Pregnancy is certainly a happy news! Becoming a mother, holding your baby in your arms, rocking them to sleep, watching them wake up and smile at you - words possibly cannot describe how beautiful a feeling it is.
While it’s a bliss on one hand, it can also cause a lot of changes to your life, especially to your baby. Your body will be accommodating a new human being, so hey, there are some changes, expected, right?
This is completely normal and nothing to be worried about. But then, you could do with some tips on how your body changes and what you can do to help manage that.
The two biggest changes you will notice to your body, while being pregnant and after delivery will certainly be to your breasts and tummy. Well, the tummy is an expected change as it’s making room for your baby. As your baby grows, your tummy will stretch and so will your breasts. They are gearing up to nourish your baby and right from the first trimester, you will see the size of your breasts increase rapidly.
While this change might not immediately seem like a challenge, it’s what happens post pregnancy that might concern you a little bit.
After you give birth, your belly will gradually start going back to normal size. When that happens, your belly shrinks and it might not happen evenly, leaving some loose skin and a slightly bulged stomach. Also, let’s not forget the stretch marks.
Apart from this, your breasts will go through a great deal of change too. Already a couple of sizes up, once you give birth, your milk ducts will be full, adding to the size. As you start breastfeeding, your milk ducts will be steadily empty themselves and refill, putting a lot of pressure on your ligaments and tissues. This can cause them to sag. So, how do you make sure that your skin doesn’t feel ‘loose’ after delivery? Here are a few quick tips for you.
Choose the right bra size: If you are planning to wear your pre-pregnancy bras, remember, you are a different size now and you need a different size already. However, once you stop breastfeeding, your size will change again. It might seem like a bit too much, but wearing the right size bra is the best way to prevent sagging.
Choose the right support: Once your breast size changes, your ligaments will need extra support so that your breasts don’t begin sagging. Underwire bras that give your breasts the lift they need help prevent damage to the tissues in your breast.
Wear your bra when you sleep: As uncomfortable as it might seem, wearing a bra while you sleep helps the damage caused when your breasts hang while you sleep. In case you feel you cannot pull that off, then try sleeping on your stomach to put pressure on them.
Eat right: This tip will feature in most ‘to-do’ blogs. Eating the right kind of food can help boost collagen which is critical for ligament elasticity or their ability to stretch and contract effectively. Eat foods that have vitamins, minerals, and lots of fiber.
Stay well-hydrated: Drinking water can have a whole lot of positive impacts on your body and health, including beautiful skin. Staying hydrated will keep your skin moisturized as well that can prevent the ill-effects of both breast and tummy sagging.
Use the right skin care products: Skincare products are critical after childbirth. Anti-stretch mark lotions, moisturizers and other products can come in very handy. However, if you are breastfeeding make sure you check with your doctor before using any product on your breasts.
Exercise: Exercising doesn’t just help your body stay toned and fit, it also helps in good blood circulation, which will boost your skin rejuvenation and prevent your breasts and tummy from sagging.
Love yourself: In this phase, you might be inclined towards being harsh on yourself, but remember, you have bright a beautiful baby into this world and you deserve to cut yourself some slack. Go easy on yourself and keep at it.
In case you have any questions, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor both about your physical and mental health. At the Birthplace, our doctors will be more than happy to provide you with any form of assistance that you might need.
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