After 9 months of pregnancy and childbirth, a new mother's body has changed a lot. During this postpartum period, the body must readjust, heal, and make its way.
Take a kind look at your body. It took 9 months for your baby to develop healthily, it will take just as long for your body to recover from the big upheaval that is pregnancy. With a little patience, your body will recover gradually and gently!
Tone your abdominal muscles
After 9 months of pregnancy and childbirth, the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor have become fragile. The abdominal muscles have lengthened and distanced themselves to make room for the baby, and they have gradually lost their effectiveness.
First of all, ask your midwife, gynecologist or physiotherapist for advice. Each woman, depending on her pregnancy and childbirth, needs a more or less long time before resuming sport.
Avoid hyperpressive ab exercises, such as crunches and leg lifts. These are dangerous because they put too much pressure on the pelvic floor.
Practicing hypopressive exercises turns out to be an ideal and much more effective method. They are very safe for the pelvic floor and allow you to strengthen the deep muscles. This breathing technique consists of contracting the perineum and the transverse, the deep abdominal muscle, while breathing from the bottom up. It allows you to work the abdominals in depth without pushing the organs down.
Reduce stretch marks
Stretch marks are very common skin lesions. They appear throughout a woman's life, when a part of her body undergoes a rapid increase in volume and the skin does not have time to grow at the same rate, or is dehydrated. Many women dread stretch marks formed during pregnancy because they are unfortunately very complicated to remove.
We recommend starting belly moisturizing treatments from the 4th month of pregnancy. Indeed, the more hydrated the skin is, the less likely it will be to crack. Avocado, sweet almond and macadamia oils are known for their intense moisturizing capacity. Using oils will not prevent the formation of stretch marks 100% but will be a valuable help in limiting their impact.
Resume a balanced diet
Combined with physical activity, diet remains the key to getting a flat stomach and losing weight. Of course, we are not talking about a diet here, but rather about rebalancing your diet. It is important to respect your daily energy needs: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and vitamins. If you are breastfeeding, remember to eat well, or even slightly increase your caloric intake during this period. In fact, during breastfeeding, an intake of 500 more calories per day is necessary. Know how to treat yourself with healthy, unprocessed products. Choose whole grains and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Vitamins A, B5, B6 and B8 play a key role in skin cell renewal and overall body tone. They are found in eggs, poultry, oilseeds and whole dairy products. Vitamin C helps produce collagen, which is responsible for maintaining and firming the skin. It is present in large quantities in red fruits, parsley, pear, papaya, and citrus fruits. Finally, vitamin E plays a central role in protecting skin cells. It is found in hazelnuts, almonds, oily fish and vegetable oils.
Remember to stay hydrated, especially if you are breastfeeding. It is recommended to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
After this crazy adventure that is pregnancy, your body deserves your kindness and patience. The changes may take a few weeks or even months but will gradually come about. Adopting a healthy and varied diet, combined with gentle physical activity, remains the best solution for relearning to love your body.
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