Pregnancy and weight are two very contentious issues – even more so when they are molded together. So many women face huge pressure to lose weight right after they have given birth, whether this is from the media or at the hands of family and peers. It has become something of a contest: glossy magazines regularly pit new mothers against each other, in a battle to see who has got her ‘pre-baby-body’ back first. This is quite clearly ridiculous – after all, when you have a newborn on your hands, the absolute last thing you are thinking about is your weight.
Sure, carrying a bit of excess after the birth may get you down from time to time. But ultimately, there are usually much bigger fish to fry. That being said, a lot of women still feel the pressure, and often abide by strict diet and exercise regimes after having a baby in an effort to transform their bodies once again. If your baby weight is having a negative effect on the way you feel about yourself, don’t stress and don’t rush: here are some ways you can tackle it in a healthy way.
Go easy on yourself
Take a good look at yourself in the mirror – not as the person you were nine months ago, but as someone who has just given birth. Do you actually look that bad? The answer is probably not. Remember to bear in mind that all the celebrities who seem to snap back to a size six just weeks after coming out of the hospital, all have personal trainer and dieticians by their side. You, on the other hand, will probably be surviving on three hours of sleep a night and eating nothing but toast as you adjust to motherhood. Don’t sweat it: you’re doing just fine.
Try a quick fix
One of the things that can really bother women about their post-baby body is the excess skin they are left with, or perhaps a scar after a Cesarean section. Both of these things are incredibly hard to shift, despite all the various lotions and potions that claim to minimize the appearance of both. If you honestly can’t rest until you’ve had something done, you might want to book yourself into something like laser scar surgery or a tummy tuck. This also means that you will be in and out of the hospital in a matter of days so that you can be right back with your baby in no time at all.
Image source
Work out on the go
Think you have to dedicate at least an hour a day to the gym in order to stay fit and slim? Think again. Workout opportunities can be all around you in your daily routine, as long as you know where to look for them. Got a spare fifteen minutes while your baby naps in the afternoon? Find a workout video on YouTube and prance around your living room for a bit. Or walk to the store instead of taking your car. All these things are easy to fit into the average day and you can lose the weight while you do it too.