All women (even the Duchess of Cambridge!) have a bit of a belly for the first four to eight weeks after giving birth, as the uterus shrinks back to size. But for some of us, that “five months pregnant” look can last months or even years.
Generally, if the muscles are going to heal on their own, they will within three months of birth. If you are several months postpartum, it's likely that your diastasis recti is here to stay. Some women have had success using targeted exercises to help the muscles move closer together.
Your postpartum belly won't instantly go back to how it was before you were pregnant – it's a process that can take months or even years, while some bellies may take on a different shape permanently. Some moms may experience a bulge caused by diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy.
However, a belly bulge that doesn't go away for months after delivery can be a sign of diastasis recti—a separation of your abdominal muscles. The normal separation between your abdominal muscles is about 0.5 – 1 centimeter or about one finger width.
Other options: Some women have benefited from physical therapy to help fix mommy tummy. While tummy tuck surgery may also be an option, view this as a last resort that should only be considered if you're not planning on having additional children.
It's recommended that belly bands are worn between two to 12 weeks postpartum for the best possible results.
Pregnancy can cause more fat on the abdominal wall than realized because everything in that area stretches so tight. Often times many new moms don't realize that most of the remaining pooch is extra fat that still needs to be lost.
A stomach overhang is excess fat hanging down over your pants' waistband. A mum pouch is excess weight, skin, or muscle separation that many women carry around their midsection after giving birth. The mum pouch often differs in that it is often caused by diastasis recti.
But above all, don't freak out—excess postpartum belly skin is just one of those things that can happen after pregnancy, even if you're incredibly fit. “It's not uncommon for new moms to have loose skin after having a baby,” Wider says. The bottom line: You're far from alone on this one.
Even if you're thin, you can still have too much visceral fat. How much you have is partly about your genes, and partly about your lifestyle, especially how active you are. Visceral fat likes inactivity.
Whether you have given birth to children or not, it is part of the post adolescent female anatomy and part of most women's genetics to have a small amount of subcutaneous fat in the lower belly to protect your vital organs and reproductive organs.
The term 'C section pouch' is used to describe the build-up of surplus skin and fatty tissue that aggregates in the abdominal area following a caesarean procedure. This physical manifestation is also recognised by several other names such as 'pannus stomach', 'mummy tummy', or 'apron belly'.
Treatment options for stomach overhang include lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, as well as surgical options, such as tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty). It's important to note that tummy tuck surgery can only remove excess skin and fat, it does not address weight loss or muscle weakness.
All women (even the Duchess of Cambridge!) have a bit of a belly for the first four to eight weeks after giving birth, as the uterus shrinks back to size. But for some of us, that “five months pregnant” look can last months or even years.
Women should be wrapped as soon they can after birth, ideally on day five postpartum. The belly bind should be worn daily for 10-12 hours a day in the first 40 days. Often women who use a belly bind after birth return to their own pre-pregnancy size in 6-8 weeks.
The ideal time to wear a postpartum belly wrap is between 2 days postpartum and 6 weeks postpartum. This is when the uterus contracts the fastest after childbirth. However, it is also well known for new moms to wear it up to 4 months postpartum, which is what I recommend doing.
And even though people call this a “mom pooch,” you don't have to have been pregnant for it to happen. Excessive weight gain (even after you've lost the weight) or incorrect exercises can both cause separation of the linea alba. Diastasis recti can affect more than just your appearance.
You can't target lower belly fat with crunches or other special exercises. But you can lose lower belly fat by losing body fat all over. The best way to do that? Cut your calorie intake, choose nutrient-dense foods, and bump up your activity level.
Sometimes hormones can be the culprit for excess belly fat. As we age or experience lifestyle changes, our hormone levels can fluctuate due to several factors, such as menopause or high stress levels, resulting in a hormonal belly.
People who regularly eat and drink more calories than they burn each day are more likely to gain extra weight, including belly fat. Getting older also makes a difference. People lose muscle as they age. And the problem is worse for those who are not physically active.
Furthermore, factors like hormone regulation play a role in storing visceral fat, which is why many women are not biologically built for a flat stomach.”
Overall, a combination of lifestyle changes, such as dietary modifications, exercise, stress management, and adequate sleep, is key to reducing hormonal belly fat effectively. In some cases, hormone replacement therapy or body shaping procedures may also be considered.