When we see celebrity moms who have delivered babies recently, we may be forgiven for thinking that they never were really pregnant – so quickly do their bodies seem to return to their original pre pregnancy shapes.
However, what is more normal is extra weight, stretch marks, a muffin top, fatter arms and legs – and those are just the physical changes!
We look at what you can expect to look and feel like after your pregnancy.
Physical changes you should expect
Women who shared their feelings about their post pregnancy bodies had this to say:
Pregnancy and childbirth do take a toll on a woman’s body. This is completely natural but this doesn’t mean that women find it easier to accept their changed bodies.
Weighing more, with a body that doesn’t seem to fit into some of the older clothes and a changed silhouette can be difficult to accept.
Even going to the gym and eating healthy and doing all that is necessary to lose the baby flab is not going to let a woman attain her pre pregnancy shape.
There are still going to be some signs of motherhood that will be indelible and which a woman has to learn to accept.
Thinner hair, bigger breasts, saggy tummies, stretch marks and bigger hips are things that women may have the urge to disguise under baggy, loose clothes.
Whereas some women feel that the precious gift of a child is worth the changes in their bodies, others have a harder time accepting them.
Your feelings after pregnancy
One of the reasons for feeling down after childbirth could be the way that your body has altered and the fact that you look so different. However there is so much else going on in a new mother’s life that can contribute to some very turbulent feelings.
There are host of new responsibilities that you will have to start juggling – there is the house, other members in the family to look after, and the professional front to look at and then there is the baby! The baby who needs constant attention, numerous feeds and changes in a day! Sleep deprivation itself can be very stressful for a new mom and can really get one down.
Post partum depression is a very real condition and one that can happen to any new mom (or dad). So as you prepare to be a mom, know that changes are inevitable. Prepare yourself for them and plan ahead.
