have the hysterectomy. (That’s 5 surgeries) Once I did, NO MORE fibroids! BUT, now I had developed a hernia…Another surgery. That’s 6. Then about a year later, I had issues with the mesh and had to have a hernia repair, so yeah, another surgery! That’s 7.
    Today, I am awaiting my surgery date of November 19 for (drumroll please…) ANOTHER HERNIA!!! This time, is different because they will be going in laparoscopically.
    All that to say that MY belly pouch is RIDICULOUS!!! At this point, I DESERVE a FREE tummy tuck having to endure all this scar tissue after all these surgeries. I too have tried the dieting and exercise to get rid of it but it is now my battle scar…My husband says I am a strong woman and my belly pouch is proof.
    I didn’t read everyone’s comments but it is definitely good to know that I AM NOT ALONE!!!

    THANK YOU ALL!!!

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  66. The pic that was posted at the very beginning of this….I would kill to look that good. As much as I hate to admit this out loud, I am morbidly obese. I’ve had 2 C sections. Both were emergencies. My first was the worst. The OBGYN had to go in fast and get my son out before we both died. So, he did a vertical incision. I had 12 staples starting at my navel and going all the way to my pubic hair. This was nearly 30 years ago. The incision was horrible. At the time of staple removal, my incision popped open, about 2 inches. It took a long time to heal. I had a huge amount of scar tissue in that one spot. 9 years later, I had my second and last Section. The OB had to go in fast once again. He mostly went down the same incision but with all of the scar tissue built up, it was difficult.
    Now, with my obese belly, I have this long vertical scar that basically cuts me in half. It looks like I literally have two ass cracks…front and back. This overhang that I have nearly reaches my knees. Now, I realize most of this is my fault..but its extremely hard. I even had weight loss surgery. It only helped me a little.
    I wish like Hell that my scar was horizontal…the bikini incision. Even with the overhang, my problems wouldn’t be as bad. It is soooooo difficult to wear pants. What do pants have on the belly part? A fucking seam! And that seam sits right in the valley that is my scar. It rubs against that scar and even with it having been 20 years since my last Section, the scar hurts. If I could sew, I would make my own pants without that seam down the front. I have scoured the web for pants with no seam. I haven’t found anything except maternity pants. Those don’t fit me anyway.
    I don’t like conflict of any kind. However, some of you are bitching over a little overhang. Diet and exercise will help! Find a trainer or someone who knows alot about exercising and ask for specific exercises to work on that area. If you are overweight, a surgeon won’t do the surgery which is called a panniculectomy unless you have dieted and lost as much as you can. Theres more I could say, but I won’t. This problem of ours has caused me nothing but misery, pain, depression, etc. I wish everyone luck.

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    • Oh wow, I didn’t even know they did vertical! I can imagine how that seam hurts because it hurts me that almost all pants and underpants roll right into my scar, and your problem is worse! I am so sorry you have to deal with it, but just like us with the overhang, losing weight helps.

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  67. I happened on this post looking for SOMETHING…ANYTHING to help get rid of the dreaded overhang – i think i have also heard it called a mothers apron – which is fitting since it hangs that low (half way to my knees). How I wish i could go back to when I *thought* I was grotesquely fat at age 16. At 4′ 11.5″, it doesn’t take much. I always thought I was fat…my entire immediate family was obese.
    I got pregnant at 18 and had to have an emergency c-section. I was still in high school and juggling new baby and school and work left no time to exercise – although, I probably wouldn’t have. I didnt even gain much weight during pregnancy. The c-section incision was numb and was told this could go away…
    Fast-forward 20 years – i am morbidly obese – have been for quite a while. Still can’t feel anything around my incision and trust me – i have caught it with zippers and sharp corners of furniture and i can see the scratches…cant feel them. I weigh more now than I did when I was 9 months pregnant. I have tried diet and excercise and diet. I would lose some weight and it seemed like it would get smaller, but inevitably gain it back and then some.
    I feel so gross. I hate that I have to buy clothes many sizes too big so i can tuck my overhang in. That if they are too tight or the rise is weird (because being 4’11” nothing fits right…even extra short length) i have a front butt. I try to hide it with baggy clothes that make me look like a slob. Relationships are awkward because i am embarrassed. I dont have the extra income to afford a tummy tuck. I dont qualify for any weight loss surgery because im just obese – no high blood pressure or diabetes or any other issues – just fat. I have dreamt of ways to cut it off myself. I have been seeking help from my doctor to lose the weight. I lose some, but it seems like my overhang just gets longer and longer.
    Im glad I found this post – i am not the only one – there is some comfort in that.

