- Postpartum belly bulge, or mommy pooch, often causes body image concerns for new mothers
- Women should begin exercising after childbirth only when fully healed and doctor-approved
- Recovery time varies widely, from three months to two years, depending on individual bodies
One of the biggest issues after childbirth is the mommy pooch - the bulging tummy often makes people feel insecure about their own bodies. New mothers, who were enjoying their baby bumps a few weeks ago, often feel self-conscious about their rounded abdomens.
Although a woman's body does not bounce back to its original form right after childbirth, society somehow expects this miracle to happen overnight, making her feel frustrated and disconnected from her own body. Speaking about the same subject, digital content creator Nidhi Tyagi recently took to Instagram to share her journey and a few exercises that helped her address her mommy pooch.
How Soon Should Women Start Exercising After Childbirth
If you Google this question, you will get multiple answers, but the right time is when you have healed, and your doctor approves you starting with baby steps at home before hitting the gym with full force.
"Some women take up to three months and feel normal! Some can take six months, nine months, twelve months, and even two years for their body to stop aching and actually feel normal," said Nidhi.
The bottom line is that everyone has a different journey. No two women can ever have an identical pregnancy, experience, and postpartum story. Instead of comparing yourself and listening to the gibber-gabber that a neighbourhood aunty or distant relative may have to offer, focus on your healing, your body, and your baby (easier said than done).
Sharing her experience, the influencer said that she started doing crunches and planks at three months, thinking that her body had healed because she had a vaginal delivery. The result? "The body said relax, and it started spotting, and I hadn't even gotten my period back then, so I realised that the uterus had not completely healed," she added.
She started working out at nine months and realised that a day of exercising left her in bed for four days because she was sore. "Finally, at 12 months, my body started feeling somewhat normal. I got my strength back and got myself professional help. I got a coach who knew about diastasis recti and core healing, and we started with small and slow workouts. It can look very different for every individual."
If you saw someone's flat stomach a few months postpartum, don't worry and don't compare. Let your body heal at its own pace, and you will feel better, too.
Exercises To Reduce Mommy Pooch
Some exercises that you can start with are,
- Breathing - Lie on a yoga mat and inhale and exhale. While exhaling, gently pull your belly in. It will help you strengthen your core.
- Heel Slides - While lying on the mat, try to touch your heels with your fingers. It's okay if you can't reach them on the first day or even the seventh. Keep stretching as much as you can, and you will eventually conquer the workout.
- Glute Bridges - Once you have healed, you can try glute bridges. While lying on the floor, pull your abdomen up and hold the position for as long as you can. It will strengthen your core and back.
- Bird Dog - You get on your legs and hands and stretch the opposite leg and hand outwards, bringing them. Hold the position, release, and repeat with the other pair. It is a low-impact exercise that can help you strengthen your deep core.
Nidhi suggested that you can start with 10-15 reps of each, with one to two sets every day. "Do whatever your body allows," she cautioned.
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