Many women are literally haunted by the fear of staying with the pounds gained during pregnancy forever. But look at those who are already a mom: are they back to their favorite jeans in a year or two after the birth of a child?

Chances are, they did. And so will you. If you treat your body and your body’s needs with love and attention, you will succeed within 6-8 months of having a baby.

Usually women are horrified in the first few days after having a baby when they realize that their belly has not particularly shrunk. The first desire – to go into panic about it – you need to stop common sense reasoning that this is a temporary phenomenon.

The volume of the abdomen will naturally decrease, and in the first weeks, even after natural childbirth (not to mention C-section) is not recommended to take any special measures in the form of physical activity.

Exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles can be done from 6-8 weeks after childbirth, not before. Until then it is allowed to practice asanas from yoga, if you are familiar with them and practiced them before pregnancy.

Breastfeeding is the key to a quick return to a normal weight. However, remember: it is important during the breastfeeding period to eat well and rationally.
Strict diets, which in the normal “pre-pregnancy” life could be fruitful in the fight against extra pounds, after the birth and the period of nursing can be detrimental. Rely on common sense in the choice of products.
Eliminate from your diet everything that is considered harmful. Industrial food and sweets, crisps and chips, baked goods, salads with mayonnaise – you have to say no to everything for the sake of quality nutrition baby and for the benefit of your body.
Drink plenty of water and tea. Fluid is essential for a nursing mother, in addition, as we know, the sufficient amount of fluid in the body is directly related to the condition of the skin and the maintenance of normal weight.
If there is an opportunity to sleep, and you think it is better to clean or cook something, then choose sleep. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed since the baby was born, sleep is still a good preventative against excess weight anyway.

Physical exercise

Do not push yourself and do not demand from your body the impossible: the volume of the abdomen will decrease, the muscles will tighten, the weight will return to normal, but it will all happen gradually. When there will be strength, desire and opportunity, you can try to return to the exercises from yoga, do Pilates.

Before pregnancy you were engaged in fitness, you can slowly return to exercise in two months after natural childbirth. Very useful are squats and exercises on different parts of the abdominal muscles. Be prepared that they will not be easy to do at once.

Most modern moms use special creams against stretch marks during pregnancy, as well as creams designed for women who have already given birth. These funds will not help get rid of excess weight, but will make it possible to keep the skin moisturized and supple, provide its nutrition.

A few months after childbirth – depending on how you feel and the readiness of your family to support you by organizing your free time – you can attend sessions of massage or hardware procedures.

The most important thing in the recovery process after childbirth is to know that all the changes that occurred in the body during pregnancy will disappear after some time.

Eat healthy food, smile more, love your baby, and in a few months you will wear your favorite jeans…

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Changes occur in the endocrine system: the work of the hormones is now directed primarily at ensuring breastfeeding. But it often happens that milk by the end of the first week does not come in sufficient quantity. Or disappears after a month (the so-called lactation crises, which can not survive for everyone). Or, on the contrary, there is so much milk that there is a risk of lactastasis, and in the absence of prevention and treatment – mastitis.

During childbirth all abdominal muscles are overstretched, and for several weeks you may feel muscle pain. Unpleasant feelings can be caused by lacerations or incisions of the perineum, as well as the suture after a caesarean section. Irrigation is forbidden during this period.

Feelings in the first week after childbirth depend entirely on whether the birth was easy or hard, natural or by caesarean section, as well as on a number of other factors. You can record all of the manifestations described below or only some of them.

Physiological phenomena:

Bloody discharge for a week and gradually getting lighter;
Painful tension of the abdominal muscles depending on the contraction of the uterus;
fatigue;
discomfort, pain, numbness in the perineum (if stitches have been applied, painful sensations increase when coughing or sneezing);
pain in the incision area, which then turns into numbness of the areas adjacent to the suture in the case of a Caesarean section (especially if it was the first Caesarean section);
difficulties in sitting, walking, especially during the incision and closure of the perineum or after a caesarean section;
one- or two-day complications in urine excretion, abnormal bowel function in the first few days, constipation
general soreness as a consequence of severe exertion;
red eyes, dark circles under the eyes, on the cheeks and elsewhere (also due to the strong exertion);
sweating (can be very strong) for the first 2-3 days;
Soreness in the nipple area;
swollen and cracked nipples at the beginning of breastfeeding.

