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Health and Beauty after Birth 

Where's the good, old me gone?

Pregnancy is a blooming period of your life. Your body is working over time to make sure everything is in place and sufficient for the proper development of your baby. This must be the nature's way of ensuring healthy perpetuation of our species.

Some people regard birth as a shock to the body and many women are frightened of the trauma the birth could leave on their bodies. Most of this is not true, because our body prepares for labour and birth all through the pregnancy and it's completely ready for it when the time comes.

However, you might find all of a sudden that you're not happy with your body after birth. This is perfectly normal and you might find some consolation in knowing that millions of women feel the same way.

We all struggle to restore our order after the birth of our babies. Having them compensates for everything, but not all is lost. There are easy and simple ways of getting back to the way you looked and felt before turning parent.

You may find that:

  • it's not that easy to lose the pregnancy weight and the baby weight lost immediately after birth wasn't as much as you expected;
  • the stretchmarks gained during pregnancy don't always go away after birth;
  • you lose tons of hair;
  • your breasts are not as firm, as full and as sexy as they used to be;
  • you get deep, dark circles around your eyes;
  • you feel incredibly tired;
  • you feel irritable, disorganised, can't make a decision, can't sleep well, can't concentrate, feel anxious, upset and weeping for no obvious reason;
  • your lifestyle habits (such as going out, socialising etc) have changed and you have no desire to follow them anymore;

All these are normal. Partly, they have to do with the effort your body is putting into readjusting to the new routine, including sleep deprivation, no time for yourself and hormonal re-adjustment.

If you feel that you can't cope and experience especially the last two symptoms, it could be Post Natal Depression or Post Partum Depression. In spite of being a common phenomenon, it is a serious condition and your Health Visitor will make sure help is there for you if you need it. Untreated post natal depression cases got worse and ended up in tragedies that could have been avoided if help was taken.

How to lose the baby weight and feel better after birth

To improve your health condition after childbirth, you can follow a few simple steps:

  • exercise regularly, even if it's only a few minutes a day;
  • go out for long walks or to the park as much as you can;
  • join parents and babies groups and discuss your concerns with people in the same situation as you;
  • try and get help with childcare from friends and family as much as you can;
  • try to join the local gym, only if it's one hour a week;
  • eat fresh and healthy foods, rich in nutrients and vitamins;
  • don't start drinking and smoking again just because you're not pregnant anymore;
  • try to rebalance your sex life to the levels it was pre-pregnancy;
  • go for a massage or spa now and then;
  • go away for weekends and short breaks;
  • don't be afraid to get back to work and don't feel guilty for leaving your baby into childcare; it's good for him too, not only for you;
  • join a friendly online community, such as the BabyWonderland forum, where you can share your concerns.

Find out how to restore your love life after one tiny person turned 2 into 3.