Many women, even if they were healthy and had a toned body before pregnancy, fall victim to the mummy tummy which is also known as ‘mum tum’. The term ‘mummy tummy’ dreaded by all mothers is used to describe a bulge in the abdominal area that is caused by the separation of the Rectus Abdominis muscles during pregnancy. Most women are desperately trying to get their pre-baby body back with diet, exercise and yoga. Unfortunately, the mummy tummy is an enemy that is hard to get rid of with just health and fitness choices alone.
Abigail (35), a mother of two says, “When I had my first baby, I was left with a Kangaroo-like pouch hanging on my belly, which at that time didn’t bother me as much because I was and still am a slim women and I thought a few crunches could probably get rid of it. But then it got worse after my second pregnancy and no matter what I tried, from eating healthy to trying out recommended exercises by fitness gurus, the unsightly bulge on my belly would not go away. I was doing sit-ups up to 2-3 sets of 20 reps about twice a week and that’s when I noticed the loose skin that was already hanging down my waistline was starting to look more pronounced.”, says Tanya. “That made me feel worse about myself and I didn’t know what I was doing wrong.”
According to the experts, exercise balls are much better to get a flat tummy compared to sit-ups and crunches. They have claimed that sit-ups carries risks such as muscle rupture, slipped discs and bladder control problems over time. Since you are laying on a flat floor and trying to pull yourself up, you can even get back problems.
Sit-ups can also cause hernia among women post-pregnancy that is caused when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle, which in mothers is the diastasis recti or the separation of the Rectus Abdominis. This is what causes the skin on the abdomen to sag.
What alternatives are mummies going for to get rid of the mummy tummy?
For those mothers who are not satisfied by the results from pursuing a healthy lifestyle or for those who want instant results, plastic surgeons can offer cosmetic surgery procedures that can help them get their pre-baby body back instantly.
Tummy Tuck Surgery aka ‘Mummy Tuck’
A procedure very popular among women after pregnancy and often taken as a package combined together with other procedures called the mommy makeover, Tummy Tuck Surgery is an invasive surgery that helps get rid of excess fat and skin from the middle and lower abdomen area.
The procedure is perfect to get rid of the mummy tummy because it not only helps get rid of the problem area but also helps tighten the abdominal wall. It can dramatically reduce the look of protruding abdomen and even get rid of stretch marks, which we have found to be the most common problem.
There are two types of tummy tuck options that mothers can go for depending on the results they are expecting.
Contact Centre for Surgery for further information on tummy tucks.