What is wrong with Mummy's tummy? Tummy tuck after twins.

Being fit, healthy and looking after my body has been a part of my life since my teenage years. When I had my first baby at 28 years old, I was relieved that after about a year of giving birth, my body was in its pre-pregnancy shape (well almost). My body shape was different- my hips were a bit wider and my boobs weren’t as pert but with some hard work my belly was nice and flat, and I felt good.

Giving birth to twins was a different story! During my pregnancy I went from a tiny 50kg to a massive 80kg! The weight gain didn’t bother me because I knew that weight gain was a part of pregnancy and was important to have healthy babies. I had already proved to myself that I could get back into good shape.

These are photos of me about 3 days before i gave birth to my twins- I looked (and felt) like I was going to 'pop'!

The fact that I delivered two healthy babies, weighing in at 3490grams and 2940grams, meant that I had done a good job of incubating and growing my twins. By the time they were 6 weeks old, I was back to a close to normal 53kg. But one thing that wasn’t normal was the appearance of my tummy! When my twins were only 2 days old I noticed that the space that they had filled in my tummy was now floppy and felt and looked like a slow deflating balloon. It was soft, saggy and there was lots of skin! It was at that moment that I understood why some people turn to cosmetic surgery.

My twins are nearly 5 years old now and being fit, healthy and looking after my body is still a priority for me- one that I fit around work, parenting and home duties. Five years on and I am in pretty good shape but the appearance of my tummy looks horrible. Even when I am dressed the skin hangs over the top of my jeans, underwear and leggings. I am constantly ‘tucking’ the skin into my pants. Not only does my tummy look unattractive but it also feels weak. When I lift things I feel like I have no stomach strength and all the effort goes to my lower back, I wonder if this is because of the state of my stomach.

After thinking about considering having a tummy tuck for almost the whole 5 years since my twins were born, I have finally decided to bite the bullet and do something about it. Here is my journey.