Has your body ever recovered? I have a flap of skin on my stretched out tummy with stretchmarks that just will not tighten up no matter what. I've been doing 100 ab tightening excersises a day for 2 weeks now and I am so discouraged. my youngest turned 2 in October. Has anyone had any sucess getting their tummies tightened after a baby? any advice would be great.

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Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. - Will Rogers

I had 2 c-sections and I dont think my tummy will ever be the same as before kids...unless I got a tummy tuck

I had 2 c-sections as well. I feel like I am in pretty good shape and go to the gym. Both my doctor AND the fitness trainer said I would never get a flatter tummy unless I got a tummy tuck because the muscle had been cut not once, but twice and the scar tissue can't be exercised away. No tummy tuck in the budget for me so I've learned to accept it. My kids are 5 & 7

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

After my 2nd child i had alot of flabby skin, and even more strech marks, I had a tummy tuck and lypo sucktion, and well I got rid of the flabby skin but the scar from the tummy tuck is nasty, and I still have just about all my strech marks... I really didnt plan on any more kids after my 2nd, but that was 14 yrs ago and I have since had 2 more, one being just a week old, and the strech marks just get worse, and I always will have alittle flab there now what ever I do... I just will NEVER get a tummy tuck again, that was horrible

I think after my first I wasnt too bad but after the 2nd & 3rd I got the flab that will probably not go away EVER

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mom of 3 greats girls

I've got it too! I think a lot of it has to do with your age...my oldest was born when i was 29, youngest when I was 33.

I have a close friend who has five kids, no flab in sight, but she had her kids when she was 19-26 years old.

I am overweight and working on it, but even when I was close to my goal weight (FOUR years ago!!) I still had the extra skin.

I think it has alot to do with age also. Both of my kids I had by c-section. I barley had any stretch marks with both of my kids. I was very tiny before I had them. I wonder if that had something to do with it

I could never get rid of the extra flab that hangs over the incision.... even when I weighed 90lbs it was still there.

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Angels may not come when you call them, but they'll always be there when you need them.

I had 2 c-sections and a year after the 2nd one was born, i got a tummy tuck. I would do it again in a heartbeat! This was 18 years ago and I have never regreted it and thank myself daily for having the nerve to go through it.

That apron of skin with a small layer of fat underneath is indeed impossible to get rid of w/out surgery. Women who've been pregnant and folks who have been greatly oveweight get this. Some folks have less or none due to genetics - their skin is more elastic than other folks.
At one time I was morbidly obese, my body looked like I was perpetually preggers. I thought I'd have a huge apron of skin afterwards and need a tummy tuck, but I lucked out and found out my skin was waaaaay more elastic than I ever figured it was. I only have a small apron of skin. Not pretty, and insurance *would* cover the costs of a tummy tuck, but after witnessing several friends my age and younger going through the recovery from tummy tucks, I can't bear the thought of doing it. From my navel down I look like I gave birth to all 6 kids, even though they're all adopted ;-)
But at 50+ years of age, I figure I could look worse.
The jelly belly doesn't seem to turn dh off so I figure I'll go with the flow and let it all hang out at home.
In public is another thing, will *not* wear belly shirts, bikinis (though I love tankinis, so much easeier to pee than wearing a 1 piece ;-), etc.
The one thing I do not like about the jelly belly is that I am very small and thin and would love to wear snugger sweater tops but I don't because of that darn roll around the belly. But I can live w/it.
MZ

I don't know about the age thing.......I was 19, 21and 23 when I gave birth to all my DD's. However, I got the "skin thing" after I was eight months pregnant with my 10 and 1/2 pound child. No C-section thank god... Still I'm getting the tummy tuck.......have you thought about getting Mesotherapy....Its a tummy tuck with Lasers. I'm not sure if I spelled it right but, I'm sure if you search for it you will be able to find it.

I want a tummy tuck ssssssssssssssssssssoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad!!!

I have the skin thing too. I was 22 and 24 when my kids were born but I was very thin (too thin) before having kids. Now I will take my "fat little belly" any day over being way to thin.

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TLJ ~ Where opinions are encouraged, not deleted

You laugh at me because I am different,
I laugh at you because you are all the same.

Your mind is like a parachute, it only works when it is open.

I had my son 24 yrs ago yes my body recovered for the most part within the first two years. Some things changed permanently. My nipple color for one thing. I was only 21 when I had him and I was very active so I was in better shape that first year after than probably the whole rest of my life.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I'm 28 and 3 kids, I had a little bit of flab left over after each child but my youngest is 20 months old now and I don't have it any more. I'm getting ready to run another 5 K. I did my first one last fall, and the next one is early May. So the tummy goes away if you work at it. Good luck all!

I had both dds young. Still have the loose skin.
I am about a size 10/12 now (yay thyroid problems ) but was thin up until fairly recently and in a LOOSE size 3/4.

My belly button isn't even the same after giving birth to 3 child, why should my stomach be? I love my children more than the way my stomach use to look like. Wouldn't trade them for the flat tummy. Besides I am too old to show my tummy in a swimsuit or any other way!

No luck at my walmart.
Does anyone have any other tips/advice on creams that work for stretch marks (summer's coming). Has anyone tried the Bath & Body stretch mark butter or Palmers Tummy Butter? I would like to try something, but don't want to waste my money if there's no hope.

By the way, I had 3 c-sections, and probably will always have the extra loose skin and my stretch marks are still there lmost 12 years later. LOL!

Thanksm
Michelle

I actually weighed less a yr after I had my 3rd child (was down to 90lbs) My two younger kids are 11 mos apart so I was constantly busy with no help from their Dad. (he was working, college and not coming home) Now that I'm in a happy relationship I tend to not walk as much, plus the kids are teenagers soooo yeah I have a flabby tummy but I can't blame my kids LOL