Swelly Belly every day??

At 4 months now I can't understand why I still swell so much and every night. I have resumed my normal life but the belly thing is driving me crazy. Nothing fits by night time. I was wondering if anyone else has had it this long and when and how does it go away.

heloo eclark me too!!! I thought my swellybelly would cease and desist but every evening I must climb into the fat pants to relax... at least DH likes to pat and rub it for good luck--he calls it my buddah belly

I'm right behind you guys and i still get the swelly belly. I really hate it!!!I am great in the morning but by night i am pretty swollen. Some days are worse than others if I have been taking care of my grandson(age 3 with cerebal palsy so lots of lifting). Oh well, could be worse, i could still be in pain or bleeding constantly.
charlene

My surgery was almost 8 months ago and I still deal with swelly belly and incision tenderness. I also still have numbness above my incision. It is a constant issue.

Sises,
I had my hyst about 10 weeks ago and still can get major swelly belly, the hard, waterlogged kind. Up until a few days ago I was convinced I had a hernia that made a big shelf above my entire incision, because it just wasn't getting better.
Then, a few days ago, I just started doing this simple excercise at night and oh, joy, it's helping. I lie on my back in bed at bedtime (that's doable for us all) and suck in my tummy as hard as I can for 30 seconds. (Do remember to breathe in AND out lightly doing this, while pulling IN your abs with all your might). Then stop and breathe normally or deeply for a couple of seconds. Then I pouff my tummy OUT in as high a dome as I can and hold that for five seconds. Then I breathe normally then start another round. I do ten reps. Well, the first day I only did three. I've been doing this for a few days now and it helps. (The "out-pouffing" step, for five seconds, makes the ab muscles contract harder the next time you squeeze in). My physical therapist said there is a sound basis for why the outpouff step works; even though sticking your tummy out seems counterproductive, it's not.) I usually try for 10 reps or rounds of each. (30 seconds, abs in - as tight as possible breathing in and out lightly, then release and breathe deeply in between, then 5 or ten seconds pushing tummy out.) I've noticed a big difference in only a couple of days since I got to ten reps. (You can throw in a few sitting or standing ones throughout the day if you think about it.)
This second excercise I'm offering seems tricky or like it wouldn't really do anything, but my hyst book says this will flatten lower abs better than anything. It uses those obliques, which are almost never used in ab excercises and they are actually the ones most responsible for a flat tummy. Same deal, lying on your back in bed, legs straight, try to visualize pulling your hip bones together, towards each other, using your ab muscles. I hold this for thirty seconds also. You won't actually move your hip bones together, of course, it's more of an isometic excercise. Try it. It's like a mind game, the muscles may not even feel like they are moving (and they really won't ever move much, but they are working fiercely). Keep trying, because this is THE excercise for flat lower abs acording to my hyst book and really strengthens the tummy. I do this one anyway, but right now my lower abs seem pretty flat compared to ABOVE my incision, LOL, so I spend more time on the first excercise. So, "Sisters Of The Swelly Belly" try these for a few days. Not much of an investment of time or even energy, but pretty good payoff. Best, Asta

P.S. I noticed that it was mostly us veteran swelly belly ache-ers that wrote in to this post, so I wasn't thinking. I don't think women under four weeks should start these excercises yet. Ask your Doc. Maybe they'd be okay, but Isometric excerises are much stronger on your muscles than you'd think. Best, Asta

Thanks Asta, I'm going to give that a go. I've been trying my basic pilates stretches but they don't seem to help much. Went swimming yesterday and I think my belly absorbed a few gallons of sea water lol
Im getting into my work clothes with the help of my magic knickers but un the evening, like jluna the fat pants come out!

Asta - Thanks so much for the exercise info! I'm currently starting back my pre-op exercise routine, but am totally unsure of what to do for the belly. I will try these. You mentioned a 'hyst book'. Do you mind sharing the name of the book? I'm always looking for info on how to make this recovery process better. Thanks again!

Hi Eclark! Thank you for posting this thread. I had lost weight before surgery, enough to need to buy some new clothes. Now I'm glad I didn't have a chance to get rid of my "fat clothes"! I put on about 10lbs since surgery-some of it is due to swelly as the weight goes up and down with the belly, and, yes, some of it is due to the wonderful carrot cakes DH brought home for me from a certain truck stop that makes the best! Unfortunately a piece of carrot cake does not count as a serving of vegetables!
Asta, thank you so much for the exercise info. I'm going to print it up so I'll remember to do them
I do sit ups almost every morning, but have never been able to work those lower abs and have never had a flat tummy since my c-secs.
Liz C- I love that-"magic knickers" I wear them to work too and, yup, they sure do come off when I get home!
Hasn't this been a fun ride? Although, I must admit, I would never go back to the days before the hyst!
's to all, you ladies are great!

Thanks for the info- Seeing that i have lost weight as well and am trying to continue to lose more, I can't wait to try these exercises.Ya want to laugh, my current slacks are really loose fitting in the morning..like I need to go down a size, but by late afternoon, they feel snug like i need a bigger size.They should design clothing for us that will accomodate the changes during the day. Look slimmer and sheek in the morning, and look dumpy and frazzled by late afternoon.That's me...lol So yes, I will be doing some exercises today.Thanks for the insight again. Hugs