You gain weight over 9+ months of pregnancy, so it's normal to take 9+ months to get back your pre-pregnancy body after your baby is born. However, a belly bulge that doesn't go away for months after delivery can be a sign of diastasis recti—a separation of your abdominal muscles.
Some postpartum stomach bulges require more patience and attention, as it's possible that your stomach isn't shrinking due to an underlying condition, such as diastasis recti. Your abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy, and diastasis recti occurs when the connective tissue remains separated postpartum.
This is common, and after you give birth, both your stomach and your uterus will start to contract to their pre-pregnancy sizes. Expect it to take around six weeks for your uterus to contract fully. At six weeks, you may have already lost the weight you gained during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, a woman's skin gradually stretches to accommodate her growing fetus. After giving birth, it can take several weeks or even months for the skin around the abdomen to spring back to its pre-pregnancy shape.
The connective tissue between the abdominal muscles can thin and weaken, and that can lead to a bulge in your belly. That post-pregnancy bulge is commonly known as a "mommy pooch" or "mommy-tummy" and it will not go away with diet and exercise. DRA is not a cosmetic concern.
Loose skin is a normal experience after pregnancy. During pregnancy, the skin stretches to accommodate a growing bump. As a result, many women find that the skin around their stomach is loose after giving birth.
If you still look pregnant or experience abdominal pain weeks or months after giving birth, you might be suffering from a condition called diastasis recti, or abdominal muscle separation.
You may have what is generally known as Mummy Tummy, Mummy Pooch, of Baby Belly. Many people think it is an inevitable retention of pregnancy weight, but it's not; it's not even weight, or fat, at all. In medical terms, it is a pospartum complication called diastasis recti or divarication.
Whether you deliver vaginally or via c-section, you can expect to look down and still see a bump. But unlike your prenatal bump—which was your growing baby—your postpartum belly is the result of an expanded uterus. “During pregnancy, your uterus grows with your baby,” explains Bhagwandass.
How long should I wear a postpartum belt? Postpartum belly wraps are your sidekick, especially during those first few weeks. It's recommended that belly bands are worn between two to 12 weeks postpartum for the best possible results.
Once the baby is born, the halves come back together and heal during the first 6-8 weeks. The “pooch” that won't go away, is often the result of these halves not healing properly, leaving a separation that acts as a hernia when the muscle is contracted.
After pregnancy, however, your ribs and hips may not shift back to where they used to be. "Some women report that even after getting back to pre-baby weight, the shape of their body has changed," Dr. Ghodsi said.
Runway models may have stretch marks or other imperfections
In the same way, runway models take great care of themselves. For this, they carry out diets and keep up an exercise routine to maintain their body shape. And like all women, their stretch marks or imperfections don't make them any less sticking and beautiful.
When it comes to belly-flattening exercise, plank tops the list. Plank is one of the best calorie-burning exercises as it engages multiple muscles at a time. It strengthens your body and burns fat around the abdominal area. You can also do various plank variations like straight arm plank, side plank and one arm plank.
The second trimester is a good time to start wearing a belly band, and many women use them all the way through a few weeks postpartum, Dr. Green says: “After giving birth, the abdominal muscles can become separated, and belly bands can be particularly helpful to women in this situation.”
However, you should wait 2-4 weeks after a C-section (and get your doctor's signoff) before wearing a postpartum belly band to avoid irritating your healing incision. Be careful when putting on and removing your belly band, too.
Do the 'Stomach Vacuum' Start on all fours with your back straight, arms slightly bent at the elbows. Relax your abdominals and take a big breath in so your belly extends towards the floor. 'Slowly exhale and draw your belly button towards your spine, doing a pelvic floor exercise at the same time,' says James.
If you do have diastasis recti, it can feel a little freaky at first. Don't be surprised if palpating your stomach for the gap makes you feel a little vulnerable. That's a normal feeling. However, please be assured that anyone can have this, including men and newborn babies, not just new moms.
The main reason for this is the change in hormones. During pregnancy, the body produces much more oestrogen and progesterone, which increase blood flow to the skin. The increased blood flow provides the skin with more nutrients, which helps to keep it healthy and plump.
Women's reproductive and endocrinology specialist, Dr. Shahin Ghadir, explains it is a condition where the “nose swells during pregnancy due to elevated levels of hormones, such as estrogens, causing more blood flow to mucous membranes, and therefore the nose plumps up.”