C-Section delivery is a major abdominal surgery where they have to cut through skin, fat, and muscles to get your baby out. They move your organs around in the process then sew everything back up. Many women will tell you that nothing will get rid of or reduce this bulge except for surgery. But this is not true. I have had two boys and both were C-Section. The first one was emergency C-Section after unsuccessfully pushing for hours and the second one was by choice.
There are some things you can do to flatten the C section tummy and if your situation is worse, they will at least minimize it immensely. You must be determined and consistent. Don’t compare yourself to anyone especially the normal delivery mothers who can bounce back in less than a month.
Below are raw pictures of my 4months progress after my second son was born.
- Patience – You have to know that you cannot go back to working out immediately after the surgery. You will be learning how to walk mama. Let me stress out the point that you just had a major surgery so be patient. But as much as you will feel like laying down and waiting for the six weeks to pass, you have to try training your muscles to go back to work again. The best way is to walk. When I say walk, I mean very light walks every day. I started taking small walks on my 2nd recovery week and monitoring my progress via a running app. I couldn’t even stand upright so I made sure I wasn’t straining myself and always felt so good just walking and resting when I needed.
- While waiting, watch what you eat. Keep a very clean diet. If you want to get rid of that bulge you’ll have to get rid of the fat. So eating a clean diet is an absolute must. I used to take a shot of apple cider vinegar at least twice a day but then I replaced it with the gummies cause as much as the apple cider has so many benefits especially relating to weight control, it’s awful to your teeth. My favourite all natural vegan gummies are the goli gummies which I discovered via The Ellen show.
When ready to workout, follow an exercise program meant for postpartum mamas not the strenuous workout plans that everyone else does.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT COME WITH HAVING A C-SECTION THAT INVOLVES YOUR ABDOMINAL WALL AND MUSCLES. YOU MUST CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS TO GET RID OF THE BULGE AND YOU NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE DOING SO YOU DON’T CAUSE MORE DAMAGE. FIRST THING TO HANDLE IS THE DIASTASIS RECTI WHICH IS THE GAP THAT FORMS BETWEEN THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES AS THEY STRETCH DURING PREGNANCY. THIS MEANS YOUR BELLY WILL STICK OUT BECAUSE THE SPACE BETWEEN YOUR LEFT AND RIGHT BELLY MUSCLES HAS WIDENED. IT’S ESPECIALLY COMMON WHEN YOU’VE HAD A C-SECTION BECAUSE YOUR MUSCLES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN CUT.
- Yoga helps – Yoga is awesome for stretching your muscles, and getting in touch with your body all over again. You can try Pilates if you are not into Yoga, because it tends to focus on your core.
- Stay Hydrated – Drink water, tea, any healthy liquid that will help you stay hydrated. The water helps flush toxins out of your body. The more visits to the bathroom to empty out your bladder, the better!
Add Resistance workouts as soon as your doctor gives you that go ahead for normal workout and once you feel like you have plenty of energy again, start using exercise bands and weights a few times a week. Don’t underestimate the power of small 20-30 minute workouts.
Be your own cheerleader, celebrate your small wins and always remember that you brought life into this world. You will always be a star with or without the pooch.
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