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“The most sinusoidal love-hate relationship a woman has... is with “the tummy.”
We all love seeing it grow during the pregnancy, but after giving birth, it suddenly transforms into the torn in the lion’s paw and not so endearing anymore.
The tummy is what kept baby safe in-utero, what adds to the ‘pregnancy lustre’, what everyone wants to feel, especially when the kicks are initiated; but post-delivery it becomes this round, squishy midsection that makes us look like one too many marshmallows were consumed.
Pregnancy was never a walk in the park for me, but I tried to do all of the right things--eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and gained a nominal amount of weight. Because of this, I assumed it would be pretty easy to bounce back into shape after baby arrived.
While that’s been true to a certain extent, there definitely have been some surprises along the way and accepting that it will take time for one’s body, especially the tummy to fully recover from the pregnancy was the first step.
How Soon Can One Exercise After Delivery?
You will need a period of time off to allow your body to rest and heal after giving birth. Don't start your exercise program before your physician gives you the OK. The most important things you can do during the first weeks postpartum are: care for your baby, rest when possible, and eat a healthy diet. Time for exercise will come soon enough.
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. Stop comparing yourself to celebrities who are walking the red carpets weeks after giving birth, maybe they’re wearing layers of Spanx, but the reality is, there’s no magic way to have a flat stomach right after giving birth. Six to eight weeks postpartum, your uterus is still shrinking back to its normal size, so give yourself and your body a break.
The speed and degree of this tightening up depends on a few factors, including:
• What shape and size you were before you conceived your baby.
• How much weight you gained during pregnancy.
• How active you are.
• Something you can't do anything about: your genes!
You may find it easier to shed the weight if:
• You gained less than 30lbs and exercised regularly during pregnancy.
• You breastfeed.
• This is your first baby.
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