Pregnancy can change so many things about your life. Everything is different after having a child. You may be on board with the many changes, but sometimes it is hard to see the greater differences in your body, and get used to them.
Try to remember that your body can do amazing things, and you just brought life to another human, just with your body. So, try not to be too hard on yourself, and never hate your body.
However, we understand how difficult it can be to overcome those changes and start to feel comfortable in your own skin again.
One of the most noticeable changes to your body during pregnancy is of course, your stomach expanding. For this to happen, your skin will need to expand too.
Luckily, skin is made up of lots of collagen and elastin, which means your skin will naturally stretch and expand during the pregnancy process.
After giving birth, your skin will naturally return to its original shape as your stomach flattens. That being said, it can take some time for not only your body to recover, but your skin to recover too.
Thankfully, there are some ways to get rid of loose skin after pregnancy if you are starting to feel like getting back to your previous body is something you want to do.
Ways to Get Rid of Loose Skin After Pregnancy
Before we launch into our favorite ways to get your skin tightened back up after pregnancy, it is important to note that you should not make any drastic lifestyle, fitness or diet changes unless already suggested by your doctor.
Pregnancy is a huge trauma on your body, and you will have to wait until you are physically ready to start working out again. Always consult your doctor or a medical professional after giving birth as to when the best time is to start being active again.
Cardio Routines
One of the best ways that you can tighten up loose skin and try to get your body feeling like yours again, is to do some cardio exercises. Cardio exercises are great for burning fat and toning up, and can help minimize excess skin that you may have.
Some useful cardio exercises could be swimming, jogging, walking, or riding a bike. It is best to start slowly with some gentle exercises before moving onto jogging or running, to ensure that your body is fully healed.
Drink Lots of Water
Another way you can get rid of loose skin is to drink plenty of water. Having a lot of water in your system can help hydrate the skin and improve its elasticity.
In addition, drinking more water can help you burn fat and tone up gradually.
Eat Healthy for More Collagen
By incorporating healthy proteins and fats in your diet, you can actually build more muscle.
Equally important is the fact that protein can build collagen too, which is essential for good, healthy skin, and will help you tighten up some looseness.
Also, protein is great for breastfeeding as you may need more of it now!
You can also try taking some collagen supplements to help give your skin a healthy boost:
Start Some Strength Training
You may be thinking that giving birth is the only strength training you need! However, strength training workouts are highly effective in toning muscles and shaping up the body. By building a little extra muscle tone, you can also get rid of some loose skin.
Strength training includes things such as pushups, pilates, yoga, and situps to improve your core, glutes and hip muscles. You will need to do moves such as the plank to really tighten up your core and your skin in this area.
Remember that if you are training or doing any physical exercises, you should let your doctor know, and the instructor know as they may have some techniques and exercises that you should avoid if you have recently given birth.
Oils are More Essential Now than Ever
Essential oils have a number of health benefits! There are even essential oils that are plant-based that have their own qualities that will help repair your skin and banish loose skin.
These oils can have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce stretch marks and help take care of your skin.
The best oil for stretch marks is Bio-Oil:
In relation to this, you can use rubbing oils such as coconut oil and jojoba oil to help tighten up the skin around the tummy whilst moisturizing and caring for your skin at the same time.
Our favorites are:
Use Skin Firming Creams
Finally, one of the easiest ways you can work on that loose skin is with some skin firming products and creams. There are so many available on the market that will tighten up loose skin and regenerate your body.
The best products will make use of ingredients such as collagen, retinoids and vitamin C, which will all work really well to improve the firmness and elasticity of your skin after pregnancy.
Some suggestions are:
Conclusion
There are a few different ways to tighten up loose skin and firm up your body after going through a pregnancy.
The important thing to remember is that you just did an amazing thing, and you do not need to worry about your body bouncing back right away. This will take time, and you should take steps to recover before trying to get your body back!