The birth of a wonderful baby is the greatest happiness in the life of every conscious mother. Having a child is not only the primordial essence and purpose of any woman, but also the meaning of life for every loving parent. But there is also a flip side to this wonderful event: in the process of preparing the body for childbirth and pregnancy, the body launches an internal, complex mechanism for storing all kinds of nutrients and components to create a favorable environment for the baby in the mother’s womb. As a result, this often leads to excess weight gain and swelling. How can a nursing mother get in shape after giving birth? What kind of exercise and nutrition should be involved in her path to returning her body to its former form?
Proper nutrition and the right ingredients
One of the most important aspects in the recovery process after childbirth is a correct approach to diet. Excessive appetite and the desire to eat around the clock should be rebuffed in the minds of every mother who wants to lose weight. But how should you eat properly? And how can a nursing mother get in shape after giving birth if she already has to have a special diet that excludes many ingredients due to the lactation period and the direct effect of mother’s milk on the baby’s health?
The work of food in counterbalance to the baby’s allergic reactions and in defiance of the accumulation of fatty deposits in the mother’s body is often reflected in the consumption of the same components of the meal:
- drinking plenty of purified water daily - a woman’s body, dehydrated after childbirth, must replenish its water balance: this is useful for both the child and his mother;
- refusal of coffee and other energy drinks - they increase the sensitivity and excitability of the body;
- refusal of alcoholic and carbonated drinks - their harmful compounds are detrimental to both the health of the woman and her baby;
- moderate consumption of boiled meat, poultry, fish without the use of hot spices and large amounts of salt;
- the use of dairy and sour-milk drinks, cottage cheese, cheese in the diet - they replenish the calcium that the child so carefully sucks out of his mother’s body;
- eating eggs, cereals, beans, vegetables and nuts: buckwheat porridge and boiled eggs, along with peas and fresh (unsalted) cucumbers in moderation, can serve as a healthy and tasty side dish for a nursing mother who is trying to lose weight.
However, it is worth noting that with fruits and berries, which are so useful for an athlete, a woman during lactation should be quite careful: all red fruits provoke allergic reactions in the child, and overseas citrus fruits can lead to gas and colic, being transmitted to the baby through mother’s milk.
The Importance of Exercise
And yet, you need to understand that diet alone cannot restore elasticity to the skin, tighten it, or make muscles stronger. To do this, you need a whole set of exercises aimed at maintaining the tone of various groups of muscle tissue in the female body. But what kind of exercises are these? How can a nursing mother get in shape after childbirth with the help of home sports? It is important to understand the fact that rushing headlong into the abyss of physical activity immediately after the process of childbirth is fundamentally wrong. In addition to the fact that some of them are dangerous for lactation and milk production, their implementation can also harm the damage that has not yet healed and the woman’s reproductive organs that have not returned to their original shape. This is especially true in cases where there were first and second degree ruptures, as well as a cesarean section. And even mothers who have given birth easily and without pathologies should not overstrain the body by immediately resorting to physical work on their body - everything has its time.
When to start?
Today, the progressive process of development of medicine and the introduction of the latest methods of restoring a woman’s body in the postpartum period suggests a division of opinions into positive judgments about physical exercise immediately after childbirth and negative ones. In any case, a woman should consult her doctor managing the pregnancy. The most rational medical recommendation is to start physical exercise no earlier than two to three months after birth, if it proceeds healthy and quickly, and then without weights.
Stomach
The most important problem for women after childbirth is the stomach. How to get stretched skin into shape and get rid of excess fat in the abdominal area? There are several basic exercises that can assist this process:
- jump rope - jumping helps to break up fats in the abdominal cavity and, accordingly, reduce their amount, but it is important to remember that a nursing mother needs to take care of her breasts, so jumps should be low, and the breasts should be secured with a strong sports support bra;
- retraction - this exercise can be performed not only in a set of classes, but also on a bench while walking with a child or in a store in line for vegetables; unnoticed by others, the alternating retraction of the abdomen inward allows the muscles to contract and the skin to exercise elasticity;
- gymnastics - smooth exercises for the abdomen in the form of arching the back to the outside and the same slow twisting to the inside can tone the muscles of the abdominal region.
