Swelly belly turning into a flap??

My doctor was kind enough to cut out a big chunk of the flap I had developed from my pregnancies. I'm a really small person but when pregnant my skin just stretched too far, leaving me with a flap of skin.

Awesome doc, right? Buuuuut.. It seems that I'm so swollen, that I'm kind of growing a NEW flap! Is this just the way my skin is right now because of where I was cut, or am I going to have another flap? I know it sounds vein, but I'm not quite 27 years old, and I haven't felt comfortable in my skin since I was 18. It's never been a weight issue, it's all the skin that hangs over

I'm so afraid that through all of this, I am still going to feel really bad about myself, and want a tummy tuck one day. I am for some plastic surgeries that help a person to feel better about themselves. Especially things like this, or excessive weight loss that results in extra skin. It's so uncomfortable, and can actually be painful (gets pinched in my pants, ect) but I do NOT want to go through another surgery.

I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced something like this. I'm sure at only 2.5 weeks out I'm not going to really have an idea of what my stomach will look like yet. How long does the swelling take to go down? It seems to be 80% on my left side.

It can take up to 6 weeks for the swelling to subside and some, like myself, experience it off and on for up to a year afterwards.

Don't be too hard on yourself right now. You're still swollen from healing and it may go away.

I would give it a bit of time and then take a step at a time. Ask you doctor if this will change or improve. I understand. You are young and want to look good. The doctor may know something.

I know I am being a little hard on myself. I've had it since I had my first child at 19. My kids are worth the changes to my body, of course, but it's still hard to look at sometimes.

Being young we get invited out to beaches and water parks and I just can't do it I don't feel comfortable in my own skin at all!

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Originally Posted by EODwife85 I know I am being a little hard on myself. I've had it since I had my first child at 19. My kids are worth the changes to my body, of course, but it's still hard to look at sometimes. Being young we get invited out to beaches and water parks and I just can't do it I don't feel comfortable in my own skin at all!

What you're describing is totally normal. Have you ever been the website 'Shape of a Mother'? It was eye opening for me and all those women celebrating the changes in their post-baby body helped me to feel a bit better about my own.

What helped my swelly belly the most was freezing a water or coke bottle (obviously refilled with water) and slipping that into a sock. It's perfect for resting on your incision and really helps.

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Originally Posted by lrmctexas What you're describing is totally normal. Have you ever been the website 'Shape of a Mother'? It was eye opening for me and all those women celebrating the changes in their post-baby body helped me to feel a bit better about my own. What helped my swelly belly the most was freezing a water or coke bottle (obviously refilled with water) and slipping that into a sock. It's perfect for resting on your incision and really helps.

That honestly sounds like it would feel really good too. I've had a lot of incision pain in the last few days. I'll try it later

Yes I actually posted on there a couple years ago. It really is a wonderful site!