So, you survived pregnancy and childbirth. Any mom will tell you: pregnancy and childbirth is no easy feat, especially if you have a C-section.
While you are left recovering from the grueling task of growing and birthing a tiny human from your body, you are probably pretty surprised by the state of your tummy after baby and you want to know how to get rid of that hanging belly after c section.
Don’t fear, Mama! You can get rid of that post-baby belly, even after a C-section.
Read on to discover tips and tricks on how to get rid of sagging lower belly fat at home after delivery. It’s time to beat that C-section pooch for good.
What is a C Section?
If you’re reading this, you probably have personal experience with a C-section. Whether it was you, a friend or a family member who endured the procedure, you’re aware that a caesarean section, more commonly known as a C-section, is the surgical delivery of a baby.
In this procedure, a horizontal cut is made through the mother’s abdomen and uterus to safely deliver the baby. Most of the time, C-sections are performed due to medical reasons.
Sometimes C-sections can be scheduled ahead of time whereas in other cases, they are emergency operations. Common reasons for a C-section include:
- Stalled labor
- Lack of oxygen to the baby
- Baby’s position and size
- Problems with the umbilical cord
- Problems with the placenta
- Health concerns that require a speedy delivery
- A history of previous C-sections
- Multiple pregnancy (i.e. twins)
- Maternal diabetes or high blood pressure
- Maternal HIV or herpes
While as many as 1/3 of all American births occur via C-section, it’s still a major surgery. Before you even begin to think about losing the post C-section belly, you have to allow ample time to heal and recover.
Undergoing a C-section means your abdominal muscles have been completely cut into, and you have a surgical wound to mend. This wound must be allowed to heal, and your muscles must start to repair before you begin making any efforts to reduce your tummy area.
It can take a number of weeks for this wound to heal, in some cases over 8 weeks, so be sure to give yourself enough time to heal before you start trying to rid yourself of belly fat. Your doctor will be able to tell you how long it will take and what to be aware of.
How Long Will It Take to Shrink My Belly After a C-Section?
Your belly will be doing some heavy duty shrinking in the first few weeks post-delivery.
The excess fluid should work through your system within a couple weeks, and your uterus will begin to shrink, contributing to a thinning belly with little extra work on your part in the beginning.
Remember: It took 40 long weeks to grow your belly to the size it was to house your baby.
After birth, whether you delivered vaginally or via C-section, it will take your uterus 6 to 8 weeks to shrink down to its pre-pregnancy size.
How to Shrink Your Belly After a C-Section
Here are some ways you can lose weight after a cesarean section:
- Breastfeed
- Use a Postpartum Support Belt
- Minimize Stretch Marks
- Get Enough Sleep
- Keep a Food (and Exercise) Log
- Hydrate Yourself
- Try a Smart Cleanse
- Choose to Snack Healthier
- Optimize Your Milk Production (For Baby and Belly)
- Include Your Baby in Exercises
- Do Planks
- Do Postpartum Exercises
- Be More Active When Not Working Out
You’re probably eager to get back on the road to recovery and enjoy your pre-pregnancy body again. While this urge is understandable, remember that before you try any of the suggested remedies below that you get approval from your doctor, especially when taking on exercise for weight loss after cesarean section.
Although you may feel great, your doctor will be able to evaluate how your C-section wound is healing and the state of your overall health.
Giving birth via C-section takes a major toll on the body, so make sure you’re being safe about your follow up plans.
Now, let’s get on to learning how you can safely get rid of that C-section pooch.
1. Breastfeeding
No need to wait to start breastfeeding. As soon as your precious bundle of joy is born, you can start breastfeeding.
Believe it or not, breastfeeding can actually help flatten your belly. Not only does breastfeeding burn about 500 extra calories per day, but it also releases a hormone called oxytocin that stimulates uterine contractions, speeding up your uterus’s return journey to its pelvic home.
How does breastfeeding burn so many calories? Well, the American Pregnancy Association says a breastfeeding mom will secrete between 425 and 700 calories into breast milk per day.