Press
Now let’s talk about how to get in shape after childbirth at home, and what types of exercises you can use to get rid of sagging skin on your stomach: restoring your abs. Since the goal of a nursing mother is not the appearance of luxurious sports cubes from pumped-up muscles in her abdominal area, she should not work with weights and weights. Standard crunches in a lying position with your knees bent and your body rising above the floor level to the area of the shoulder blades are sufficient. There is no need to come up with any hyper-complex systems or ultra-novel exercises to work out the abs. Banal push-ups: three to four sets of 30-40 times in a standard lying position are good for new mothers. It is important to remember about breathing: when lifting the body from the floor, inhale, when returning to the starting position, exhale.
Waist
If a woman does not know how to get her body in shape after childbirth and regain her former waist, two main exercises that form a thin figure will come to her aid:
- firstly, it is mandatory to use a hoop; like no other assistant, it helps to break up accumulated excess in the abdomen, sides, back and helps to model, with regular use, the desired texture of the female silhouette; you can replace a regular hoop with a hoop with round ball-shaped “spikes”, which perfectly massage the skin of the abdomen and break up fats in its cavity;
- secondly, it turns the body to the sides - an ideal option for a mother who rocks a falling asleep baby; this way, two birds with one stone are “killed”: the baby falls asleep, and the skin in the waist area is stretched due to alternating turns of the body, first to the right, then to the left, and the legs and pelvis must remain in the original position and be fixed without changes in this position for the exercise to be effective and achieving the required result.
Sides
During pregnancy, a woman not only accumulates subcutaneous fat in the abdominal area, but also accumulates certain deposits in her sides. How can a nursing mother get rid of them and how to get in shape after childbirth? Reviews of bending exercises on “mom” forums are very popular in this regard: it is believed that standard bending exercises or with weights are an unprecedented assistant in the fight against “extra” sides.
- Standing on your feet shoulder-width apart is the most common and most famous way of bending. In a set of three approaches, 15-20 times on each side, this exercise can, if carried out regularly, reduce the level of fat deposits in the sides. You need to remember that the body must be kept straight, and the torso below the waist must be left motionless.
- Lying on your back - with your arms spread to the side as support. The legs bent at the knees alternately tilt to one side and then to the other. Two or three approaches of 20-30 bends in different directions will also significantly affect the figure of the mother of a recently born baby.
Hands
How can a nursing mother get in shape if the weight has noticeably increased and also affected the shoulder and triceps area? Many women are very ashamed not only of the fat that can accumulate there during pregnancy from eating too much fatty foods, but also of the sagging skin that forms there as a result of losing weight. To do this, there are also simple techniques for performing certain exercises:
- lock - alternately placing the hand behind the head with cross-clamping of the second hand placed behind the back and fixed by meeting the fingers in the lock serves as an excellent start for toning the arm muscles;
- bending at the elbow - half-liter bottles of water or sand will perfectly replace weights at home, with which you can start working the biceps area;
- hammer lift - placing your arms over your head behind your back, with the same bottles as an alternative to dumbbells, is successfully performed while sitting with vertical straightening of your arms to the starting position.
Breast
For a woman who has given birth and doesn’t know how to get in shape at home after childbirth, focusing on the chest area, good old push-ups are perfect. There is no more functional and meaningful exercise for the chest and shoulder area than the bodyweight press. You can start with two approaches 5-7 times, because this task is not so easy for a beginner to complete. Gradually, the number of approaches and push-ups should be increased to obtain the required result and return the chest to at least partial of its former “rack”. Also, in combination with push-ups, you can work with a palm press in the lotus position: alternating pressure on your hands while resting on each other provokes good tension on the chest area.
Hips
Another problem area for women after pregnancy is the inner thighs. Due to swelling and weight gain, the skin in this area loses its elasticity and quickly becomes flabby. How to get in shape after childbirth and restore elasticity to your legs?
- Leg spread - lying on your back and raising your legs in front of you at a right angle perpendicular to the body, on the count of “one” the legs are spread as wide as possible, on the count of “two” they are brought together again and returned to the starting position. Automatically restraining the legs with the muscles of the inner thighs works to pump up this area.
