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Post-Delivery Body Changes: What to Expect?
One of the most remarkable things a woman can do is bringing a new life into this world. After carrying a baby for ten months, pregnancy will definitely bring some changes to the mother’s body either permanently or temporarily.
The journey of being a mom is a mixture of happiness and challenges. We have to face the challenges of body changes, along with roles and responsibilities changes.
However, it’s all worth it when you see your little one growing healthily and happily. This is one of the few joys in life that only moms know how it really feels like. The only reason that a woman is courageous to take the challenge is love. So, appreciate the one who gave birth to you and the one who is going to give birth to a newborn.
So, talking about postpartum body changes, what sort of changes can you expect?
Hair Loss
First and foremost, you are likely to experience postpartum hair loss. Most mothers may have already heard of this before during pregnancy, but by the time it actually happens, a lot of mothers are still anxious about this as they didn’t expect the increase in the amount of hair loss.
Due to changes in hormones during pregnancy, the hair loss process is being slowed down and your hair remains at the “resting” stage for about three months before falling out and growing new hairs. After giving birth, your hormones change again and therefore leads to hair loss.
Hair loss usually peaks about three to four months after giving birth. It happens due to the estrogen levels dropping to normal level after giving birth.
The good news is, the hair loss is only temporary. Usually, the condition will return to normal within six to twelve months depending on the individual condition.
Cup Size
Most moms would opt for breastfeeding if they feel comfortable doing so. A mom who breastfeeds her baby will go through “big” and “small” changes on her breast. When you begin to breastfeed, your breast becomes larger. However, this is not something permanent. Once you stop breastfeeding, your breast will become smaller. Another side effect of pregnancy is saggy breast compared to women who have not experienced pregnancy.
Even though the changes on your breast might be a bit discouraging, the benefits that come along with this change can be truly rewarding. Your baby gets the best nutrients from you to grow and build a stronger immunity. Meanwhile, breastfeeding can help you bond with your little one too. Not to mention breastfeeding can also help lower your risk of breast cancer.
Weight Gain
We definitely expect our stomach to grow significantly bigger during pregnancy. However, you might think of getting back to your usual body size right after giving birth. The truth is, you will need some time to be “fit” again.
Imagine that the normal uterus size is about the size of a pear. When we are pregnant, our uterus grows to be around the size of a watermelon. Definitely, it would take some time for your body to recover after childbirth. However, our ribs and hips are likely to have expanded during pregnancy and they may not be able to shift back where they used to be.
Some moms will notice that they are unable to fit their wedding band after giving birth. This is mainly due to the swelling caused by water retention. Meanwhile, postpartum weight gain is not permanent too. With proper recovery and a healthy lifestyle, you will get to your desired weight range eventually.
You May Also Read this : What Is The Best Method to Slim Down after Delivery?
Meanwhile, if you are looking for more help to relieve your water retention, getting a postnatal massage is an effective way to do so. With the help of postnatal massage, the water retention in your body can be reduced, and this helps to fasten your body recovery at the same time.
At PNSG, our traditional Javanese postnatal massage also includes jamu wrap with the purpose to shape your body up. All in all, be patient with yourself after giving birth. Love your body and give yourself some time to have a full recovery.
Shoe Size
One interesting fact is that your shoe size will change after giving birth. Here’s a scenario which you might be familiar with – when you are pregnant, your body is swelling and you have to get a shoe with a larger size.
There are two reasons causing the change of shoe size – weight gain and hormones.
When you are carrying a baby for ten months, this tends to flatten your feet’s arches. Therefore, your foot’s arches fall and lengthen your foot size. You will notice that an extra half-inch of shoe size is more comfortable to wear.
A pregnancy hormone called relaxin relaxes your muscle ligaments to help to prepare your body for giving birth. But it is not exclusive for your pelvic area. Relaxin also affects your whole body including your feet and this change could be permanent.
Looking at the bright side, you have a reason to get new shoes! Talking about shopping, you may check out MumChecked for their right range of high quality mom and babies products.
Abdominal Separation
A lot of moms might not know about this postpartum body change called diastasis recti abdominis. It’s the separation of abdominal muscle and hence creating a gap between stomach muscles. This occurs often during the late stages of pregnancy where the abdominal muscle is stretched to accommodate baby growth. While this condition may persist in most cases, some people might heal over three weeks to six months after giving birth.
By knowing what body changes there will be after giving birth, you’ll be more prepared both mentally and physically. So, when it happens, you won’t be too concerned about it. It’s a part of the process that all moms go through.
To take care of yourself, you can get a postnatal massage after giving birth to support your postnatal recovery. At the same time, it is also a great way to reward yourself for being a wonderful woman who gives birth to another life.