Because the body does not normally produce this highly specialized milk for baby, it has to work super hard to do so.
To burn roughly the same number of calories through exercise, a 140-pound woman would have to run a 10-minute mile pace for 45 to 60 minutes every day. Breastfeed to tighten up and lose weight!
2. Use a Postpartum Support Belt
Generally, within 12 hours of surgery, doctors encourage new moms to get up and move around. Some women find that not having any pressure on the site of the incision is uncomfortable.
Others find their abs feel loose and unsupported. To combat this discomfort, some OBs actually recommend wearing a postpartum support belt or girdle.
The jury is out in the medical community. While some OBs swear they help with postpartum discomfort and to compress the uterus, thereby helping it shrink, others think these waist trainers are nothing more than a gimmick.
Whether or not it helps shrink your waistline, doctors have been recommending similar belts for people with back pain due to weakened abdominal muscles (1).
Since your muscles have recently undergone trauma, it’s worthwhile to give yourself the extra support. In the process, you may even help your uterus shrink and find its normal spot, speeding up the process of reducing your tummy and getting rid of that c-section overhang.
3. Minimize Stretch Marks
While stretch marks don’t directly contribute to a loose tummy after a C-section, they can make you feel like the problem is magnified.
While there is no way to totally get stretch marks to disappear, using anti-stretch mark cream does show benefits on new and existing stretch marks (2). Plus, the act of massaging the lotion onto your belly can help with circulation in the abdominal region.
4. Get Enough Sleep
With a newborn, you won’t be getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, but do try to make sleep a priority.
If your baby takes a nap, you take a nap! Sleep is not only good for getting rid of that baby weight, but also helps improve your emotional health, which is closely linked to your physical health.
Did you know that new moms who sleep less than 5 hours per night have a harder time getting rid of excess weight than those who sleep 7 hours?
This is likely because lack of sleep can cause systemic inflammation and a cortisol release. This hormone, known as the stress hormone, is often associated with weight gain, however, current research is inconclusive (5).
Regardless, do your best to get those zzz’s, even if it means you let some other areas slide such as cleaning or making elaborate meals.
When possible, ask your friend, neighbor, or loved one to help you with some of the other chores you need to get done. Keep in mind that you cannot and do not need to do everything by yourself. You have an infant to take care of.
5 Diet Tips for the Tummy
1. Keep a Food (and Exercise) Log
Write down everything you eat and drink including your portion sizes. Keeping a journal makes you more accountable with your dietary goals. You can also clearly see what you are eating and what easy dietary changes you can make to lose weight.
There is a plethora of food logging apps you can check out. Two of the most popular:
- My Fitness Pal – a popular calorie counting app that has an exercise logger and food diary in one. It also gives daily calorie intake recommendation and makes it easy to see at a glance how close you are to your limit, as well as how many calories you’ve burned exercising.
- Lose It! – also combines an exercise log and food diary, with extra convenient features like the option to connect it to a pedometer or scan the barcode for packaged foods so you don’t have to enter their info manually.
You don’t need to go high-tech with it, though. The old school pen and paper can work just as well. Choose a method that is easy for you and one you will stick to.
2. Hydrate Yourself
Not only do breastfeeding moms need extra water to make milk, but drinking enough water and eating enough fruits and veggies with a high-water content may help you lose weight.
Water fills up your belly so you are less likely to mindlessly snack when you aren’t hungry.
Plus, studies show a correlation between hydration and weight loss (6). If water isn’t your favorite beverage, try jazzing it up by adding some citrus or fresh mint.
Cucumber water is another delicious option. You can also nosh on snacks with a high-water content like watermelon, cucumber, celery, and lettuce.
3. Try a Smart Cleanse
This simply means decrease the overall amount of junk food you are eating and fill up on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Use your new mom lifestyle as motivation for changing your eating habits. Eating a diet rich in fiber and nutrients while drinking plenty of water will get your digestive system moving to promote regularity and feeling lighter.