Psychological phenomena:

joy, depression, mood swings;
Feelings of uncertainty about whether or not they will be able to cope with maternal duties, especially breastfeeding;
irritation over having to go to the maternity hospital, a desire to be home as soon as possible;
complete lack of interest in sex (a relationship is not allowed before 4 weeks after delivery).

Consequences of episiotomy:

The incised tissues are sutured after delivery, that is, after the placenta is released, under local or general anesthesia (if the mother is already under epidural anesthesia). The perineum is sutured with threads that will dissolve themselves later. The skin is stitched with sutures that will not dissolve, and they must be removed after 5 days.

Following the rules of hygiene (washing with mild soap after going to the toilet) will allow the suture to heal quickly and properly.

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The emotional lift and euphoria that occur immediately after birth is replaced by a decline in mood, sadness, uncertainty, confusion, and emotional discomfort for most women by the 2nd or 3rd day after birth. A mother may experience an inexplicable desire to cry, depression, and even irritation. The cause of this condition after childbirth is not reliably known, but there are versions of its occurrence. First, the rapid and powerful change in hormonal background in the last weeks of pregnancy and especially after childbirth can not help but affect the mood of the woman. “Hormonal shock” is a biological factor in the emergence of an anxious state. Secondly, for women who become mothers for the first time, the new role of “mom” brings a lot of anxiety and worry. In addition, after the long months of pregnancy have been passed, and the mother-to-be is used to her condition, after childbirth there is even a feeling of losing something important and dear. Third, the cause of tension can be physical fatigue. Constant lack of sleep, caused by the baby’s regimen and household chores, can take a woman out of her psychological equilibrium. Fourthly, an unhappy family environment (conflict and discord in a married couple, lack of support from loved ones and a sense of “family happiness” or a serious illness of a family member) can exacerbate a woman’s stress and lead to depression.

Psychologists also note that typological features of a woman’s personality and age aggravate her emotional state in the postpartum period:

• In the “risk group” of women-mothers under the age of 18 and over 35.
• Emotionally unstable type (excitable, spontaneous, impulsive).
• Anxious personality type with heightened sensitivity and mistrustfulness (heightened sensitivity to influences from outside).
• Emotionally immature, women with infantile traits who cannot withstand life’s blows.
• Rigid, straightforward, over-responsive women with hypernormative attitudes.

An unfavorable obstetrical and gynecological history, unwillingness to have a child or the severity of the child’s condition (for example, a pathology discovered or features in the baby’s health) also set the stage for postpartum depression.

Mood deterioration after childbirth should be distinguished from postpartum depression. Immediately after childbirth, against the background of hormonal restructuring, the woman’s mood worsens and “postnatal sadness” with the presence of depressive reactions – they are not as deep, short and reversible – occurs during the first two or three weeks to 1 month of the baby’s life. Such “postpartum moping” is manifested by a woman’s tearfulness, feelings of depression, insecurity, fear, insecurity.

Postpartum depression proper begins with 3-4 months of the baby’s life and lasts up to six months and more. The symptoms of postpartum depression include a constant, deep melancholy, inability to enjoy the baby and life in general, lack of interest in caring for the baby, decreased appetite, increased anxiety, insomnia.

While mood swings usually have little effect on overall health and pass fairly quickly, postpartum depression affects the entire body and may last a very long time. Anxiety, depression, fatigue, irritability, panic attacks, feelings of unreality of what is happening, poor sleep, loss of appetite and libido, helplessness in household chores, loss of love for your child – all these are signs of a fairly common postpartum depression. And its consequence is that the woman ceases to feel the joy of her own motherhood, stops taking care of her appearance, avoids communication and may even become addicted to drugs or alcohol.

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