Wondering why it’s taking so long to go back to normal? Even though your baby is now in your arms, you still have a squishy belly that makes you look 5 months pregnant. For most mothers this takes a few months so don’t despair, here are five facts about how your belly will change.
Hormonal changes – The changes in your hormones cause your belly to slowly shrink. This does not happen overnight, instead the stabilization happens over a period of time as your hormones change so your uterus will contract.
Dark line down the middle of your tummy – Many woman get a dark line down the middle of their tummy, this line is known as Linea Nigra. This is part of the hormonal changes that affect the levels of melatonin in your body. This takes about 5 months to go away completely but yes it does go away.
Stretch marks – Hopefully you have been rubbing your tummy daily when you were pregnant to reduce the appearance of them but sometimes it is unavoidable. The good news it that the stretch marks will reduce considerably in 6 to 12 months.
Baby fat – That little buffer you have put on to nourish your baby will begin to burn off, especially if you are nursing. As your baby feeds so you will feel your uterus contract and you will start noticing results after a few weeks as those extra calories go into your baby’s milk.
Diet & exercise – If you are breastfeeding I would not recommend a diet, but eat smart and healthy foods. This is not only good for your body but the vital nutrients will help make your baby grow up strong. If you have a natural birth, you can start doing gentle exercise almost immediately (e.g a walk with your baby in a stroller. However to do more strenuous exercise like yoga or heavy weights wait till the go ahead from your obstetrician to do this. This is usually after 6 weeks). All the extra elastin in your body could cause you to injure yourself easily, so be careful!
Your body will undoubtedly change after you have a baby, that much everyone knows. But lots of women do not get the right advice about how to deal with these changes. If you are feeling down about your body, these tips will hopefully send you on your way to a happier you.
Article by Sasha
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Great article, thanks so much Sasha. Please share your post pregnancy body experiences with us.