All women wish that they can get back to their pre-pregnancy shape instantly after childbirth. Unfortunately, that is impossible, and in fact, some problems may slow down the process. You can have a mom pooch, which falls below your belly button after childbirth. While it goes away on its own, it can cause insecurities and discomfort. Thankfully, there are ways to accelerate it.
Continue reading to learn how to get rid of mommy belly fast.
What Is Mom Pooch?
Mom pooch is fat that remains and hangs under your belly button after pregnancy. This is also called "mummy tummy" or diastasis recti. It should go smaller as time passes by. However, it can make you insecure, and some women say it makes them uncomfortable. That said, you may want to speed up its disappearance.
What Causes Female Belly Pooch?
The expansion between your rectus abdominis muscles during pregnancy causes belly pooch. These are the muscles that are responsible for the "six pack abs." When you are pregnant, these muscles stretch apart in order to accommodate the baby inside you. The problem is that these muscles don't bounce back to their original position after childbirth. It takes time, and the fat created between them becomes the mommy pooch.
Some things can also make you more likely to have a mom pooch. Here are some examples:
- You are having twins, triplets, or more.
- You are over 35 years old.
- The baby you are carrying is large or heavy.
- This is not your first baby. You are more at risk if it hasn't been that long since your last childbirth when you became pregnant again.
- You are very petite.
Can a Mommy Tummy Go Away?
Yes. "A mommy tummy" does go away. In fact, it goes away naturally. However, the speed of it going away is different from woman to woman. For some, a year has already passed, and their postpartum belly shape is still the same as their pregnancy body. This can make you conscious or insecure. More importantly, a mom pooch can make you uncomfortable due to lower back pain.
You need to put in time and effort if you want to speed up the process. You need to exercise regularly and eat nutritious food.
How To Prevent Mommy Tummy During Pregnancy?
You can prevent mom pooch during pregnancy by being mindful. If you have not yet given birth, read this section carefully. These preventive tips will save you the hassle by ensuring mummy tummy won't be your problem for long after birth.
Be Mindful of Your Posture
Proper posture and deep breathing encourage your ribs to expand as your belly expands. This can help prevent a mummy tummy. So, stand up straight with your shoulders back.
Avoid Lifting Things That Could Cause Straining
Avoid straining your abdominal muscles, as it can lead to the development of a "mummy pooch" after childbirth. That said, avoid lifting grocery bags, heavy objects, or your children as much as possible.
Eat Nutritious Food
Eating nutritious food is always a good thing. It is even more needed when you are pregnant because you are "eating for two people." What others don't realize is that it is also great for preventing mommy pooch. Eating nutritious food and exercising allows you to control your weight gain. Target a weight that's within the healthy range but not too close to the upper limit.
Roll Out of Bed
When getting out of bed, roll to one side and then push yourself up using your arms. This lets you avoid putting pressure on your abdominals.
How Do I Get Rid of Mommy Belly?
The tips above are for when you have not yet given birth. But what if you already did? How to lose a baby pouch? Here are some tips.
Use a Belly Wrap
Wearing a postpartum belly wrap encourages good posture. On top of that, it supports your muscles, which can make your mommy belly disappear faster.
If you are looking for a postpartum belly wrap, check out the new Momcozy Postpartum Belly Wrap. Its Advanced Ergonest Support StructureTM helps support your back without causing discomfort. Additionally, it gently elevates and pulls in your belly while providing targeted compression. Effectively, this promotes postpartum recovery.
That's not all! This belly wrap is made with soft, skin-safe fabric. Thus, you can rest assured that it will not cause any irritation even if you wear it against your skin.
Furthermore, this product is great for your confidence. It is discreet, so nobody would think you are wearing a belly band. They will not know that you have a mom pooch.
The Momcozy Recovery Belly Belt is for everyone. It comes in different sizes.
Walk
Walking is a very simple exercise that helps you get rid of a mummy tummy. But do not just walk. To increase abdominal strength and remove your mom pooch, you should contract your tummy muscles.
Exercise
You should try to add exercises to your daily routine, but get your doctor's approval first. As mentioned above, you should start with just walking. Then, as time passes by, you can add more activities. For example, you can add light bodyweight exercises, then running, then core exercises.
Eat Healthy Food
Just like when you are pregnant, you should eat healthy food. It helps provide energy for you and your baby. Not only that, but it also helps you get into shape. As such, it is a great way to get rid of your mummy tummy.
Practice Good Posture
Good posture can encourage your muscle gap to close. So, tuck your tummy in when doing tasks. Avoid slouching when breastfeeding.
Relax
Cortisol, the stress hormone, can make you gain abdominal fat. So, you should avoid stress at all costs. But for a mother taking care of a newborn, that is easier said than done. How do you prevent stress in this situation? Take breaks between your tasks. Seek help when things are overwhelming you. Furthermore, learn deep breathing exercises. These will help you calm down when you are agitated.
Health Problems Caused by a Mummy Tummy
Mothers don't like having a mummy tummy because it makes them feel ugly. But it is not just a body image problem. A mummy tummy also has some negative effects on your health.
First, it makes you vulnerable. Your kid or anything hitting you in the stomach can tear the connective tissue. How bad is that? It will expose your internal organs. As such, surgery would be needed to fix you up.
The problem is that many women don't know it can cause medical issues. Absorbed with the idea of getting back into shape, they unknowingly do exercises that could make it worse. That puts them more at risk.
That said, we will also tell you which exercises you should not do when trying to lose your mom pooch.
Lifting - Avoid lifting heavy objects because it can worsen the gap between your abdominal muscles.
Crunching - This exercise does the opposite of what you are trying to do, which is to close the gap between your tummy muscles. Crunching will pull them farther apart.
Pilates - Pilates and yoga have many health benefits. However, many positions in these exercises put a strain on your abdominal muscles.
Pushing - Do not push your stomach out when breastfeeding your baby to support them. It could make the gap between your abdominal muscles worse. We recommend using a nursing pillow instead. The Momcozy Nursing Pillow. which is adjustable and multipurpose, is your best and most cost-effective option.
Conclusion
Many moms ask, "How to get rid of mommy belly?" It makes them insecure about their appearance and it also puts them in danger. So, while it can go away naturally, it is best to accelerate the problem. You can do that by doing simple exercises, practicing good posture, and eating healthy food. Learning relaxation techniques also helps. On top of these, you can also wear a belly wrap. It supports your abdomen and lower back, making you more comfortable.
