TT and large diastasis after big babies including twins - so happy!

I am a 45 year old Mom, for stats, 5’7”, 138lbs. I have 3 beautiful kids who were large babies. The first was 10.7 pounds and the second batch were twins who weighed 15 pounds together. Before babies I was 125 lbs and was always thin. A few weeks before I had the twins I was 200 pounds and the doctor said I measured at 52 weeks, woo hoo! These kids are the best thing that happened to me but I was left looking permanently pregnant and with back pain and a big gap between my muscles, diastasis, that would not improve even with PT.I also had an umbilical hernia after my first, which was repaired. The thing that bothered me most was the feeling like my guts were falling out. Don’t know the proper medical term for that but it is not a good feeling and I forever felt like I was going to rip something or knock something loose in there. My twins are crazy as well and are prone to punching and sneak-attacking me at all hours.When they would punch me I felt like it was a blow to the inner core of my being, ha! Hard to explain. Onward to the decision to proceed. I don’t know how I made it over the hump of obsessive researching, reading, thinking, anxiety, worrying for years - to the appointment making. Somehow I did it. To the last moment I was hemming and hawing (is that a word?) but figured I am healthy and I am only getting older so I went for it.Another piece is that I lost 20 pounds during Covid and although that made me feel much better, it made me look a few more months pregnant. So fast forward to today, thank the universe the surgery went well, no issues to date except a bit of bleeding from the incision a few days after.I am so glad it’s done! It’s painful when laughing, sneezing, coughing, and I have to lay down to relieve the pressure of the binder during the day, but I am very happy with my luck so far. I am not crazy for my belly button but hey I’m not a Barbie and the dr said I had nothing left, the umbilical stalk was not attached to anything so she had to make the BB from scratch. Maybe it will improve with time. Thanks for reading and good luck and feel free to ask questions if you have any.

Yay! Everything going smooth. Had my 2 week post op yesterday. Dr gave the ok to start massaging everything with coconut oil daily. Still wearing the binder 24/7 and icing with my amazing TheraPearl ice pack that I have fallen in love with. No complaints except that I have to return to work tomorrow (ugh!!!). Can’t believe I was so frightened of this surgery for literally years and I have been so lucky, all is well.

Phew! I have a stressful desk job and had to return yesterday to work ( from home). I survived. I haven’t sat upright in a chair for 8 hours for the past 2 weeks. Seems like it would be easy but this binder is a killer. Lots of vitamin c powder, green tea and water, oh and my icy love, TheraPearl. Got some stretchy pants in the mail because I fear putting on pants with a zipper and button when I have to go into the actual office Monday. I will attach a pic. I’m not a model but omg I am happy that my tummy is no longer bigger than my boobs. Woo hoo! Lol.