Pregnancy battle scars

I think I'm finally at a stage in my life where I have accepted my body for what it is, imperfections and all. Why have the added stress in my life obsessing over that which is difficult to change? I have succumbed to the fact that the only way I can reclaim my pre-pregnancy body would be a Tummy Tuck, and since I don't have the money or the "guts" to go through with that, I'll just have to live with myself as is.

I've heard of many women who have problems with stretched and sagging stomach skin after having babies that have been very happy with the results of a Tummy Tuck and that's great, it's just not for me. I'm sure pregnancy is the number one reason women seek tummy tucks later in life. Women must remember, no matter how desperate they are to get a flat tummy, surgery is not an area to try to save money. Research of surgeons and pre-operative interviews are absolutely necessary.

I did have some good results with Pilates stretches, but I stopped doing those about a year ago. The results I achieved were even measurable. Since my pregnancies split my abdominal muscles apart, I am trying to get them back together. The only way to do that besides surgery is Pilates, since traditional crunches and sit-ups could actually make it worse. Well, after a few months of Pilates, the space between my muscles went from three inches to about one and a half inches, and remains at one and a half a year later, without performing the stretches. I will try to add it back into my weekly schedule and see if I can get the space closed even more, which will strengthen my back as well. A strong back and core is very important when lifting heavy things, like children.