Losing Belly Weight

You probably have diastasis recti. Google it. It is where the stomach muscles pull apart. I have it and it is not fun.

Great Question! I hope so! I still have extra tummy weight that I cannot get rid of and my youngest will be 3 in January!!!

It takes a little bit for the tummy to get back to normal. Are you breast feeding? That helps. But walking is wonderful. Here's what my doc said, it took 9 months for the body to get one way, it will take at least 9 months for it to recooperate. Drink lots of water too. That helps. But don't worry. It is normal.

This is called diastasis. It's not necessarily extra weight, but the separation that happens between the muscles to make room for baby. Unfortunately, most abdominal exercises (all if done improperly) cause further damage. In addition, pregnancy and postpartum activity cause postural issues that exacerbate the problem.

I'm an exercise physiologist specializing in prenatal and postpartum fitness and have developed a class called "Tummy Time for Mommy - The Method to your Ab-ness" to teach moms how to properly work the muscles to eliminate the "mommy bulge".
I just had a baby 2 months ago myself (my third) and have already returned to my prepregnancy self! We just finished a class and all of the moms saw huge differences!

The first thing you're going to want to do is start simple exercises to work the transverse muscles (these run parallel to the ground across the abs). While standing or sitting up as straight as you can (sitting on a big resistance ball is best!) squeeze your belly button into your lower back as hard as you can and release over and over. Also, stretching your hamstring muscles and your chest muscles will help to get your posture on the right track.

E-mail me directly and I can give you some more tips or more information about our programs. We will be starting classes again in January (the Holidays are too hard to run them) but we have one-on-one training all of the time. www.bigbellyfitness.net

GOOD LUCK!!

check out this site.

http://www.get-rid-of-belly-fat.com

I know several who have lost their "bellies" using this system. Best part is that we kept it off as well.

It takes a long time to go away...it almost took a year for me!!

I had the same thing happen - people mistaking me for pregnant when I was several months post partum! I have lost a lot of weight becuase of baby allergy issues (he's 10 months now), but I still have that tummy. It may be the separation of the stomach muscles or may be not. My midwife and I have checked and it is not the case for me.

O.,
Congratulations on being a MOM of a 3 month old:-)
The yoga studio where I work offers a class called "baby and Me" as opportunity for Moms to get some workout time and be with other Moms. If Naperville is convenient for you, try www.universalspirityoga.com and if you live in a further away suberb, try an exercise class at your local park district or consider joining a gym (some gyms offer baby sitting...our local YMCA does this too). Another consideration is working with a personal trainer if this is affordable because they can give you one-on-one special exercises.

C. L
Mom of three

Let me know if you figure this one out, until then I go with the never leave the house without the baby when going into public method. ha ha. It stops stupid people from saying stupid things. most of the time.

I finally lost the rest of my baby weight plus an additional 10 lbs. I read & followed the advice from the "Skinny Bitch" book & exercised 3 times a week.

Hi O.,
First, congratulations on the birth of your daughter. What an exciting time for you.

Second, people who have the audacity to ask you when you are due should be put in their place...tell them you just had a baby and your uterus hasn't gone down yet...that'll make them realize they asked a very private question that is none of their business!

Third, remember...it took you 9 months to put the weight on, it might take that much time to get back to where you were.

Finally, breastfeeding helps contract the uterus down to it's normal size...so if you are breastfeeding, it will go down quicker. If you aren't, no worries...it'll reduce in size soon. Enjoy your daughter and realize nature needs to take it's course here!

Also, make sure you eat a healthy diet!

Don't forget the old saying 9 months up, 9 months down. As much as we wish they would our tummy's never go back overnight. I'm sure you look great, sometimes a new top or new lipstick makes a world of difference in those "new mommy" months. It's far more important to enjoy your baby in these precious months, than worry about a tummy bulge. There are plenty of exercise videos and internet sites that can help you target "problem areas." People need to remember the cardinal rule of women and asking when they are due-UNLESS YOU SEE A BABY'S HEAD COMING OUT FROM DOWN BELOW, KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT!!!!!

O., my baby is 9 years old and I am still waiting to loose my belly weight...LOL!!

Winsor Pilates worked for me. You can do it with no special equipment, a couple of times a week for 20 minutes or so. You can do it when your baby is awake, sleeping, etc. You don't need a lot of room either. Invest in a comfortable mat (about $20) and the DVDs. It's easy to do and you do not have to be athletic or coordinated.

Sounds normal to me. Everyone's body is different. Enjoy your baby and don't worry about it. Tell yourself that belly is the most beautiful in the world. It was a home for that precious little one. You can do a million sit ups someday. Just hug your baby now.

I also have that same problem and am wondering what do do about it. I hear different things.

Please share with us when you find out.

O.,

As Jasmine said it is likely due to the abdominal muscles seperating as a result of being pregnant. They do come back together and then you will just need time and some strengthening exercises for the area. (Along with a healthy diet). If you had a vaginal delivery and were not a carrier of Group B beta strep you likely did not get antibiotics.
Just be patient. Don't look for any quick fixes. It just takes time.

