Your body needed extra pounds to support your baby and the time after delivery will require energy. It’s unwise to try to rapidly lose the weight you gained in pregnancy. A healthy diet is crucial, especially if you’re breastfeeding. The tips below can help you get back in shape in a healthy way.
1. Surgery
If you find that diet and exercise don’t help you get rid of belly fat or tummy bulge after delivery, you may be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. Be aware that this is not simply cosmetic. If you have a gap in the diastasis recti, it’s possible that your abdominal muscles are no longer supporting your lower back and are allowing your internal organs to move. Bowel and bladder problems can follow, so reparative surgery can protect you.
2. Sleep
Quality rest can make it easier to slowly drop pounds. Yes, your sleeping pattern will be disrupted. However, if you do all you can to make sure that you sleep when your baby sleeps, you can protect your energy level.
3. Exercise: Gentle Cardio
Follow up with your doctor on when you can start exercising. If you’re approved for a walk, try to get out and move after every meal. This will help you burn calories and will encourage healthy digestion.
4. Exercise: Core Movements
If you didn’t have a C-section, there are core exercises you can do to firm up the tummy. If you participated in gentle yoga during your pregnancy, start there and work your way back up to more intense workouts.
5. Work with a Trainer or Physical Therapist
If you had a C-section or a very big baby, there has been a separation of the diastasis recti or muscular wall of the abdomen. This separated muscle can be strengthened with careful exercise under the eye of a professional. Be aware that this separation can’t be fixed with exercise.
6. Keep Your Feet On the Ground
Bouncing exercises are very hard on your body in the months following pregnancy. Your body prepares for birth by releasing hormones that loosen your connective tissues. Too much jarring can lead to very sore joints and even sprains. For the first two months, do low-impact exercise. Consider joining a stroller group for regular walks.
7. Do Your Kegel Exercises
Strengthening your pelvic floor is critical in the weeks after delivery. Simple pelvic tilts can also help you support your pelvic floor. These are activities you can do after you become pregnant; in fact, learning these moves before you become pregnant will make it easier to remember the movements after you deliver.
8. Breastfeed
Breastfeeding burns a lot of calories. Eat well, feed your baby well, and focus on healthy nutrition and about 2,000 calories a day while you breastfeed. Take this time to heal.
Rebuilding your strength after delivery may take the help of a professional or even surgery. Careful management of your diet and exercise plan is crucial to maintaining the energy you need to care for your baby. Postpartum recovery involves more than just physical healing; it also includes regaining your strength and stamina.
