When did your belly snap back?

[cernunnos]

Just wondering how long postpartum your stomach began to look similar to before pregnancy. It’s fine if the answer is “never” Answers most helpful from those years postpartum, i.e. don’t say never at 3 months pp

For context, I’m 6 months pp, back to prepregnancy weight, workout as much as possible, every other body part looks similar to before, but my belly is still like 2-3 months pregnant. Somehow I fit into all the same jeans, pants, etc, but it just bulges out. I really need to know this will snap back or else I’ll have to do some kinda cosmetic procedure

 

[frogs]

@cernunnos For me (3 babies now) it happens around 18-24 months! I could lose the weight right away, but the softness and loose skin takes more time to tighten up!

ETA: additionally, I can only get so close to pre-pregnancy shape until I wean from breastfeeding. Once I wean is when I can lose the little bit of extra softness my body hangs on to for feeding purposes!

 

[delphinecaron]

@frogs this is so great to hear! i’m 1 year out and have started doing core workouts but hoping it gets naturally tighter over the next 6-12 mo

 

[matthiasproctor]

@frogs This is interesting to hear! My son is 3, but never weaned. My stomach got mostly back to normal, but I always felt the last little bit was tough to shift.
I'm now pregnant again but will be interested to see how it changed once I'm eventually not breastfeeding at all!

 

[cernunnos]

@frogs How long after weaning does this happen? I just weaned.

 

[suzannel]

@frogs Thanks for this. I’m 15m pp with my fourth and very much feel like my belly skin will be soft forever

 

[wo7]

@cernunnos Mine is close to pre-pregnancy flatness 2.5 years out. I took my time losing weight gradually and I’ve added HIIT workouts over the last couple months that have resulted in some fat loss/muscle gain in the abdominal area. Immediately postpartum I don’t think I would’ve ever imagined my stomach could look close to how it did before pregnancy.

I think if you are prioritizing fitness and have the capacity (help around house, babysitter etc.) to do that the weight can come off much faster.

 

[wo7]

Wanted to add - with my 1st pregnancy it took 2 years for my stomach to go fully back to normal flatness. I breastfed my 1st for 2 years & I think that contributed to some of the excess fat sticking around. I would give yourself at least 18 months before thinking about drastic measures. For some people it takes a while to come off.

 

[navymom1920]

@wo7 HIIT is amazing for burning fat, but pilates were the real MVP for me! I never did them before having a baby, but they really strengthen you from the inside out and help build those transverse abdominals (the ones that help keep your belly from looking too bloated after you eat) as well as your pelvic floor. I've switched from HIIT being my main workouts to Pilates and I actually think my body looks better than it did pre-baby (I'm 22 months out with my first born). I do the MoveWithNicole workouts in YouTube, just two to maybe three a week, plus try to do at least one good walk with my toddler a day.

 

[cernunnos]

@navymom1920 Thanks for this comment. One of the things that inspired this post is me contemplating joining a Pilates studio because I know how great it is for core. So far I’ve done running and some weight training, and core has not been the focus.

 

[navymom1920]

@cernunnos Maybe it's counter intuitive because that fat burning was also definitely my primary focus when I first started trying to lose the baby weight. I really just wanted to workouts that were gonna burn the most calories, and I was slimming down but still noticed that the lower part of my stomach was always sticking out. That was never an issue before I had a baby, but once I turned my focus to Pilates I started seeing just a slight difference within a few weeks and definitely felt much stronger! I'd definitely try to swap out some of your current workouts to Pilates if you can!

 

[missh]

@navymom1920 Interesting ! I might try Pilates- was yours mat based or reformer based?

 

[navymom1920]

@missh Just mat! I lay my little guy down for his nap then head to my bedroom and do one of the 30 minute videos, super easy to keep up with

 

[zzdexzz]

@cernunnos With my first it was at about 10-12months. I did pelvic floor PT for my core and then saw a huge jump in improvement after I weaned.

 

[lunarpie]

@cernunnos Not until I started doing stomach vacuums… I had no idea how busted my ab muscles were

 

[cernunnos]

@lunarpie What’s a stomach vacuum? Lol

 

[holysmoke]

@cernunnos We all want to know!

 

[chicmoon]

@cernunnos I believe it’s just what it sounds like, sucking waaaay in and holding it while breathing. Different than a tva activation. I’m sure you can find tutorials on you tube!

 

[chicmoon]

@lunarpie I heard a couple times that was bad for DR? I don’t see how it would be though. It’s a gentle exercise

 

[holysmoke]

@cernunnos My kids are older- 6 and 10. The first time a year. Second time- never. My BMI is 20 (lower end of normal). Just that little belly. No DR. I’ve accepted it on most days. Your body did something major. I had a 23 inch waist for a long time and I’m 40 now and ain’t gonna happen.