Recovery of the abdomen after childbirth

The birth of a child is a joy, but the birth itself has a noticeable effect on a woman's body. Nails begin to peel off, hair falls out, skin becomes thin, stretch marks appear. Most noticeable is the stomach, which sags and loses all attractiveness.

Therefore, the natural impulse for a woman is to take care of her condition as soon as possible and return to normal. The main thing is not to rush into it and not hurt yourself.

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Recovery issues

Recovery of the abdomen after childbirth is a long process and requires an integrated approach. There are 3 reasons why it is needed at all:

• Enlargement of the uterus. Because of it, the first weeks after childbirth, the stomach may seem convex, sagging and large - after all, after the birth of a child, the uterus remains stretched for some time. But there is one big plus - nature will take care of the reduction of the uterus itself. After a month and a half, it will definitely return to its previous size and the stomach will become much smaller.
• Crick. It occurs due to the fact that the abdominal wall has to stretch, giving room for the child. When he is born, the muscles remain devoid of tone, sagging and flabby. Gradually, they will return to normal on their own, but exercises for the abdomen will speed up recovery after childbirth.
• Extra fat. It is natural for a pregnant woman to gain weight - the body stocks up with a source of energy in case the mother is malnourished after the birth of the child. It is difficult to drive away such fat, and diet and physical activity adjustments will be required.

In addition to problems with the shape of the abdomen, there are also problems with the skin. After pregnancy, stretch marks may remain on the sides, the skin may even look thin and problematic.

To get rid of all the unpleasant consequences of pregnancy, an integrated approach is required.

Nutrition

The basic principles by which a woman who has just given life to a child should eat are simple:

• Spending more than consuming. This is the basic principle of any weight loss. For calculations, you can use calorie calculators, or you can use intuitive nutrition. The main thing is to move more and eat a little less.
• Eat at least 5 times a day. Fractional meals in small portions are much healthier than eating once or twice a day. Ideally, the routine should include breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and, optionally, a second dinner, the interval between which should be no more than 2-3 hours.
• Handle food properly. Fried foods and fast food should be removed from the menu - steamed, baked, boiled and raw should be a priority. It is useful not only for weight, but also for the stomach.
• Eat in a balanced way. More fruits and vegetables, less sweets and smoked meats. Lean meat and dairy products, cereals, not too spicy spices. Fat should be avoided.

Complex vitamins can be added to the diet, which will support the body and help it properly distribute resources. You also need to consume enough fluids - while not only water is considered a liquid, but also soups, and tea, and coffee, and a variety of juices.

How long the stomach recovers after childbirth depends on how correct the nutrition will be. It will help to cope with the accumulated fat reserves in the body.

Exercises

Physical activity will help burn more calories - and, accordingly, provoke the body to burn fat - and will help tighten the stretched abdominal muscles. You can start exercising on the first day after childbirth, if there are no contraindications:

• if a woman went through a caesarean, you will have to forget about the exercises for a month and a half;
• if a woman went through a difficult birth, was injured or had stitches, you need to let the body recover;
• if a woman has a fever, an infection or an exacerbation of a chronic illness, she should also refrain from activity.

Everyone else can not wait for the stomach to recover after childbirth on its own, but start exercising, acting consistently and carefully:

• Week 1 - breathing exercises. In the first days after childbirth, the body is not yet ready for real physical activity, so you should perform the simplest complex right in bed, no more than 10 sets at a time. Breathing should be as relaxed and smooth as possible:
• Inhale on your back. Lie on your back, bend your knees, cover your lower abdomen with your palms. Take a deep breath, as you exhale, hold your palms from the bottom to the abdomen to the navel, without pressing.
• Inhale on the side. Lie on your side, knees slightly bent, one hand under your head, the other on your lower abdomen. Take a deep breath, as you exhale, hold your palm from the lower abdomen to the navel, without pressing.
• Inhale on your stomach. Lie on your stomach, placing a pillow under it and trying not to put pressure on your chest. Take deep breaths and exhale, trying to involve the lower abdomen mainly.
• The next 6 weeks are planks and smoothness. During this period, the body is actively recovering and needs a gentle load, but every day. Each exercise can be performed no more than 15 times.
• Side plank. Lie on your side, put one hand under your head, the other lean on the floor near the navel, it is advisable to clench it into a fist. Bend your knees. On the exhale, slightly raise the pelvis, linger for a few seconds, slowly lower. Repeat on the other side.
• "Socks". Lie on your back, bend your knees, rest your heels on the floor. As you exhale, stretch your socks towards you, while trying to reach them with your right hand. Hold the position for a while, then change hands. Repeat several times.
• "Diagonal". Get on all fours, while exhaling, tighten the abdominal muscles, raise your right arm and left leg, bent at the knee. Hold, repeat on the other side.
• "Slide". Get on all fours, while exhaling, try to straighten your knees while lifting your pelvis. Repeat several times.
• Side plank is another option. Lie on your side, stretch the upper arm along the body, bend the lower arm at the elbow and lean on it. As you exhale, try to straighten your lower arm. Repeat several times on each side.
• Second 6 weeks. When the first ones are over, you can move on to more intense exercises with a greater amplitude. They will affect how long the stomach recovers after childbirth, due to their general focus:
• Knee lift. Stand up straight, grab something stable with one hand, raise the other to your belt. Raise the knee to the stomach, linger in position for a few seconds, repeat with the other leg.
• Leg lift. Sit on the edge of the bed, put your hands on your belt. Pull your knees to your chest, straighten your back, balance for a few seconds. Relax, repeat.
• Touching the floor. Squat down, put your feet on the floor tightly. Start leaning back until the posture becomes unstable. Hold, then return to the starting position. Try to bring to the point where you can touch your back to the floor without falling.
• Twisting. Lie on the floor, bend your legs, join your hands in a “lock”. Sit down, touch the ankle of the left leg with your hands, sit for a few seconds. Repeat on the other side.
• Pulling up the legs. Lie on the floor, bend your legs and pull them to your chest, without helping yourself with your hands. Hold the position for a few seconds, then straighten your legs and lie down relaxed. Repeat.

By the end of the third month, the question “how to restore the stomach after childbirth” will no longer be relevant and it will be possible to move on to more complex exercises - do yoga, aerobics or fitness. The main thing is that before starting physical activity, you need to consult a doctor.

Massage and masks

The skin on the abdomen will tighten on its own, as soon as you start doing the exercises, but to speed up the process, you can apply physical influences:

• Daily contrast shower. The main thing is to calculate the strength and start not with ice water and boiling water. In the process, you can rub the skin in a circular motion, using a washcloth or bath gloves.
• Massage. First you need to consult a doctor - massage should be started no earlier than the second week and only if there are no contraindications. The method for doing it is simple:
• stroke the belly clockwise, slowly, without pressing hard;
• with rotational movements stretch the stomach from the bottom to the ribs;
• stroke the belly from the sides to the navel;
• press the palms with the ribs to the stomach, begin to perform “sawing” movements - one hand moves down, the other up;
• pinch the stomach clockwise, grabbing and lifting the skin;
• stroke and gently stretch the stomach with your fingertips.

After the massage, there should be no discomfort - only a feeling of warmth and warmness. You can enhance its effect on restoring the skin of the abdomen after childbirth with the help of special masks that are easy to make at home:

• Creamy mask. Mix dry yeast, warm cream and honey so that a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Leave to infuse for half an hour, then add a little geranium or verbena oil.
• Clay mask. Dilute black clay with water, apply a thick layer on the stomach, cover the stomach with cellophane, then with a blanket. Leave for half an hour.
• Nettle mask. Pour dry nettles with water and boil for 10 minutes. Soak gauze with decoction, put on the stomach, cover with cellophane and a towel, hold for half an hour.
• Stretch marks mask. Mix aloe juice and olive oil, add vitamins A and E. Store the mixture in the refrigerator, lubricate stretch marks twice a day.
• Moisturizing mask. Mix mineral water and milk in equal proportions, wipe the stomach, rinse, repeat.

Apply masks to clean skin, preferably after a shower.

If you combine all the proposed methods - normalization of nutrition, masks and massage, exercises - the stomach will recover to its usual state in a few months.

The main thing is a positive attitude, good mood and perseverance