I don't want to be one of those people who crash diets after having my baby, but I have always had a pretty athletic body... I'm not as super-thin as I was when I was 20, but I still have muscle tone and I was proud of my hard tummy! Am I going to be able to get my strong abs back? I don't need or want a bodybuilder's stomach, but I don't want lots of flab, either. Television makes it seem like the only way to get a "normal" tummy after childbirth is by having a tummy tuck, which I definitely will not do! Is it possible without surgery?
Getting back to "normal"
- Thread starter moss
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Course it is hun. Exercise will help you get your abs back.
Before i had Calleigh i didnt have abs but i had a fairly flat stomach. Well i didnt think it looked bad
Now i think with a bit of exercise i can get it back to how it was, without the need for a tummy tuck 
If you are athletic i am sure that it will be even easier for you to do
Before i had Calleigh i didnt have abs but i had a fairly flat stomach. Well i didnt think it looked bad
Now i think with a bit of exercise i can get it back to how it was, without the need for a tummy tuck If you are athletic i am sure that it will be even easier for you to do
my tummy has gone but I haven't got any muscle tone- it just eeds building up again but after having a baby the tissues in your back are softer so its best to avoid any strain.
I'm waiting until 6 weeks to start gently toning my abs again.
I'm waiting until 6 weeks to start gently toning my abs again.
Yes of course it is, my experience is that your body shape does change after having a baby, I'm sure my hips are wider now than they were before, not massively so, but enough for me to notice.
The say that breastfeeding is a great way to tighten your abs, some women can even feel them tightening while feeding. It also helps with loosing the weight, my midwife told me today that you can burn 500 calories a day breastfeeding!!
I think if you give your body a bit of a rest after childbirth, then start your exercise programme you should be able to get you body back to an extent, good luck.
The say that breastfeeding is a great way to tighten your abs, some women can even feel them tightening while feeding. It also helps with loosing the weight, my midwife told me today that you can burn 500 calories a day breastfeeding!!
I think if you give your body a bit of a rest after childbirth, then start your exercise programme you should be able to get you body back to an extent, good luck.
Thanks, I hope I can do it! I don't want to be a toothpick and I'm not going to be in a huge rush, but it's just the way they make it seem like tummy tucks and lipo are the only way to get back into shape... It's kind of scary to think about!
As for the hips. Arrrgh I already have SUCH wide hips so if they end up wider I'm going to have to start getting my clothes tailor made! D:
As for the hips. Arrrgh I already have SUCH wide hips so if they end up wider I'm going to have to start getting my clothes tailor made! D:
trixipaws
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i breast-fed and its tru u CAN feel ur tummy pulling back tight.
however 12 months on, my tum is flat and i AM a "toothpick" lol i am underweight- BUT, altho the muscle is tight, the SKIN isnt. when i bend down it wrinkles up a bit
my boyf dont believe that its the skin and cant be helped he thinks coz im lazy and dont exercise its my fault the SKIN is loose 
i do think hips widen after childbirth coz now my legs dont touch at the top theres a big gap!
and iv got big muscley arms since i had melissa, probably coz i carry her around everywhere under one arm and she weighs 22lbs
my boyf actually bench-presses with her! he tones his arms and she loves it and gives us lotsa cute giggles!
however 12 months on, my tum is flat and i AM a "toothpick" lol i am underweight- BUT, altho the muscle is tight, the SKIN isnt. when i bend down it wrinkles up a bit
my boyf dont believe that its the skin and cant be helped he thinks coz im lazy and dont exercise its my fault the SKIN is loose i do think hips widen after childbirth coz now my legs dont touch at the top theres a big gap!
and iv got big muscley arms since i had melissa, probably coz i carry her around everywhere under one arm and she weighs 22lbs
my boyf actually bench-presses with her!
he tones his arms and she loves it and gives us lotsa cute giggles!Awww that's so cute! I can't see my husband weightlifting the baby, but you never know! I can't imagine the tops of my legs not touching... they're too big! Ha.... Hm, the skin thing. That's what I am a little afraid of, but I guess there isn't much I can do about it. My husband won't mind it, but I know I will. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself because I'm not obsessed with my looks in that I don't take ages to get ready and things, but I am very picky about scars and marks. I will have days that I don't mind and days when I will actually need to stay in the house because it stresses me out.
BF-ing doesn't work your abs - worst luck! It just helps to get the uterus back down to normal size again.
I've had three kids, and I'm actually a dress size smaller than I was before now. My tummy is flat, but like Trix said the skin is still a bit loose.
I reckon if I really worked at it I could get the abs back though - I'm just too tired to do it these days
It's an individual thing, but if you're already quite sporty I doubt it'll take long to be back to normal again.
I've had three kids, and I'm actually a dress size smaller than I was before now. My tummy is flat, but like Trix said the skin is still a bit loose.
I reckon if I really worked at it I could get the abs back though - I'm just too tired to do it these days
It's an individual thing, but if you're already quite sporty I doubt it'll take long to be back to normal again.
