How to Reduce Belly Fat After Delivery: 10 Effective Tips
Do you want to reduce your belly fat after delivery? I reduced mine drastically and in the safest possible way and that is what I will share in the effective tips that are contained in this informative article.
Sometimes, you get really worried about how big your post-partum belly gets or how you have lost shape after delivery. Well, I felt the same way too.
Wait! Let us start over!
Did you just have a baby? Congratulations! I celebrate with you and your bundle of joy.
So, How Do You Reduce This Belly Fat?
Are you worried about that big tummy after delivery? Are you wondering if you will be able to get back to how you were before pregnancy?
Well, I know it could be quite disturbing when your stomach is still big after giving birth. All women change during pregnancy because their body is going through some adjustments to accommodate the baby and its growth.
This is one of the most amazing wonders of a woman’s body. One moment, it is all nice and curvy. The next moment, a bundle of joy is growing inside you. Amazing. Right?
Honestly, it will take some time and conscious effort to get rid of the pregnancy pouch; that saggy skin on your stomach.
The truth is that you can do it, it took 9 months for your tummy to be that big, so it is normal for it to take that much time or even more to tighten and bring it back to its original shape.
Many new mums are always worried about how fast they can get back their pre-pregnancy shape. However, how fast you will be able to reduce belly fat after delivery depends on how active you were while pregnant, your genes, bone structure, and how much weight you acquired while pregnant.
Women who gained less than 15 kilograms and who exercised during pregnancy are always quick to get back to shape.
Here are ten highly effective tips to tighten your belly after having a baby.
1. Increase Your Protein Intake
Eat foods rich in protein like meat, fish, cheese, heavy cream, yogurt, and eggs as protein is good for muscle growth and is very filling.
When you consume more protein-based food you will feel full for a very long time because it digests slower.
Also, protein contains an important nutrient called collagen that helps in firming your skin.
2. Exfoliate Your Skin If You Must Reduce Belly Fat After Delivery
To tighten the sagging skin around your belly, exfoliate by using a scrub on your belly when you take your bath. By doing so, you are also increasing the blood flow around that area.
Finally, exfoliating will help create new, healthy, and elastic skin around your belly.
3. Exercise From Time To Time
When you are sure your body is ready after giving birth most likely after the six weeks visit to the doctor and having been given the “go-ahead”, begin exercising your body.
Kegel will help strengthen your pelvic muscles, then you can start with light exercise like taking a long walk daily, then increase your pace gradually by engaging in rigorous exercises like yoga or cardio. These will help firm up the fat in your tummy.
4. Use Oils and Massage
You can get a relaxing and effective massage from your partner or by visiting a spa near you.
There are plenty of oils in the market that contains collagen, Vitamin E, C, A, and K like Fractionated Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Oil, Almond Oil, and Apricot Kernel Oil.
Purchase and massage the oils into your sagging skin, it will help in tightening the skin after pregnancy.
For maximum results, do this twice a day.
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To Reduce Belly Fat, Breastfeed Exclusively.
Surprisingly, breastfeeding is not just important for your baby’s nutrition, it is also of huge advantage to you.
The fat in your body is transformed into milk, thereby helping you lose the extra fat you acquired. And that is why breastfeeding moms lose weight faster than moms who do not breastfeed.
5. Increase Your Water Intake
Water is good for your body.
Not only does it hydrate your skin but it also increases elasticity. Water will also help you burn more calories, wash away impurities in the body that can lead to fat build-up, and will keep your skin looking healthy and tight.
6. Eat Healthily to Help Reduce Belly Fat
Please do not starve yourself to lose weight because when you suddenly stop, you will add weight faster than you lost it.
Instead, eat in small portions, do not eat junk. Be relaxed, and patiently work your way to your pre-pregnancy shape. A Low carb keto diet provides healthier meal options for you and the results for weight loss are mind-blowing too.
7. Massaging the Uterus Helps Reduce Belly Fat After Delivery
Massage the base of your tummy with essential oils and hot water (water temperature your body can withstand). This is a traditional and effective way of making your tummy flattened.
8. Healthy Herbal Teas Can Reduce Belly Fat After Delivery
Herbal teas are made from the roots, berries, flowers, seeds, and leaves of plants. Unlike other teas, most don’t contain caffeine.
These herbs can be gotten fresh from farms, some can be gotten from supermarkets and infused into a tea. A typical example is Aju Mbaise from Nigeria, a lot of new mums have testified to its effectiveness.
9. Wrapping your Stomach or Wearing A Girdle
This is a very good and effective option because it applies some pressure to the uterus helping it to contract better and faster.
While wearing a girdle, you feel wrapped in from right under your bust down to the hips.
How Wrapping Stomach After Giving Birth Works
Postpartum wrapping has been around for generations and they are especially more effective when worn within a day or two after giving birth, followed by a healthy postpartum diet.
To see the results on time, start wearing it within the 24 hours after you give birth. Wear it continuously for 40 days or more if you feel you haven’t gotten your pre-baby shape back.
