A Guide to Getting Back in Shape Post Baby

A Guide to Getting Back in Shape Post Baby

Whether you’ve just had your first child or your fifth, you may be surprised at the physical toll that childbirth takes on your body. From gaining weight to dealing with stretch marks, your body may look quite different to what it did before. Many new mothers worry about the way that their body has changed after having a child. Some resort to drastic measures to restore their body’s shape, including extreme weight-loss plans and plastic surgery. But there are other much healthier and equally effective ways to restore your pre-pregnancy figure gradually, while looking after yourself and your baby too. Here are some tips to get back into good health and good shape after your special delivery.

• Healthy Eating

Pregnancy is notorious for causing strange and uncontrollable cravings. For many women, this is the time to eat cookies, candy, chips, and all sorts of junk food! But although these foods might be appealing, they are not good for your long-term health. To ween yourself off of the bad habits that you might have picked up when you were pregnant, keep healthy foods readily available. Try cutting up slices of fruit or vegetable sticks (like carrots and celery) and putting them at the front and center of the fridge. They’ll satisfy your hunger and also help you lose weight. If you haven’t started already, try switching over to more filling foods like nuts and whole grains. They offer more nutrition than junk food and lack the “empty calories” found in processed foods and sweets that leave you feeling tired and hungry.

• Diet and Breastfeeding

Having a good diet is important for everyone, but getting the right nutrition is especially important for new mothers who are breastfeeding. During pregnancy, most women have probably experienced the phenomenon of “eating for two” but that’s a bit of a myth and if you’re trying to get back to your previous size, eating for one is enough. The exception, according to WebMD, is women who are breastfeeding. Women who are breastfeeding should consume about 2,200 – 2,900 calories daily, which is 400 – 500 more calories than women who don’t breastfeed. A healthy breastfeeding diet should include wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, and lean protein to help you maintain a healthy weight for producing plenty of nutritious milk for your baby.

• Exercise

If your goal is to generally become healthier and lose excess weight after delivering a baby, exercise is one of the best tactics once you’ve had your 6-week checkup and your doctor or midwife has given you the all clear. If exercise has not been part of your lifestyle before, or if you stopped working out while you were pregnant, it’s easy to get back in the habit if you start slowly. Some women start by taking very simple measures like walking downtown to run errands instead of driving. Others take the stairs instead of the elevator when they’re out and about (though this is difficult with a pushchair!). The good part about incorporating informal exercise into your daily routine is that you can take your newborn along! Whether you’re looking for an excuse to get out and walk or you want to take baby to the local park, a baby jogger can help you get there in comfort and style and most of all safely.

From adding exercise to your post-baby life and switching over to healthier foods, there are many simple and effective ways to restore your lovely figure after giving birth. And you need not start a dramatic, unsafe exercise plan or go under the surgeon’s knife to feel better. Eating healthy, nutritious foods and taking your newborn out for daily walks ensures a safe, happy, and healthy weight management plan. Don’t rush anything – take your time to enjoy this special time with your new arrival while making healthy choices at the same time.

Guest Article.
By Paige Jirsa from Top10.Today, a shopping comparison site, that strives to help consumers find the best quality and priced products.