Celebrities make it look so easy, they stay fabulous-looking while pregnant and even hotter after delivering the baby. I am not sure how they do it but here are 9 things you need to know about your postpartum body and why it is perfectly normal that you no longer look the same as before.
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#1 Wider Hips
You try on your old pair of skinnies and realize that they no longer fit. You look in horror at your reflection because your hips seem wider now. It’s normal and unfortunately, your pelvis might never return to its original shape. During labor and delivery, your birth canal widens due to pregnancy hormones that loosens the ligaments holding your pelvic girdle together. Fortunately, it is common among most mothers so you are not alone. Just embrace your wider hips and hit the stores for new jeans.
#2 Smaller & Saggy Breasts
Enjoy your fuller, ample chest while it lasts. Once your milk supply is stopped, most women would find that their breasts are smaller and saggy, no thanks to hormone fluctuations, weight gains and looser ligaments.
#3 Bigger Feet
During pregnancy, it is common for your shoe size to increase due to swelling in the feet. After delivery, when the swelling has gone off, you may still find that your shoe size remains larger than it used to be. For some, the change is permanent.
#4 Incontinence
Nerves get temporarily numbed during labor when the baby’s head is pushing against the vagina. You tend to leak when you walk very fast or did exercise but thankfully, this is not permanent. The nerves do regenerate quickly and within weeks you should be back to normal again.
#5 Belly Paunch
Some women continue to look pregnant months after they had given birth. Hormones and looser abdominal muscles are mainly the cause behind the post-baby belly. However, you should really cut yourself some slack because your body just went through amazing changes in nine months and you had delivered a baby. Regular exercise should help reduce some of that tummy if it really bothers you.
#6 Feeling “Loose” Down Below
This is something most women fear and they wonder if they would be able to enjoy sex ever again. You might find that your vagina feels looser and wider after delivering a baby. But this is just temporary and you should feel better several weeks later. In the meantime, doing kegel exercises would help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
#7 Hair Loss
It typically happens 4 months after you have given birth. But not to worry, you are not going bald. During pregnancy, high estrogen levels causes more hair to grow but less of it to fall off. After delivering your baby, the estrogen decreases so more hair stops growing and starts falling out. Most mothers experience this but your hair usually grows back to its pre-pregnancy state in 6 to 12 months.
#8 Stretch marks
If you did not get any during pregnancy then you are one lucky girl. But for most mothers, stretch marks are common, especially around the belly, thighs and breasts.
#9 Easier periods
You might be surprised that your menstrual cramps are a thing of the past. Hormone levels adjust during and after pregnancy and now, they are more balanced than before.
So yes, most mothers may no longer look the same as they did pre-pregnancy but having a child definitely makes up for any imperfections of the body. Some lucky mothers also end up looking even better than before.