- Abduction of legs to the sides - standing in support with a chair or wall, alternately lifting the right leg to the side at a right angle, then the left. Two or three approaches of 15-20 times on each leg will give your results, which you won’t have to wait long for.
Buttocks
For women whose gluteal area has been “damaged” and who do not know how to get in shape after childbirth in this area, there are quite well-known and effective exercises, namely:
- squats - nothing adds roundness and muscle mass to the butt like proper and high-quality squats; three approaches of 25 times with a further increase in the number of deep squats will quickly affect the figure of the woman who has given birth and will produce results;
- lunges - nothing better lifts a sagging butt after childbirth than walking with lunges in motion; in this case, you need to ensure that the exercise is performed correctly - the leg that “falls out” should be bent at the knee no more than at a right angle, and the emphasis should constantly fall on the heel.
Body and bar
To tighten all the most “affected” areas of the body that require correction, comprehensive training is needed. How to get in shape after childbirth with one exercise? The answer is simple - through a plank. You should start with one minute. Then, gradually increasing the duration of the exercise, the woman herself will begin to notice how her muscles are getting stronger. When performing the plank, not only the abdominal muscles are affected, but also the pectoral, femoral, dorsal, and gluteal muscles. Therefore, the exercise is considered complex - it helps to quickly get in shape after childbirth.
Cardio
And, of course, cardio. Every lady who has recently become a mother and who is wondering how to get in shape after childbirth should first turn to morning or evening jogging.
While the father or grandmother of the happy baby is looking after him, the mother, trying to restore her former muscle tone, can wear an elastic support bra and calmly go for a run, helping herself to get rid of extra pounds and restore muscle tone.
Many argue that pregnancy has its own unique beauty. Well, let's not argue. However, almost all women dream, especially in the last stages of pregnancy, to quickly get rid of the “decoration” and finally return to their former shape. Some, having heard or read a lot of different information, are even sure that their figure will become much better - more feminine and attractive. In fact, only a few of the fair half of humanity easily return to their previous form.
Disappointment sets in immediately after childbirth: it would seem that she has given birth - the belly should disappear. Be that as it may, the skin has stretched, and now, even though there is no baby inside, the belly looks like it’s five months pregnant. If you look closely, there are also stretch marks on the stomach, chest, and thighs. In short, it's still a spectacle. We must not leave everything as it is, we must somehow get out of the situation in the literal and figurative sense of the word.
When is it time to exercise?
As soon as you arrive from the maternity hospital, do not rush into physical education, fitness and other physical exercises. Even if you have an irresistible desire to start doing recovery exercises immediately, try not to give in to it. The body must first come to its senses, give it a rest throughout the postpartum period, it lasts from 4 to 6 weeks, otherwise the abdominal muscles that separated during pregnancy may not return to their original place. And how to get in shape after childbirth, if you simply do not have time to carry out everything planned, this will lead to irritability and unnecessary stress, which you absolutely do not need right now. Dedicate yourself to the baby, take care of him, get used to your new position. You will be able to think about yourself when the baby is at least a month old, the first period of adaptation has passed, it will become easier to manage the baby, and you will have some free time. Doctors do not advise doing physical exercises for the abs in case of natural childbirth for two months, after a caesarean section - for six months.
If the baby is breastfed, then you should not go on a diet, you will deprive the baby of nutrients. As experienced mothers say, the best cure for excess weight after childbirth is breastfeeding. In a couple of months of breastfeeding, the excess weight may go away on its own, and you will “deflate” without noticing how it happened.
Let's get ourselves in order
The maximum benefit immediately after childbirth will come from wearing a postpartum bandage; you can take it with you to the maternity hospital - it is simply a very necessary thing, especially if you have had a caesarean section. It is better to buy a wider bandage, it will fit better on your body, and with such a bandage it will be easier to do household chores. To help your breasts cope with the incoming milk and keep it in its original form, even before giving birth you need to start wearing a special bra, you can even sleep in it.
Eat normally, but don’t pass it on. Give up sweets, you will do yourself a favor and minimize the risk of allergies and diathesis for your baby. Switch to natural products, eat meat, cereals, vegetables and fruits (do not forget that red and orange foods, for example, tomatoes, red apples, can cause allergies in your baby).
