Twin Skin?! Body recovery after having babies..

When I had my singleton 7 years ago I obviously didn't stretch out as much as I did with the twins and it took me 8 months to get back to my pre preggo size (I gained WAY too much during that pregnancy - 64lbs). THIS TIME with the girls, I only gained 48lbs but I stretched pretty bad. I am now 5wks post partum (almost) and I don't expect to look perfect yet, but the skin around my belly button looks all wrinkly and flappy (did NOT look like this last time). I am a very skinny person by nature, so this looks aweful to me. My uterus is almost back into place (was told it would take 6wks or so to go back under the pubic bone), but I am thinking that the skin in the next couple weeks isn't automatically going to look better at that point even though my pooch may go away. I am about 2 pant sizes bigger still.

How long did it take your SKIN to look normal (if ever)?? AND How long did it take you to lose the linea negra (if you got one). Mine still looks VERY dark and I am a very light skinned girl.

THANKS!!

 

I was massive, massive, massive! lol Stretch marks galore that are "faded" now and are no longer pink/purple, but they are definitely visible from how wrinkly my skin is. My tummy looks like some kind of super old leathery bag or something! It has gotten slightly better over the last 7 months, but I don't expect that it will ever go back to "normal" as it just can't I'd imagine. My skin is torn essentially so it'll never get that elasticity back. My fear actually is that once I lose the last bit of baby weight that my tummy will look even worse as there will be less fat to fill out the wrinkly skin. How sad My belly button looks just as you describe. I used to have such a cute belly button! And now it's all sad looking and sort of folded over on itself.

My linea negra has faded a lot, and I would say it's almost gone. I probably wouldn't notice it if I didn't know where it had been.

Sometimes I get bummed about my post babies body, but then I just think about saving up for that tummy tuck and a boob lift in a few years so that I can have a beach bod once again

 

I'm 3 months out and it's still looks bad. I'm overweight and my previous pregnancy I had extra fluid --never got stretch marks though and then at 34 weeks with the twins - got them. I was soooo mad. My feeling is -- it won't ever "look" the same. Once it gets stretched out that much, it basically in my opinion will take surgery to get rid of it totally. Think of the overweight people that lose a lot of weight. You'd be able to tone it some, but it never will be the same after being stetched that much.

 

While I haven't yet delivered yet, I have been googling this topic for some time- I guess I'm a bit obsessed with getting my body back. I, too, had my first 6 years ago and was back to pre-pg size and weight in about 3 months after delivery. This time (with twins and being 6 years older), I'm sure it will be different but I've seen many people online and in person who have been able to pretty much recover their bodies.

First, get a belly binder asap (like belly bandit). Wear it all the time within the first 8 weeks when the hormones are still at work.

My ultra-skinny girl friends who both had twins and who are now (5 years later) again ultra-skinny said they were so stretched out, they could balance a dinner plate on their protruding belly. Now, they are completely flat/washboard tummies- yes, slight stretch marks but really toned and muscular. It'll take a lot of work and exercise but I don't think it's impossible. At least, that's what I'm telling myself .

 

This was my first pregnancy and I got pretty big. I'm small framed to begin with and am about 5' 9" tall. My starting weight was 143lbs and I ended up at 195lbs. I had a LOT of swelling due to pre-eclampsia so when I delivered I lost a lot of weight fast. I didn't realize how many stretch marks I had because they were under my belly button and I couldn't see them. The boys are 1 year old now and the stretch marks are gone, and I did not use any lotions or anything they faded naturally. The only real difference is my stomach. It's not the same as pre-pregnancy but it's not bad. The biggest change to my body is my loss in breast size.

 

i am 16 months post delivery and i lost all my preggers weight plus some, and still my bellybutton looks horrible and the skin around it is a permanent pooch. If you go to the second year there is a post about this same exact thing. I think most women just have twin skin no matter how hard they work. Surgery seems to be the only true solution from what i can tell.....unless you are famous and have a personal trainer and chef

 

These were my first babies and I gained about 45lbs. I started at about 125 lbs. I was shocked by the looseness of my skin after and asked a friend whose had 3 children if I would ever be the same again. She took one look and said, don't worry, thats nothing. And sure enough after almost 10 months it looks pretty good. If I actually made the effort and went to the gym, I'm sure I would be back to my old self (almost). Its these last 8-10 lbs that I am going to have to work for. The one thing that is bigger are some of my joints/bones. My wedding band had to get upsized to fit over my knuckle and I'm sure my hips are bigger. I found bio oil helped keep the skin soft and like anything if you gain or lose fast I think it looks worse. I'm sure with a little time it will improve a lot

 

I actually don't have a skin issue but a severe diastasis issue. I'm actually going to be getting surgery to fix that...I am 7 months post and look pregnant simply due to the lack of abdominal support there. And I am very small: 5'6" and around 110.