Yes very normal. And it will be the last place where you get rid of the weight. I recommend performing exercises that work your core muscles not just you abdominals that are surface muscles. Anytype of exercise where you are balancing on one leg and performing another exercise will work your core. Doing sit ups on a stability ball will also work your core. If your diet isn't good then you will also have belly fat. My friend whose a trainer says that if you are fit everywhere else but in your middle then you really have to adjust your diet to get rid of the rest of the roll on the middle.

I have tried the South Beach Diet and it immediately targets the belly fat.Also simple walking 30 minutes a day will help strengthen the abs. I have had 4 c-sections and have experienced the comments you are. People are rude...

C.

Was trying hard to get back my pre-pregnancy body shape and weight. I am 5' 3" tall weighing 135 lbs right now. I gained with my pregnancy nearly 31 pounds and just dropped off all pp weight with the help of drinking Mummy magic weight loss tea.

The stomach muscles stretch and stretch apart in the center when you are pregnant and you need to strengthen them to make them taught and bring them back together in the middle again. I still had a rounded belly and my daughter is 3 1/2! I just started an exercise program a few months ago and my belly is getting flat! Lot and lots of core and stomach exercises like crunches, but a varied number of them to work all of the muscles. You can ask your gyne for exercises to do - most have a sheet with exercises to do to help bring those mucscles back together and in shape. Good luck!

Sit ups or mini crunches get rid of the problem. Almost every new mom has that little trophy to bear.

I am a Maternal Fitness specialist and a personal trainer - I trained directly under Julie Tupler who is the world's foremost authority of the diastises recti - which many people have commented on. It splits in 98% of women during pregnancy. This split creates the MUMMY TUMMY as we call it. you must bring the two halves of your recti together again. (On a side note crunches make your diastises WORSE - I have seen it in hundreds of women. It splits further - so do not do those).

The exercises in the program work wonderfully. I personally after baby #3 went from a 32 inch waist to a 25 1/2 inch waist in 11 weeks (plus avoiding the 5 whites - white bread, white sugar, white flour, white pasta, and white potatoes).

I do personal sessions and group sessions, and group classes. I currently teach a class in Homewood and Orland Park called "Lose your Mummy Tummy." (after the book "Lose You Mummy Tummy" which you can purchase on Amazon.)

I can help with weight lossand belly fat! Im the mother of 8 and grandmother of 6 so far! I came across a new tech liquid formulation, in one ounce a day! 174 nutraceaulicals, 35 exodic fruits and vegies plus alot more. I have experience a ton of energy, my belly fat melt, and great skin and nail in two months so far! GREAT FOR CHILDREN also. email me with your phone and email adress and I will send you the science and ingredientt list if you want to try it. blessings, N. ____@____.com ps kiss your sweet little girl for me ! what a blessed momma you are!

Yes, it is normal.

Sadly, people are rude. I suggest you look them in the eye and say, "Three months ago, which is when I delivered my daughter," or "Oh, I'm not pregnant, that's just 'fat'. Thanks for noticing!" I GUARANTEE they will think twice before opening their mouths with the next new mama they encounter.

It's totally normal -- it takes about 9-12 mos. to lose your pregnancy weight. Just eat a balanced diet and try to walk as much as possible, and with patience, the weight will come off. I've found wearing clothes that are flattering (i.e. not maternity clothes) has been helpful during the transition back toward my pre-pregnancy clothes fitting.

Best of luck,
R.

It is really normal to still have tummy at 3 months, remember how much tummy you once had. For some, even if they get back to their pre-pregnancy weight or even a bit below, they may still have some extra tummy. There is no way to actually direct where you lose the weight but you can do some crunchs and sit ups etc to firm the tummy a bit. If you are not breastfeeding (that really takes the weight off fast) or have finished, then gradual weightloss is a great way to go with some tummy exercises. Good Luck.

Hi O.,

I specialize in women's health and in pre and postnatal fitness and do personal wellness consultations. I am a master trainer for Healthy Moms(R) Fitness www.healthymomsfitness.com if you want to check it out.

There are a couple of reasons why this is happening. The main reason is you may what is called a diastis recti, this happens to 2 out of 3 moms postpartum, so it is more common than you think. (Most doctors do not check for this...most midwives will). It is an abdominal separation of the main ab muscle. A wonderful book written by a physical therapist is called, "Bounce Back Into Shape After Baby" by Caroline Creager. She is the original author on this topic (dispite other authors that use this separation and slap their label on it). IT is about $15 on amazon.

The other issue is do you feel bloated after you eat? Sometimes with all of the antibiotics given during labor, it kills all of our good bacteria giving us this extended belly look. You may safely start taking some probiotics at night before bed to help replenish your good bacteria. Florajen 3 is a really good brand. Not all are created equal. Florastor is another both found in the fridgerated sections.

You may still look like you are 5m pregnant after delivery, but it should go down after 12wks. It goes down faster if you are b-feeding too.

Email me if you have more questions.

Congrats!

J. W. MPH, ACE-CPT
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant