What Is The Best Method to Slim Down after Delivery?

New mothers, rejoice, for the worst (a.k.a the childbirth) has passed! Or has it? Unfortunately, all the changes that begin during your pregnancy do not end right after delivery. You still have to go through a proper postnatal period to heal properly and regain your pre-pregnancy figure. Most importantly, you have all that excess weight you are ready to say goodbye to!

So, is your weight loss journey starting soon? Here’s what you should know; a huge percentage of your weight gain comes from water retention, and it will gradually go away on its own. Then again, if that is the case, why are there many mothers who never returned to their pre-pregnancy states, while some of them easily do? The answer is simple: everyone’s body is different. However, there are certain things you could do to lose pregnancy weight, as shared by other new mothers.

1) Simple exercise

Undoubtedly, exercising is a step that is way too familiar for anyone looking to lose weight. You may start exercising once you have passed about 6 weeks after you deliver. This, of course, still depends on how well you are doing by that time. Once you feel like you are able to move more, start with the simpler ones, like walking and ones that focus on abdominal contractions without vigorous movements involved. Instead of solely losing weight, start exercising to strengthen your muscles and rebuild your core first. 

Moving your limbs and joints is one of the best ways to shed that post-baby belly! Exercises are good for your health as it helps you regulate and lose weight, keep your body healthy and fit, maintain your stamina, keep your body fresh and boost your mood!

One particular sign that you need to strengthen your abdominal muscles is when your back aches as soon as you pick your baby up. This indicates that your abdominal muscles give you less than adequate support for that activity. Even the simplest form of exercise, like Kegels, can help you tone related muscles, speed up womb recovery, and thus assists in shrinking it back to a pre-pregnancy state. Do not push yourself to reach certain limits. Remember, healing is more crucial than losing weight! Soon enough, you will realise that even carrying your baby around the house is all the exercise you need!

However, do be mindful of your limitations and exercise caution when exercising. Your body has just undergone a rigorous delivery and will need all the rest it can get. Hence, try not to overwork yourself, as it will only bring more harm than good.

To try some of the most efficient and safe pregnancy exercise Singapore mommies would recommend, you can do work with head lifts, shoulder lifts, Kegels, kneeling pelvic tilts, and curling up. These exercises wouldn’t only help in toning your body, but it is also beneficial for preventing prolapsed uterus. Time to take out those yoga pants and start working out, mommies!

2) Breastfeed

A poll from the Baby Center website shows that over 50% of mothers who breastfeed find it helpful in losing weight. Like many others, you may be surprised by how quickly you could lose weight when you choose to breastfeed compared to if you do not breastfeed. Breast milk production could burn up to approximately 500 extra calories you get from the foods you eat! 

Furthermore, the hormones released when breastfeeding can induce muscle contractions. Hence, your uterus will constantly contract and shrink throughout breastfeeding. As a result, your womb can return to its pre-pregnancy size, and your stomach will also slim down! That said, you must remember that you should breastfeed adequately and be wary of not losing too much weight at once, especially because it could reduce the nutrients your baby obtains from your breast milk.

3) Watch food intake

Fitness trainers and nutritionists generally believe that planning and sticking to a healthy diet contributes to 80% of your weight loss, while only 20% comes from physical activities. One of the common diets that might cross your mind is the low-carb diet, where you limit your carbohydrate intake. You can try it, but be careful not to overdo it, as you still need the strength and energy to recover and take care of your baby. Plus, some mothers have reported a noticeable decrease in their breast milk production on low-carb diets. This is certainly a risk you shouldn’t take. Instead, start small, like replacing carbs like white rice with brown rice.

Increase your intake of protein as it can boost metabolism and thus help you burn more calories. On top of that, protein provides the primary nutrition for your tissues and muscles to develop and is crucial in breaking fats. The key is to follow a balanced diet, and you should be generous with calories as you need sufficient energy to restore strength and tend to the baby. At the same time, be careful not to get dehydrated. Limit sugary water, but keep drinking plain water. When you are breastfeeding, your body will easily be dehydrated. Constantly drinking water will keep you full, prevent overeating, and aid in breastfeeding!

