Body Aftermath ....

TMI .. and personal.

My boys are now 6 months and I'm still having a hard time with what my body (particularly my stomach) looks like. I was wondering if and when the dreaded "twin" skin ever goes away? I know that my body stretched an unbelievable amount, I just don't want to come to grips with that fact that maybe my body won't return (somewhat) to what it looked like before. Isn't skin supposed to be elastic?? <_<

My DH and I are not sure if we're having more children, the twins being our first, so if we decide not to then I'm thinking about getting a tummy tuck (if we decided to have more kids than that would go on the back burner). Has anyone gone through the procedure or anyone else thinking about it???

 

:hug:

I'm still having a hard time with it and tummy tucks have been discussed. I'm terrified of going under the knife for no real medical reason, but after losing weight and proving to my husband that it won't go away on it's own, it might be something to think about later on, for me. I'm sorry you have to deal with it too. :hug:

 

Im not that far out from delivery as you but I am having issues with it. I hate the strechmarks and the way that my belly now looks but i got my babies out of the deal so I try to keep that in mind... I would be scared of a tummy tuck, but that is just me.

 

I'm frustrated with mine; I have so few clothes that fit. I went shopping, but don't want to spend a ton of $$ when I'm still hoping to lose the last 20 lbs (!) of baby weight. And it's not just that; clothes just fit so differently. Especially with pants, I have a hard time finding any that look good on me. It's really discouraging, so I feel your pain. We couldn't afford a tummy tuck but if we could I'd consider one once we're sure we're done having kids! (At this point we both think we want one more.)

 

I have it bad too, I have 2 older kids so my skin was already stretched, but the twins were 7.2 and 6.4 lbs so it stretched out even furthur. Unfortunately I don't think mine is ever going to go away, and a tummy tuck is way out of our budget. My first priority is a boob job anyways, I'm very much huge and it's ruining my back/shoulders!

 

A tummy tuck has definitely been discussed in this house. I have lost all of the baby weight finally. I made a decision when they were 18 months old that is was time and that I had to make time for myself and exercise. I have kept the weight off for almost a year. I am going to give it a bit more time to see if I can exercise a bit more to get the twin skin to go away. But in the meantime, Spanx are my best friend.

 

I hear you. I'm kind of afraid of losing the last of the baby weight for fear the skin will look even worse.

 

QUOTE(Sisrea @ May 7 2009, 10:36 PM) [snapback]1305235[/snapback]
but i got my babies out of the deal so I try to keep that in mind...



I have to say that I 100% absolutely agree! I wouldn't have changed anything about my pregnancy (really was a great twin pregnancy) and we are so blessed that we finally have our LO's here. They are truly the best part of every day for me...

I know that tummy tucks are expensive so I'll definitely have to start saving here and there and I'm definitely waiting on whether we are going to have more kids and also waiting for when my boys are older ... so a good couple years down the road anyway. I'm just very much the type of person that believes that you should do whatever you need to for you to feel good about yourself (of course, within means and extremes) ... after all it's still your life too.

 

My babies are almost seven months old and I would have thought that my stomach would look a bit better than it does. I gained very little weight while pregnant despite being a healthy pre-pregnancy weight. My skin was stretched beyond belief. Some of my stretch marks were a centimeter across. After major medical complications due to the dissection, I ended up coming home from the hospital 20 pounds lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight. My stomach looks horrible but due to all the problems I had, I cannot have any more children or unnecessary surgeries and medical procedures. That means I have to deal with my stomach the way it is. Spanx are wonderful. If only I could figure out how to get back into a bikini... That is one sacrifice I guess I'll have to make. I'm just happy to know I'm not the only one out there with an ugly patch and pouch of skin on my stomach.

 

i was at a healthy weight before i got pregnant ( im 5 ft 6 ), and a week before i delivered i stepped on the scale at the peri's office and it read 207 lbs. i literally sat there and sobbed that the number was so high. Today is 18 days post partum and the first time i have had the courage to step on the scale. i knew that i had lost weight but have not been doing any dieting and was just praying i would be under 200. The scale read 165 and as high as that is for me, i can live with it for now. i didnt get any huge stretch marks this time around but maybe thats because my last singleton was almost 10lbs at birth and i got them then. <_< i too have the pouch, but i figure ive carried twins, im approaching 40, and its a small sacrifice to have made to get to have my boys. ive accepted the fact that ill never be in a bikini again. So what? im still beautiful and my DH loves me and still desires me sexually. How can i ask for more than that? So i may never be a size 4 again. Jeans are made to fit my body at whatever shape and size it may happen to be at the time; not the other way around.


Kenneth and Ian are 18 days old

 

for me, it wasn't my stomach it was my boobs!! After I weaned after a year they became pancakes. with huge stretch marks! YUCK!! but actually after another year they started to get a little better. I think the skin does change a bit back to normal but it will never be the same again!!

 

Mine did get a bit better the closer to one year pp (wouldn't know how much better past that as I got pregnant again). Your body made huge adjustments when pregnant so give yourself a bit of time after giving birth for things to get back into place. I finally fit back in my pre-preg jeans just before the boys turned one. I lost most of the weight by 6 months, but still had the skin and belly, lost some more around the 8-10 month mark, and the skin was getting better. I knew it wouldn't be gone but it was better. Give yourself some time, eat well, exercise when possible (I say walking the babies in the stroller is a great way for you to get fresh air and for them to be outdoors), and after the first year pp, see where things are.

I think we all get fixated on what we expect our bodies to do after babies and trust me, mine did not bounce back and would never be the same nor do I think mine will bounce back this time and be the same. I have twin skin and stretch marks and after I've been not pregnant for probably close to 2 years, I'll probably consider saving for a tummy tuck if I still feel uncomfortable...but if it goes back to close to what it was before this baby then I can probably live with it...I've just learned to wear tankinis instead of bikinis and jeans and pants with stretch are my best friend.

 

I am back down to my pre pregnancy weight and I get depressed everytime I look in the mirror and/or after showers when I put lotion on.. It almost seems pointless to put lotion on the tummy area, but I still do it. I'm convinced that the twin skin will never go away - unfortunately. We've had tummy tuck conversations as well [actually mommy make-over]. If you didn't know the mommy make-over is the boobs and the tummy. I have small ones to begin with, but now they're squishier than ever and you could pinch the skin and pull it up a few inches.. Not a pretty sight. I'm only 25 and I figure I have until I'm 50+ to worry about squishy-sagging boobs [along with the rest of my body].

So we plan to save up to do it in 2/3 years. That way the girls will be old enough so I don't have to pick them up to do everything. I'm terrified about going under the knife as well [one of my biggest fears actually]. But I think in the end it will be worth it.

 

mandyfish3 - me too! it's not my stomach so much as it's my boobs! They've flattened into skin and nipples after nursing for 8 months and now I can't stand for DH to even look at them, much less touch them. My best friend just had breast implants and I'm watching and waiting to see whether this could be an option for me after I win the lottery - which I don't play. Hmm, not sure how that will work but wish me luck!

Maybe tummy tucks won't be as expensive as breast implants......I have a little bit of a pouch that no amount of sucking my belly in will get rid of so I wear girdle. Will look into spanx today. Oh, the joys of motherhood!!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!!!!!!