Methods to restore the lower abdomen after childbirth

There is no universal quick-fix solution for recovering the lower abdomen after childbirth. The core logic is to first complete the assessment of the status of the pelvic floor muscles and rectus abdominis muscles, and then adjust the diet, correct daily posture, and do targeted training in stages based on the mode of delivery and physical recovery. Violent intervention methods such as waist corseting and premature and violent abdominal crunches are not recommended. Usually, there is no abnormality in the reexamination 42 days after normal delivery, and it is safest to start special training 3 months after cesarean section. Most mothers can return to the pre-pregnancy abdominal circumference 6-12 months after delivery.

Hazardous, speaking of which, my best friend went through a lot of trouble when she just gave birth to her baby last year. She followed the trend and bought an Internet celebrity girdle after her confinement. She was so tight that she didn’t dare to eat more every day. Even if she didn’t lose weight for half a month, her urinary leakage that had disappeared returned. When I went to the hospital for a review, I found out that the rectus abdominis was separated by 2 and a half fingers and her pelvic floor muscle strength was only level 2. The doctor said that her girdle was like forcibly pressing the abdomen to the pelvic floor, which was completely the opposite operation.

In fact, the opinions about slimming down the lower abdomen after childbirth are very complicated, and the opinions in different fields are different. For example, many fitness bloggers will say that you can practice abdominal breathing one week after giving birth to get the golden period, and the obstetrician will say that you must wait for the re-examination before moving. In fact, both of these statements are correct. If there is no tear or side cut after delivery, and you can easily turn over on the day after delivery, just lie on the bed and do some slowing down. Slow abdominal breathing, inflating the belly when inhaling, and slowly retracting the navel area toward the spine when exhaling, will not cause any problems at all, and can also help eliminate lochia. However, if you have side incision wounds, or it is difficult to turn over after a caesarean section, and if you insist on breathing inward, it will stretch the wound. There is really no need to rush for the so-called "golden period" of those few days. Your own comfort is the first priority.

Many people tend to ignore the impact of diet on the lower abdomen. They always feel that breastfeeding requires a lot of tonic soup. I have met a mother before who drank more than 30 old hens after confinement. Her abdominal circumference was 3cm thicker than when she just gave birth. In fact, the postpartum diet really doesn’t have to be so extreme. Make sure you have enough protein (one egg, about 200g of lean meat/fish and shrimp, and 300ml of milk every day), eat more green leafy vegetables rich in dietary fiber to prevent constipation, and skim off the oil on the top before drinking soup. You don’t have to eat until you are full. Breastfeeding itself consumes about 500 more calories every day. As long as you don’t eat haphazardly, the body fat rate will slowly decrease, and the lower abdomen will naturally deflate. I ate like this at the time, and my abdominal circumference immediately dropped by 8cm after confinement, without any special exercise at all.

There is another detail that many people do not pay attention to, which is the posture of holding a baby. I have seen too many mothers who always like to push their belly forward when holding their babies. This is equivalent to stretching the rectus abdominis muscles outwards for several hours a day. Even if they specifically practice core tightening movements, they cannot do this every day. When you hold your baby, try to straighten your waist, hold the baby close to your chest, and tighten your core a little. When you sit and breastfeed, put a pillow behind your waist. Don't slump on the sofa with your stomach slumped. If you change these little habits, you will find that your lower abdomen will loosen much more slowly.

As for the exercise that everyone is most concerned about, it is now quite controversial. People in the fitness circle will recommend core training such as abdominal crunches and planks. However, the consensus in the field of obstetrics and gynecology rehabilitation is that if the rectus abdominis is separated by more than 2 fingers, you must not do such movements that increase abdominal pressure, otherwise the rectus abdominis will be further spread apart. In fact, you just need to figure out your own status: If the separation of the rectus abdominis is within 1 finger during the reexamination, and the pelvic floor muscles have no leakage or bulging problems, it is absolutely fine to do crunches and planks. You can practice them every other day for 15 minutes each time; if the separation is more than 2 fingers, do the dead insect pose first For movements such as abdominal breathing that do not increase abdominal pressure, wait until the separation is within 1 finger before increasing the intensity; if you have problems with urinary leakage or vaginal wall bulge, you must first practice Kegels to improve the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. Otherwise, core training will only push the abdominal pressure downwards, which will aggravate the pelvic floor problems.

Really don’t believe the gimmick on the Internet that “cultivates the pre-pregnancy vest line in 7 days”. At 10 months of pregnancy, the uterus expands from the size of an egg to the size of a basketball. The skin, fascia and muscles of the abdominal wall have been stretched for so long. Recovery takes time. I have followed a fitness blogger for several years.

Oh, by the way, here’s a little reminder. You don’t have to force yourself to go back to the state of being completely firm and without any fat before pregnancy. As long as you don’t have back pain and your abdominal circumference is within the normal range, it doesn’t matter even if your lower abdomen is a little soft. Your body just spent 10 months giving birth to a little life. It’s cute even if there are some traces.