This loose belly skin can take several weeks or many months to reduce and repair. After having a baby your skin should slowly return to normal, but it does take time for skin to regain its elasticity, and sometimes you need to help it along with the recovery process.
Tightening your skin after pregnancy can be a slow process. Once you heal from childbirth, it can take several weeks or even months for your skin to regain its elasticity. That said, there are things you can do to help speed up the process, such as exercise, staying hydrated, and using certain skincare products.
For some women, it takes about six months before they start to see a reduction in loose skin. If diet and exercise aren't taking you as far as you'd like, you could consider a procedure like abdominoplasty – usually called a tummy tuck – but it's not recommended if you're planning on having more children.
Skin stretched during pregnancy often loses its ability to retract after weight loss due to damage to collagen, elastin and other components responsible for elasticity, so naturally improving Collagen intake helps to tighten loose skin.
Does a Postpartum Saggy Belly Go Away on Its Own? With time, your postpartum belly will start to reduce on its own. Although, there are a few things you can do to help the process along from home.
Many women have a problem with the loose skin that remains after pregnancy because it affects the overall shape of their body. Diet and exercise can help women return to their previous weight, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll return to their previous shape.
It's recommended that belly bands are worn between two to 12 weeks postpartum for the best possible results.
Pannus stomach develops when an excess of skin hangs down from the abdomen. The main causes include: Pregnancy: After the delivery of a baby, the extra skin necessary to accommodate the pregnancy can hang down, causing a pannus stomach. This is why some people refer to the condition as “mother's apron.”
Thicker Thighs and Legs
It can take up to a year to lose the weight gained during pregnancy, says Dr. Dawson. To lose weight gradually, experts recommend a mix of exercise and well-balanced nutrition.
Core strength exercises, such as Pilates, yoga, and barre, can help tighten and tone muscles in the stomach, which may help improve the appearance of loose skin. Cardio exercise, such as brisk walking, running, cycling, or aerobics, may help with toning muscle. Learn about losing weight after pregnancy here.
While breastfeeding the baby, your body uses an ample amount of calories to produce milk. Your body stores only the required amount of calories as fat and continues with milk production. The process may help new moms with losing weight faster and tighten loose skin after childbirth more efficiently.
Yvonne Butler Tobah, obstetrician and gynecologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said a year postpartum usually resets body back to normal, but there are a few changes that can be permanent: Skin: A woman's face, areolas, stomach and moles often darken during pregnancy, and might stay that way.
But above all, don't freak out—excess postpartum belly skin is just one of those things that can happen after pregnancy, even if you're incredibly fit. “It's not uncommon for new moms to have loose skin after having a baby,” Wider says. The bottom line: You're far from alone on this one.
Exercise can help to tone stomach muscles and burn calories (Evenson et al 2014, Amorim Adegboye et al 2013). You can do light exercise like walking and stretching even in the early weeks after having your baby .
You gain stretch marks, add pounds, and crave different foods. After birth, you may find that your body isn't that different from your pregnant body. For some women, this remains true a year or more after giving birth. It's possible for your postpartum belly to go away, but it takes time and dedication.
BENEFITS OF POSTPARTUM BELLY BINDING:
Encourages healing from pelvic/pubic separation (a partial bind during pregnancy can be especially beneficial for pelvic support). Supports relaxed and stretched out muscles. Reduce fluid and air retention in bowels/abdomen. Gets rid of the “empty” feeling after childbirth.
Some women use a postpartum belly wrap after having a baby to help their muscles. Studies show that wraps or binders might help with pain and healing after a C-section (cesarean section). They might also help support your organs and muscles as they move back into place after having a baby.
Kim Kardashian and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (aka Duchess Kate) are both fans of Bio-Oil for keeping skin soft and stretch mark-free during pregnancy. According to the Bio-Oil website, this product has won 349 skincare awards and has become the No. 1 selling scar and stretch mark product in 24 countries.
Many celebrities use fake tan to help even out discolouration by stretch marks and scars on the body. Body make-up is a great way to target key areas. Body oil is a good way to help skin stay moisturised and help it not to stretch as much.