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Getting rid of the post-pregnancy poochLike many other new mothers, you probably have the remainder of your baby bump still lingering around. I myself still have a slight one to remind me of my pregnancy and the birth of my daughter. While shedding pounds may not be too difficult after having your child, getting rid of the last little bit of your baby belly that doesn’t seem to want to budge; can be quite the task indeed. In this article I would like to shed some light on this matter in both losing that baby bump, along with camouflaging it with clothing; so you can look great no matter what stage you are in post pregnancy. It isn’t so much as what you should wear, as much as what you should not wear to make your body appear smaller. Many women have a misconception that baggy and over sized clothes, will make you look thinner; while on the contrary it can make you look much larger especially around your mid section. Try to find clothes that accentuate your best features, rather than drowning them completely away in a mess of fabric. It is also a trend to wear your maternity clothing; which often times has an umpire waist with a flowing bottom and A line skirts after pregnancy. While you may still need to wear your maternity bras for nursing, you should not follow the same trend with your over all wardrobe; it is time to ditch the maternity wear and get back to something a little more regular.
There are several things to help you in losing that tummy, however it is important to know what has happened to your body during pregnancy. During your pregnancy, the outermost abdominal muscles began to stretch and separate, to make room for the expanding uterus. Even after birth ; while the uterus will shrink back to its original size, your abdominal muscles can stay separated after both a vaginal as well as a caesarian section birth. In most cases doing crunches can often times do more harm than good; since they tend to put pressure on the tissue that connects to the outermost abdominal muscles, which can further separate them. One of the best ways to keeping your tummy fit and toning it, is by bracing your stomach and focusing on engaging the innermost abdominal muscles (The transverse abdominous). Since this muscle is the one who supports the uterus and gut, and will keep your tummy sucked inward. It may also help to prevent any post pregnancy back pain that you may feel. You can engage this muscle during almost any activity throughout the day, and even while you are just sitting around. How to do this; you should sit up straight with your shoulders pulled downward, and imagine drawing your belly button inward toward your spine. (Or for us alternative mothers; imagine that you are wearing a corset and the strings are being pulled tight). Believe this or not, this can help your abs much firmer and flatter and can instantly elongate your torso as well as strengthen your abs and back. Lastly, get your child involved in your exercise routine; I have found that using your child as a counter weight can help you keep them entertained for hours, while you are toning your muscles. And before you know it, you will be back in those pre pregnancy corsets and pants in no time. Related information topics:Matching outfits for parents & babies |
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