Health, Women Health
How to recover after childbirth. Woman after childbirth. How to restore the figure after giving birth
After the miracle happened, when after a long nine months of waiting for the birth of a beautiful baby, you can watch him for hours, without ceasing to be touched. However, new moms rarely feel completely happy, because looking at your own reflection in the mirror can instill regret and self-doubt. Many even before the advent of the baby are believed that the figure will quickly return to normal, but in most cases this does not happen. Not every woman after childbirth is able to return to the previous weight as soon as possible. Moreover, some of this is not possible even after several months and even years. In connection with the fact that this problem is more than relevant, we suggest talking about how to recover after childbirth.
Return the body to its original state
First of all, it should be noted that the shape of the abdomen of the newly given woman determines its contents, in this case the enlarged uterus. So, for nine months of pregnancy this organ is stretched, accordingly, its volume is increased due to the appearance of new muscle fibers. So, the volume of the uterus at the time of birth increases by five hundred, and its weight - by 25 times! Of course, after delivery, it will take time for the organ to return to its original state. After the woman produced the baby, the size of the uterus corresponds to the parameters that were observed in the fourth month of pregnancy. And the tummy at this time is already very noticeable. Answering the question: "How much does the body restore after childbirth?", We note that the uterus returns to its original size in about five to six weeks. We now propose to learn about the first steps that must be taken to maximize this process.
We use ice
If you are wondering about how quickly to recover from childbirth, then keep in mind that you need to act already in the first hours after the baby's birth. So, even at the moment of being in the hospital for the first three to four days, it is recommended to apply ice to the bottom of the abdomen for five to seven minutes several times a day. Cold stimulates vasoconstriction and a decrease in the bleeding of the damaged uterine surface, which speeds up the process of cleansing the cavity of this organ from blood clots and does not lead to bleeding.
Lactation
Be sure to keep in mind that losing weight after giving birth to a breast-feeding woman will be much easier. And experts recommend that the baby is put on the chest not by the hour, but at the request of the baby. In this mode, the young mother's body begins to produce the necessary amount of oxytocin, which helps reduce the muscles of the uterus. In addition, stimulation of the nipple at the level of reflexes causes a reduction in muscle fibers in the female genitalia.
Lying on your stomach and moving
In order for the uterus to contract more quickly, it is more useful to lie with your stomach down. This speeds up the process of emptying its cavity. So, it is enough to lie on your stomach several times a day for a quarter of an hour.
In addition, the most positive way to restore the mentioned body is affected by the speedy ascent to the feet (after a few hours after delivery). So, due to the activity of the muscles during walking, there is stimulation of the bladder, the overflow of which interferes with the contraction of the uterus. In addition, the outflow from her cavity improves blood clots.
How to recover after delivery: we use a bandage
In addition to the size of the uterus, the shape of the abdomen is also determined by its rectus muscles located in the anterior part of the abdominal cavity. In the process of bearing a child, they stretch and often diverge to the sides, forming a so-called diastase. This phenomenon can persist for several months after childbirth, but, as a rule, it passes after 8-12 weeks. To combat the stretched abdominal muscles and diastase specialists recommend using a special postpartum bandage. It helps to support the stretched abdominal wall, fixes the organs of the abdominal cavity and does not allow the formation of a hernia. In addition, its use helps to fix the seam from the caesarean section. If you want to use a bandage, then definitely consult a doctor who will tell you how to properly wear it.
Choosing a bandage
There are three varieties of this medical device. The first one is called a bandage-belt and represents a wide (15-30 cm) elastic band, covering not only the stomach, but also the hips, and fastens on the velcro. This device is indicated for use during pregnancy (it is located on the broad side of the back), and in the postpartum period (it strengthens the most voluminous part in the abdomen).
There is also a bandage-grace. It has the shape of a panty with a high waist and dense inserts in the abdomen and waist, as well as a wide belt. Another type of bandage - called the postpartum one - is recommended for use by women who have undergone cesarean delivery.
Contraindications to wearing a bandage
Asking about how quickly to recover from childbirth, you should not concentrate on the speed of return to your original appearance. The main factor is the preservation of one's own health. Even such a seemingly innocuous thing as a bandage has a number of contraindications. These include the following pathologies:
- kidney disease;
- Gastrointestinal diseases, which are accompanied by bloating or spastic pain (for example, colitis);
- allergic skin diseases (contact dermatitis, etc.);
- inflamed skin on the areas in contact with the tissue of the bandage;
- inflammation of sutures after caesarean section.
