7 Postpartum Body Changes You Might Not Know About


It took nine long months for your body to grow the beautiful little baby that the doula you hired just helped you give birth to. But it’ll snap right back to your pre-preggo state right away, right? Um, maybe not. In the weeks after delivery day, your body will be going through some pretty major changes. No one expects you to look like a paparazzi-ready celeb and slip into a size 0 right away (or at all - ever). Check out what you actually can expect of your post-baby body!
1. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: As your belly grew, so did your hair. You had shining, thick, super lush locks! Ah, but that head of hair was not meant to be. If you’re suddenly shedding more than Fluffy does, don’t freak. Losing some extra hair after pregnancy is completely normal. Most likely, it’s the falling estrogen levels that are to blame. Even though it may seem like you’re shedding by the fistful, in most cases, post-pregnancy hair loss will gradually stop. Your normal hair growth will likely resume by the time your baby is one.

2. Your Cups Won’t Runneth Over: Those pregnancy boobs that grew (and grew and grew) aren’t sticking around. They may stay while you nurse, but it’s likely they’ll go back down to pre-baby size at some point after delivery. That said, every woman’s body is different, meaning that it’s entirely possible your breasts will stay slightly larger than they were before.

3. Sneeze Pees: Pushing your way through labor and delivery may weaken the muscles that support your bladder. Along with that, childbirth can damage the surrounding nerves. Yikes! What’s the result? For some new mamas, bladder control isn’t exactly easy. A simple sneeze, cough or deep belly laugh may make you pee — a little. This light leakage may stop when the pelvic floor muscles heal, or it could stick around a bit longer. Don’t worry about borrowing your baby’s diapers just yet: These little leaks are typically minor and don’t happen all of the time. (If you do have continued incontinence or leakage that gets in the way of your daily activities, talk to your doctor right away.)

4. Perspiration, Post-Pregnancy: You finally crawl into bed to get a few zzz’s. As you drift off, you notice something strange — you’re super sweaty. It’s not mid-August (and even if it is, the AC is cranked all the way up), you haven’t just come back from the gym and you aren’t in the middle of a spinning class. It’s likely that you’re just getting rid of some of that extra fluid you retained during pregnancy. As your postpartum hormones start to balance themselves out, you’ll stop sweating like a teenager after a marathon cross-country meet.


5. Some Swelling: And here you thought swelling only happened during pregnancy. Nope! That excess fluid your body is trying to dump may cause swelling in your hands or feet. Even though some swelling is normal, excessive swelling isn’t. If you’re ballooning up to the point of discomfort, aren’t getting better or are getting worse, call your medical pro ASAP.

6. Hemorrhoid Horror: Hmm, maybe horror is a bit of an overstatement. That doesn’t mean you won’t get them, though. The same mechanisms that set light bladder leakage into motion may also cause this not-so-welcome postpartum body issue. The stress of pregnancy and the pushing of childbirth can cause swelling of the blood vessels in your rectal area: in other words, hemorrhoids.

7. Drying, Down There: Yep, you may experience vaginal dryness after giving birth. Again, your changing hormones are at fault here. The decline in estrogen may result in a noticeable drop from your normal natural lubrication. This may continue during the time that you’re breastfeeding. Don’t worry: Your doctor or midwife can help you to deal with this issue and provide ideas for adding moisture when you need it.

(Photos via Getty)
soiurce:brit.co
by:Erica Loop

Popular posts from this blog

Kids who go to bed by 8pm 'less likely' to become overweight

Image
                                  Photo: Getty Images We all know that sleep is important. But a new study from the US suggests that sleep – or rather bedtime – is even more significant than we thought. Researchers from the Ohio State University found that children aged three to five who consistently went to bed before 8pm were less likely to be obese as teenagers. Conversely, they found that delaying a child's bedtime until 9pm or later doubles their chance of becoming obese. Dr Sarah Anderson said that the study reinforces the importance of a good bedtime routine. "It's something concrete that families can do to lower their child's risk and it's also likely to have positive benefits on behaviour and on social, emotional and cognitive development," she said. Researchers working on the study used data from 977 children in the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, which followed babies born in 10 different US cities in 1991. Resea
Keep reading

11 Simple Ways to Soothe a Fussy Baby

Image
You’re rocking, swaying and shushing away. And nothing. Nada. Nope, your baby just isn’t having it. You’ve been there yourself — C-R-A-N-K-Y! While you can knock back a glass of pinot and suddenly your day seems much brighter, your newborn can hardly do the same. No mom should ever expect her baby to be 100 percent fuss-free; even the absolutely, positively very best babies have their diva moments. When your newborn goes from cute to crank, check out these totally simple ways to soothe your fussy baby . 1. Do a holder switch-a-roo. It’s been 45 minutes of cradling your cranky kiddo. You’re swaying, bopping and ducking, weaving back and forth and acting like a human rocking chair. But, she’s still crying. The more she cries, the more frustrated you get.
Read more