Try to walk more, fortunately, now you need to go out into the fresh air with your baby. If you consider that a stroller and our roads are not very compatible things, then you will get both a walk and the necessary physical activity.
Exercises
Every woman dreams of always looking good and having a slim figure. You can forget about it only in one state - during pregnancy. During this period, the health of the unborn child is much more important than the mother’s 90-60-90. This often leads to excess weight gain, which women try to get rid of as soon as possible immediately after discharge from the hospital.
How can you put your figure in order after childbirth? During this period, any restrictions on food are strictly contraindicated, since the young mother needs to restore the body and feed the child. The use of medications and cosmetics for weight loss is also significantly limited, so the best option is to increase physical activity and perform special sets of exercises for the postpartum period.
What can you do immediately after giving birth?
Women often ask how long after giving birth before they can start exercising. In fact, you can start working on your figure while still in the maternity hospital; the main thing is to choose the right loads, taking into account the physical condition of the woman in labor.
An active lifestyle not only helps you get back into shape faster, it also promotes milk production, so it will be useful for all women without exception.
If the birth took place without complications, then light physical activity can be recommended within a day after birth. The times when women in maternity hospitals were advised to lie down for several days after giving birth are gone. Today, a woman is with her child from the first hours and can take care of him herself, which in itself is a good workload. You can also slowly begin to perform short walks (no more than a few minutes) and simple movements, which must be stopped immediately if discomfort occurs.
Performing simple exercises has several positive effects:
- increases the production of hormones that are responsible for good health;
- helps to quickly bring the figure to a pre-pregnancy state;
- increases vitality;
- helps to avoid rapid fatigue and the occurrence of fighting sensations.
In addition, with a sufficient level of physical activity, you will not have time to plunge into the abyss of postpartum depression.
Activities after caesarean section and episiotomy
Episiothymia and cesarean section are fairly common operations, and they significantly affect the postpartum recovery of the body. Episiotomy is less traumatic for a woman, but after it you also need to be as careful as possible. Wounds usually take approximately 7 to 10 days to heal completely. Until then, performing exercises that may affect the dehiscence of the seams is undesirable. Only short walks and Kegel exercises are recommended, which will help quickly tone the perineal muscles.
If the birth was difficult, there are stitches, internal or external, or a cesarean section was performed, you must obtain a doctor’s approval before starting training.
If pain and discomfort in the perineal area regularly make themselves felt, you can resort to some tricks:
- before sitting down, tense your muscles;
- use a small inflatable ring for sitting;
- do not stand or sit for too long.
After a caesarean section, the body takes longer to recover, since it is a rather complex abdominal operation. In the first days after it, you need to rest more, and you shouldn’t be a hero and try to do something. But this doesn't mean you just need to lie in bed. As soon as the doctors allow you to get up, you need to get up and try to walk a little. This will help strengthen muscles and improve blood circulation, as well as respiratory function, in addition, intestinal function is activated.
When walking at first, there will be discomfort, so you need to place a pad in the area of the seam or use a special bandage that will alleviate the condition. It is necessary to get up and lie down correctly; doctors in the maternity hospital usually warn about this and show how to do it. Doing abdominal exercises is prohibited until the wound has completely healed.
The simplest postpartum exercises
After the woman has rested a little after childbirth and her health improves, she can begin to do exercises in the morning. To do this, doctors recommend several simple exercises. The first of them is performed from the starting position lying on your back. Legs must be bent at the knees, feet should be placed shoulder-width apart, arms bent and palms placed on the back of the head.
If the floor seems too hard and doing exercises on it causes discomfort, you can exercise on the bed, if it is not very soft.
Now you need to bend your spine at the lower back and thus lift it, and then press it firmly to the floor. At the same time, the hip joints should work well, and breathing should be uniform and free. At first, 3-5 repetitions of this movement will be enough, and over time their number must be increased and performed with greater effort.
The second exercise is performed from the same starting position. You need to stretch your legs, raise your arms up, and then turn on your left side, after which we return to the starting position and perform the same exercise with a turn in the other direction. You need to repeat such movements at least 2-3 times, gradually increasing their number.
