Accepting and Moving On From Your Postpartum Body

By Staff Reporter , Parent Herald Dec 02, 01:03 pm

When it comes to pregnancy and parenthood, there are plenty of things that you learn as you go through the process. It may be that there is too much information to take in, or that we can't quite comprehend it until we're experiencing it. Others say that there are some truths that new parents just don't talk about.

There is no use shying away from things because they are taboo or too scary to deal with. One such aspect is coping with the changes that occur to your body during and after pregnancy. There is plenty of misinformation about postpartum bodies, as well as unrealistic expectations that create difficulties when it comes to accepting and moving on from how you look after pregnancy.

Without shame or judgment, we'll cover some of the things that might run through your mind when attempting to accept and change your postpartum body. These solutions are aimed at improving your own opinion of yourself first and foremost, with no timelines and expectations.

How You Look

Your body, and especially your stomach, go through drastic changes during pregnancy and childbirth. These processes have consequences. They affect everyone, but may come out in different ways, or may have more short term or long term effects in different individuals. For this reason, it doesn't make sense to measure your postpartum recovery against anyone else, or against an arbitrary timeline.

Your postpartum body will recover, but there might be steps that you want and need to take to help this along. Make sure that it's your own needs and wants that are driving your action. You can consider healthy eating as a first step. Introducing some more exercise will come further down the line when you have time and feel comfortable.

Postpartum bodies inevitably involve some excess skin. We recommended taking some time to let your body settle after pregnancy. If, at a later date, you are still unhappy, you could investigate liposuction, where a consultation with a surgeon can suggest a course of action.

Back Pain

Your abdomen muscles become stretched during pregnancy, and your posture can be affected by carrying the baby. All of this adds up to back pain during and after pregnancy. It can take some time to recover your core strength, which means back pain can last a month or slightly longer after you give birth.

Exercising your core muscles can make things worse early on, especially if you had a C-section, and all the activities of a new mother can put an extra strain on your back. Find exercises that work the right muscles and make sure to seek professional guidance if the pain continues longer than six weeks or is more than mild discomfort.

Hair Loss

Another rarely mentioned and surprising postpartum change is hair loss. For many women, while they are pregnant, they experience a thickening of their hair. After pregnancy, your hormone levels drop, which can cause the extra hair to shed. The good news is, then, that you won't be bald, just returning to your pre-pregnancy hair.

If you notice it going on longer than six months, speak to your doctor to check that there aren't other issues. It is important to remember that hair loss is a natural postpartum change. You can do your best when it comes to diet to help manage the situation.

Conclusion

While most postpartum effects on your body are natural parts of the process, there are things you can do to take care of yourself. The most important thing is to be able to adjust to the changes and look for the signs that suggest you should seek medical assistance.