 

I was skinny pre-pregnancy (125 lbs) and gained 52 lbs. I'm now 4 months out and am at 115lbs. I swear it's all due to the BF, b/c I'm not exercising (who has time?) and eating really isn't an issue while nursing. I did use Palmers Cocoa Butter lotion during my pregnancy and was lucky to not get stretch marks. I still have my dark line, but it's faded and actually I bet that a good exfoliant would get rid of it! The funny thing is that my dark line also went down the back of my legs and both legs still have the dark line that extends from just below my butt to my knees. It's the weirdest looking thing ever. I hate my stomach, though, b/c it's so darn flabby and I have no muscle. If I had the time and energy to do some ab exercises I'm sure I would firm up, but I just don't have the energy to do anything. So it will just have to remain squishy for now.

 

I still have my linea nigera and my boys are 5 months old. My belly button was really large and dark brown for about 3 months PP. I measured 46 weeks when I gave birth to my boys and luckily I didn't get one stretch mark. You sound similar to me, I gained the same amount of weight and I was a 6 before I got pregnant. I'm down to an 8-10 now, sigh...

I am trying to be patient and give myself time, I hope I can be back to a 6 by their b-day in Feb. My skin looks good now, it's getting tighter but I am working out too.

 

Thanks everyone!! I am happy to know I am not alone!! I plan on purchasing some skin firming lotion, working out lightly (who has time for more)...and just being patient (yeah right). I went from 5'7" 120lbs to 180lbs during this pregnancy. I was a size 2/4 before and am now a 6/8!! Oh well...I just went and bought myself a tummy tightening bathing suit for the rest of the summer so I can go swimming in my pool without feeling bad about myself!! :FIFblush:

 

I am nearly 4 months out and my belly looks about 4 months gone still.
I had a small belly from 2 singltons and my skin was quite stretched.
I actually only put on half the weight as the previous 2 times and mainly in my baby belly, and so really stretched my skin beyond repair. I also had bad muscle seperation and a c/s scar that is slow to heal. I really don't like looking at it, am very self concious and am having issues with being confident with my husband again ;-).

Hopefully when the weather warms up, we can go walking more and that may help a little. Short of surgery, I don't have much hope for my skin.

 

My girls will be a year on Sunday and my belly has gotten progressively better. I work out 5 days a week but hadn't done any ab exercises since the girls because I felt like it was useless. Then I started p90x two weeks ago and already I feel better about my belly! I still have a little extra skin, but I have my pre pregnancy body back with clothes on

 

Has anyone ever heard of T-Tapp dry brushing? I ran across this and am starting to do some research: http://tappintofitness.blogspot.com/2009/08/benefits-of-body-brushing.html

Many moms swear it helped tighten their skin everywhere and even give them firmer breasts. Anyway, it might be worth looking into for those of you lamenting your skin (as I will be doing in a few short weeks)...

 

I am a thinner person, and I exercise quite a lot and I still can not get rid of my "pooch". it's not flappy anymore, but it definitely sticks out and makes me self-conscious. I have just accepted that my tummy will never be flat again :cry: I've tried everything and it seems the more crunches I do the worse it gets. I never had this problem with my son, but the girls just caused mayhem. I hope you all have better luck than I have had!

 

Congrats! Your girls are beautiful! I am petite, gained 30 lbs w/ my pregnancy and lost it all and then some immediately after birth (I think I was un-healthily thin after my girls were born). 18 months later, I am in the best shape of my life (carrying around twinfants will do that for you!) and yet, alas, I still have disgusting stretchy skin on my tummy and awful stretch marks. My muscles are trim and firm, but the skin still sags oddly over them. So, unless plastic surgery is in my future, I'm resolved to always have the battle scars of carrying twins, and hopefully they will come in handy to guilt the girls into something later in life.

 

Without wanting to depress you, I still have some twin skin. I weighed 117lbs before getting pg and I gained 55lbs and stretched a lot. I got stretch marks right at the end of my pregnancy. Im back to my pre-pg weight but havent got rid of the twin skin. La linea negra disappeared quite quickly but I can´t exactly remember when, but I think before the 3 month mark. If I had done a load of exercise then my twins skin would have gone but Im too lazy for that. My BFF laughs at me saying I have twin skin (she thinks I have nothing there!) but I know what I looked like before my LOs came along! On a positive note I have arms that are muscled and toned thanks to over 2 years of cuddles and carrying them around!