Getting Your Body Back After Baby
Getting back to your pre-pregnancy body after having a baby takes discipline and hard work. Losing the “baby belly” does take patience; the pounds don’t magically disappear overnight. To lose the “baby belly” in the six months post-delivery, you need to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.
Exercises for the Postpartum Period
Walking is one of the best exercises that you can do to help lose your “baby belly” in the six months post-delivery. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends walking as a good way to ease back into a regular exercise routine. New moms should take brisk walks a few times a week; this will help tone your body for more strenuous exercise.
Once you’re ready for a harder workout and you’ve passed your six-week postpartum checkup, try doing a set of crunches. (It’s very important, however, that you don’t start doing any abdominal exercises until four to eight weeks after you give birth. You have to wait for the gap in your abdominal muscles, which expanded during your pregnancy, to close.) Basic crunches will help you lose your “baby belly” and flatten your stomach. When you first start doing this exercise, start slow and don’t overexert yourself.