If you perform such exercises after childbirth, your body will gradually become stronger and you will want to exercise more and for longer. Then it will be possible to gradually expand your complex, supplementing it with new exercises.
The most effective exercises after childbirth (Video)
To perform the first exercise, you need to lie on your back and bend your knees, pressing your feet firmly to the floor. Hands should lie along the body, palms down. Then we straighten our legs so that our knees remain pressed against each other. After this, we squeeze and unclench our toes several times.
The second exercise is a continuation of the first. After completing it, slowly raise one leg and pull the toe towards you, repeat this movement several times. Then we return to the starting position and repeat the same with the second leg.
The third exercise is also performed while lying on your back. The left hand must be extended to the right across the chest, and the right hand must be bent at the elbow and hold the left hand with it, applying slight pressure. Then you need to do the same with the other hand, and then clasp your hands above your head and straighten your spine as much as possible. In this position, you need to hold your breath for a couple of seconds and relax.
To perform the fourth exercise, we get down on all fours so that the insteps of the feet lie on the floor. Then we straighten our knees, distributing the body weight onto our feet and palms, while exhaling deeply. The back and legs should straighten completely, and while inhaling, return to the starting position. Repeat these movements several times.
We begin performing the fifth exercise while lying on our side. To begin, bend your legs at the knees and the arm lying below at the elbow. Your head should be placed on your palm, and your upper hand should rest on the floor with your palm or fist. Then slowly raise your pelvis and exhale. As you inhale, we return to the starting position. This exercise is repeated several times on each side.
Kegel exercises can be started immediately after giving birth, unless you have had an episiotomy. Otherwise, you need to wait for the sutures to heal.
We perform the next exercise lying on your back, pressing your feet to the floor. As you exhale, you need to pull your toes towards you and stretch your left hand towards your left foot, while inhaling, return to the starting position and repeat for the second leg and arm. For each arm and leg, repeat the exercise several times.
Different types of activities during the postpartum period
Most sets of physical activity after childbirth include exercises aimed at strengthening the abdominal muscles. But they may not be enough to completely tidy up your figure. Therefore, it is necessary to combine different types of activities. The optimal exercise during this period will be walking if the woman is not feeling well enough. If your health is normal, then you can include walking at a brisk pace, running at an average pace, skiing or roller skating, going to the skating rink or exercising on an elliptical trainer.
Swimming in the pool with a child
To get maximum results, it is very important to do the exercises regularly. You need to train every day. If you don’t have enough strength for long workouts, you can do the exercises for a couple of minutes several times a day. Gradually, the intensity and duration of training can be increased.
To train your abdominal muscles during a period when classic abdominal exercises are prohibited, you can use abdominal breathing or the so-called belly inhalation.
In the first weeks after childbirth, exercises should be very gentle. It is recommended to start jogging and jumping rope no earlier than three months after giving birth, and in some situations it is better to wait up to six months. When three months or more have passed after giving birth, you can begin strength training, and also supplement it with Pilates or callanetics. When training becomes more difficult, you need to consult a doctor and monitor your well-being.
In the first time after childbirth, you should not rise sharply from a lying position.. First you need to lie on your side and then slowly stand up. Any exercises that may require such lifting are also prohibited.
The first exercise after childbirth is walking. It activates the work of the whole body and accelerates the body’s recovery process.
A very important condition for successful training is regularity of exercises.. You need to do it every day and preferably several approaches.
Classrooms must be well ventilated and maintain a temperature of about 18-20 degrees.
It is better to train with an empty breast after feeding the baby.
Kegel exercises after childbirth, contrary to popular belief, do not cause any harm - on the contrary, they contribute to the speedy recovery of the body.
Every woman who has ever been pregnant will agree that this is the best moment in her life. You eat what you want, sleep all day long and don’t think about excess weight. But there is a limit to everything and this time will come to an end. And here you are in the maternity hospital, lying next to your little angel. It would seem that what else can you dream of, because this is happiness. The day after your arrival, you decide to look at yourself in the mirror. And what do you see in front of you? Bags under the eyes, an exhausted look and a hanging, ugly belly. But you shouldn’t fall into hysterics, you just need to pull yourself together. Never put anything off or say that you don’t have time.