Here are some simple tips you can do today:
- Cut out sugar sweetened beverages (i.e. regular soda, sports drinks, loaded coffee and tea drinks)
- Limit caffeinated beverages to 2-3 cups per day
- Make all your grains and pastas whole grain
- Make half of your plate fruit and vegetables
- Do not skip meals
4. Choose to Snack Healthier
Aside from not skipping meals, new moms should also choose healthy snacks to curb hunger and get adequate nutrition.
When you hit the grocery store, remember to stock up on healthy, nutritious snacks rather than fatty and sugary items.
Snack sensibly by choosing some of these options:
- 1/4 cup of nuts
- 1 cup veggies (i.e. baby carrots) with hummus
- 1 cup whole milk dairy
- Apples and bananas
- Whole grain crackers and nut butter
- Air-popped popcorn
- String cheese
With these healthy snacks on hand, you’ll have healthy options when the hunger bug bites. Keeping such snacks in your home can help you fight the temptations that make the tummy struggle even harder.
5. Optimize Your Milk Production (For Baby and Belly)
As we mentioned earlier, breastfeeding and milk production burns calories. In order to optimize your milk production abilities, here are some specific foods that may increase milk supply according to La Leche League. Do it for the baby and for yourself!
- Barely
- Oatmeal
- Fennel
- Coriander
- Dill
- Anise
- Brewer’s yeast
- Chickpeas
5 Exercise Tips for the Tummy
1. Include Baby
Many new moms struggle to find the time to work out while tending to their new baby. Instead of trying to cram a workout in while your little one sleeps, do a workout you can do with baby.
Go on a walk with your baby, use your baby as resistance for weight training, or check out your local gym. Many gyms offer programs like Stroller Strides designed to get new moms back in tip top shape while including baby in the workout.
You can also check out some at-home workouts you can do with baby here.
2. Do Planks
While your abdominal muscles may be weak postpartum, try some planks! Unlike crunching exercises that repeatedly cause the split abdominal muscles to contract, planks offer constant resistance with minimal movement.
Planks are great for stabilizing the core and led to closure of diastasis recti in one study. Start out with 2 plank sets at 30 seconds each and work up from there.
3. Do Kegels
Kegels are a type of exercise that helps strengthen your pelvic floor. Pregnancy puts a lot of pressure on this muscle due to the added weight you were carrying around.
In this exercise, you tighten your pelvic floor for 5-10 seconds as you breath in and release as you breath out. Never done Kegels? Don’t worry.
All you have to do is tighten your muscles like you would if you were trying to hold in your pee.
4. Do Postpartum Exercises
Pelvic Tilts
For this exercise, lie on your back, with your knees bent. Slowly engage your deep core muscles to tilt your pelvis slightly up and back.
To pull in, you’ll flatten your back against the floor, tightening your abdominals and slightly raising your rear as you pull your pelvis up. Hold for 10 seconds. Then relax again.
Heel Slides
A heel slide is simple. You lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Leave about a hand’s length between your butt and the heel of your foot.
While pulling your belly button down towards your spine, slowly slide one heel down, so that your leg lies flat and then pull it back in slowly. Then do the other side. Repeat up to 10 times to start.
Remember to perform these exercises with proper posture and always keep the belly pulled in. Activating the core will build strength and pull your waistline in, beating the baby bulge.
You can make a routine out of these exercises by doing them in the morning when you get up, while your baby’s napping or even during TV commercials when you’re taking a bit of a break.
5. Get More Active When Not Working Out
While you won’t be cleared for heavier exercise until 8 weeks after your C-section, you can start by doing some light walking each day.
Don’t push yourself too hard, especially in the beginning. After the initial recovery period, you can begin to do some other exercises. Abs exercises after c section are a great way to target your abdomen, but be sure to take it easy.
Burn through that lingering belly fat by going on at least 3 brisk walks per week. Art Weltman, PhD, director of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia tells Health, “Fast-paced walking, when combined with healthy eating, is hugely effective for weight loss.”
Don’t forget the baby! You can carry your baby in a sling or push them in a stroller to increase the resistance and burn more calories. Overall, exercise after c section to reduce your tummy is very helpful.
