6 Ways to Bounce Back Post-Pregnancy
The postpartum period after childbirth can be overwhelming for new parents. Alongside dealing with fatigue and physical pain, they can have mixed feelings about their postpartum bodies. There can be many changes to come to terms with, like clothing size, hip width, breast shape, and skin firmness. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin, so here are a few helpful options for bouncing back post-pregnancy.
Mommy Makeovers
When you’ve been struggling with confidence after raising your family, it can sometimes be worth reaching out to cosmetic specialists like the Dr. Jay Calvert plastic surgery clinic. Experienced cosmetic surgeons perform procedures known as ‘mommy makeovers,’ where they focus on the areas of the body often changed by pregnancy. You might explore breast lifts or reductions, tummy tucks, liposuction, and thigh lifts when you’re struggling with uncomfortable physical changes.
Give Your Body Time to Heal
After nine months of growing a child and the physical trauma of bringing it into the world, you’ve been through a lot. Give your body time to heal before you start thinking about ways to bounce back.
Talk to medical professionals about what you can expect during the postpartum period. You can also ask them when it’s safe to exercise and what you need to do to combat any birth-related physical injuries.
Post-Pregnancy Workouts
Working out may be the last thing you feel like doing after giving birth, but it can help build back muscle mass that you may have lost when you were pregnant. The rectus abdominal muscles, in particular, can often require help.
These muscles become stretched during pregnancy, meaning you can’t exercise them during those nine months. Some women also experience rectus abdominis diastasis, which is when the abdominal wall muscles separate. While surgery can often be an option for severe cases, you may see results with workouts targeting these muscles.
Kegel Exercises
Many people experience bladder leakage after giving birth. This is commonly associated with vacuum-assisted birth, forceps use, and prolonged pushing. While often temporary, you may be able to speed up the regaining of your bladder control by incorporating kegel exercises into your postpartum workout routine. These exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles to support your rectum, uterus, bladder, and small intestine. Simply lift and hold your pelvic floor muscles before relaxing them.
Ask for Help
It’s not uncommon for new parents to experience stress, anxiety, and depression in the days, weeks, and months after welcoming a new baby into the world. You may feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders during this time. Ask for help when you need it. Having a support network to rely on may make it much easier to bounce back after pregnancy.
Accepting and Embracing Change
Your life will never be the same after giving birth. You now have a child to love, protect, and nurture. Your body needs the same attention. A considerable part of postpartum care involves accepting and embracing change. Your body may not be the same as it was, but it’s because it did something amazing.
Your body changes a great deal during and after pregnancy. Still, that doesn’t mean you have to spend all your time mourning what you had. Accept and embrace the wonderful things your body has done. You can also talk to healthcare providers about exercises and surgical options that may help you start feeling and looking at your best once more.