Post-Baby Twin Mom Tum: Love It or List It?

Our bodies are incredible to be able to house one baby, let alone two. We are built to stretch and afterward, we kind of go back again. Often, we’re left a bit saggy, wrinkly, and stretch marked, and we need to decide if it’s a burden or a trophy. Today I’m sporting my post-baby twin mom tum to remind you all you’re gorgeous, and I’m also sharing thoughts on surgery.

The Jumbo Twin Bump

I don’t love everything about being pregnant but I do like a nice round bump. As a pregnant woman, you’re walking around with a treasure chest, and it never ceases to amaze me how big a twin bump can get. 

The body really is incredible to stretch and accommodate twins like it does… magic!

Losing the Baby Weight

Everyone has a different experience with losing their baby weight. I found it tough with my singleton daughter. I ran long distance four times weekly and slowly burned off one single pound every week. It was grueling work.

But with the Twins, it literally dropped off. I didn’t work out at all until the boys were 6months old but by 4months postpartum I was already at my pre-pregnancy weight. A chunk of it naturally fell off with being a busy twin mom. And when I plateaued I made some simple rules about food and stuck to them as best I could:

• No fast-food;
• No processed food;
• If I wanted cake/brownies/fun stuff I could, as long as it was homemade with real ingredients. Don’t be afraid of butter, it is not the enemy, fake food is.

I still ate the odd takeaway pizza because I’m only human. As astonishing as the bump stretch, so was the shrink. Another bout of magic…

Within 11 months I had grown two babies and shrunk back to my original size… kind of. In clothes, I looked pretty much the same, but underneath it was a bit of a mess. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, I wouldn’t swap a belly for my family any day. But still, was it normal and can I fix it?

So I’m Stuck Like This?

When the Twins were seven months old I visited the doctor. I was concerned I had a hernia or some kind of rupture of my c-section incision. Despite losing the baby weight I had this bulge overhanging the scar. When I leaned into the crib to pick a baby up it would pinch against the side of the crib and was starting to get sore.

“Oh that’s normal. But no amount of exercise is going to fix it… shall I refer you to Plastics?”

Slightly Insensitive but straight to the point doctor

I was a little taken aback by the response of my doctor. I thought about the recovery from my C-Section and what it entailed. “You’re talking about a tummy tuck? But I have two babies to look after. Will I be able to lift them?” I said.

It quickly became clear that with my husband traveling frequently and no family in town, there was no way a tummy tuck was going to happen any time soon. I left feeling a little deflated but reassured that my insides weren’t about to fall out. Every cloud has a silver lining.

So A Slightly Saggy Post-Baby Twin Mom Tum is a Thing?

Not always! In reaching out on the Twin Pickle Facebook page I found quite a few Moms who were more than bikini ready… we have some major hotties in the Twin Pickle community. You go ladies!

In the same way many singleton moms also suffer from saggy belly, there are plenty of genetically blessed twin moms who manage to pop back. A little sag is just more common with twins because, well, that bump! 

I was lucky to get off lightly with minimal muscle separation. Many twin moms suffer from diastasis recti, something I’ll revisit in a separate post some time because there is lots to talk about. In the meantime, Wellness Mama has a good post full of info.

Should I Love It or List It?

Some folks would never consider going under the knife and others are all about remodeling their forever home. I’m not here to judge either way. It’s your body and you can change it if you want to.

The Twins will be three in November and I’ve come to accept my new body. Overall I feel good about my weight and shape and feel confident enough to wear fitting clothing, even if my profile is a little quirky. But there is still that niggle in the back of my head that wonders whether a tummy tuck would make me feel just a little bit sexier. I wanted to know more about it and spoke to Twin Pickle follower Janey who had a ‘Mommy Makeover’. (I have changed people’s name for privacy):

Accepting Post-Baby Twin Mom Tum 

For those not wanting surgery, it can be tough to come to terms with post-baby twin mom tum. I wrote this post partly because I wanted to find out about surgery, but partly because I wanted others to know they are not the only one hiding a saggy mom tum under their sweater. 

I actually had a random woman ask me when I was due last week…my youngest set of twins are 2yrs.

‘Susan’ on rude strangers.

‘Susan’ has birthed two sets of healthy-sized twins and says she knows she’ll always look pregnant. But honestly, people, stop guessing about others being pregnant… it’s never a good move and can result in a seriously awkward situation! 

I have an extremely amazing husband that brags about my tummy and I want my kids, especially daughter to never think I’m ashamed of how I look.

‘Susan’ on self-esteem.

Don’t forget the Spanx

So, what’s the verdict… Does it stay or does it go?

For now, it’s staying safely tucked into Spanx and sweatpants because I’m really not sure I can face the surgery. I do like the idea of a tidier belly button and being able to do my yoga class without pinching my saggy pooch.

But on the scale of life problems a belly button just doesn’t seem important. Despite inspecting it often and grumbling at my profile in the mirror on a regular basis, I know overall I’m doing OK in the body department. Take baby steps towards a happier body image because it doesn’t happen overnight. I wear things now that I would never have dreamed of wearing two years ago and I do it with my head held high. 

After all, I have these two on my arm…