body after twins

mirnb · April 2012

Hi all...I'm fairly new here...have been lurking for a while but anyways I have a question for any twin moms. Is it possible to have your body go back to somewhat like it was before? My boys are almost 6 months old and somedays I look at my stomach and want to cry. A little background, I'm 5'6 was 110lbs pre-preg and gained 45lbs with my boys. I'm currently 120lbs but my stomach is just a saggy mess

the skin is so stretched out and cave in in the middle, not to mention the stretch marks and twin skin! Do I have any hope? Any exercise I can do? I'm not so worried about the extra weight but I would just like my stomach to look somewhat normal...oh and my previously innie belly button is now a strange looking outie!

autumnlala · April 2012

Hi there, my twins are 6 months old and I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting my body back. It took a while for my stomach to slim down, but now it's almost the same size it was before. I do, however, like you, have some loose skin. My doctor told me that it will probably never be the way it was before-- your skin was stretched and it doesn't just bounce back. Also your uterus stretched and won't go back to its original tiny size.

I don't know of any exercises you can do to tighten up the skin (it's skin, not fat or muscle!), but maybe others have ideas?

atc282 · April 2012

The "cave" in the middle and the outie belly button you describe sounds like diastisis recti (when the abdominal muscles are separated) and an umbilical hernia. You may want to get it checked out from your ob and he/she can then refer you to a corrective specialist.

I had both of these occur after having my twins. I was told by my OB to lay off isolated ab workouts (i.e. crunches) for at least 6 mo. pp. After that, I incorporated transverse ab work and some Pilates and lots of planks along with my cardio. Over time, this helped strengthen my core but the separation was still there (would need surgery to correct). As for the hernia, that too would have to be surgically corrected. I recently had a consultation and it would involved laproscopic (sp?) surgery and he'd pull the belly button back in and then place a lg. mesh around the area to help pull in/support the ab separation. It's about a 5 wk. recovery process (day surgery and then 1 wk. of full restrictions followed by 1 mo. of limited restrictions--i.e. no heavy lifting or intense exercising).

HTH

CRYSTAL24K · April 2012

I am in the same boat. My boys are just 4 months old today, but I am concerned with the cave in my belly. I am 5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight and have been eating healthy, watching my portions and exercising but I hate the way my belly looks. Thanks for posting your question and thanks for the responses so far.

meldoo2002 · April 2012

I think it depends on your body, how far you carried them, how much you gained, etc. I gained 65lbs, but only carried them to 30w1d. I am at my pre-pregnancy weight... have been since they were 5 months old and though my stomach is back to mostly normal it's certainly not flat (but wasn't pre-pregnancy). It's good enough that I'm comfortable in a tankini. I would think that if you went closer to 40 weeks and you are as small as you are with all that extra skin you'd probably have to have a tummy tuck to get the skin tight again.

KayJayDee · April 2012

I'm getting depressed just thinking about it...

xoexpat · April 2012

It depresses me to think about also. But, it has to be somewhat possible with hard work. JLo did it, I don't know if she had any surgery afterwards but I do remember reading about her doing a triathlon or something after the twins were born.

mrs.cam · April 2012

My stats are almost the same as yours. Pre pg I was 120 and 5'7", I gained 50 lbs. Now I'm 105. My stomach is flat, 18 months out, but it is horribly saggy and covered in stretch marks. I had a breast augmentation and the surgeon basically said I'd need a tummy tuck to get rid of it. (But of course he would right?) Anyway yours will most likely get better than it is now...but it will never be perfect again and it is just something you'll have to adjust to. It took me a long time but I'm pretty over it now....I'll just never wear a bikini again.

macchiatto · April 2012

xoexpat:
It depresses me to think about also. But, it has to be somewhat possible with hard work. JLo did it, I don't know if she had any surgery afterwards but I do remember reading about her doing a triathlon or something after the twins were born.

Fitness is certainly possible (barring other circumstances). Losing twin skin--if you got it--is another story. I definitely still have it and it gets worse the more weight you lose. I'm also one who didn't have a really flat stomach pre-pg and still don't, but I admit it is worse than before; my weight is distributed differently and my rib cage and hips permanently expanded.

ardilla · April 2012

I was told by my doc that a lot of it is the luck of the draw. I have a little extra skin and a slight extra curve on the lower belly where my c/s scar is but have a mostly flat belly. If I get a little more toned up I may brave a bikini again this summer. I do have a few stretch marks but they aren't too bad.

leviandlandensmom · April 2012

Yep, having twins messes you up big time. Sounds like abdominal separation and an umbilical hernia. I just had my umbilical hernia repaired on Thursday so I'm 4 days post op and feeling great. You just can't lift anything over 20 lbs or do abdominal exercise for the full 6 weeks (duh). My guys are just over 20 lbs and I could finally carry them today comfortably.

google123 · April 2012

There is nothing you can do to tighten up that skin. sorry. The only thing you can do is get a tummy tuck.

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