⭐Soft belly after childbirth, here's how to get rid of it

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Soft belly after childbirth, how to get rid of it

After the birth of the child, i tissues of the abdomen they are yielding and relaxed. Muscles and epidermis have supported the growth of the uterus and fetus for nine months and they cannot be expected to be toned again within a few days. According to experts, it is necessary at least a month, but in some situations it takes longer. There soft belly after childbirth it is therefore normal, but it is good to try, little by little, to firm up the muscles and eliminate excess fat, for reasons related to the figure but also to health.

Causes of a soft belly after childbirth

The weight of the uterus normally, so before a pregnancy, is around 100 grams. At the end of gestation, this organ weighs about one and a half kilograms, to which must be added about 3 kilos of the weight of the newborn, the placenta, amniotic fluid and other structures. Abdominal tissues, epidermis and muscles progressively adapt to support a weight of more than five kilos, loosening month by month as the fetus grows. In addition, the weight of the whole body weighs heavily in the abdomen area, physiologically increased in weight due to the fat tissue accumulated as a reserve. Finally, the posture of the woman itself changes, due to the weight of the belly and the spinal column of the future mother undergoes a more pronounced curvature.

Soft belly after childbirth due to abdominal diastasis

To this situation is sometimes added the problem of abdominal diastasis, which is the separation of the two muscle bands of the abdomen, due to the weight of the uterus. It is a frequent cause of a soft belly after childbirth. But let's go in order. In the front part of the abdomen there are two muscles, the right abdominal rectus and the left abdominal rectus, which have the function of supporting and protecting all the organs present in the abdomen. They are separated by a thin and elastic fabric, the linea alba. During pregnancy, under a growing uterine volume, the abdominal muscle bundles give way, distancing themselves and the linea alba widens. When the baby is born, the rectus abdominals usually regain their initial tone within two months at the latest, but this does not always happen. In the case of twin pregnancy, if the woman is heavily overweight, or is subject to muscle weakness, the two rectus abdominals are particularly weakened and struggle to regain the tone they had before giving birth. As a result, they remain more relaxed and the abdomen appears soft. Furthermore, at the navel, a sort of depression can be seen, which corresponds to the space between the two muscle groups that are no longer toned.

Good habits against a soft belly after giving birth

The first weapon to combat soft belly after childbirth is the patience. That's right. The abdomen needs at least a month to resume the appearance it had before, a little longer in the case of a cesarean, where there is a wound that needs to heal.

About a week after the birth of the baby, the uterus was reduced by 50% also thanks to the uterine contractions that appear with breastfeeding, which help the organ to regain its original size. The skin, however, is still soft and yielding. In this case, a slightly containment girdle can be worn, especially useful in the case of a caesarean section.

The feeding must be complete to ensure the baby all the nutrients he needs, but it is good to reduce simple sugars, excess saturated fats, condiments to help the disappearance of fat in the abdominal area.

Finally a little bit of is needed physical activity: it will be enough to walk every day for at least half an hour at a good pace, with the baby in a wheelchair or in a baby carrier, to burn calories and tone the muscles of the abdomen.

Fighting a soft belly after childbirth with gymnastics

In case the soft belly after childbirth is due to abdominal diastasis not re-entered, it is no longer just an aesthetic problem, but also a health issue. In fact, abdominal diastasis exposes you to pain in the abdomen, hips and back, to the risk of developing an abdominal hernia and can obviously worsen in the event of a second pregnancy. It is therefore good to talk to the gynecologist, who can frame the problem with a thorough examination and, if necessary, with an ultrasound of the abdomen. In many cases, gymnastics exercises for a soft belly can be used after childbirth. To find out which are the right ones you must ask the gynecologist or a physiotherapist and in any case they should never be performed before two weeks have passed since the birth. Here are two examples. Lying on your stomach with your back close to the floor and your legs bent, you inhale deeply, then exhale trying to push your belly in. Finally, inhale slowly, relaxing. It is repeated 10 times. The second exercise is done in the same position and exhales trying to push the loin area towards the floor. It is repeated 10 times. Abdominoplasty surgery is used only in extreme cases.

Sources for this article

Section of the Ministry of Health website dedicated to the first months after childbirth
Section of the Humanitas website on changes in the uterus during pregnancy
Indications for gymnastic exercises after childbirth in Aogoi - Association of hospital obstetricians and gynecologists el paeseni