1) You are a mother and this is already wonderful. You devote all your time to the baby - this is also necessary. But don't forget about yourself. It doesn’t matter who you live and communicate with, but your state of affairs and condition does not inspire anyone. First of all, after sleep you need to immediately take an invigorating shower - it won’t take you much time. Then apply ice cubes or cold cucumber to your face and eyes for about five minutes. Comb your hair and make a ponytail - this won't take much time either.
2) If your baby is no longer sleeping, this does not mean that nothing can be done. Make yourself some sweet hot tea and the best green tea. Open the window slightly, even if it's winter outside. Turn on some relaxing music and daydream for a while while sipping a mug of tea. Do you feel like your mood has lifted a little?
3) Now you can do physical exercise, or better yet, yoga. You can do this with your baby - for this you will need a fitball. There are many techniques on the Internet and they are very easy to use. Spend at least fifteen minutes a day for physical activity.
4) Can’t go to the bath because your baby can’t live without you? Buy a sun lounger and take it with you. While you are washing or putting yourself in order, the baby is lying in a chaise longue next to you and is not crying at all.
5) Make face masks. They will help improve skin tone for a long time. Masks should be done once or twice a week. Moisturize your skin with various creams.
6) Hair also needs care. After three months after giving birth, you will notice your curls growing. Don't worry, it happens to everyone. Just handle them more carefully. Make nourishing masks, comb your hair and dry your hair less.
7) Eat well - this is important for both you and your baby. The diet should include vegetables, fruits, fresh herbs, meat and dairy products. In addition to everything, take vitamin complexes.
8) And in the end I would like to add, walk more often in the fresh air and meet new people - mothers just like you.
Remember that the baby needs a healthy mother, then he will be happy and calm. Spending half an hour a day is realistic. Drop all the words: I don’t want, I don’t have time, I don’t have the desire. Everything depends on you. You are not alone, there are many of you.
After long months of pregnancy, during which the body loses its former shape and attractiveness, a woman who has given birth to a child wants to quickly restore her previous appearance. After childbirth, a number of rather complex processes occur in the female body: hormonal changes occur, physiological changes occur, the structure of nails, skin and hair changes. The process of restoring the body takes some time and cannot be completed in a few weeks. However, you can and should help your body get itself in order as soon as possible. We will find out how to get in shape after childbirth as quickly as possible, and what needs to be done for this.
What worries a woman most during the postpartum period?
Changes in lifestyle, daily routine, and diet are an additional stress factor for the female body. Of course, the main concerns are related to the health of the baby and the mother in labor. However, now we will not talk about the medical aspects of the postpartum period, but about the appearance of the new mother, because, despite the sleepless nights and the large number of worries that have arisen, the young mother wants to feel good and look great.
- Hair and nails. After the birth of a child, women experience increased hair loss and brittle nails. This is an absolutely natural process that a nursing mother should not be afraid of. After six months, as the body recovers, the condition of the hair and nails returns to normal. Improved nutrition and special care will help shorten this time.
- Leather. Dark spots on the skin that appeared during pregnancy and stretch marks on the abdomen will become lighter and less noticeable over time, although they may not completely disappear.
- Excess weight. Doctors do not allow you to go to the gym and actively engage in sports in the first time after childbirth. It is also impossible to try new diets, since the growth and development of the child depends on the quality of the mother’s diet. Some women believe that it is completely unrealistic to change their appearance until the end of breastfeeding and put off trying to look good “for later.” However, this opinion is erroneous and breastfeeding women have more opportunities to quickly regain their previous shape than mothers of artificially-bred children. The female body spends an additional 500 kcal daily to produce breast milk. In addition, about 40 grams daily. internal fat reserves go into milk. Thus, the body of a nursing mother quite actively gets rid of subcutaneous deposits and excess weight. In combination with the correct daily routine, correct diet and adequate physical activity, you can quickly get into excellent physical shape and get rid of extra centimeters on your waist.
Why do many women gain weight after childbirth and how to regain their slimness?
What to pay attention to
In order to speed up the process of postpartum recovery of the body as much as possible, a young mother should pay special attention to the following aspects:
Schedule
- Try to get more rest. After the baby has fallen asleep, it is better for the nursing mother to rest a little, rather than sit down at the computer and immerse herself in the tangle of social networks. Ask your loved ones to take on some of the household chores so that you have more time to relax.
