Poling after tummy tuck

Dazy started this discussion · 4/3/2011

Hi Everyone, I was just wondering if there are any polers out there who have had a tummy tuck or are thinking about it and if so, how has it affected your dancing? I have had 7 children and I've always thought of my belly as my badge of honor, however lately, as I show more of it while dancing, I am not liking it. I've seen Veenas video on her post op baby belly but i think that if someone were to stretch my belly skin it would go about 8 inches....yuck! I have learned to love and appreciate my body but this is one area where I struggle. Any one have thoughts on this? Thanks!!

14 replies

unicorn · 4/3/2011
I now how you feel, I have had 5 children, 7 pregnancies and this is the one area I hate... The thought of getting my belly out for dancing freaks me out, would love nothing more than to feel confident and for once in my life show off a lovely tummy, I started young, had my 1st child at 17.. Would love a tummy tuck.. but on saying that if someone said here you go, there is the money go get a tummy tuck. I dont know if I could. You hear so many horror stories about it, there was a girl on this site who recently had a tummy tuck.. cant remember her name or how she is getting on, try tapping in tummy tuck on the forum search bar... Im pleased you have learned to appreciate and love your body. I wished I could.... I wont even get undressed in front of my partner of 7 years or let him see my belly... summer in terrible for me.. hide myself on a beach, and will not let my man see me.. Im not really bothered what others think of it, its how I feel about it... I hate it.. Good thread, be interesting to see what others post on the topic
Polecat88 · 4/3/2011
If you can't find someone on here to help I recommend asking on LYB UK plastic surgery forum. A lot of the girls there pole I'm sure someone will have had a tummy tuck. I realise its a UK site but hey people are people! x
chemgoddess1 · 4/3/2011
I have not had one but I know quite a few ladies who have. You need to look at the scars that tummy tucks leave and decide whether you can live with it. It comes down to th elesser of two evils. Also, while I have not had a tummy tuck I have had surgery that left a bikini scar. I am not sure if they cut across the muscles with TT's but it will take quite some time to heal if they do and any ab work will be out of the question until all is healed. I had looked at alternatives for my husband a few years back and remember reading something about a procedure called Thermage. It may be an option and it is non invasive.
Polecat88 · 4/3/2011
They cut from hip to hip and sometimes up the middle of your abs too bepending on the type of TT. From what the ladies on the forum have to say it does take a while to even be able to walk comfortable let alone do strength training like pole. Chem is right about the scars, the scars from my breast augmentation are just fading now but I hold with my decision. Although there is still a small amount of loose skin on my breasts it is minimal and I'm very happy with the result. Most of all it is important to make sure you have realistic ideas about the outcome of the op. A tummy tuck will not give you a perfectly toned 6 pack if you don't have very low bodyfat, but it might give an improvement in the look of your stomach. x
Dazy · 4/3/2011
I know about the scars.....that is one of the things that has kept me from doing it.....they are very long, so it really is about the lesser of the evils. I'm not sure that I'd want to give up poling and working out for an extended period of time......I just had knee surgery under 3 weeks ago and that's been bad enough. I'm going to look into the Thermage....see what that's about....or I could just wear longer tops....but I want a flat belly!! LOL
legs · 4/4/2011
Hey there I had breast aug and tummy tuck Nov of 09. Love the results! 3 big babies, when I was sitting or bent at the waist - there was all this loose skin that would not suck in. My Dr cleared me to go back to any and all exercise after 8 weeks, I took it pretty slow , basically pretended I was starting all over to build up the strength again. Worked my way back to all my previous tricks in about 2 months. Don't think I've posted a vid since, I'll have to work on that this spring as my poling room warms up! They do not cut the muscle, just cut and remove skin...If you have a large middle space between your right and left side, they can 'sew' it together. I have a scar from hip to hip that is very faint and he did a great job putting it at bikini line so even low bikinis hide it. My bigger scar is a small vertical where my old belly button used to be😮 but it looks like a c section scar, so I don't worry about it showing except to cover it with sunscreen. Very happy with feeling like I can show off all the hard work I've put in on my abs the last couple years, without it being hidden by all the extra skin. Let me know if you have any other ?'s
