Pregnancy is one of the most magical things that you will ever go through. To know you have someone that is going to love you unconditionally, and someone that you can do the same for is an amazing feeling. Right from the moment that they start developing in the womb you’ll feel a bond with them like no other. 9 months seems like a long time, but before you know it the months have flown by, and you’ve got the most beautiful baby in your arms. Now, all of the changes to your body that will have happened over the 9 months aren’t just going to sort themselves out instantly. If you put in a little effort, you can easily get your body back to the way it was before pregnancy, and you’ll start to have so much more confidence in general. If you want some tips, have a read of the points we’re going to make below.
Body Care
Body care is essential, both whilst you’re pregnant and after the birth. Whilst you’re pregnant the best thing you can do is try and keep the skin as subtle as possible. The skin will stretch, and it will lose a lot of its elasticity as this happens. The result of which is stretch marks. These are perfectly normal, and there’s only a few women that go through pregnancy and actually don’t have stretch marks. Pretty much all women have to deal with them, and they’re nothing to be worried about. Use stretch mark prevention oil to try and reduce the appearance, and make sure you’re sticking to a clean diet whilst drinking plenty of water to make sure the skin stays as hydrated as possible. You also need to make sure you’re using such oils after the birth. You’re not doing this to necessarily reduce the signs of stretch marks, you’re doing it to try and repair the skin. It’s often forgotten that the skin goes through a lot of trauma. It’s pulled to its extreme, and the actual cells within the skin can become damaged. Even something as simple as making sure you’re using a body cream morning and night to keep the skin nice and refreshed will help you to feel better. There are other parts of your body that are going to take a beat, your feet being one of them. They’re carrying all that extra weight, and they often swell during and after pregnancy. The best thing we can recommend is to make sure you’re bathing them in cool water every night, and even having massages done to try and release some of the tension. If you’re reading this and carrying your child at the minute, there are some great pregnancy massages that you might like to try.
Fitness
Fitness is important, both during and after pregnancy. Whilst pregnant however, you should never do more exercise than you would have done before conceiving. It can put pressure on your vital organs that might already be under a bit of strain due to the new little human growing inside of you. It can be so damaging for the baby and their comfort as well. Light exercise such as yoga classes will really benefit you! As for after the birth, you can pretty much go as crazy as you want. For the first few weeks you will want to rest, and you will be spending quality time with your new baby. However, after that, you’re more than free to hit the gym and get back into shape. It’s not necessarily cardio that you need to be doing, unless of course you did put unwanted weight on that wasn’t baby weight. You need to be focusing on workouts that are going to tone you up and get rid of any skin that might have become a little saggy due to the stretching during pregnancy. You should also try and get your cardiovascular system working through cardio at the start of your workout. It’ll help build up the strength and get you back to normal!
Classes
There are plenty of classes available for women that have just given birth, and they will be perfect for keeping your motivation up and to get you body where you want it to be. If you can’t find one at a gym, you should try looking in your area for establishments offering the specific classes. Going to the gym is hard, and classes give you something to look forward to, and can even be a great way of making friends!
Photo Credit: Pixabay, Photo by Arteida MjESHTRI on Unsplash, Photo by Ryan Franco on Unsplash, Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash
