How to Get Rid of Hanging Belly After C Section Using Methods

Many women face the problem of having an undesirable belly pouch hanging out from their body after their pregnancy, especially after C C-section. They try to fix it in every way possible but due to lack of proper knowledge or lack of motivation and patience, they fail to do so. If you are one of them and you want to know, how to get rid of hanging belly after C section, then you are at the correct article. In this article, you will know all the non-surgical as well as surgical methods of removing that stubborn belly pouch from your body after having a baby.  

Why Do You Get Hanging Belly After C Section?

Before knowing how to get rid of hanging belly after C section you need to know why you get the hanging belly after C-section or caesarean section, where your belly is cut open or, in other words, the mother’s abdomen is cut open along with the uterus to take the baby out of the body. Generally normal delivery is suggested by the doctors but in emergency cases, the C-section is adopted.

The muscle separation after cutting of the abdomen is also known as diastasis recti. This happens due to the overstretching of these muscles during pregnancy. Thus, the abdominal muscles lose their strength and are no longer able to hold the abdominal wall due to which the skin becomes saggy and fat starts getting deposited there. This leads to the protruding or sagging belly pouch. Age and genetics of one’s self can also matter.   

Different Methods On How To Get Rid Of Hanging Belly After C Section

There are a whole lot of methods to remove the stubborn belly pooch you have. These are the following methods on how to get rid of hanging belly after C section-

1. Exercises

Regular exercising plays an important role in any fat loss journey. It increases your metabolism rate and burns calories which are important for any person who is looking for fat reduction. There can’t be any specific exercises for spot reduction, but you can do core strengthening exercises like diaphragmatic breathing and posterior pelvic tilt as starters and then go to old-school core training sets of planks and sit-ups.

This is necessary as it tightens the muscle around your abdomen which becomes loose due to diastasis recti. Along with it, regular cardio and strength training helps. If you are new to working out, then yoga or walking works as well. But before doing anything, consult your doctor to avoid complications after the C-section. There are a few nonexercising methods of burning calories as well which could be adapted by you after considering with your doctor.

2. Nutrition

The nutrition of a person determines how his or her body will develop or will be maintained. To lose a hanging belly firstly you would need to be calorie deficient so that you can remove the excess fat stored in your body. Secondly, you need to remove all the fatty foods like red meat, butter, oil, etc., from your diet or at least bring them to a really low percentage in your food. Thirdly, you should eat a lot of high-fiber foods like leafy vegetables and whole grains along with a good amount of protein (lean protein like chicken, turkey, fish, etc.) and good or healthy fats (nuts, avocados, seeds, etc.).

Fruits should be regularly taken as well as foods that increase skin elasticity like papaya, fish’s skin, blueberries, etc. This will help the skin to regain its elasticity while you lose the belly pooch.    

3. Hydration 

Hydration is the key to any problem in our body, be it skin-related or metabolic issues. You need to be properly hydrated to solve any weight loss issues as well. Drink lots of juices or flavored water if you are bored with regular plain water. But do drink at least three to four liters of water daily. However, your water requirement might differ from others. 

4. Patience And Consistency

Patience and consistency are the keys to any successful achievement of your goal. The journey to weight loss is always difficult, and that of tightening a loose, stubborn belly is even more difficult. Half of the people start their journey but give up in the initial step only. Don’t get frustrated with it. the results might take time but they will definitely show up.

Other Methods On How To Get Rid Of Hanging Belly After C-Section

The other methods how to get rid of hanging belly after C-section are-

• Breastfeeding- The process of breastfeeding does burn a certain number of calories which can help you to lose all over fat from the body including the fat around your belly region.
• Hormones and stress control- The stress hormone cortisol leads to excessive weight gain. So, the more stress you have the less effective your efforts would be to lose the hanging belly pooch. Try to remain stress-free as much as possible.
• An adequate amount of sleep reduces stress and gives your body proper time to recover from the workouts you will do to lose weight.

Surgical Methods On How To Get Rid Of Hanging Belly After C Section

If natural methods do not work for you and you are determined you can always go for surgical methods. Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is a method of removing a saggy belly from your body after a C-section. Sometimes liposuction is also combined with it to remove excess fat pockets from your belly and remove excess skin and unwanted scars on your body.  

Symptoms Of Hanging Belly

The symptoms of a hanging belly are-

• Sagging skin on or around the abdominal area.
• You might get a lot of stretch marks around the belly area and see that you are not losing the fat around it easily.
• Difficulty in toning the skin or tightening the skin around the belly region.
• Abdominal pain might occur as a sign of a hanging belly. It causes a lot of uneasiness and a feeling of tightness around the belly region.  

Will You Get Loose Skin Afterwards?

Generally speaking, your body has a tendency to get loose skin after sudden weight loss or after pregnancy when your body does not hold the baby anymore. Thus leading to an empty uterus and abdominal region. There are a lot of factors that come into play during this-

• Your age is a key factor, as with increasing age, your skin starts losing its elasticity and loses the ability to bounce back to its original shape.
• Your weight is also a factor cause the more obese you are before or after the pregnancy, the looser skin it will produce when you lose that fat
• The amount of time you take to lose the belly fat also matters a lot cause the less time you take to lose the fat, the less time your body will get to cope with the changes, thus creating a belly pooch.
• Lastly, genetics also play a major role in saggy skin formation as it determines how much elasticity one’s skin will have.

The best thing you can do is follow a strict diet and keep training regularly and steadily to lose all the belly fat you have so that the skin can get appropriate time to bounce back to its pre-pregnancy stage.    

How Long Does It Take To Remove The Hanging Belly?  

Frankly speaking, your belly needs three months to get back to normal. Your uterus needs three months to return to its original shape and size. Before that, you can’t expect your belly pooch to be gone immediately. After that, you might need somewhere around six months to twelve months to see significant results and a reduction in your belly size. This will need determination and hard work. The key component is consistency. This might also differ from person to person, on their genetics and the type of body they have. There is no fixed time to see the results. If you follow the above methods, you will definitely see a difference.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to get rid of a hanging belly after C section, you should follow these methods. And of course, never give up on your journey. It might seem really difficult at first, but trust the process. It will show results soon and give you the body you want. If not completely, the hanging belly would still be in far better condition. This will give you back your confidence and make you feel good about your body. But remember one thing, all bodies are beautiful, and no matter how you feel about the hanging belly, it’s a part of your pregnancy journey. And you should never be sad, depressed, or ashamed about it. All the bodies are beautiful in their own ways. Body positivity is the first step towards happiness and helps in building up your self-confidence.   

FAQs

1. Do C-sections cause stomach pooch?

Not certainly! But it can contribute to stomach pooches as the abdominal muscles are separated to cut the uterus and take the baby out. This might lead to a loss of ability to hold the abdominal walls together, causing a hanging belly.

2. Can compression garments help in getting rid of a hanging belly after C C-section?

The compression garments help you with post-partum recovery and give you the illusion of a slimmer belly. But in reality, it does not help reduce belly fat or strengthen your core muscles. You need to follow a strict diet and exercise routine.  

3. Can massages help in removing the hanging belly after a C-section?

No! Massages can never make your hanging belly go away. They might relieve the abdominal pain, but you need exercises or surgery to remove it completely.

4. When to opt for surgical methods?

When your efforts are going in vain, or your daily routine can’t fit an extra weight loss journey, then surgical methods like tummy tuck could be the only option left.