Coming Back to Shape Post Pregnancy
By: Tsou JinyeuTotal Views: 179, Word Count: 564,
Months after having your baby, you might well look down at your body and wonder if it’s ever going to look the same again. Chances are you’ve now got a serious case of big belly and very likely a normal weight gain over your thighs and buttocks too regardless of how slim you were before. Coming back to shape post pregnancy is not an easy task and requires lot of hard work.
It’s natural and expected that your body must have gone under a drastic change after carrying a baby for 9 months and then giving birth. In order to accommodate your growing bump, the abdominal muscles were stretched to a limit and nature laid down that additional weight in preparation for breast feeding. A downward turn is also fairly expected in the chest department as during pregnancy the breasts swell and the tissues and ligaments are swelled, with the result being saggier breasts.
So, how and when you must begin if you are keen to get back into shape after giving birth. If you’re breastfeeding, then dieting is definitely not a good idea. Combined with sensible health eating, exercise is your best bet. Regular activity improves your fitness and general health and is also good for the mind, besides from helping you to shift some surplus pounds which would in turn boost your self esteem and confidence, since exercise releases endorphins, the feel good hormones.
Not to Enter the Race
All said and done, you must not rush into exercise instantly after giving birth. You must think of coming back to shape post pregnancy only when you feel that you are ready, be it 6 weeks or 6 months down the line. Even after that, this process must be a slow one and not the unhealthy race which all those celebrity mothers get into. As per experts, in order to get your bodies back to normal inside and out after giving birth, you must allow yourself at least a year. It’s vital that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself and take a break. Give yourself the same time as it took time to make a baby.
You need to remember that it’s harder to shift a post baby belly than any other sort, particularly when your skin and muscles were stretched during the 9 months of pregnancy. In fact, you’re very likely to find out that your baby belly hardly shapes up the way you want, no matter how hard you try and more likely your breasts would hardly be the same again. According to some experts, the shape of your body changes permanently after giving birth.
Safe from Start
You could also begin a long, slow process of coming back to shape post pregnancy by getting your stomach muscles back in shape by gently pulling them whenever you get a chance. Breathe all the while by holding the tummy muscles and then release. Perform this as many times as you can. When you find some time, you can also squeeze in a few pelvic tilts.
Finally, you must need to carry on with all physical activities like walking, jogging and if possible swimming in order to come back to shape post pregnancy as these activities would not only put pressure on your muscles, but would also remove all the fat from your body, particularly from your tummy.
About the Author
Dr Tsou Jinyeu is a well known gynecologist and has been in this field since 1995. His special interests are – genetic and birth defects, high risk obstetrics, lupus in pregnancy, premature labour, premature delivery, triplets and ultrasound diagnosis. He is graduated from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Nowdays he is working as a medical doctor at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health.
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