POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck REVIEWS
43 Year Old Mom with 2 C-sections, large diastasis and loose skin. Muscle repair, hernia repair, skin removal. No Lipo.
ORIGINAL POST
After having two large babies via c-section less...
laney_beeJuly 26, 2017
WORTH IT$10,299
After having two large babies via c-section less then two years in a row with a hernia surgery in between, my stomach is a mess and really needs help. I'm having this tummy tuck because my intestines are hanging out of my stomach. It's uncomfortable and painful and I find myself unable to feel comfortable in my body. I'm excited to get it done. A little nervous though. :)
Replies (9)
August 5, 2017
Thank you for the detailed and quick response. I watched a YouTube video of a male and as he laid flat and went into a crunch you could see a clear bulge. I imagine this is similar to what you were experiencing. After childbirth I could stick 2-3 fingers in the gap but my children are now of college age and when I do this test it is only about 1 finger wide. My husband's stomach is similar so I'm assuming mine is possibly not in need of muscle repair. It I hard to tell because of a significant layer of fat over the muscle unfortunately. I will get other opinions thank you :) I look forward to your progress
August 5, 2017
I think that 1 finger is about as good as you can get! Sounds like transverse ab work would work very well for you after your surgery if you choose to get it. Good luck. Thank you for following my recovery. It's nice to have a buddy. :)
August 30, 2017
Hi there! I have a very similar story to yours, back to back c sections, have a4 finger gap between my abdominal muscles now too. My youngest is nearly 2! I just got a referral from my dr for plastic surgeon consult. Did you also get a referral?
August 30, 2017
yes, from my OB. I consulted with 5 different PS's but ultimately went with the one my OB recommended. Not only was he the least expensive, but he was the one who came the most highly recommended and he did amazing work.
August 30, 2017
Your results are amazing! Where are you located? Also.. did insurance help with the surgery since you had a referral?
August 30, 2017
Thank you! I'm really excited about the results.
I didn't actually deal with insurance though my OB told me to try, he said that insurance would pay if I said that it was painful. However, I didn't even go down that route. My kids are 4 & 5 now, so they were able to understand that Mommy has an ouwee and they can't jump on me and I can't pick them up. A friend of mine who had it done suggested that I wait until my kids didn't need me to lift them into car seats, or pick them up or anything because it'll be 2-3 months before you can lift them. Unless you have help. I will say, the first two weeks were really brutal. The second two weeks were hard. And now that I'm just over a month, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. They say you should really plan for 12 weeks of recovery. I'm still quite swollen in my lower abs, especially at night.
I didn't actually deal with insurance though my OB told me to try, he said that insurance would pay if I said that it was painful. However, I didn't even go down that route. My kids are 4 & 5 now, so they were able to understand that Mommy has an ouwee and they can't jump on me and I can't pick them up. A friend of mine who had it done suggested that I wait until my kids didn't need me to lift them into car seats, or pick them up or anything because it'll be 2-3 months before you can lift them. Unless you have help. I will say, the first two weeks were really brutal. The second two weeks were hard. And now that I'm just over a month, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. They say you should really plan for 12 weeks of recovery. I'm still quite swollen in my lower abs, especially at night.
Very alien and strange. Another indication was a deep ridge that I had. Because I had so much loose skin, if I lay on my back, it would all fall deep into my stomach and it looked like I had a big indentation. Every doctor, my OBGYN, my yoga and pilates teacher... all said I had a huge diastasis, it was obvious. I'd say to get a second and third opinion. I went to 5 surgeons before I made the choice. They were all in agreement that I needed muscle repair.
Here is this:
Self check for Diastasis Recti/Abdominal Separation (reference: http://www.befitmom.com/diastasis-recti.php)
This simple self-test will help you determine if you have diastasis recti.
Lie on your back with your knees bent, and the soles of your feet on the floor.
Place one hand behind your head, and the other hand on your abdomen, with your fingertips across your midline-parallel with your waistline- at the level of your belly button.
With your abdominal wall relaxed, gently press your fingertips into your abdomen.
Roll your upper body off the floor into a "crunch," making sure that your ribcage moves closer to your pelvis.
Move your fingertips back and forth across your midline, feeling for the right and left sides of your rectus abdominis muscle. Test for separation at, above, and below your belly button.
Woman demonstrating test for diastasis recti/abdominal separation.
Use Correct Form for an Accurate Assessment
Make sure that you don't simply pull your head off the mat-a common mistake. To effectively contract your abs, you need to move your ribcage closer to you pelvis. If you don't adequately activate your abdominal wall, you might assume that you have abdominal separation. But for most, as the ribcage moves closer to the pelvis and the contraction deepens, the width of the gap at your midline will decrease.
Don't panic if you feel a "hole" in your belly in the first few postpartum weeks. Everyone's connective tissue at the midline is lax after childbirth. As you recover, your midline will slowly regain its former density and elasticity, and the "hole" will become shallower, and if you do the right exercises, more narrow too.
Signs of Diastasis Recti/Abdominal Separation
A gap of more than 2 1/2 finger-widths when the rectus abdominis is fully contracted.
The gap does not shrink as you contract your abdominal wall.
You can see a small mound protruding along the length of you midline.
NOTE:
If at any time you see a round, hard, or painful bulge protruding from your belly button area, or along your mid line, consult with your OBGYN.