You should cut down on junk foods or avoid them altogether. Not only would they cause you to gain weight at a higher rate, but they would also affect the nutrition in your breast milk. 

With that said, what should you prioritise in your confinement meals? Among many other vital vitamins and nutrients, well-balanced confinement meals include a healthy dosage of protein! Protein is beneficial for your postpartum weight loss as it provides the building blocks for repairing and promoting wound healing.

This can help you with easier weight loss and shrinkage in the size of your belly.

But that is not all, protein is beneficial for confinement mommies as it helps develop antibodies that are part of a good immune system. Sounds like a mainstay nutrient in your daily confinement dishes!

4) Postnatal massage therapy

When looking up ways to lose weight after birth, postnatal massage is one of the popular solutions you could come across. Many moms prefer to get this massage after birth. In fact, in many cultures, this massage has been incorporated into their culture as a confinement practice, with tweaks to the techniques. The gentle pressure applied to the body stimulates blood flow and releases muscle knots and tension. Aside from relieving your body aches, a postnatal massage can slim you down, tone your body up, and even speed up womb recovery. 

In addition, postnatal massage therapy normally includes loss of water retention in affected areas, such as the tummy and thighs breast massage, which tackles breast engorgement and improves lactation. As mentioned above, many moms find breastfeeding to have helped them lose weight. You can learn the techniques on your own and have your partner massage you. Get certified massage therapists, preferably from a licensed agency, to perform it on you. That way, all your issues can be addressed properly.

But that is not all; having enough rest is also key in treating your post-baby belly and achieving postpartum weight loss. By opting for a postnatal massage, you can rest better since massages help ease fatigue and tiredness after a long day. This promotes relaxation and leads to improved quality of sleep. After all, who doesn’t love a good home massage service after an energy-sapping day? You might want to book a session now!

5) Binding

After your childbirth, you might feel that the organs inside your tummy are sagging down, which might cause discomfort. Wearing a belly binder or support would help you with this condition, as the belly binder provides abdominal support for pain relief and keeps the surgical drainage tubes in shape.

Commonly known as bengkung, binding is the art of wrapping the belly and hips using a long cloth that acts as a support and assists in the recovery process of abdominal muscles. Regarding the previous point, it is also a technique typically incorporated into traditional postnatal massage therapy as the last step. Binding shapes the body back and holds the excess skin in place, but you can see more effective changes when done with additional treatment like massage. For many mothers, binding helps them get rid of mommy pooch. 

Belly binders are useful for treating your post-baby body as it helps to tone your body by making physical activities more doable and comfortable. This will make your confinement exercise routines easier as the belly binder helps in promoting movement and mobility!

The added benefits of wearing a belly binder or support include improved blood circulation around the surgical site for better recovery, increased strength of your abdominal muscles and reduced psychological stress! We know how uncomfortable it is for some mommies to breathe deeply and cough after their delivery, so wearing a binder would help you with reducing such discomfort.

 If you plan to try this method, use breathable fabric not to cause rashes, skin itching, or dehydration. Leave it on for approximately 8 hours; staying within half a day is better. The massage should be performed on consecutive days, so the same applies to binding. Be sure to regularly wash and keep it clean as it will trap the sweat and dirt you encounter daily and may cause skin conditions as you wrap the cloth tightly on your body.

Meanwhile, if you are in need of more practical mum and baby products to ease your daily routines, MumChecked would be a great place to start! They have plenty of options for you to choose from. Have fun browsing!

If you notice, most of what is stated above is meant to ensure good health for you instead of helping you lose weight. Why so? The fact is that being healthy will put you at the weight you are supposed to be. New mothers, plan things according to what your body can take and make better choices for an effective Singapore post natal slimming process.

ou as you are wrapping the cloth tightly on your body.

If you notice, most of what is stated above are meant to ensure good health for you instead of help you lose weight. Why so? The fact of the matter is that being healthy is what will put you at the weight you are supposed to be at. New mothers, plan things according to what your body can take and make better choices for an effective Singapore post natal slimming process.