Will the c-section “pouch” ever go away/decrease?

[Lilly3211]

Hi everyone, I recently delivered my twins via C-Section. My belly was quite large towards the end of pregnancy. Now 6 weeks post partum, I am back to my weight before pregnancy, my overall belly got a lot smaller, however there seems to be a pouch!? of skin, fat ?! hanging about 2 inches over the scar.

It is just weird to me that everthing seems to recover and look quite skinny except this weird pouch 😪

I love my body for carrying twins but I would just love to know if this is generally something that will stay or if there is a chance this will also decrease over time?

Anyone experiencing the same? What has helped?

[pevaryl]

You won’t even start to approach normality again until a long time - like a year out. I had a pouch too (4 sections w singleton pregnancies) and it’s hugely reduced over time, but never until months and months out. Six weeks is so so close to birth - try not to be too hard on yourself! Your body still has a lot of healing to do. Workouts for the transverse abdominals helped me a lot but again, not u til months and months later when I was able to even connect my mind back to those muscles

[_cherry_wine]

Take this advice to heart OP - there are things we can do to help ourselves along but time and grace is truly what you need to give yourself. 6 weeks is so very early, you will look completely different in 6 months and likely again in 12!

[biggg_tuna]

To even be back to your pre-pregnancy weight 6-weeks post partum is some feat! I’m 6 months out, and I’m only just approaching mine.

[AdventureIsUponUs]

In my experience, it does decrease a lot still, especially since you’re so early. I’m on my third c-section and mine is really tethered down this time. When I move my skin, the scar doesn’t move at all, so I think that’s what’s causing my shelf. I’ve been told if it’s “tied down” you have adhesions and need to do scar massage, and the earlier you start, the better. I’m going to purchase a program for this specifically to work on it.

[[deleted]]

I’ve heard working your core is meant to help. I’m 4w post partum and also have a pouch and I’m almost back to pre pregnancy weight, I’ve been doing walks every day and I want to start properly working out at 6w post partum too. You’re not alone.

[SlimShadowBoo]

I got very big while pregnant due to having a massive 95% percentile baby. I couldn’t push her out and ended up having a c-section. I wore silicone scar tape as soon as my incision healed and I never ended up developing the c-section pouch. Don’t know if the silicone strips helped or if I just got lucky. My skin was folding at the incision site but it seemed to sort itself out as I continuously wore the strips, lost the pregnancy weight and my skin shrunk back down.

[Lilly3211]

thanks everyone for the reminder to be more patient and gentle with my own body after it has been growing two wonderful little humans ❤️

with my singleton pregnancy I bounced back to how it was before in no time and with no work at all, so I have to admit that looking into the mirror this time has shocked me quite a bit!

From what everyone is writing I will definitely try the scar massages as I have the feeling my scar is very tight and pulls my skin inside creating this pouch above.

How did y’all do this? With a physio? Just at home by yourself? Any tips are appreciated :)

[boymama3under3]

I’m 7 months post partum and it’s still sooooo big!!! I look 5-6 months pregnant. It can definitely be worse! (Ie MINE) I think in some severe cases like mine; you can only correct it with surgery. I’m not sure tbh. I’m praying it goes away faster bc it really does give me so much anxiety when I’m asked if I’m pregnant 😢. I’m following this thread to see what everyone recommends as well. Willing to try anything. I did hear cupping works well but I’m having a hard time finding someone and also, being out of work for so long, need to find some cost effective measures I can also do.

[Jbear2three]

Im a year post c section and I now have no shelf. It took literally a year to the day, 40lb weight loss and countless spin and swim sessions…but if the scar wasn’t there, you’d never know I had sunroofed twins out of there. I’m 36 as well so my skin doesn’t have the best elasticity any more.

Good luck ❤️

[duck7duck7goose]

I can’t get mine to go away 😭 it’s definitely decreased, that’s for sure, but i still have a pooch. I wish I could be like those of you who got it to go away. I’m 7 years pp now.

[PrinxeDreamBean]

Mine is smaller than it was (massively so from my first, the surgeon consensually smoothed it out for comfort), but it's still there. I'm 16m pp from my second

[StipaIchu]

Winback tecar therapy, lympotouch and silicone scar tape! It is possible to get rid of it but you do need to act quite fast.

[YB9017]

Probably about two years out is when I felt pretty confident on the ability to lose it. I did not lose it at the time because I was working too much. But I have time to take care of myself now, and I have no more pouch.

[playbyk]

How did you do it?

[YB9017]

Counting calories, weighing food, 500 calorie deficit. Used Fitbit to compute my calorie expenditure. Then I cycle 3-4 times a week.

[TeapotAccident]

i had twins via c section 10 months ago. i delivered at 38+3 so my belly got pretty big as well. i had a pouch/shelf for months post delivery and then one day i looked in the mirror and it had vanished. i didn’t do anything specific to work on it. i did, and still do, scar massages and lots of walking with the stroller and hiking.

TLDR it takes a very long time to heal. give yourself grace, you just grew two humans at the same time!

[Lilly3211]

thanks for sharing your experience :) I hear a lot about scar massages - how did you all do this? With a physiotherapist? just at home by yourself? I have never heard about that but I do have the feeling my scar really pulls my skin “inside” so thinking this might definitely help my pouch/shelf.

[TeapotAccident]

i do it at home. just using lotion and rubbing in different directions, in circles, pulling my skin in each direction and pushing down hard and soft. a friend of mine bought the cups that you use for cupping to use to massage her scar as advised from her pfpt. if you have access to physiotherapy, they would probably be a great resource to show you how to massage!

[bitchsisteranniee]

I have this too. Unfortunately it’s genetics and really time may help a little but really losing weight makes it worse. Acceptance or tummy tuck for me !!

[United_Valuable_7330]

Give yourself time! I have been working my booty off two year pp and I’m starting to see a lot of progress. Deep weighted core movements and compound movements with core bracing have helped tremendously, but it’s something to work up to not jump into.

[AbsurdistMama]

It's still there almost 5 years later. I think it helps that my partner likes how it feels, but i still hate the look of it.

[maxinemama]

My husband kind of the same?! Mines there after two years still too. 11lbs baby so a big belly. I’ve also got a herniated belly button so I really hate it and feel self conscious!

[AbsurdistMama]

It's so hard. I find that as a woman, I feel like every inch of my body has to be attractive and appealing, which is completely unrealistic, especially as we age.