We all adore our little angels and wouldn’t trade them for the world, but if most of us could trade one thing it would be our bodies, back to the way they were before we had our bundles of joy.  In this first article id like to focus on what REALLY happens to your body before, during and after birth.  Give you a little more insight and understanding and hopefully get you to CUT YOURSELF A LITTLE SLACK!

Understanding

The first stage and goal of the getting your body back series is to give you a good understanding and remind you of exactly how your body changes through all the stages of becoming a mommy. To get you to appreciate how much you went through and what it took to get here as well as why our bodies look, feel and simply are different. Once we understand and accept these changes we can start moving on.

During Pregnancy

During pregnancy our bodies undergo an enormous amount of physical change and strain. 

The first and most obvious is of course the extra kilo’s added over the 9 months. We average moms pick up between 12  – 15 kg’s of extra weight during pregnancy. 

“That’s not SO bad” we all  said.  Ok then, to give you a good indication and reminder of what this feels like, next time you do your monthly shopping head on over to the fruit and veg section of your supermarket and pick up 2 x 8kg sacks of potatoes.   if you are up for the challenge continue do 2 laps around the supermarket with one under each arm. That was 2 laps, remember when you managed 6 weeks with that additional weight?

So that was the obvious one.  The next few are also major physical changes we all undergo during pregnancy, that you may have forgotten about, or like me back when I was carrying my now gorgeous 4 year old was completely unaware of.

Remember when you prodded your ankles, hands or wrists and your finger indents remained or when your fingers were so swollen you couldn’t get your wedding ring on or off, or when for the first time since you were 18 your shoe size went up? This is because our bodies produced and retained an additional 50% more blood and body fluids

Remember when your tummy was so big you couldn’t even see your toes? During Pregnancy our skin expands to the max, and I mean to the max.  The rapid stretching of our skin causes the middle layer of skin to break and tear which causes the all so well-known stretch marks.  Some other skin changes us moms undergo during pregnancy are, acne and skin discoloration or pigmentation caused by the additional hormones produced during pregnancy. Varicose veins can also appear because your body is compensating for the the additional blood flow  through the body.

During Pregnancy Our boobies grow with the rest of our bodies, they become tender and sensitive and darken around our nipples.  All of these changes are natural factors that are caused by additional hormones produced during pregnancy preparing them for what they were made for, to provide nutrition to the tiny fragile little lives we created.

During Birth

All mommies can remember the day we brought a perfect little life into the world.  What we don’t necessarily realise is exactly how much our bodies go through and change during childbirth.  Both natural and C-sections, although very different, equally change and strain the body.

Natural

Apart from the natural stress, contractions and unbelievable pain encountered from natural birth , your cervix - made from cartilage(soft bone) and tissue - expands to 10x its size allowing enough space for your baby to pass through the birth canal.  Your vagina opening stretches up to 5times and your perineum, (space between your vagina and anus) also often tears or gets cut by your doctor. 

C- Section

Mom experiences an equal amount of nervousness and stress, before and during a C-section.  A C-section is considered quite a serious operation. Remember it wasn’t just a little cut and space for baby to come out of.  The incision doctor made cut through layers of fat, tissue and muscles and was approximately 5 cm’s deep.

After Birth

So we’ve covered how far we’ve come to get here.  The drastic changes and processes our bodies went through to get where we are today.  From birth up to 6 weeks later your body still worked overtime to recover and heal from the last 9 months, and from the birth of your little one. 

Just when we thought it was all over we came to find there were still quite a few additional body changes we were about to encounter shortly after birth.  I very clearly remember the morning after I gave birth, waking up and thinking, I didn’t order a set of implants?  My breasts were rock solid and swollen to the max with milk.

Some additional changes we go through as part of our post baby recovery are hair loss, sore back and hips, Swollen feet , constipation,  belly paunch and looseness “down there.”  “I remember optimistically packing in my pre-preggie jeans only to find myself going home in my maternity clothes” says mom Kelly Schultz 28 from Pretoria. Your uterus has just done a 9 month stretch, no matter how we feel after baby, our body has done something quite incredible.

“For 3 weeks after I had Jamie I felt extra loose and a strange falling sensation down there, it was horrific” giggled Elise Williams 31 year old mom Jhb.  This is caused by the Uterus, rectum and bladder coming down after labour.  The good news is, it Is only a temporary thing while your muscles contract.

Acceptance

• Take a moment, take a deep breath, and take a long hard look at what your body has been through:
• Take a moment to appreciate what your body has managed to get your through. 
• Learn to Love your mom bod. Think of your rounder hips, softer tum, thicker waist and stretch marks as a daily reminder of how amazing your body is and what it has been through.  This is in fact a small price to pay for the wonderful new person in your life. 

Ok moms, I’ll leave you with this.  Yes our bodies have changed, and there are some things we know will never be the same.  Learn to love, accept, and embrace these minor changes.

And the answer to the question you have been dying to hear. Can I really get my Pre-Baby Body back? The answer is, Yes! In the next few articles to come we’ll move towards our mutual goal, getting our bodies back.. So be patient, understanding and gentle on yourself for the moment, and know that It is possible to return to your former self, or someone closely resembling her! 

Author Bio

Cindy Aalbers is small business owner and lives in Montana, Pretoria with her wonderful husband and her gorgeous 4 year old. When she gets a few moments in between being a mom, wife and work she enjoys writing, relating to others and sharing her personal experiences.

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