minicoopergrl · 4/4/2011
Im curious about it as well. Ive had 2 c sections and one of them was over 11lbs at birth. Ive worked really hard up to this point to get the body I have now but I just have that pooch that ive never really been happy with. I can cover it up nicely but I just hate looking at it in clothes. Ive done photoshoots where im in bra and panties and I love the look but when I post vids of me poling. You can see all the excess skin and it just jiggles like its go no tomorrow. Ive learned to love my body for what it is but I just want the darn pooch gone!
verucablue · 4/4/2011
I had CRAZY fibroids and had to have a hysterectomy. I was really bummed and stretched out because of them so my Dad decided to treat me with lipo and a tummy tuck at the same time - GO DAD!!!! http://localhostfile:///C:\Users\walkerl\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif I would say I got back into serious poling around 2.5 months - 3 months - inverting etc. However I also went back to pole in general around 6 weeks...just lighter stuff - no shoulder mounts or inverts or anything where I had to curl upwards lol...more light spins, dance etc. I ended up with a smaller than normal bikini cut for a tummy tuck, but slightly longer than normal bikini cut for a hysterectomy lol (it’s not the full hip bone to hip bone cut you tend to see with lots of tummy tucks). I am lucky it healed quite nicely – pencil thin…and being black scars are always a crap shoot. It’s really faded I barely notice it. Also know that not all tummy tucks have to have extremely long scars. They can use smaller cuts – or you can have a modified tuck...it does however depend on the severity, amount and placement of the loose skin. Some women have just loose skin others have herniated muscles that need work as well. Luckily they didn’t need to do any muscle work for me BUT if they do the results I have seen are pretty cool. The one thing I would say is give yourself enough time to heal. You don't want to go through the pain and cost and then mess it up. I must say it was one of the BEST things I have ever done for myself!
verucablue · 4/4/2011
...also it is not common to cut up the abs but rather suture abs back together again that have spread or are herniated. It tightens them up quite nicely.
Dazy · 4/4/2011
Thanks for sharing your experience Verucablue!! I think I would need a muscle suturing as I have quite a large separation from my pregnancies. It's great to hear that you were back to 'doing your thing' so soon, that's awesome! How did you do during the post op period....like the first week or so? Did you need help or were you able to take care of yourself?
nymphdancer · 4/4/2011
minicoopergirl since you have had C sections they usually go right through the c section scar and you don't have further scaring. Or at least that is what I was told, since I also have had two C's. It was something I had considered at one point but have shelved that thought. If I do anything it will be just lipodisolve or similar and I'm doubting that at this point.
faerymoon · 5/10/2011
Thank you for this post, I was going to post a similar thread, until I saw this. Im planning on scheduling a tummy tuck this fall and the time off certainly is important to me. From what I know, the biggest thing is that you can't lift anything for the 6-8 weeks, however you can start stretching and moving a week to two weeks post op. So I think going into it with a plan, communicating with your doctor(s) and knowing what proceedures they're going to do is important. Not all people need full tucks, many can get by with lipo and mini tucks. I feel all you momma's out there.. after having a 10 pound baby, gaining 80 pounds, loosing 60 + pounds, and working out like a mad woman, the exess skin and stretched muscle is somewhat defeating. Im just sayin, I don't mind my body and Im happy with myself, however.. I feel that it's about as gone away as it's gonna get without surgery... and the scars can't be much worse than my c-section ones already are. They did a crappy job on mine as they were in a hurry. :/
faerymoon · 5/10/2011
Also I think there's a lot to be said for muscle memory. I know from other activities that you're body bounces back well.. and it remembers. I think going into it as strong as possible always helps recover rates. I would love to hear others experiences with it though.
Glaminatrix · 5/11/2011
I've had one a bit over a year ago. Yes the scar is huge but in my case was totally worth it. This was a couple of months before I got into pole though. The only issue that I can think of that will continue to give you trouble for a while is your flexibility over your stomache, like when you do back bends. I remember while healing from mine, it's hard to even stand straight for a while. Part of my tummy tuck was fusing my abdominal muscles back together, which led to a literally tighter stomach. It almost felt like my ribs were tied to my pelvic bone, but with a string that was too short!