Regular exercise after you've had a baby will help you lose weight and strengthen and tone your muscles. Exercise is also good for your mental wellbeing. It's best to wait 4 to 6 months before returning to your previous level of physical activity.
But your body will still be healing for at least six more weeks for a typical vaginal birth. Most new moms should wait at least 12 weeks before easing back into more intense workouts, such as running or lifting weights.
But it can take weeks or months for the body to recover from pregnancy and childbirth. Typically about 13 pounds comes off immediately after childbirth, and another 5 to 15 pounds over the first six weeks. It can take six months to a year to lose the rest.
If you still look pregnant or experience abdominal pain weeks or months after giving birth, you might be suffering from a condition called diastasis recti, or abdominal muscle separation.
Expect it to take around six weeks for your uterus to contract fully. At six weeks, you may have already lost the weight you gained during pregnancy. This is especially true if you're breastfeeding.
“A small number of women will be able to get a flat stomach again, but for the majority, it may take a lot of time or not happen at all,” says Alissa Rumsey, R.D., certified strength and conditioning coach and spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Loose skin may never regain its prepregnancy appearance without medical treatment. However, diet and exercise can help reduce the appearance of loose skin after pregnancy over time. Improvement will depend on: a woman's weight and age before pregnancy.
Your body may have become wider during pregnancy. This is because it was making room for your growing baby. Your ribs may have expanded, and your hips will often widen to make it easier for the baby to exit the birth canal. For some women wider ribs and hips will be permanent.
The reality is that after taking almost 10 months to grow a baby, it will take time to lose postpartum weight. A recent study found that only 20% of women return to their pre-pregnancy weight within the first three months postpartum and that 24% of women retain at least 10 pounds one year postpartum.
When it comes to belly-flattening exercise, plank tops the list. Plank is one of the best calorie-burning exercises as it engages multiple muscles at a time. It strengthens your body and burns fat around the abdominal area. You can also do various plank variations like straight arm plank, side plank and one arm plank.
High-impact activities such as running, jumping rope, and jumping jacks are not a good idea in the first 6 weeks, as they may contribute to a condition called prolapse. During the first 3 months after birth, your ligaments are still healing and returning to their pre-pregnancy length.
Postpartum exercises restrictions
Exercises that create pressure on your belly, such as crunches, sit-ups, and front planks, should be avoided for at least the first six weeks or until after your postnatal checkup.
While most aerobic activities are cleared at six weeks postpartum, it is often recommended that people wait until 12 weeks to return to more intense exercises such as weight-lifting or running.
Your belly will gradually slim down as your uterus shrinks back to its usual size and excess fluids are flushed out of your body. Your stretched-out abdominal muscles and lax skin will most likely begin to firm up.
It really depends on the elasticity of a woman's skin, how much it stretched during her pregnancy, and postpartum weight loss, Pivarnik says. “There are plenty of fit women who don't have tight abdominal skin to start with,” he says.
Some pregnant people notice acne, hyperpigmentation, or a "pregnancy mask" (the darkening of pigmentation around the mouth, cheeks, and forehead also known as melasma). Exhaustion and water retention may lead to under-eye pouches, while increased blood flow can cause spider veins across the face.
Your postpartum belly won't instantly go back to how it was before you were pregnant – it's a process that can take months or even years, while some bellies may take on a different shape permanently. Some moms may experience a bulge caused by diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy.
Generally, if the muscles are going to heal on their own, they will within three months of birth. If you are several months postpartum, it's likely that your diastasis recti is here to stay. Some women have had success using targeted exercises to help the muscles move closer together.
How long should I wear a postpartum belt? Postpartum belly wraps are your sidekick, especially during those first few weeks. It's recommended that belly bands are worn between two to 12 weeks postpartum for the best possible results.
You gain weight over 9+ months of pregnancy, so it's normal to take 9+ months to get back your pre-pregnancy body after your baby is born. However, a belly bulge that doesn't go away for months after delivery can be a sign of diastasis recti—a separation of your abdominal muscles.
3 Months Pregnant: Your Body's Changes
It's possible that you might start to project a small baby bump sometime soon, although every mom-to-be starts to show at different times, and you might have to wait another few weeks. By this month, your uterus has grown to about the size of a large orange.