Article by:
Amelia Grant
The birth of a child is the most magical and expected moment in a mother's life. But the joy of motherhood always has another side – the reflection in the mirror may no longer please you. The stomach most often suffers from excess weight after pregnancy and childbirth. A sagging apron, multiple stretch marks on the skin, diastasis – all these changes might cause a certain discomfort to a young mother.
Many say that the body can be brought into shape with the help of diets and sports, but unfortunately, these methods do not always cope with all the changes that motherhood brings. For example, the stomach will sag even more after losing weight, and stretch marks and diastasis will not go away by themselves.
The most effective way to return a slender and toned belly after childbirth is abdominoplasty. Tummy tuck surgery is one of the most popular plastic surgeries in the world to restore lost forms.
Stomach Muscles After Childbirth - How They Behave?
From the middle of the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, the abdominal muscles begin to gradually stretch under the influence of a significant increase in the uterus and strong internal tension. They literally diverge to the sides. This and hormonal changes provoke the occurrence of diastasis – the divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles.
After the baby's birth, the abdominal muscles return to their initial state. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen for everyone. There may be several reasons for not bouncing back:
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Tissue dysplasia (weak connective tissue fibers).
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Significant fetal weight.
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Low level of physical activity – the muscular corset of the expectant mother is not ready for a transformation.
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The small interval between births (less than 1.5 years).
Each subsequent pregnancy increases the likelihood of muscle divergence.
However, it's not just the skin that sags. The body accumulates fat deposits on the abdomen to protect the unborn baby.
It is important to understand that the stomach after childbirth does not quickly come into shape. The body needs time to recover. Approximately after two months, the uterus returns to its prenatal state, and the hormonal balance and other body systems are restored. A woman in labor loses extra pounds, and the skin on her stomach tightens.
In this case, the following will help:
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Proper balanced nutrition.
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Wearing compression underwear (bandage) for 4-6 months after childbirth.
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Cosmetic procedures (massages) and physical exercises.
However, after a cesarean section, the abdominal muscles simply cannot return to their previous shape due to the fact that they are physiologically unable to close. The stomach after childbirth is significantly noticeable, and the navel turns a little outward. This is all accompanied by stretched skin. In this case, there are direct indications for abdominoplasty.
Stretch Marks on the Abdomen After Childbirth
After childbirth, stretch marks occur in more than half of young mothers. The skin tears and scar tissue appears in this place. Stretch marks are often pink at first and then fade to whitish. Sometimes microtraumas destroy small vessels and capillaries, which stain them in a maroon color.
The main reasons for the appearance of stretch marks are hormonal changes and weight fluctuations (a sharp gain of kilograms and then losing weight). Also, due to the lack of collagen and elastin, the skin cannot withstand the increase in the circumference of the abdomen and hips.
Stretch marks most often occur on the thighs and abdomen. It is impossible to remove them at home. One of the solutions for a small number of stretch marks on the body is laser resurfacing. The procedure improves their look.
During a surgical tummy tuck, stretch marks can be removed. In addition, due to the fact that during abdominoplasty, the skin is smoothed, stretch marks become almost invisible.