Regaining their pre-pregnancy body shape and to reduce belly fat after delivery is a major concern for most mothers. Although belly binding is an old culture, it is still widely practiced because it works.
Many Nigerian women also use old wrappers to tie their tummies after delivery. This may be a cheaper and more cost-effective option for a postpartum wrap.
However, it works like a compression garment, supporting the “injured” area thus allowing blood to circulate freely and also encourage the release of retained water and air faster (your post-baby body is full of water and air which aren’t needed after you give birth).
The Post-natal wrap helps in supporting your back, relieving back pains often experience after childbirth.
Also, the strain you might be feeling in lifting and carrying your baby is reduced when you wear postpartum wraps.
Note:
- Please do not confuse body shapers with postpartum wraps, they are not the same.
- Buy wraps with unbleached cotton material so that rashes don’t develop. The material is very important.
- Go for the design that covers the area from under your breast to just the buttocks (so you can use the toilet easily) they provide the best support.
- Do not buy a postpartum wrap that only supports the tummy area, which means only one area of the body will be healed. Buy a longer design that takes into account the other organs of the body that need temporary support as they shrink and become restored.
- Tie your postpartum wrap as tightly as possible NOT too tightly though. As it will be worn for a minimum of 12 hours per day you don’t want to cut off blood circulation or cause yourself discomfort. If you want a fast result, wear it for 24 hours, only taking it off for bathing.
10. Simple Postpartum Belly Exercises
Here are some simple moves that will help you lose weight after delivery.
1. Take a Walk Frequently
Why It’s Good For You: It may not sound like much of a workout, but walking is one of the simplest ways to ease into a fitness routine after giving birth.
How It’s Done: Start with an easy stroll. Eventually, you’ll work your way up to a pumped-up power walk. But a gentle walk can still do wonders for you and your body, especially in the beginning.
Bringing a baby along in a front pack will add extra weight that can increase the benefits.
For a variation, try walking backward or walking in a zigzag pattern to help keep your muscles guessing.
You should not include baby in this activity until you’ve mastered it and are certain of your balance.
Why it’s good for you: This exercise is so easy you can do it an hour after giving birth. It helps relax muscles, and it starts the process of strengthening and toning your abs and belly.
2. Deep Belly Breathing With Abdominal Contraction
How It’s Done: Sit upright and breathe deeply, drawing air from the diaphragm upward.
Contract and hold your abs tight while inhaling and relax while exhaling. Gradually increase the amount of time you can contract and hold your abs.
Deep Belly Contraction
3. Pelvic Tilt
Do this move as early as one week after you have your baby if you had a vaginal delivery; if you had a C-section you might have to wait 8 to 10 weeks.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and a pillow under your hips and another between your knees. Feet flat and your arms at your sides, inhale, then exhale and draw your abs in and tuck your pelvis under slightly, squeezing your buttocks as you do a Kegel.
Hold 5 seconds and release for 10 reps.
Benefits: Improves deep abdominal strength and stamina.
4. Heel Slides
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart, and abs are drawn in.
Flex your left foot, pressing your heel into the floor. Keeping your pelvis still, inhale, then exhale as you use your deep abdominal muscles to push your left heel away from your body, keeping the knee slightly bent.
Return to starting position. Alternate sides, doing 5 slides on each side, working up to 10.
Do these first three exercises together and for the next two weeks, then add move 4.
Benefits: Strengthens the transverse and lower back, supporting your core
5. Towel Pulse
Lie on your back, knees bent. Place a towel across your upper shins and grasp each end. Pull the ends of the towel and squeeze thighs together. Inhale, then exhale as you draw your abs in and lift your shoulders off the floor
Hold, and contract and release, your ab muscles 10 to 12 times, working up to 20. Do moves 1–4 in for two weeks.
Benefits: Strengthens the transverse.
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6. Single-Leg Stretch with Towel
Add this move at 12 to 14 weeks postpartum, doing moves 1–5 in order.
Lie on your back with your knees above your hips and your shins parallel to the floor. Place a small towel on top of your thighs, hold on to the ends, and push against your thighs to create resistance.
Lift your head and shoulders and extend your left leg out as you exhale. This helps you to reduce your belly fat after the delivery of your little bundle of joy.
Switch legs and repeat, alternating legs for 5 reps and working up to 10.
Benefits: Strengthens the transverse, giving you a stronger, sleeker-looking torso.
[Disclaimer: Every idea I shared in this article worked for me but you should also not forget to seek medical advice where necessary]
Conclusion
This article has covered how you can get your flat tummy back after childbirth, how to tie your stomach after delivery using wraps or girdle, and how long you need to use your wraps for maximum result.
Furthermore, it talked about other ways to flatten your stomach like massaging with hot water and essential oils, taking hot herbal teas, eating balanced diets, and drinking a lot of water.
You should know that I have tried everything that I shared in this article.
It helped me reduce my waistline from 42 inches to 29 inches (isn’t that amazing?) that is to say all I’ve shared from this article are also from my personal experience.
Have you tried anything else that is not listed above?
Other mothers would love to learn from you in the comment section.
Please feel to comment and share this article so other new mums would see it.
Nice one
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