How to Get Rid of a Mum Tum - Causes & Treatments

What is a Mum Tum or Mummy Tummy?

Following pregnancy and childbirth, it is normal that changes occur to your abdominal area. This can include changes to the muscles, skin and fat in the abdomen and can lead to emotional and physical discomfort. This loss in confidence and increasing self-consciousness can make it harder for women to dress in the way they want and take part in activities such as sports or swimming.

Mum tum is also commonly known as ‘mum tum overhang’ and ‘mum belly’.

What Causes Mummy Tummy?

During pregnancy the skin around the abdomen areas stretches to allow space for the baby to grow. This leads to a number of permanent changes to the abdominal area.

Abdominal changes that are common following pregnancy are:

Diastasis Recti – This condition involves the abdominal muscles separating along the mid-line, creating a gap. It can lead to a bulging appearance around the tummy, and can also lead to a higher risk of hernias and other complications.
Loose skin – As your abdomen has had to grow and stretch during pregnancy, it then may lose elasticity and not be able to fully bounce back to its original shape and position following pregnancy. This can lead to a loose and saggy appearance.
Stubborn fat deposits – Some women find that they have gained extra fat around their mid-region, which is difficult to remove with diet and exercise alone.

There are a number of solutions, both surgical and non-surgical to help tackle a Mum Tum and improve the tone and contours of the abdomen post pregnancy and childbirth.

How Can I Get Rid of Mum Tum?

There are a number of lifestyle changes which can help to get rid of a Mum Tum by toning the tummy muscles and helping to reduce fat and support weight loss:

Healthy and balanced diet – Having a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, with whole grains and sufficient hydration, will help to reduce fat around the stomach.
Avoiding alcohol – Alcohol causes inflammation throughout the body and often leads to bloating and fat collecting around the mid-region. Limiting your alcohol content will help to reduce any bloating and can help get rid of your mum pouch
Stomach exercises – Doing exercises which target your abdominal can help to tone any muscles which have lost strength through pregnancy. Exercises to get rid of Mum Tum include:
- Crunches
- Sit Ups
- Flutter Kicks
- Pilates
- Yoga

It is important to remember that some people are genetically more predisposed to collecting fat around their stomachs, so it may take longer for their body to return to how it was pre-pregnancy than for others.

What Are the Best Mum Tum Exercises?

The best mum tum exercises to support mum tum weight loss and minimise overhang seek to tone the muscles after pregnancy.

The best mum tum exercises include Pelvic Tilts, Planks, Leg Raises and Bicycle Crunches. Mountain Climbers are also highly effective, as are Bridges and Russian Twists.

Consistency is important for mum tum exercises to be effective, and you can only really expect successful mum tum weight loss and the elimination of your mum belly if you combine these mum tum exercises with a healthy diet.

It is also vital that you get clearance from your doctor before embarking on any exercise regime postpartum.

What is the best way of getting rid of a Mum Tum fast?

If you are looking to tackle a bulging tummy post pregnancy quickly, surgery will be the best option. Although lifestyle changes can make an improvement to your abdominal muscles, these changes may not be dramatic as you would like. For full correction of your stomach muscles, achieving your desired results, and getting rid of Mum Tum fast there are a number of surgical procedures which will help to tackle the loss of tone and strength in your abdominal muscles.

These surgical procedures to help lose mum tum fast include:

Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) – For patients with loose skin and diastasis recti, an Abdominoplasty will tone the abdominal muscles leaving a contoured and flatter result.
Liposuction – If your primary concern is excess fat around the mid-region, Liposuction will remove this, however it won’t tone the muscles or remove excess skin.
Mummy Makeover – If you have concerns around your tummy but also have other areas of your body, such as your breasts, that you would like to be enhanced, the Mummy Makeover can combine a number of procedures into one surgery to cover various parts of your body.

To discuss what the best surgical options would be to treat your individual concerns, book a consultation with one of our consultant surgeons who can discuss your desired results, and the surgeries that are suitable for you.

What Are the Surgical Procedures for Mummy Tummy?

We have already briefly touched upon which surgical procedures are best for treating a Mummy Tummy. But how do each of them work, and what are their benefits?

Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure carried out under general anaesthetic. Your surgeon will remove any loose excess skin and tighten your abdominal muscles. The procedure usually takes 3-5 hours to complete.

Abdominoplasty can also be combined with Liposuction in a procedure called a Brazilian Abdominoplasty. This is suited to patients who have excess fat around their abdomens as well as loose skin or diastasis recti.

Recovery from Abdominoplasty typically takes 6-8 weeks. You will have to wear a surgical garment to protect and support your abdomen as it heals. You will need to avoid any strenuous exercise for up to 6 weeks following your surgery to avoid putting any pressure on your incisions.

Liposuction

Liposuction removes the excess fat cells in your body to improve the contours of your abdomen. If you don’t have any excess, loose skin or concerns about your abdominal muscles, Liposuction as a standalone procedure might be right for you. Around the abdomen it is carried out under general anaesthetic.

Your surgeon will make small incisions in the areas where the fat is being removed. They will then insert a cannula which will break up the fat using either physical movement, pressurised water or lasers. The broken-down fat will then be sucked from your body. As the fat cells have been removed, they cannot regrow and you won’t gain weight around your abdomen, unless you go through dramatic weight fluctuations.

Recovery from Liposuction is relatively straight forward, and usually takes 3-4 weeks. You will have to wear a surgical garment to reduce swelling and prevent fluid build-up. You will need to follow your surgeon’s aftercare and follow up advice to ensure you achieve the best results.

Mummy Makeover

If you have multiple areas of concern, a Mummy Makeover may be the right surgery for you. Mummy Makeover is made up of multiple procedures, depending on the areas you wish to improve and enhance. These procedures are usually Abdominoplasty, Breast Lift or Breast Augmentation and sometimes Labiaplasty or Vaginoplasty.

Your surgeon will carry out these procedures, together or separately, depending on what they think the best options are for you. Especially when the procedures are carried out together, the recovery from Mummy Makeover can be quite long – up to 3 months in some instances. You will have to arrange for support to help you during your recovery and to assist with childcare.

Can I Have a Mum Tum Without Being a Mother?

Drinking too much alcohol, eating a poor diet and not focusing on exercises which strengthen the abdomen can cause bloating and excess fat around the abdomen, giving a similar appearance to a Mummy Tummy. However, diastasis recti is unique to pregnancy and is a key cause of Mum Tum.

Get In Touch

If you are interested in booking a consultation with an expert consultant surgeon to discuss your Mum Tum concerns and the best way of treating them, get in touch with our dedicated surgical patient advisors, who will be able to talk through your initial questions and match you with the best surgeon for your needs.

Treatments mentioned in this article

Body Surgery

Extended Tummy Tuck

An Extended Tummy Tuck goes beyond the standard Tummy Tuck to remove fat from the abdominal region and the flanks.

Body Surgery

360 Liposuction

360 Liposuction is a surgical body contouring procedure that uses Liposuction to remove excess fat from the circumference of the torso.

Body Surgery

Liposuction

Liposuction is a surgical procedure to remove unwanted pockets of fat on the body and face.

Body Surgery

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)