Each woman will have her own special experience of pregnancy and childbirth, and there’s nothing more precious in the world than a new human life, a tiny little baby.

As a new mother, you’ll most likely be over the moon with the newest addition to your family but will naturally have a lot of thoughts and feelings swirling around inside too. 

For as much joy as the process of childbirth brings, the postpartum stage that follows can be a hard time for many new mums, and it’s not uncommon to battle with feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression amid the rapid changes taking place in your lifestyle.  

Yet in the blink of an eye, nine months of ongoing preparations come to an abrupt end within a single day. Despite how quickly time seems to fly leading up to the birth, it might be weeks or months until your body returns back to its pre-baby shape. 

Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward solution that’ll bring your pre-baby body back overnight, but there are many ways to gradually and naturally ease the worn frame of pregnancy back into its once-familiar shape that’ll leave you feeling better and healthier than ever.   

Today we’ll be wrapping our heads around one of the most effective tools for toning, and matching up its suitability within the unique demands of a postpartum stage.

Miracles for Miracles

Pregnancy is as wonderful as it is miraculous, but nine months of many physical changes leave the body in tatters.

It’s not uncommon for new mothers to encounter a myriad of physical changes postpartum, including stretch marks, varicose veins, swelling and body aches. 

Postpartum back pains are particularly common at this stage of pregnancy. Exacerbated by the weight of the baby that was once growing inside you, it’ll be a gradual process for your body to realign its newfound centre of gravity, adjusted still for the carrying of your newborn child in your arms. 

It’s difficult to pinpoint these ailments precisely because they are so wide-ranging and run on a case-by-case basis, however, they remain connected in the process that brings them into being.

Studies have documented how organs, such as the bladder, liver and stomach, all move by several inches to accommodate for the transformation of pregnancy and the expansion of the womb. 

But as this change naturally occurs, the body’s vital organs are squeezed up against wherever they can find the room, building pressure against the abdomen, groin area, back and thighs.

Pressure near the pelvic bone is one example, often caused by the weight of the baby’s head, while sciatica - described as a shooting pain that runs from the lower back to the foot - is another example and is often attributed to the growth of the uterus interfering with the sciatic nerve.

There’s a lot going on here, and unfortunately, the symptoms don’t disappear overnight. The body can take anywhere between a few weeks and a few months to adjust to not being pregnant anymore.

During pregnancy, many of your core muscles will have been weakened and stretched, and particularly in the case of vaginal birth, labour and delivery, you’ll have exercised muscles in a very disruptive way; especially if you went through a long and difficult labour.

On a similar note, c-sections have an equally long recovery period, with the procedure usually considered an intensive form of stomach surgery.

They’re more common than you think, and various studies have cited a period of four to six weeks of recovery that’ll be mired in muscle and incision pains, backaches and in certain instances, urinary incontinence due to weakened pelvic floor muscles.

Although each woman’s experience of the postpartum body is bound to be personal and unique, there is a range of different techniques that arch across the spectrum of ailments; slowing training the body back into a shape that feels much more you. 

Best Practices for the Postpartum

A good physical recovery in any situation hinges largely on many different changes that need to be made along the way. There’s the will to do, the dedication to commit and the discipline to practice.

As we must underscore here, there’s little on offer for those seeking one-time, overnight miracles, however, the solution might just be a little less farfetched than you might first think. 

For new mothers looking to feel new again, here are our ideas on what the best modern-day postpartum recovery practices must include:

Waist Training

Having fully shaken off the archaic assumptions that so often misinterpret the technology, waist training has time and time again demonstrated its superpowers in helping the body to define its truest form; alongside its ability to serve the needs of new mothers all around the world.

It’s an area that has, for many years, been pioneered by the designers at SMUG. When worn in routine, our fabulously crafted Waist Trainer Belt applies a gentle and moderate level of compression to the core while ensuring a fully-customisable fit. 

It’s the solution your core will be longing for after nine long months of pregnancy, as many of the supporting muscles around the abdomen area will likely be suffering a level of prolonged weakness throughout much of the postpartum stage. 

Waist training helps the body to regain that lost strength, comfortably toning the figure to allow you to come back from pregnancy feeling physically better than ever.

To discover more about how our state-of-the-art Waist Trainer Belt works, and why exactly its benefits are so applicable in this circumstance, find out everything you need to know with our waist training 101 here. 

Putting Back In

Waist training comes as our most highly recommended form of recovery here, but as we mentioned before, different solutions must work in perfect harmony with each other to deliver one defining result. And nothing works in partnership with compression technology quite like a holistic and well-balanced diet. 

Estrogen will remain the dominant hormone within the body well after your newborn baby is in your arms, which here proves to be problematic as excess levels of the hormone have been observed contributing to excess weight gain; while also having a hand in distorting the production of the fascinating hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin.

You’re no longer eating for two, so it’s worth knowing which nutrients couples pair together best to meet the specific needs of postpartum. For example, try to eat quantities of protein with a moderate amount of carbohydrates, as the pair work great together to regulate insulin production and the slow return to regular dietary requirements. 

Staying hydrated while eating lots of healthy fats, fibre and antioxidants is also a really good way to bring your hormones back into balance, while the rejuvenating power of natural antioxidants comes as a great wonder to the skin and a great threat to stretchmarks; blueberries are one of our favourite natural ingredients in this regard!

Moving and Motivated

The third step of our postpartum comeback is our most physically active recommendation yet. Yes, the Waist Trainer Belt, alongside a healthy, nutrient-rich diet, works its wonders well to tone the tummy back into shape, but you can really complement the entire process with a stellar exercise routine. 

Small daily workouts will strengthen your muscles and pour life into your joints, and incorporating the use of fun easy-to-use tools like core sliders, resistance bands and weights will take your workout further. For a routine that’s really simple to start with, see our ultimate guide here. 

For many women in the postpartum stage, the changing size of their breasts can become a problem when making the return to more strenuous movements. 

For a fresh way to live and a new way to recover, visit our extensive online collections here. 

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