When will my postpartum belly to go away?
For most women, after giving birth, there is always going to be a certain amount of belly fat. In addition to this, your uterus needs to shrink down to the level of the belly button and your belly stretched muscles will get back to place.
Don’t panic if you are still looking like you are pregnant after birth, it takes time for your tummy, to fully recover from pregnancy.
Getting back in shape after pregnancy and childbirth can be quite an endeavor. It takes about four weeks for your womb (uterus) to contract to its pre-pregnancy size. It also might require a certain amount of commitment and enthusiasm to shed those unwanted pounds that have built up and are now showing around the stomach area.
How long will it take to get your body back?
Your body does take time to shrink – some women may even take up to a year (and hopefully less!) to return to normal.
But does this mean that you cannot look good before a year? Not!
You can look great after a couple of weeks or months, but you probably won’t get your pre-pregnancy shape back for 6 months.
The speed and degree of your body tightening up depends on a few factors, including:
- Your genes
- Your pre-baby body shape and the weight you gained during the pregnancy period
- Your daily activity levels
What about your belly?
24 Hours After Birth
After delivery, you have the baby, you lose blood, fluids, amniotic fluid, and the uterus is reduced to the navel, which are the main reasons why women lose an average of 12 pounds almost immediately after delivery.
During the first 24 hours after birth, your belly starts to go down but you still looking like 6 months pregnant.
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The first week after birth
During the first week after birth, all the cells in your body that swelled during the 9 months of pregnancy will begin releasing their fluids in the form of urine, vaginal secretions, and sweat. All the extra fat you put on to nourish your baby will start to burn off, especially if you’re breastfeeding.
A month later
This sounds almost too good to be true, but according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), new mothers lose up to 20 pounds in the month after delivery. Most women are advised to gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy, a month later, you could almost be back to your original weight!
Patience is the key. It took nine months for your tummy muscles to stretch to accommodate a full-term baby. So, it makes sense that it can take that long, or longer, to tighten up again.
As long as you receive enough calories in the food and make sure you use the vitamins and minerals needed to promote healthy skin and weight loss while including a little fitness every day, you will not only be the healthiest mother, but you will also give have a healthy lifestyle for your baby.
Related:
WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT DURING BREASTFEEDING?
How can I safely lose weight to help my belly look better?
Breastfeeding may help, especially in the early months after giving birth. If you breastfeed, you’ll burn extra calories to make milk – about 500 calories a day. Breastfeeding also triggers contractions that help to shrink your womb, making it a workout for your whole body.
Related:
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT WHILE BREASTFEEDING WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MILK
Another tip to get back into top shape within the next two weeks and help you lose that belly fat is using a stability ball.
Have you ever heard of a stability ball?
Well, this is one of the best things that you can invest in if you are serious about building some muscle and getting rid of some of the fat that has found a home on your midsection. Stability balls can be found at most sporting good stores or larger department stores.
Studies have shown that stability balls are much better for targeting the abs than normal crunches. Here are a few exercises you can implement to target the stomach.
- One is the reverse crunch. It is straightforward to do, lie down on your back and press your legs onto the side of the ball and slowly lift it about 6 inches. Hold it in that position for a couple of seconds, then lower it back down and do it all over again.
- Another good exercise is to get down on your knees and put the elbows on the stability ball. Then lift your body until you are fully standing. Hold the position as long as you can and repeat the process.
A few other things that we can do in addition to using the stability ball is some light cardiovascular type exercise. This may include an exercise bike, swimming, brisk walking or even jogging if you are up to it.
The second thing that we can do is to completely change our food choices and the number of calories that we can take. Just take in about 500 calories less than the amount needed to maintain our current body weight, and in about two weeks you should start to see some pretty fast results.
Be patient, you will feel good about yourself in no time!
Related:
HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO WALK AND TO GET IN SHAPE
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