i have an immature question

sorry. I know everybody is different - I am just wondering from BTDT mommies - when you had your babies.....well what happens to your belly? I know - you can't imagine I am 32 and don't know this. Not to mention I have a sister with 4 children....

I don't expect to get my body back - ever really - but I plan on trying of course. But aside from fitness and diet months down the road, what is the immediate result? How long do you wear your maternity clothes after giving birth? Is the belly just hanging all over like jelly? (that is what I picture)

I mean = WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BELLY!!!!!

I just dont' get it...sorry for such a naiive question.

Well it doesn't just POOF disappear right away!! You still have one, but it's much smaller. You still look pregnant -- actually my lamaze teacher said that when you leave the hospital your belly looks about 6 months preggo.

It was funny because that morning after I had her and woke up, I went to rub my belly and talk to the cub and I realized that she wasn't in there anymore!!! It was a weird feeling!!

As much as I LOVE the Cub and am glad that she's here in my arms, I have to tell you that I really missed being pregnant and it took me awhile to get over that. I think I missed the 'closeness' there was between me and her and nobody else -- I didn't have to 'share' her with anyone -- does this make any sense? But I am so glad that's she's here and I get to smother her with kisses!!!

In the hospital because of the I still looked about 5 months pregnant. I had a c-section so I wore maternity clothes for about 2 months after. I did gain 58lbs with Emma so it was a while before I could fit into some of my pp clothes... but I can do it now.

As for the belly. My stomach is as flat as it ever was now but it does look like a road map

I too, had a c-section and a bit of droopy belly but since I had twins my belly size went down ALOT.

I made sure I had non-maternity clothes to wear after the babies were born. Once my water broke, I suggested we have a maternity clothes bonfire before we went to the hospital! I was so so sick of them by the time I was done. It helped me feel more 'normal'.
But by 6 weeks, my belly was almost back to normal. Not as tight as it had been, but I don't think it ever will be. But I do have a pouch that I doubt will ever completely go away (some say caused by the c-section).

HTH

Bearsbabe - I TOTALLY know what you mean - I still miss being pregnant!!!! I love having her here, and holding her, etc., but I totally miss being pregnant!

Regarding my stomach, I had a c-section, and my stomach was almost completely back to normal the next morning! Weird...

I was very lucky -- For a month or so -- my stomcah was just skin ! But then it went back to normal. Flat as ever and NO stretch marks. I used cocoa butter from day one in my pregnancy -- who know if it was what kept me from getting them -- but I dont have one -- so who knows... I am still the same size as I was before the baby -- I did not wear maternity clothes after the baby -- but for like a month I wore one size bigger than normal ...I think most of it has to do with heredity. I may not be as lucky with the second!

You know I was wondering this same thing. People keep saying that your belly doesn't completely disappear, but it does get smaller... I have been wondering what happens to the extra skin.

That really freaks me out. I'm pretty confident that I'll get back in shape, but what about all that skin?! When I asked my sister, she laughed and said that it gradually goes back to normal. But what does it feel like in the mean time?!?!

I had a regular v-birth and my belly doesnt sag and I wouldnt call it jelly-like at all but it does pop out more. I never had a belly at all before I was preggo. Even if I gained weight, it was never in the belly, and I have that little pouch now. I guess being preggo again its not going away anytime soon. Admittedly, I did not do alot to exercise it afterwards so maybe it does go away with some effort. I am definitely going to try after baby #2


ETA: I only wore maternity pants for about a week after the baby. I remember distinctly that I went somewhere when Luke ws 10 days old and I was wearing my old jeans.


Edited again to add: Oh God what Deb says is so true. I also did the talking to the belly and got sad. Even though the baby was right in my arms, I felt a little sad. Maybe because I couldnt protect him in the same way. One of my sweetest memories was holding him as a newborn and he was curled up in my arms that way that newborns are still curled up and I realized that this was the exact way it felt when he was inside me, the same curve to his body. Im getting all teary thinking about it right now. It was so beautiful.

Except for a tiny pooch, I completely lost my belly after Nicolas was born. I have about 10 pounds to lose to get back to pre-preggo weight, but I was about 20 pounds over weight before I got pregnant, so technically I have 30 pounds to lose.

I WOULD be in my pre-preggo jeans if I could wear anything besides PJ pants and sweats due to my stitches issues.

I was going to ask the same thing. It has been 2 weeks and 3days and I still have a lot of swelling in my stomach- from the c-section and the reaction problems caused even more swelling. I am back in my pre-prego PJs and sweats but am too afraid to try any real pants because of the incision and rash problems. I need to wait a bit for that. (OUCH)
I have NOTHING to wear either! And with nursing big sweatshirts and sweaters are super difficult to wear and feed the baby so I live in 3 shirts and sweats right now. I am going out tomorrow to get an outfit for Christmas and a Christening we have to go to. I gave myself 4 full weeks before really starting to diet. I need a bit of time off from worrying about food after all the GD and shots and diet. But after that I will eat healthy (since I am nursing) but try to lose some weight. I feel HUGE still!!!

While I was not a 'I love being pregnant gal' I will say that I miss feeling Molly kick inside me and talking to her in 'there' and the wonder of what was happening. Now I share her with a ton of other people and still don't get to sleep all night thru.