Take It Easy: Listen to Your Body
For any of these home remedies to flatten your tummy, make sure you are working closely with your doctor throughout the whole process.
Not only are you battling the physical hardships postpartum, but you also may be enduring new emotional and mental stress.
Make sure to build a support network of friends, family and your healthcare provider so that you can accomplish your responsibilities and reach your goals.
With time, patience, hard work and being realistic, you can create a personalized plan to get rid of your post s-section belly! Once you’ve recovered from the initial surgery, try these 15 home remedies to reduce your tummy after a C-section.
Have you already gotten started on your weight loss after cesarean section? We’d love to hear about your progress and about other methods you’ve found helpful! Tell us all about your post-C-section weight loss journey in the comments below.
Article Sources
- Mann, Denise. Belly Wraps: Post-Pregnancy Hit or Hype? Grow by WebMD.
- Garcia Hernandez, J.A. et. al. Use of a specific anti-stretch mark cream for preventing or reducing the severity of striae gravidarum. Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, June 2013.
- Lesako, Gina. Nutrition for a Breastfeeding Mom. Food & Nutrition, 27 October 2014.
- Irwin, Michael R., Richard Olmstead, and Judith E. Carroll. Sleep Disturbance, Sleep Duration, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies and Experimental Sleep Deprivation. Biological Psychiatry, 1 July 2016.
- Incollingo Rodriguez, Angela C. et. al. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation and cortisol activity in obesity: A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology, December 2015.
- Thornton, Simon N. Increased Hydration Can Be Associated with Weight Loss. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10 June 2016.
Im going to deliver in 8weeks time c-section and its my second c-section when should I start doing tummy excersices .I seriously need to be reminded and encouraged to do it.
My wife is trying to lose weight after her c section surgery two years back. Any capsules apart from content above.
My 2nd c section was completed before 1 yr but my tummy looks like am pregnant I want to loose my tummy. What can I do I want a flat belly. Dr. said me that I hv hernia what can I do plz suggest
I had my delivery before 1 and half month .. jst now I joined gym i want to reduce my tommy and my weight.. plz suggest if u hve some home remedies
You should definitely follow the advice of your doctor regarding your hernia. Exercise may make it worse, so make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions. Sometimes hernias are resolved through surgery. Good luck!
Get started with easy exercise and be patient! There are some great tummy exercises in this article you can try. Remember, give yourself about a year to lose the weight. So, patience is key as your muscles gain strength and you slowly lose weight.
Hmmmm… When I had my first baby, it was through a c section and I was really disappointed to still find my stomach pregnant after weeks of delivery. I did a lot of tummy exercises but not really helpful. Well, I was looking at a quick fix and later realized it won’t work. Patience had to come in and I got advice from a nutritionist and I was able to pull it off. My body feels great and easier to get back after each delivery.
Hi Juliet,
That’s great you found a way. Yes patience and a combination of diet and exercise are key.
Hmmmm… When I had my first baby, it was through a c section and I was really disappointed to still find my stomach pregnant after weeks of delivery. I did a lot of tummy exercises but not really helpful. Well, I was looking for a quick fix and later realized it won’t work. Patience had to come in and I got advice from a nutritionist and I was able to pull it off. My body feels great and easier to get back after each delivery.
Hmmmm… When I had my first baby, it was through a c section and I was really disappointed to still find my stomach pregnant after weeks of delivery. I did a lot of tummy exercises but not really helpful. Well, I was looking for a quick fix and later realized it won’t work. Patience had to come in and I got advice from a nutritionist and I was able to pull it off. My body feels great and easier to get back after each delivery.
Breastfeeding your baby helps a lot I must say. Make sure you eat all necessary foods in the required amount so you don’t feel dizzy often. I know we all want that great photoshop body after delivery but we don’t have to do that at the detriment of our health. Remember to consult your doctor first.
A month ago i deliver a baby, but still my tummy is look like a 5month pregnant. Plz give me some suggestions!
