By Julie Watson
In just about every class and every one on one session I do with a postpartum Mom, I get asked how to get rid of the baby belly. Sometimes moms will grab their little “C-section sack” and show me what needs to be trimmed and toned, other times moms will ask about the “inner tube” they feel they have acquired since pregnancy. And then there are the moms, who have a fairly flat stomach, but still feel their mid-section needs work.
The point is that as a woman, I think we are all very conscious of our bellies, and what shape they have taken on since giving birth, regardless of how big or small. I have many tips to help flatten your tummy (see afterglowtoronto.com/blog for 7 tips to flatten your tummy), but I also have some advice that has nothing to do with a crunch, yoga, or holding it in.
Perspective.
Here are a few things to consider before judging yourself, and your baby belly that the magazine’s, moviestars, and modern society don’t talk about:
1. How old is your baby? Are you two months postpartum? Three, four, five or six? Did you know that it takes up to a YEAR for all your bits to return to their natural habitat? That’s right! Hips, organs and the like have all been displaced in order to carry your bundle. So give it time before you get that tummy tuck because your body needs to re-jig itself, and what it needs most is TIME.
2. Are you breastfeeding? This can go one of two ways. Most women tend to hang on to extra fat during breastfeeding for how long? Wait for it…until they stop breastfeeding! For some that could be over a year. So pull out the perspective and give yourself a break. You will only feed your baby from your breast for this amount of time ONCE in his lifetime. Stop and smell the roses, it will be over before you know it. The other side of the coin is that you lose weight while you breastfeed. It’s not as common but congratulations if this is you… you may find that at some point you plateau, so know that this is totally normal.
3. Another bit of perspective right here is exactly that… it is totally NORMAL. Think about it. You have just carried around a big ole baby in your belly for 10 months. Imagine what that does to your body parts? Perhaps before having that baby you should come to the understanding that your skin will stretch, your muscles will change, and your six-pack may never be the same. That said, it is totally possible to regain all of your belly strength. Just give it time. Did I say 10 months?
4. Are you sleeping? Lack of sleep and stress hold onto belly fat. You may not be able to do anything about this until your baby gets older, so once again take it in stride. It won’t last forever.
5. Expectations can drive a person mad. Seriously mad. It is unrealistic to expect that after pumping out a baby (or two or three) that your body will just sink back to your 20-year-old self, no issues. Now if you happen to be one of those women who’s bodies do the miraculous transformation to “skinny bitch”, then consider yourself lucky but one of the very few. It is not as common to see that, and do you know why? Because it’s not a part of the process. You may always have that womanly curve – which by the way, used to be the sexiest part of a woman. Where did we go wrong? Or slightly wider hips. The sooner you accept it, the sooner it will disappear.
6. You are not a movie star.
Embrace this process and this part of your life. Your body has provided your babies a safe and healthy place to start, your body did the unthinkable, and pushed, shoved, or c-sectioned your baby to life. Your body fed your baby, carried your baby and probably rocked, played with and slept with your baby.
Be proud of what you are capable of, and the uber-power you have performed. But most of all, have some perspective on this completely natural and transitional time in your life. And give yourself a break. You look great, and so does your tummy!
Julie Watson is the owner of AfterGlow Health & Fitness in Toronto, for prenatal, postnatal and beyond. When not training, speaking, or writing about Moms & Babes, she apparently spends too much time on her computer, and does her best to listen to her 3 kids. Not necessarily in that order.
6 Comments
Such a practical and refreshing article. Thanks! I hae my share of tummy, so I appreciate it!
I think one factor that tend to “spread” the belly sideways is fashion trend. The new “low hip hugger” pants pushes the belly up like a muffin, hence the muffin look. These pants (specially if it’s tight) squeezes the belly upward and spread it around your waist. Wear them often and the fat will reside comfortably on the waist.
Asians use a “mother belt” or “postpartum belt” (a belt that is 4-5 inches wide) after giving birth to try to push the tummy back to its original shape.
This is a very uplifting article. Thanks Julie for sharing very wise words.
This is very reasuring to read, Having a c-section baby myself and not being able to loose the weight as fast as my friends did felt a little self consious about my body, but like you said all it takes is time
Great article Julie! During my 20 years in the fitness industry I’ve also delt with this concern among my clients on almost a weekly basis. However, about 5 years ago I learned about a “missing link” that was also never talked about in modern society and that’s the unique issue of the combined roles toxicity, nutrient depletion, hormonal balance and metabolism play in a woman’s body during this time in her life. Working with a team of health professionals that also included an OB/GYN my wife and I learned how to address this with a program of “nutritional cleansing” adapted specifically to the needs of pregnancy and pre/post-natal clients. Besides being able to better support the health of mother and baby and also helping to address post-partum depression, Moms were getting their bodies back (and often in better shape than before pregnancy) much more quickly. Those who struggled with the “muffin top” were finally seeing the results they wanted within a few days to weeks. My wife Alissa achieved the best shape of her life after having a C-section with Brayden and got back into shape just as quickly after our second baby Lauren. We even started entering a team of Mom’s every year called “Team Mommy Makeover” for a transformation contest with over $100,000 in prizes.
I’m glad you didn’t give yet more tips to lose weight quickly and get back ‘in shape’ after pregnancy! After your first baby, you no longer have a girl’s body, but a woman’s, and there is nothing wrong with that. Being overweight is neither healthy nor comfortable, so it’s good to go back to a normal weight, but don’t expect to become a girl again, neither psychologically or physically. You have become a more mature, more full woman, cherish that, and don’t fight the fact that it shows in your appearance. You’ll feel, move, dress differently, but you are no less beautiful!