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  68. Hello ladies, you are all amazing for sharing these story-posts. I smiled, I cried, I laughed.
    I am 44 and not well versed in internet etiquette so forgive me if I offend anyone. We live in the high country and ranch and I am just not good indoors….AND I HAVE THAT SHELF! I thought I was not healing properly at first. I had 2 ER c-sections 6 years apart, Preeclampsia both times, 2 PEs the second, (blood clots in lung). It’s been 12 years since my second one and my tummy is certainly changing, (along with skin, hair, nails?, ack!) I have been healthy and outdoorsy my whole life, and I have the numbness constantly with seams of clothes and cold weather, and pain when I lean against the counter, climb through a fence or bump it on a saddle horn. I am not wild about my husband touching my tummy; although he has seen it though these changes. His tummy has also changed through the years…

    I find that with me if I am less active and eat more the shelf ‘grows’, but if I work outside more and eat better it doesn’t really get smaller, but it feels tighter underneath. It has this sag, right? I feel my abs under it, but on the outside it kinda flops and I have no idea what to do. Hide it? Under what, my coveralls? Leggings? Decorate it? I have thought of that. Flaunt it? Yeah, I did pull out a long-ago too-small bikini and went waterskiing with the fam and had a great time, although the seam hurt so bad! But, it reminded me of my other strength in my body – arms, legs, back, heart, and we all have that in one place or another. We are strong girls in many ways. It’s in there; just hard to get to sometimes.

    We are even lucky to get pregnant at all, I know you all know this. As a rancher I see the veterinary side as well, breeding, birth and death. Horses have a 2 part uterus and there are 7 different ways to give a cow a c section, and the moose, deer and elk eat their placenta to get rid of the scent before the wolves and bears come in.
    Yeah.
    I know we want the shelves, scars and lumps gone but it’s ok. I’m not giving up by any means, but let’s keep doing the best we can. We earned these bodies, and I would do it again, just no c-sections this time! HA! Onward we go, take care!

    Reply

      • It’s nice to be heard. (read?) Thank you for keeping life real and for having your site. When we’re strong we’re strong, and when we’re not it’s ok! I hope the above ladies are doing well. Now it’s time for firewood, fleece and crockpot meals!

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        • – When I say ‘above ladies’ I meant the other women who have written in with their thoughts and stories. 🙂

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  69. I have lived for almost 30 years with the scars left on my stomach and the huge tummy flap. First let me say that in 1987 when I had my first child I was in labor for 28 1/2 hours before things went very wrong with the baby’s heartbeat and my blood pressure so in order to save us both the doctor had to do an emergency c-section along the bikini line which I could live with. It was the second scheduled C-Section that was the damage beyond fixable one.. Why? When I woke up I remember looking at the bandage and thinking why is it in the other direction. To my shock and horror I realized the doctor had not done the scheduled Bikini Line C-Section but a c-section in the opposite direction. I never could get a straight answer of why; however, I live with basically a + in that area with a terrible flap and never could fix this with just exercise. I have learned to live with it because it is beyond expensive to have it fixed surgically. Thank you to you and all who posted so I know I am not alone.

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  70. My belly fold lasted 16 years. 6 months ago I started to eat better and reduced my drinking intake and type of alcohol then 3 months ago I started a series of pelvic workouts by Sharny and Julius I saw a change then 7 weeks ago I decided to do paddle boarding, rollerskating, yoga, aqua fitness, wood therapy, and its finally lifting! It will take constant moving to get it gone then maintenance. If you want it bad enough you will need to do the work. I dont want surgery. C-section was enough trauma Thanks. Best. of luck!

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  1. […] to subside. But I was still about 30 lbs heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight and had a terrible c-section tummy flap. It made me extremely insecure about my body to the point where I no longer felt beautiful and then […]

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