The Aftermath

Disclaimer:  This post is intended for moms/moms-to-be/women only. It might be a little too much information for all the guys in my life. You were warned.

Well, I'm 5'. And when I first got pregnant, I weighed 115 lbs. If I would have done the math, I should have been prepared that being pregnant with multiples was going to wreck me. Actually, I heard it a lot, when people found out. "Where are those babies going to go?!" was a frequent question.
Well, those babies stayed exactly where they were supposed to stay! And my body did what it was supposed to do! My abs split open down the center to make room (a fairly common condition called diastasis recti). And my skin stretched beyond repair. It was all essential, and I know I survived an amazing process! But, the aftermath kind of sucks. (Not the babies, of course--having them is so happy, and still a little surreal! I'm only referring to the healing process.)
After the girls were born, I had a whole new set of challenges to face. Diastasis Recti is a weird thing.  there was no muscle protecting my organs. When I touched my stomach that first day, I could feel straight through to my intestines. It was pretty freaky. I could even see them through the skin if I angled myself the right way. And the bad news was that it kept me looking 6 months pregnant. On top of that, I had (and still have) an incredible amount of excess skin. I learned later that what I have is called "twinskin". People who have multiples--and some who have singletons--sometimes get so much extra skin that it sags on either side of your belly button. I've heard it called a front butt--I think that's my favorite name for it. Needless to say, it's not exactly attractive. And I haven't even mentioned the stretch marks!
I felt that during pregnancy I did everything right. I could not possibly have downed any more water than I did. I moisturized multiple times a day with Palmers lotion for stretch marks. I don't know if it helped. Maybe I'd be far worse without it.
Six weeks after giving birth, my gynecologist referred me to a surgeon. I was shocked. She said I'd need multiple surgeries to correct what I thought would just go away with diet and exercise. I did meet with a Dr. Jurani in Shawnee, KS. He wanted to wait to see if I could work it away with some serious exercise. I'm supposed to follow up with him mid-February.
At first after learning all of this, I was so discouraged. I got online to see what people in similar situations were saying. (On a side note: rarely does anyone get on the internet to share a positive experience. It's almost never helpful to read about everyone else's misery. Yet it is always my first instinct. Stupid Google.) I saw almost nothing positive. Even worse, actually--I could not find a picture of anyone whose stomach looked as bad as mine. After a while my googling became a sick obsession with hoping there was someone out there who had it as bad or worse than I did. There has to be someone, but they are not easily found. I guess they probably didn't feel like posting pictures. Neither do I. It was all very depressing.
However, there were some things I could do. I thought I'd share them--to give some of you struggling with the same things some hope. Dr. Jurani told me to work out hard. No slacking. And, contrary to what I've read online, he said it did not matter what exercises I did. He emphasized cardio, but did not restrict me at all. (Nonetheless, I have noticed it gets worse if I lift something over 40lbs.) So I have been working out really hard. I did not restrict my diet really until the day after Christmas, but I noticed a big difference when I did.
Between both of those things my stomach definitely shrank. My Diastasis recti is not completely gone, but it's only half as bad as it was.
For the healing of my skin, I've used Jergen's Skin Firming lotion. I also exfoliate with a sugar scrub. This increases blood flow and thus promotes healing in the affected areas. It seems to be better as well, but I know it won't go all the way back.
I am young, and I think that's played a critical role in healing. But for cosmetic purposes, thanks to my mom, I have an Avon lotion Skin So Soft Satin Glow that I use. It's really nice and seems to smooth everything out. It really helps.
With all those things and a good bra, I'm looking a little more like myself! I'll find out next month if I still need surgery. I don't think I will. I think he'll try to convince me to get a tummy tuck, but I won't be paying for that. (Although I totally understand why people do pay for that now!) Hopefully with time, it at least won't show through my clothes. I'm so grateful that I look so much better than I did at only 4 months post partum! For those of you struggling with the same issues, don't give up hope yet!