How to use a postnatal bandage
Dressing the bandage is necessary solely on the back. In this position, the abdominal muscles are in a relaxed state, which allows them to be fixed correctly. In the absence of contraindications, the bandage is recommended to be used throughout the postpartum period, that is, about two months after the appearance of the baby. And it will not only be an excellent tool for restoring the figure, but will also reduce back pain, which quite often discomforts young mothers. Do not forget that when wearing a postpartum bandage, you need to take breaks for 30-50 minutes every three hours throughout the day.
How to recover after childbirth with the help of gymnastics
Another important stage in the process of restoring a normal figure are special physical exercises. However, there is no need to hurry with gymnastics. So, to start active exercises can be 8 weeks after the birth, if your baby was born naturally, and not earlier than 2.5-3 months, if you have moved the cesarean section. At earlier times the load on the muscles of the press can lead to serious consequences in the form of increased intra-abdominal pressure, which entails the preservation of diastasis, the omission of the vaginal walls, the divergence of the sutures.
Gradual load
To maintain health after childbirth, it is recommended to resort to respiratory exercises. They are carried out, lying on their backs. On inhalation we try to maximally inflate the stomach, on exhalation, as much as possible, we draw it into ourselves. To repeat this exercise you need about 15 times for one approach, which you can do up to 10 in a day. Training can be complicated a little. For this, exercise should be performed while lying on the stomach. At the same time, you will also stimulate the work of the intestines, which will solve the problem of constipation so often troubling Mom. However, keep in mind that such training is only shown to women who gave birth naturally. If your baby was born by means of Caesarean section, then such exercises are contraindicated, because they may provoke a discrepancy in the postoperative suture.
Another excellent answer to the question of how to recover after childbirth is walking on foot. In addition, this most effective way to bring the muscles of the press into tone has almost no time limits or medical indications. So, the walking process involves most of the muscles of our body, and maintaining the body in an upright position helps strain the muscles of the abdominal wall. At the same time, you can always keep under control the degree of load, changing the intensity of movement depending on the state of health.
Home Workouts
After a lapse of 1.5-2 months after birth, you can slightly increase the load on the abdominal muscles. However, it should be borne in mind that serious physical activity can affect the production of breast milk. Therefore, aerobics, shaping, sports dancing are recommended only after a lapse of six months after the appearance of the baby. Up to this point, it's best to just go for home workouts.
A few simple exercises
1. Accept the starting position, lying on the back. Legs bend in the knees so that the lower back is pressed to the floor. Hands easily grasp the neck. Slowly raise the upper part of the trunk, stretch our chin to the knees, while straining the muscles of the press. Repeat this exercise 30 times.
2. Accept the initial position lying on the floor on the back. At the same time the legs are straightened, the arms are stretched along the body. Smoothly raise your legs up at an angle of 30-45 degrees. Knees do not bend. Repeat the exercise about 20 times.
Do not forget about proper nutrition
If you are concerned about how to restore the figure after giving birth, then much attention should be paid to what you eat and in what portions. So, limit the intake of animal fats, which are contained, for example, in pork and cream. In addition, exclude from your diet high-calorie foods and necessarily monitor the size of their portions. However, get involved in diets, too, is not worth it. Your diet should be healthy and varied, because everything that you eat, will affect your baby (if you are breastfeeding). So, the woman after delivery must include in her menu fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals and sour-milk products. Limit the consumption of bakery products, butter, as well as whole salty, fatty, roast and spicy. All this will help to maintain health (and your own, and your baby) and quickly restore the former weight after childbirth.
Skin care
Far from the last role in shaping the appearance that the woman acquires after giving birth is the condition of the skin. In particular, this applies to our tummy, which during pregnancy is stretched, which often leads to the appearance of stretch marks and the formation of the so-called "apron" (surplus skin). As a rule, the occurrence of such unpleasant consequences is of an exclusively individual nature. In most cases, after the baby's birth, the skin on the belly of a young mother is quickly shortened and returns to normal. However, to speed up this process, something to do after birth is still necessary. First of all, experts recommend increasing her tone, using a contrast shower. It is desirable to take it in the morning. First, use warm water for a few minutes, and then turn on the hot water. Then let the cold water run for a few seconds. Be sure to keep in mind that it takes much longer to heat the body than to cool it. After such a procedure, it is recommended to rub with a hard towel. A unique massage will help stimulate the cutaneous blood flow.
In addition to a contrast shower, you can also use special cosmetics. However, their choice should be approached very carefully. This is due to the fact that the substances in them are easily absorbed into the skin, can penetrate into breast milk and harm the health of your baby.
Conclusion
So, today we found out that it is quite difficult to accurately and unequivocally answer the question about how much the body regains after delivery. After all, this process not only depends on how the baby was born, but also on many individual factors. However, regardless of this, you can always help your body with the right physical exertion, healthy nutrition, cosmetics and much more.
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