Anyone ever had issues with overlapping abdominal skin?
 

I am really hoping someone could help give me some kind of reassurance that this isn't or might not stay with me forever.

A Little history~

Prior to having kids I was at the peak of physical fitness, I had a low body fat % worked out religiously and overall was very comfortable in my skin. I loved my body. While pregnant with my first child I gained about 70 some pounds which did quite a number to my body. It took a major toll on my self esteem and I have suffered ever since. I used to weigh about 105 pounds prior to having kids. The lowest I have gotten after having my first child was about 120 pounds which I was fine with. I had a bit of overlapping skin on the lower part of my abdomen but was able to get it to go away. I had a c-section with my first child which might have helped contribute to the overlapping skin issue but again I got it to go away.

about 2 1/2 years after having my first child I became pregnant again but then lost that baby. I was beyond devastated and began to do a lot of emotional eating. Gained a bit of weight, then two months after the loss I found out that I was pregnant again, gained only about 15-17 pounds and lost most of it after having my second child delivered via repeat c-section. I weighed about 140lbs at my 6 week pp check up and was watching what I ate. Didn't want to diet due to breastfeeding so I just waited. When I stopped breastfeeding at about 15 months post partum I began to try to lose the weight. However the apron of love as I call it is worse than ever. It has made me extremely self conscience and it has taken a toll on my bedroom relationship with my husband as I don't feel sexy at all.

So basically my question is even if I lose the weight I want and get down to my goal weight will this overlapping skin go away? I really hope it will, please ladies I am looking for any kind of hope that this isn't going to be something that will only go away with a tummy tuck.

Guess I am the only one :(

Nope, you are not alone. After two kids and 25 plus years being obese, I too have the flap. It has dimished quite a bit. Now it's starting to look more like a roll than a flap. I don't have any answers for you, but please know you are not alone.

so sorry for your miscarriage :( I have only had one child and had a C-section (bikini) and yes no matter what size I am....I have the overlap.....but when I'm at my goal weight it really isn't that bad at all. right now...it isn't pretty. Our skin stretches when we are pregnant and some people have less elasticity in their skin. A previous coworker of mine once showed me her belly. She had not had C-sections with her two children but delivered them vaginally. She was very tiny...maybe 120 pounds but her stomach was entirely loose skin just kinda hanging around her belly button and below. I've also seen people who have had kids and their stomachs look like they were never pregnant. I guess its all in the genes....but also your C-section scar could be contributing to it. It will probably be less noticeable the more you lose.

LeslieLou- Thank you for your condolences.

Thanks a lot ladies for your responses. I really do hope with some weight loss and toning exercises the overlapping skin will diminish a bit. I got some stretch marks from being pregnant with my first, and didn't get any new ones after having my second which was a plus. I had very little excess skin after having my first but that overlapping skin was not as bad as it is now.

My overlapping skin has gotten worse with each of my pregnancies. I had a c-section each time and after the 1st is when it showed up. Even being large to begin with I didn't have this hard ridge that caused a flap until the c-section scar. I have come to terms with it though. I have told myself that once I reach goal I will deal with it somehow. I just have to stay focused on that goal. Sorry, I know that may not have been what you wanted to hear, but you are much smaller than me, and like the PP said, we are all different and perhaps as you get smaller yours will disappear.

BEEN THERE! I had to have a tummy tuck..sorry to tell you this...but it could be the skin has lost all elasticity if so it will never go back...per my plastic surgeon. Can't hurt to ask a doc if that may be the same case for you. I had 2 pregnancies and 2 c-sections...the 1st being an emergency. If you have had a c-section...the tummy tuck will be a piece of cake! Sorry...but good luck!!!!

Surgeons have been in and out my section scar 4 times. I do have little rolls now but ... I have fat too. I don't think my body fat percentage will ever be low enough that it will only be skin.

The flatness of our bellies is probably a personal preference thing. I don't look too bad dressed. And I don't spend very much time in bikinis or less ;) so ....
You may just have to assess as you go.

Hi. I've had 3 c-sections and am just starting this journey, but just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. I have the flap. I jokingly asked my OBGYN with my last pregnancy if she could just do a tummy tuck as long as she was down there. She said that she has had many women seriously request that (of course they can't since the skin is still so stretched). Made me think that it must be a very common problem. I'm sure that it will get better as you lose though.

You are not alone! I worry about my tummy flap as well. It has affected how I see myself sexually, too.:hug: I have had two c-sections as well. I am hoping that losing this weight will diminish the hangover. I am trying to do abdominal exercises, too. I don't expect it to go away completely, but hope to make it something I can live with. I really can't afford surgery.

You are definitely not alone. I had a similar pregnancy history but delivered vaginally. I was TINY when I became pregnant with #1 and gained 70 pounds. Afterwards, my abdomen looked like cottage cheese no matter what my weight. The skin was shredded. Pregnancy number 2 was a more modst gain of 19 pounds, but I was bigger to start with and my ds was the size of a 6 month old.

Sorry to tell you this, but the skin fold was there no matter how much weight I lost or how much exercise I did. It destroyed my self esteem and I didn't want to be touched or seen.

For me, surgery was the only option and I considered it reconstructive, even though my insurance company did not!

Mel

I have had 2 C-sections, so I know exactly what you are talking about!! Along with the "flap" around my incision area, my lower abdomen is what I call "wrinkly" from being stretched out. But the good news is after losing about 30lbs so far, the flap is getting smaller and the wrinkles are smoothing out. I don't know if they'll ever go back to being completely "normal"..I highly doubt it..but I'm starting to have some hope that by the time I get to goal it'll be so insignificant that I'll be able to hide what's left (even in a bikini)...and keep in mind that I initially thought mine was so bad that I would never even be able to THINK about wearing a bikini unless I had a tummy tuck. Point being, don't stress about it! Even if it doesn't go away completely, I can guarantee it'll look MUCH better by the time you get to goal :)