Body after baby

I’m not entirely sure why woman nowadays feel the pressure ‘to get their body back’ right after they give birth. The faster they can look like their old self the better. But how is it that 9 months of an expanding, marvellously changing form that accommodates life can be reversed in just a few weeks or days. It takes months for your body to morph, ribs to expand, organs to move out of the way and hormones to change the condition of your skin, nails, hair and so on. So how can one reverse these affects in so little time?

The truth really is that our body should never be expected to be the ‘same’ as it once was, how could it? It has just given life, nurtured it and delivered it. Your body served you well and you should be treating it with the same respect. Excessive exercising and starvation diets will only create an unhappy, unhealthy and frustrated mummy. Your aim should be to give your body the time it needs to heal and change according to your motherhood needs. It’s all a matter of perspective. You have to be realistic and understand your body’s needs. Here are just a few ideas to think about:

If you have to cut back on food, eliminate sugar from your diet.

Breast feed…you burn an incredible amount of calories the natural way, not to mention the whole list of benefits for both mother and child.

Think long walks instead of intensive gym workouts. After all looking after a new-born and eventually a toddler will give your sweat glands plenty to do.

Pamper and nourish your body rather than pulling and tugging and torturing yourself. Keep your skin, nails and hair hydrated by using oils and nourishing masks after a bath or shower. Use scrubs regularly.

Not everyone gets stretch marks after baby, but if you do coconut oil and vitamin E oil can really make a difference.

Take care of your mental health as well as your body, taking rests when possible and engaging yourself in activities of your liking.