Pregnancy and labor can have huge effects on your body both at the time and in the future. Some of these changes are almost impossible to reverse. While overcoming prenatal eating habits and caring for your newborn can be overwhelming especially when finding the chance to get any exercise in seems unrealistic. However, we offer our top tips for achieving the body you want after having children.
Mental wellbeing
Ensuring you have a positive outlook is an integral part of being happy with the way you look, how you have changed, and body confidence. It is vital that whilst working on your body, you do not neglect your mind as they are integrally linked. Try to remember that your body has been through huge changes and hormones have a huge role to play in your emotions. Resist the temptation to be too hard on yourself. Even though achieving a fit figure is not impossible it is essential to maintain realistic goals with plausible time periods.
Balanced diet
A healthy balance within your diet is important whether you are hoping to lose weight or simply stay healthy. If you are breastfeeding, take this into account and speak to a professional, as you must feed your body with extra nutrients to allow your baby to thrive. Not only will a balanced diet help you to get back into shape, but it will also help to bring a charming healthy glow to your skin while also adding shine to your hair. Healthy eating brings about an array of great benefits that will help keep you on track with your emotional well-being as well.
Post-pregnancy, these things can be a challenge, especially when you start to lose hair. Knowing what to fuel your body with can be tricky, so a dietician can support you in coming up with a plan. As it wouldn’t be wise to attempt dieting and calorie counting if you are breastfeeding, the guided assistance of a professional may be the most appropriate route to take.
Exercise
Always seek expert medical advice prior to undertaking any form of fitness after giving birth. It is possible that your tummy muscles may not have gone back together yet and you could end up doing more harm than good, irreparable damage, in fact. Once you have the go-ahead from your doctor, start slowly and build up gradually. There is no point in trying to go 0 to 60 in just a few short weeks. While some new mothers have found results from using tummy tightener bands and flexible corset training to encourage stomach muscles to regain their former glory, this method would only be effective if exercise is incorporated. In addition to this, it is vital to avoid any form of tummy tightening practices before 6 weeks of welcoming your newborn into the world.
Begin by doing something that you really enjoy. For some people, that is brisk walking around the block and building that up over time. For others, it might be a group exercise class, such as Zumba, where you could also build a friendship group. To tone up, it is important to add in some weights. If you are a member of a gym, speak to a personal trainer who will be able to create a program to focus on the areas you most want to improve. Alternatively, check out some of the free weights videos that you can find online. Be sure to get someone to check your form though to ensure you are not inflicting any damage on your muscles.
As it is commonly advised for new moms who have had a cesarean section birth to avoid lifting anything that is heavier than the weight of their baby, once the 6 week recovery period has passed, moms who delivered via cesarean or natural birth could use this wise advice as a guideline to avoid overexerting muscles. Even though exercising may seem straightforward, new mothers need to practice caution to prevent complications.
Surgery
If you have tried all other options and nothing seems to have worked for you, it may be worth having a chat to a plastic surgery expert about the possibility of having a mommy makeover. For those who are struggling to adjust to having a completely different body and it is having a negative impact on their self-esteem and self-confidence, this might be the solution. It is certainly not a decision that should be taken lightly though and it is imperative that plenty of advice is sought.
