Causes For Bulging Stomach 7 Weeks After Tummy Tuck? (photo)

Hi there, a bit angry as i posted a long reply and it didnt seem to have got through... anyway, let's start again: My operation was in January this year, so today I am 8 months post op. Things got slightly better but I find that i have to suck in my stomach for it to look closer to flat... I thought a tummy tuck would leave me flat even if i breathed out but it doesnt seem to be the case. However i do look much better than before the operation. My huge belly was a result of 2 pregnancies and ceasareans... (not my weight I have always been very skinny) I have done a lot of research and found that a tummy tuck can only return you to the way you were before the pregnancies. Even though i've always been very skinny i've always had a bit of a belly! i've never been completely flat, to look flat i had to suck in... so i guess this is the way is going to be for me... Also i seem to store fat around the stomach (like obese people do!) and not much between the muscle and the skin like most people do! the fat around the stomach can only be reduced "with diet and exercise" but the fat between the muscle and the skin can be liposuctioned. This fat around the stomach pushes outwards and together with my internal organs is what makes my stomach bulge. Is that simple. I used to believe than when the muscle repair was performed my muscles would be so hard and strong they would keep all that stuff inside neatly, as if I had done lots of abdominals. Unfortunately, this is not the case, if i want them to be hard my doctor said I have to do abdominals, maybe if I do them i might go completely flat (just dont have the time or energy with 2 young children!). What the muscle repair does is bond the muscles in the middle together but the actual muscle wont be hard. Hope all this is not too confusing! Oh also, if you are bloated your stomach will bulge, is all down to the muscles not being strong enough to keep all that force in. First thing in the morning is when my belly looks its best, then throughout the day gets bulgier and bulgier. Some women dont have a problem with bloating, some do! Tell me about you, what's your story? why did you get in done? were you completely flat before having children?

I hate that this does not have dates, so I don't know if this is a recent post. But, I am 3 months post op (Sept. 2012) and I have the exact same issue. I see improvement but, not by far what I expected and all they ever tell me is to be patient! Aggghhh... I am sick of wearing a tight garment and being "patient"! I hope all is well with you! I would like to know how long ago was this and if things got better. Thanks, Lily

Thank you SarahP for clearing this out, aren't we already community members ? :)

Skinny82: Unfortnuatly no :(

Just to inform, the Q&A is not meant to use as a dialogue between the doctors and the community, just between the community members.

Hopefully this helps!

Not sure how this works... did you receive my reply?

Hey skinny82, hope things are better for you after 6 months, did it go better or did you do anything about it ?