- The feeling of hunger will not occur if meals are split, at least five times a day. Accordingly, single portions of foods eaten will also decrease.
- Daily walks in the fresh air will increase the overall tone of a nursing mother’s body, improve intestinal motility and metabolism, and increase the elasticity of muscles and ligaments. It is advisable to walk for at least an hour a day, and if possible, then for an hour in the morning and evening. Of course, when going for a walk, you should dress appropriately for the weather to avoid hypothermia and colds. In addition, when walking with your baby, try to move as much as possible and not sit on a bench.
- The last meal should be no later than 19:00. If mother feels hungry after this time, then you can satisfy it with a glass of kefir or tea. Over time, the body will get used to the new eating schedule and evening hunger will not overcome mom.
- Training should be done on an empty stomach, then it will be more effective. Fitness trainers recommend not eating two hours before and two hours after exercise.
Diet
- High-calorie foods, flour products, baked goods, and sweets should be excluded from the diet. In addition to extra centimeters on the mother's hips, these products can cause intestinal colic in the baby.
- It is advisable to drink at least two liters of fluid per day. Part in the form of pure water. You can also drink herbal teas, fruit drinks, compotes. The liquid helps remove decay products and toxins from the body.
- Try to eat vegetables at every meal. They can be boiled, baked, stewed and fresh. But you can save the fruit for daytime snacks.
- Try to exclude fried, spicy and salty foods from your menu. It is better to give preference to fresh raw foods (for example, carrot and apple salad), then boiled or steamed foods. Next on the list of priorities are grilled or stewed foods. Snacks in the form of hot dogs or other fast food “masterpieces” are strictly contraindicated for the mother’s body.
- Cabbage is simply an indispensable product for losing extra pounds. There is an opinion that it is undesirable for women to use it during lactation, as it can cause bloating in the mother and baby. In fact, fermentation in the mother’s stomach can be caused by the juice of white cabbage. But you can safely eat cauliflower, broccoli and other varieties of cabbage without fear of intestinal problems.
- Salt binds fluid in body tissues. Therefore, you should try to minimize the amount of salt consumed and, if possible, replace it with lemon juice, mild seasonings, and soy sauce.
When can you start twirling a hula hoop after childbirth and how to organize classes
Physical exercise
In order to quickly return her body to good shape, a young mother cannot do without certain physical activities.
- Every woman should start performing a set of Kegel exercises during pregnancy, and continue after childbirth. These exercises will help avoid perineal ruptures during childbirth, strengthen the pelvic muscles and speed up the process of recovery of internal organs after childbirth. You can perform them at any time of the day, while walking, while cooking, or while rocking your baby. Doctors say that it is enough to perform this complex for at least 5-10 minutes a day.
- To maintain a sagging belly and more rapid contraction of the muscles of the uterus and abdominal press, a woman should wear a special bandage or shapewear for at least a month after giving birth. It is very important to perform exercises that will strengthen these particular muscles, since the well-being of a nursing mother largely depends on the speed of restoration of the shape and location of the internal organs.
- If a woman does not experience any complications during childbirth, then after two weeks you can begin performing special postpartum gymnastics. A little later, you can add simple exercises, such as bending and squats, swinging your legs.
- The first lessons should be short, and over time their duration can be increased. You should not train until you feel uncomfortable or overwork.
- If you have free time, you can massage the most problematic areas where excess subcutaneous deposits accumulate. This massage can be performed, for example, while taking a shower, while feeding the baby or before bed.
- If a breastfeeding mother has the opportunity to swim in the pool, you should not miss it. In summer you can swim in open waters. Swimming perfectly stimulates the functioning of the whole body, has a beneficial effect on the spine, muscle tone and immunity.
- During exercise, it is advisable for a woman to combine exercises for burning fat with strength exercises, which form sculpted, beautiful muscles, improving body shape.
The recommendations described above will tell you how to get in shape after childbirth as quickly as possible. The main thing is to believe in success and have a positive attitude all the time. A woman who spreads love and joy around herself will always look beautiful in the eyes of others.
