If you’ve recently had a baby, you’ll probably be coming to terms with your post-pregnancy body. Many women are shocked by how long it takes them to bounce back after giving birth. A bigger stomach and bigger breasts are just two of the leftovers from 9 months of pregnancy. Although celebrities are always posting pictures of themselves in the media showing how they’ve got themselves back in shape within just a few weeks of having their little one, this isn’t realistic, or even desirable, for most women. Those early postpartum weeks should be all about bonding with your baby and enjoying your new family life, not about losing weight. Remember that it took 9 months for your body to change, it could easily take another 9 months for it to get back to its old self.

Once you’re ready to get back in shape, there are lots of things you can do to improve your physique and regain your old figure in a healthy way.

How To Get Started

The first exercises you should be doing when you’re ready after the birth are pelvic floor exercises. Then you can progress to taking a few gentle walks. You shouldn’t do anything strenuous until you’ve seen your doctor for your postnatal check-up. Never start a new workout program until you’ve consulted your physician, particularly if you’ve had any pelvic or back problems during pregnancy. Although swimming is a gentle form of exercise, it’s important to avoid going swimming until you’ve had your postnatal check-up since the water could cause an infection. While you’re still experiencing discharge following the birth, you need to take care to avoid excessive physical activity. Exercising too hard at this stage could increase the flow. Women who have had a Caesarean birth will also need to be more careful with exercise until their incisions have healed.

Taking An Exercise Class

There are a lot of exercises classes which are designed specifically for postnatal women. They are often run by highly trained specialist teachers and they are created to help women to shape up in a safe and healthy way after giving birth. You can also attend a regular exercise class, but you should always tell the instructor that you’ve recently given birth so that they can recommend which exercises you should avoid or give you special adaptations for your circumstances.

Exercising Independently

You don’t need to join an exercise class to get fit after birth. Why not take your baby out into the fresh air for a walk or a jog? It’s a brilliant way to bond with your little one while you shape up and you can both benefit from getting outdoors. Find out more on wifeknows.com about how to choose the best stroller for jogging.

Losing Weight

Don’t be surprised if it takes you longer than it used to when it comes to losing your weight post-birth. However, the good news is that many women get back to their pre-pregnancy weight within the first year of giving birth. You shouldn’t immediately start dieting after giving birth, and this is especially the case if you’ve chosen to breastfeed. Breastfeeding requires an additional 500 calories per day, and lots of new moms find they actually lose weight just by breastfeeding their newborn. The best option for getting in shape and staying that way involves combining eating healthily with taking regular exercise. Don’t be too drastic in your goals – aiming for weight loss of around 1 pound per week is the best way to keep the weight off in the long-term. Try exercising for half an hour 3-5 times per week and take some aerobic exercise like jogging or Zumba. You should also consider working on your muscles which have been affected most by pregnancy – sit ups are very good for this, but only if your doctor says that they are safe for you.

Follow this advice and you should find that you lose weight and get back in shape in as healthy a way as possible after giving birth to your newborn. However, don’t feel under pressure to lose weight too quickly – remember, this time in your life is all about enjoying your new little one.