Fact or Fiction- the jelly belly never goes?

**M O P** · 11-11-2006 15:07

I should point out I decided to pose this question to you all after getting out the shower and seeing myself in the mirror!!

**Chub Chub** · 11-11-2006 15:15

I think genetics play a bit of a role. I put on 19 kilos with DD and was a size 12 initially. I didn't really do much exercise other than walking after she was born via c section and carried an extra 7-8 kilos for quite a while afterwards. Once I stopped breastfeeding I started at the gym and lost 4 kilos by going whenever I could. Once my daughter was around 14 months old I then I upped the anti and religiously went to the gym three times a week and ran over 10 kms a week and am only 1 kilos heavier than pre pregnancy.

I was extremely lucky not to get any stretch marks but I do feel my hips are slightly wider.

So yes I think you can get rid of it but it is lots of hard work!

**EskimoMumma** · 11-11-2006 15:20

Well, my experience with the EVIL

Jelly Belly was that after i worked on it very hard, it went away after DS...now..i have a feeling i am going to have to work TWICE as hard to get my **** back into shape because of the closeness of my pregnancies

So..for now. i am voting false. I'll come back in 12months time and let you know if its changed..

**gremily** · 11-11-2006 15:49

I personally believe it depends on how much your stomach stretches during pregnancy. That's the only place I put on weight, have major stretch marks (I used oil galore on my boobs, tummy and thighs to no avail) and, despite the fact I'm back to what I was before, I still have major jelly belly. It's not fat, but extra skin.......you know, like Nana's arms

If it's just fat deposits, then sure, of course you could get rid of it with a bit of work.

**gremily** · 11-11-2006 16:04

BTW, when I had my 1st I was 18. So young, with supposedly 'supple' skin, ate healthy, fit, 54kg, and I only put on 10kg. Yet I still got stretch marks galore (some of the worst my Dr had seen) mainly on my stomach, and was left with wonderfully loosey goosey skin.
The same with DD2 7 yrs later, except this time I only got a couple of extra stretchmarks on my stomach having been previously stretched out

. Only thing is during labour my stomach muscles separated, and although they're back to normal now, I swear it made more jellyness.
Ppl always say how skinny I am (54kg) but that's called 'wearing the appropriate clothing', as I think they'd be quite amazed to see the wobbliness underneath

I love my body though, wouldn't changed a thing, and seriously don't think I'd have a tummy tuck if someone offered it to me. DF loves me, and it reminds me of the 2 daughters I carried for 18+mths (all up, not just one

). Plus my DD's have always loved it aswell.
So I can't wear bikini's (well, I 'spose I could but it would be absolutely shocking) or low cut jeans, but I can live with that.

**Areca** · 11-11-2006 16:08

Yep you'll never lose excess skin. I was a size 6 before having DD....gained 14kg during my pg and was all baby (seriously think beach ball stuffed down a top, that was me..nothing else changed, not even my boobs!). I was back to size 6 clothes pretty quickly but it took a few months for my belly to be back to normal. I worked at it. Every time I bent over my skin would wrinkle and obviously I had to re-build the muscle.
Now DP tells me my stomach is musclier than it was pre baby. Yes I have some extra skin but not too bad, you can only tell when I bend over and my skin gets mushed together.

I've told DP that after we are done having kids if my skin is ruined then I want a tummy tuck (I work too hard at keeping fit to have excess skin hanging) but I'm happy with how I look after one baby.

I ended up with major stretchmarks on my boobs but you can hardly see them now thanks to Bio-Oil! I'm even confident in a skimpy triangle bikini

**pookiesossige** · 11-11-2006 16:42

I actually started to look ok when Ronan was 18 months old. It just took some weight loss, walking... and time..

But Ariene is 6 months old and I just don't see how I'll ever look nice again... My skin hangs over my pants and is 'ribboned' with stretch marks and I'm not as disciplined as I used to be with excersise and eating... so depressing!!