Changes to a Woman’s Body After Childbirth

Congratulations! You’re a mom! You’ve nurtured a tiny seed within you until it blossomed in your belly, and everyone could tell you were pregnant. Then you grew restless, finally had the baby, and if you’ve thought you had no idea what happened to your body while you were pregnant, you remain even more skeptical now. And yes, you’ve got questions…for your doctor, for yourself, for anyone who can understand what you are going through. “Will I ever get my body back how I want it?” It’s a valid, but loaded, question.

First of all, those changes you experienced while pregnant are not all permanent. You will eventually lose some weight, as you go back to regular activity and eating for one again. The itchy skin, soreness, moodswings, and acne all tend to dissipate within a few months, give or take. However, there are certain changes that you have to realize might never reverse. What kinds of things am I talking? Well…

Hip size Of course, when you were pregnant, your body adjusted to be able to fit the growing baby inside of you, and then prepare you for labor and delivery. Your hips widened, maybe also changed shape. Unfortunately, bone structure can’t be altered. What does that mean for you? Oh, your pants probably won’t ever fit you the same again, you might struggle with having more of a pear shape than an hour glass figure, and certain styles of clothes that narrow at the waist might fit too snuggly on you. Is it depressing? It can be. But, it’s all about how you look at it–if you now have wide hips, focus on slimming your legs and glute–not only will that make you feel better about yourself, but you might also find a new style of clothes that flatters you.

Bust size Mostly blamed on hormones, women either end up smaller or larger in this area. This can go either way in a woman’s mind…but at least you can wear a push-up bra or strengthen the upper torso through weight-lifting and still look just as fabulous pre-pregnancy. It’s just all how you approach such changes to your body.

Joints and bones I can say from personal experience that the hormones responsible for loosening the joints while you are pregnant sometimes cause damage down the road for your body as you ever-so-slowly reverse that process. Fact is, a woman’s back, legs, and knees are very vulnerable after childbirth. A year and a half after my daughter was born, I was merely standing at work and my knee snapped–partially dislocating my knee cap! Since then, I’ve have chronic problems with this recurring, and I get it readjusted by my chiropractor regularly. For other women, they might have a chipped tailbones, develop arthritis, or have damaged vertebrae. Such injuries should remind you to proceed cautiously, be gentle to your body, and avoid prolonged stress on the joints and bones. Unfortunately for me, I was in retail, where I had to stand all day. Wtih already having scoliosis and a tipped pelvis, my knee couldn’t take too much pressure at all.

The nervous system Moms’ nerves are shot, and it’s not always from the things our kids do! From the way baby might have rested on the pelvis, or exited the birth canal, or even how the body reacted to having an epidural–those things all have a way of affecting nerves in the body in various places. Numbness or tingling in arms or legs, or even having sciatic pains are all possible. Talking to your doctor about any symptoms you experience now will make a big difference in how you’ll feel down the road. Curing or managing problems now can help you learn how best to lessen or eliminate the occurrences so that you’re not completely crippled in 20 years’ time.

Skin So many things you take for granted when you’re young, especially the skin. It’s easy to abuse, but then you don’t think much about it when you can do facial masks, take vitamins, and stay out of the sun. But when you’ve had a baby, your skin has suffered trauma body-wide. Those things don’t necessarily cure your skin’s problems. Your skin might be a shade different, become more sensitive, have more hair or moles, and be either constantly dry or oily. Of course, part of this is hormonal, and our bodies constantly fight that battle up through menopause…the other half involves your having an awareness of your skin’s changes and knowing what products to use before you end up with irrepairable damage. After your baby is born, it is a good idea to use what you would on your baby on your own skin, at least for a year or sometimes longer, until your skin “calms” down. Be gentle on your skin to avoid further damaging it–so wear sunblock, avoid harsh soaps and chemicals, moisturize, and drink plenty of water.

Hair Not the excess body hair you might have sprouted, but the hair on your head–it’s probably so different than what it used to be. Not as curly, not as straight, not as shiny, not as oily, not as dry, and so on. It can also become limp, coarse, and brittle easily. The best thing you can do for it is to be gentle with it as you are with your skin–hormones are also responsible for your hair’s condition, but you can control much of your hair’s symptoms through a change in your hair products and diet. Talk to a hair stylist if you have to, and figure out your hair’s best traits and go from there. While your hair might never be the same again, you can at least embrace what it is and help it to be its best in light of your “new” body.