Hi Ajas,
You’re absolutely right. It’s important to be patient with the baby weight – it takes 9 months to put it on, so it may take 9 months to a year to get it off!
Hi I delivered baby an year ago but my tummy looks like I am 9months pregnant please suggest me to get rid of this tummy.I am not able to work in the office as everyone is asking am I pregnant?. Please suggest me. I will be so thankful
Hi Shalini,
It’s tough, isn’t it! Slowly, with diet and exercise your belly should start to go down. However, if your abdominal muscles have separated, this may be the reason for the tummy. Talk to your doctor to see if certain exercises or seeing a physical therapist may help.
Is this home remedies for shrinking my tummy still applicable for me even after 6 months of C-Section?
Hi Cynthia,
Yes, these home remedies are still applicable. Good luck!
the left side of my abdominal cavity is higher than the other side after c-section although my tummy didn’t look that big and its still very soft, am not comfortable with that. my baby is nine months now. please what can I do. I still want my tummy to get slimmer
Thank you for such a helpful and motivational article. I have two babies, both c sec .. the 2nd one is about to be 3 months now. Will definitely try your suggestions and hopefully.. have a flatter belly with loads of confidence.. once again..?
Hi, I have a set of 8 months old twins which I have birth to via c section. Initially after delivery, my tummy went down… almost to pre pregnancy state. But now I look 6 or 7 months pregnant. Please help, I don’t know what to do. I’m really self conscious about it.
Hi
I had my son a year ago and I really want to get rid of this belly fat sometimes I don’t feel confidence of myself.. I look at myself in the mirror and all I see is this fatness hanging right above my c-section I don’t know what to do… sometimes my stomach look like it’s bloated…. Please Help ?
Hi
I had my son a year ago and I’m really trying to get rid of this mommy pouch
Hi, my baby now is 7 weeks after c section and I have started to tighten my tummy, is it advisable or it may bring problems?
Hi,
Please help me.. It’s been 10 months baby after my last pregnancy still my stomach is very big..am worried about this..i done all your tips.. But it’s not working on me.. What I do… Please give any suggestion..
What are some advice you have to the person who want to lose the weight from my belly? What worked best for you/did you find it easier to lose the weight?
It’s been 20 months i had my baby and still look pregnant please what do i do to lose/shrink my tummy?
Hello.
Please help me.. I have 8month baby after my last pregnancy still my stomach is very big. For this am losing my confident. Plzzzz am very thank full if you show 15 Home ramedies with photos that easily I can start it. It possible that my stomach come normal size. Plz help me
I gave birth to my first baby before one year ago through c section. Since that time I didn’t try any exercise or diet. But still my belly looks big and I lost my self confidence. I don’t know what to do. Please help me. Thanking you!
It seems to me that you are considering trying to diet and exercise at this point. While you have not engaged in diet and exercise thus far, it is not too late to start! Check out the tips in this article, but also see suggested dietary information in our Ultimate Weight Loss Guide.
I have given a birth to child it’s since 2 years it’s a c section I have belly pouch how to reduce it
I had my baby 4 months ago and my tummy is still big. What else can I do? I really want to get rid of it?
I have 2 kids, both are cs, last one I had 2 years ago. My tummy still looks like I’m pregnant, I’ve tried different things, do you think postpartum belt will help?
Thank you for these exercises! This is my last attempt at hopefully getting rid of the this C-section pouch. I do have a question. Are we really supposed to inhale at the end of each move it exhale?
I made 3 ceaserian…my belly too big now ..gave some ideas to reduce my belly
Last year nd i gave birth through C-section bt now my belly has become too big with a lot of stretch marks nd even no why, so bought conset nd i haven’t seen any improvement pls help…..
Thanks! I’m 12 months post c section. Maybe it’s time to try your tips. I’ve been idle due to this pandemic 2020. I found your blog and I’m interested in trying. May God bless you! And continue to share your knowledge.
I gave birth to my first baby before one year ago through c section. Since that time I didn’t try any exercise or diet. But still my belly looks big and I lost my self confidence. I don’t know what to do. Please help me. Thanking you!