Calling all moms!!

[redsquirrel]

Ok, ladies-

I know everyone is different, but I need a serious expectation of how long it's going to take for my body to go back to looking how it used to. I've lost almost all the weight. I have about 9 lbs to go to get to where I was when I got pregnant...and another 10 to go to get where I want to be. That's not my problem. My problem is how different my body looks. I've never had a skinny midsection, but now it's just really loose, and of course a bit fatter. My husband thinks its still going down from being stretched for so long..I carried extremely high the whole pregnancy. Some of my old tops seem a hair too short, and pants just fit me really weird still. I look like I'm swimming in some of them because my butt & legs are like a size 8, but my waist is still a 10.

Then with about 2 weeks to go in the pregnancy, she moved a bit lower.. Which leads me to my next problem- there is some loose skin under my belly button- does that EVER go away?

[Shibby]

Are you on birth control?

[FitnessBrat]

Your body is never going to be the same. You need to accept that first and foremost. I'm not saying you can't be as skinny or even thinner, but your body is different. If you have another child, it will change again. The loose skin below the belly button is what I have - that's not going anywhere without a mini tummy tuck. You can do crunches until your dead - it's the skin that is stretched out and just can't go "back to normal." I know it sucks, I struggle with it everyday. I can't stand it, it embarrasses me. But I've also had two kids, so yours may not be too bad. I think you need to refocus your goals, stop worrying about what you looked like before. You can still look just as amazing, or better.

[redsquirrel]

Are you on birth control?

No. We had enough difficulty trying to have this one, I don't want anything to delay getting pregnant again.

[redsquirrel]

Your body is never going to be the same. You need to accept that first and foremost. I'm not saying you can't be as skinny or even thinner, but your body is different. If you have another child, it will change again. The loose skin below the belly button is what I have - that's not going anywhere without a mini tummy tuck. You can do crunches until your dead - it's the skin that is stretched out and just can't go "back to normal." I know it sucks, I struggle with it everyday. I can't stand it, it embarrasses me. But I've also had two kids, so yours may not be too bad. I think you need to refocus your goals, stop worrying about what you looked like before. You can still look just as amazing, or better.

I was afraid you were going to say that. I am totally self concious about the loose skin. Effing grosses me out. The mini tummy tuck will be completed after kid #2.

Well, if my body isn't going to look like it did before, then is it at all realistic for me to ever get on stage again? If that loose skin never goes away, then I would say not...

[redsquirrel]

would shooting a little GH in that area help?

[FitnessBrat]

Me personally, I'd say no to competing because I'm looking at myself thinking "F no." But at the same time, everyone always says "it isn't as bad as you say/think." So I don't know if they're being "nice" or I'm exaggerating because it drives me so nutty.

I don't think GH is going to help. Maybe if you wanted to thicken your waistline to sort of make it less obvious, but its the elasticity and GH can't really reverse that.

[magdalena]

Redsquirrel,
it is possible to get back to your normal self after having kids. I was on a depo shot after my first one was born and it was unbelievably hard to push myself and don't see many results, but I just kept pushing through it, kept my diet and exercise. Even though after getting off the depo shot I lost all the pregnancy weight, I still didn't look the way I wanted to. I would have to say it took me about 14 or so months to get back where I wanted to be. But at that point there was no lose skin on the stomach no nothing. One important thing is that your skin was stretched out for a very long time and it will take time for it to go back to the way it was. Just for the skin to go back to normal you should allow yourself about a year.
You will get there, so don't worry. the more you stress about it the harder it will be. So just relax and enjoy motherhood. and just keep working on yourself.

[tighta$$]

I have had two kids. First one natural and second by C-Section. My abdominals are separated at the button and the help of diet and exercise all with the help of my fabulous PT/Coach and some other remedies like the Derma roller and Prep-H it has helped quite a bit. I too want to get a mini but only because when I plank it looks very loose(gravity). As for the stage - stand tall