Taking A Stand Against The Post-Pregnancy Body Changes
It’s always important to keep priorities in mind when talking about pregnancy and how it affects our bodies. The first thing on your mind should be taking care of your body and, if you plan on bringing the baby to term, taking care of the baby, too. Furthermore, no one should be made to feel like they have to make drastic changes after pregnancy. If you feel comfortable as you are, then that is perfect.
However, a lot of women do experience self-esteem issues due to some of the changes that pregnancy can bring. As such, you might want to know some of your options to get your body looking and feeling how you want it to.
Breaking out more than ever
The cocktail of hormones that our body delivers during and after pregnancy can help in many ways, but it can also lead to some annoying changes, especially when it comes to skin. We tend to produce more progesterone, which then causes our skin to produce more sebum. This oil can affect our skin, leading it to break out into spots, acne, and other skin conditions. The appropriate treatment can involve anything from topical antibiotics to using hemp oil, so it’s a good idea to talk to a dermatologist if you want to stop the breakouts but do be aware that as the body’s production of progesterone can start slowing again, you might only need to wait a while.
Your reduced mobility
You might have lost a lot of the weight that was keeping you stiff up until now, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready to run a marathon after you have had your body. You’re likely to still feel a few lingering aches in your joints, have lost some flexibility and, in general, may not be quite as mobile as you once were. To that end, joining a yoga class can be a tremendous help in getting your full range of mobility back, and there are even some post-partum yoga classes designed specifically for new mothers.
Loose skin around the belly
The issue of loose skin can be one of the longest lingering post-pregnancy changes that might affect your body. It can have trouble returning back to shape after it has lost the collagen and elastin that help keep it firm. Lifestyle changes like doing cardio exercise, using collagen-boosting creams, and massaging it with almond oil can help. This is one of the areas where surgery can be the most effective answer, too. It’s good to fit surgery in with better lifestyle changes, so you might want to find out how soon can you exercise after a tummy tuck. Either way, even after going under the knife, you need to manage your recovery to ensure the best results.
Patchy skin and rashes
Changes in skin color after pregnancy are also very common. Half of all women who go through childbirth start developing dark patches of skin, called melasma, on their faces or bodies. This hyperpigmentation is caused by hormone changes and can be treated with skin-lightening products, though these should only be used when you’re no longer breastfeeding. The “pregnancy rash” that is very common is likely to go away on its own, however. If it doesn’t, see a dermatologist.
Incontinence
It might be an embarrassing topic to broach for some, but making sure that you’re able to confidently go to the bathroom is an assurance you might want to get back relatively soon. The muscles of your pelvic floor can weaken some during pregnancy and childbirth, which can lead to bladder leakage. These muscles can get better over time, but you might want to talk to a pelvic health specialist and look at exercises that can help you get some strength back in your pelvic floor muscles, too.
Depending on what issue you are dealing with, the tips above might be able to help you find the solutions you want to help your body get back to the condition you want a little more quickly.