help

[BIG belly]

It's been a week since I had a ceasarian, but my belly still looks as if I'm 7 months pregnant.  Is this normal?  I also have a real bad gas problem and I feel like my big belly is full of gas.  How long did it take for all this to go away for some of you?  I have a friend who said her stomach went away within a couple of days after birth.  Any tips?

[JD]

I had a c-section and the belly doesn't disappear over night. Like women who had a normal delivery this is a slow process helped along with breast feeding and excercise. I still wore maternity clothes home from hospital and for a while afterwards until I was well enough to go buy some larger clothes!
And gas, well when they opened you up there was lots of opportunity for air to go in and still be there when they sewed you up. They suck out blood with special tubes but not the air unfortunately! It does go but will take some time and in the meantime you feel full bloated and full of wind. Mother Nature makes it hard to feel glamourous or anything resembling respectable when you have just had a baby-something no baby class seems to mention-or mine didn't. I expected to feel slim/wonderful/elated at being a mum. Actually I felt fat still, hot, huge watermelons in my bra leaking milk, sore wound on my tummy, a body I had no control over, gas like I could not  believe and completely knackered.
Its nothing like the pictures you get shown of serene looking women holding sleeping babies in the rocking chair.
Congratulations though and things will improve!

[3 months on]

Congrats on your new baby!  It takes a while after a c-section. all your intestines and organs have been moved around during the pregnancy and are now settling back and this affects your digestive system.  I had terrible wind and real pain for about ten days or so but it got better.  The scar was mostly better after a couple of weeks, but a month before I didn't feel scared bending to pick something up.  But didn't attempt anything heavy for 6 weeks.  Be careful lifting your baby too as your ligaments will still be lax for several months as part of the birth preparation your body has been doing.  It isn't instant but does get better.  

[massage??]

congrats on the new babe!!

On a slightly different topic I was wondering if post preg massage can be done following a c-section. I hadn't heard of the traditional malay massages before I moved here - can this help reshape a tummy post c-section?

[ginger too]

Try hot Ginger tea - ie ginger juice + tea + little sugar.

or try those traditional post maternity massage, it should help to relieve the wind and aches.  if you'd c-section, have to wait a few weeks.