When you are pregnant, your stomach grows and this includes the skin surrounding your mid-section. You lose some pounds after you have a baby -- the baby, placenta and nourishing fluids -- but you are often left with stretched and sagging skin and some additional weight. A combination of breastfeeding, diet and a medically approved exercise regimen might help you shed some pounds and tighten your stretched skin after having a baby.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeed your new baby. Not only is breast milk good for your baby but the act of breastfeeding is good for your waistline. Your body produces a hormone called oxytocin when you breastfeed your baby, which causes your uterus to contract and shrink to its original size. When your uterus gets smaller, it helps your belly and surrounding skin return to its prepregnancy shape.
Diet
After you have a baby, it is important to eat a healthy diet that does not have you reducing calories, especially if you are breastfeeding. Reducing calories leaves you hungrier, causes your blood sugar to crash, decreases a healthy milk supply for your baby and makes it harder for you to recover from childbirth. An unhealthy diet or a reduction in calories also decreases your metabolism, making it harder for you to lose post-pregnancy weight and tone stretched skin. A healthy diet includes eating smaller, more frequent meals, in addition to eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole wheats.
Exercise
Exercising after you have a baby has many benefits, including building muscle strength, increasing your energy and tightening abdominal muscles and toning stretched skin. Always talk to your doctor before starting an exercise regimen, especially if you delivered via cesarean section. Do low-impact aerobics like walking, swimming or biking at least 30 minutes daily for muscle strength and endurance. Walking is a good exercise because you can take your baby with you. For example, walk around the block while pushing your baby in a stroller. In addition to aerobics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends doing simple strength training exercises like leg and shoulder lifts two or three times weekly to strengthen abdominal muscles and tone skin. You can move to more intense exercises when you regain abdominal strength.
Exercise Warnings
Although exercise has many benefits that usually far outweigh any risks, there are some warning signs that indicate you should stop exercise immediately and contact your doctor, cautions the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Warning signs during exercise include pain, dizziness, increase in amount of bleeding, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and problems walking or standing upright.
References
- The American Congress of Obsetricians and Gynecologists; Getting in Shape After Your Baby is Born; July 2009
- University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics: Exercise After Delivery
- La Leche League International; Postpartum Body Image and Weight Loss; September/October 2000
- BabyCenter; Will Breastfeeding Help Make My Uterus Shrink to its Pre-Pregnancy Size?; Kathleen Huggins
