Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Postpartum stomach: the effect of living backwards

You know how I posted weekly tummy pictures, getting pregnanter and pregnanter?

Watching your body back out of pregnancy is much more bizarre.

I haven't documented it with photos because truly, it's not a pretty picture.

So, I don't know what it was like immediately after Jordan popped out, since I didn't get out of bed for another day, but once I got up, I noticed how strange my stomach was.

I was used to it being up under my boobs. It was sort of like it just...fell.

It was back to maybe six months pregnant. But low and soft and droopy, like a deflating balloon. And it just progressed over the following weeks along those lines. To five months, four, three...And stayed somewhere around there.

Just a little low pooch. Soft, rather than firm.

On Sunday my mom took Jordan for the whole day as her anniversary present to us. In the morning Nick went for a run, which I can do, but I kind of hate how the motion jiggles my scar. Hell, I hate that I use the verb jiggle to describe the action of my stomach.

So I headed to the gym with the big red button in my office building.

Where I ran into my trainer. Who said as soon as I can work out hard, he is going to kick my non-pregnant ass.

All I could say is, dude, I cannot wait.

12 comments:

  1. I'm very excited for you, and think perhaps you need some new (orange! kickass!) workout gear to celebrate your return.

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  2. i've always wondered about the post-baby-belly. i only ever get to see them months down the road, but what you described isn't AT ALL what i thought it would be.
    have you seen the bands that are supposed to keep your belly from sagging/stretching while you're getting back into shape? i'm SO curious about them... you should try it and report back : )

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  3. They put my midsection in a binder -- similar to the belly band I think? -- in the hospital after my c-section last week. It was torture! I was so glad to get that thing off. Maybe it's different after a month or so, but it would take some serious convincing or bribery or something to get me back into one of those things. Too bad too, I'd been interested in trying out the belly band. Lisa, if you try it, I'd love to hear about how it goes.

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  4. Dagny - Yes! Fun new workout stuff would be very motivating! And orange! I need more orange!

    mrsmac - He got me in shape before my wedding, so I could fit into the teeny tiny waist that had no room for expansion. And he kept me working out for much of my pregnancy. I love the man.

    notsojenny - I don't know what I expected it to be like, but not like this! As for the bands, I haven't ever seen them. I don't know that I would try a band at this point unless someone I knew really recommended it.

    A.S. - Yikes. That sounds terrible! I know I didn't want anything touching my tummy right afterwards, and actually for a while after it was still really really tender.

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  5. My friends have all shown me theirs. They aren't happy about it either. :)

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  6. I have one word for you, friend: Pilates! My sister swears by it and since, you know, we're sisters...I've seen how it helped her scar and it was amazing the difference Pilates made in her stomach!!

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  7. I found that really weird as well. Like a huge bag of jelly attached to your front. You stand up and turn around, and 3 minutes later your tummy catches up...or maybe I'm just speaking for myself!?

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  8. Oh, I would kill for one of those. Good luck!

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  9. yes, please come back and work out hard because right now he is kicking MY butt! :) We miss you here! It's just not the same.

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  10. I used one of the belts immediately after my C-section because it helped to hold everything in, instead of having the extra fat and skin just flop around and put pressure on the scar. It was great for those first couple of weeks, until my uterus shrank down a bit. I'm now 3 months post partum, and back in many of my old clothes, but not all. It's funny, I have just 3-4 lbs left to lose, but my body LOOKS like it's more like 10-15 lbs. Ah well. I've heard it's best to give yourself 6 months to get back to your pre-baby body, so I'm not beating myself up just yet. I hope you have better luck!

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  11. You should be ready for a hard workout soon, right? In the meantime, I'll be posting some great products for losing the bulge at some point today. Good luck with the last 3 months you have to go!!

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  12. Make sure you are massaging your scar so that it doesn't bulge. Also, check for diastasis b/c if you start doing sit ups/crunches and pilates it will only make your stomach look worse due to the abdominal separation.

    Karla, owner
    www.bellybuttonboutique.com

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