When the baby is born, your body undergoes major changes in a very short period. The skin and muscles around your belly which were so tight before, are now loose and look like jelly.
There may be even an absent neuromuscular feeling and that’s why so many women don’t feel their stomach after the birth.
It is very important to use breathing techniques to shorten the abdominal wall to its previous length.
When you breathe, your chest and belly expand (inflate), but when you breathe out, they go home. This is the general idea. Your abdominal muscles should be cut before the clamp.
One of the most famous exercises for after birth is the diaphragm breathing. Lie on your back and put your hands on your abdomen. Inhale and allow your abdomen to inflate, while you feel full of air.
Exhale through your mouth and tighten your abdomen, pushing it towards the back. Your belly should be pitting and should not stay relaxed while exhaling. Breathe slowly, take as many breaths as you can and exhale completely.
Another famous exercise that can be very useful is the stretching with a twist. You can do it two days after the birth, if you gave birth normally and 2 weeks after the c-section.
Lie on your back with outstretched hands and feet. Bend your ankles so that your toes move towards the ceiling, tighten thigh muscles and push your knees down.
Press abdominal muscles down the back. Curl shoulders back to each other and extend the neck. Press your hands down to the floor, hold for a few seconds and then let loose. This exercise makes your muscles to tighten isometrically (without changing length), which is safe for the body and lead to easier recovery after birth.
Remember that you can do any exercise just two or three days after the birth, but make sure you don’t put too much pressure. It is important to keep your strength too.
