You’ve probably noticed after that after pregnancy your tummy never regained it’s previous “flatness.” You might find that you still have flabby tummy even though you’ve lost all the extra pregnancy weight, and it sometimes can look like you’re still pregnant. Mummy tummy, baby bulge, baby belly – whatever your preferred affectionate name, most women want to fight the postnatal tummy flab and get their figure back.
What causes my mummy tummy?
There are a number of different problems that might be contributing to your mummy tummy, and each person is different.
When your tummy expands during pregnancy, pregnancy hormones relax the connective tissue, the skin gets stretched out and stretch marks may form. Also the “six pack” muscles (rectus abdominis) pull apart and separate vertically down the middle.
After pregnancy your hormone levels return to normal levels and the skin contracts back, but the previous tone, elasticity and flatness of your tummy skin doesn’t return to normal. Most women are left with loose, flabby excess skin and stretch marks on the tummy.
Some women who’ve also had a C-section may be left with an unsightly scar, which may be tethered and puckered. This makes the appearance worse, as the loose skin sometimes hangs over the scar forming an apron.
For a lot of women the unsightly protuberance and bulge of a Mummy Tummy is actually caused by Diastasis Recti. This occurs when the six-pack muscles don’t come back together in the middle after pregnancy, but stay separated leaving a gap between them. This gap between the muscles bulges and causes weakness and loss of core strength in your tummy muscles. This is often the reason you can’t get back your flat tummy after pregnancy, regardless of how much exercise and toning you do.
Some women also develop a small hernia beneath the navel (umbilical hernia).
Features of the mummy tummy
- Excess loose skin
- Stretch marks
- Caesarian section scar.
- Laparoscopy scars
- Unsightly bulges and protuberance of your abdomen
- Diastasis recti (rectus divarication)
- Umbilical hernia
- Distorted navel (umbilicus)
- Fat bulges over your hips/flanks
- Pot-belly, or paunch
How do I get rid of my mummy tummy?
A diet and exercise programme can help you lose the pregnancy weight, and will help tone and strengthen your core abdominal muscles.
However, many of the factors causing your mummy tummy are not correctible by diet and exercise.
Loose, flabby excess skin on the tummy often stays even after you’ve lost all your baby weight, and is completely resistant to toning and exercises.
The stretch marks fade with time, but won’t disappear.
Diastasis recti often closes after pregnancy, if this doesn’t happen in three to six months, you can end up with a gap that won’t close without treatment. About 40% of women have a diastasis at six months postpartum.
Sometimes surgery is the only way to restore your tummy back to its previous flatness, and get you close to how you were before children.
Procedures to correct your “mummy tummy”
There are several procedures available depending on the underling cause of your mummy tummy
A tummy tuck (either mini-abdominoplasty, or full abdominoplasty) will remove loose excess skin and some of the stretch marks, and tighten the tummy skin. This will also remove an unsightly C-section scar, and replace it with a cosmetic scar in the bikini-line. It can also remove, or improve the appearance of other scar.
Liposuction will smooth out any bulges of the hips and thighs and improve your figure at the sides.
If the protruberance or bulging of your tummy is due to Diastasis Recti, this can also be corrected at the same time as tummy tuck. When the rectus muscles are separated by 3cm or less, rectus plication is suitable, which simply stitches the muscles back together. For larger bulges where the muscles are separated by more than 3cm, or if you also have a hernia at the navel, a “Rives-Stoppa” retrorectus mesh procedure is best for restoring a flat tummy. This brings the muscles back together in the middle and provides the strongest, most reliable and long-lasting repair.
As the plastic surgeon for the regional Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Service, I have specialist skills and experience for ensuring the best cosmetic results for tummy tuck after pregnancy. I use the most up to date reconstructive plastic surgery techniques to provide successful repair of Diastasis Recti and problematic hernias with a focus on getting the best aesthetic outcomes.
Book a free, no-obligation appointment so I can advise you on what would suit you best.