Tips for Post Preg: The Trip Back Down

The Trip Back Down

As far as we know, no one goes home from the hospital, baby in their arms, looking anything less than 4 months pregnant. Just the facts mom.

What to Expect After Delivery

What will you look like after delivery? We get to look like Duchess Kate for once in our lives!  And at least there won't be quite as many cameras for us?;) Poor Duchess Kate(words we don't usually put together), everyone was merciless to her when William was born. Yes world, that's what we look like with a newborn-still pregnant!

But she got over it. And did it again.  We respect that. Thank you Kate.

OMG, how long will this last?!

Unlike a duchess, you may not have day nurses, night nurses, chefs, housekeepers and trainers available 24/7, so, whatever you do, do not start on the compare and despair track. Try to just rest, relax and stare at your perfect baby as they stare at their perfect mother. Yes, you are perfect.

How long the trip back down is varies from mom to mom. Be patient with yourself. How quickly you will return to you pre-preg body depends upon a multitude of factors.

1. Genetics.  Yep, some of us get our body back-ish with relative ease.  Some, not so easy.

2. Weight gain. Even if you gain very little weight(which is not recommended) your uterus takes time to shrink back down.  If you gained more than is recommended, well, yeah, it will take a little longer, but, you knew that.  You can get there.  When you want to. This is not a race.

3. Breastfeeding.  Nursing can help some women lose their pregnancy weight.  Some.  Not all.  For some it's like magic, for others, it's not.  

4. Your pre-preg body.  We're all different before pregnancy, and that is still the case. 

As a general rule, here at the shop, we suggest 9 months on/ 9 months off as a guide.  Some will get it back sooner, some later, but giving yourself that time is a solid plan.  

Realistic expectations will help you stay sane, even if they don't help you get your body back in record speed. The sanity will serve you and baby well.

What can I do to speed the process?

There are some things that may help.  And, remember, every body is different, so, these are suggestions-no rules, not promises.

• Drink plenty of water.

You're used to gong to the bathroom all the time, why stop now?!  Fluids hydrate you and fill you as well, meaning that you may not snack as often. There are some theories that say that drinking water may speed up your metabolism. So, can't hurt eh?

• Breastfeed. 

Again, the jury is still out on whether this actually helps lose weight, but if you can breastfeed, it's good for you and baby-the jury is not out on that.  If you can't breastfeed, then skip this one, baby needs food, if you can't nurse, that's okay, baby will be fed. Don't stress yourself-that can just lead to stress eating!

• Don't diet, but do eat

While you were pregnant you were life support.  After delivery?  You are still life support for that amazing tiny human and you need to continue to eat well so you can support baby emotionally and physically.

Eventually, if you're struggling to lose the weight, you can start counting calories and focus on weight loss.  The first few months after having a baby is not probably, in our humble opinion, the time to do that. 

Keep plenty of fruit, water and nuts around to grab when hunger strikes. 

• Wrap and Tuck 

Wrapping with a postpartum band and wearing other compression garments really does help. The number of women who IRL swear by the Belly Bandit has made us believers.  Just putting it on someone and seeing their reaction is an awesome feeling.  So, it slims and sucks and helps shrink the uterus.  You're worth it.

Most of our moms use the BFF, some like to layer or alternate with the Mother Tucker leggings.  These beauts are the best- sip them on and feel a little more put together-and no, tey are not the least bit sheer, so, go ahead and bend over without fear.  The PM of NZ has been known to layer Spanx on Spanx (I didn't make that up) and not just a few of our clients wear a pair of Mother Tuckers over their BFF. 

• You got to move it move it.

Getting out of the house and moving is beneficial physically and psychologically.  It is good for you.  Period.  Do it. 

Um, what else do I need to know?!

Reality is pretty good-you've got your little perfect baby.  Don't lose sight of that.  There will be moments when it's really important to just focus on that. 

Realistically?  Objects may have shifted during pregnancy and the odds are pretty good that your body, like everything else, will never be exactly as it was before this whole pregnancy thing- without a surgeon's help. 

Many of us are also nursing during the trip back down, and nursing or not, sleep is not a thing that you are getting much of. So, be kind and gentle, and dress to feel good, because it does help you feel better, and it may feel like the one thing that you can control. 

But, what to wear to feel human, not fat?

Being life support is exhausting. Clothes help.  We see new moms walk out in new clothes feeling SO much better.  We're not just saying that. Schlumpy makes no one feel good.

How do you find styles that feel good for the trip back down? 

Some moms want looser for the trip back down, others just own the body that they're in-and to heck with all those foolish folks who ask you when you're due-just watch them squirm knowing that hopefully you've done some other postpartum mama a favor and they won't ask that question of anyone every again. 

Tips for dressing for the trip back down

• Our Hide-a-Bump styles are faves for the trip back down and naturally, nursing styles are designed for postpartum.
• Cinching up your tops, rather than pulling them flat after delivery will make you look slimmer in the midriff.  Try it. Put on a top and pull it down.  Now tszuj/gather up the sides creating horizontal gathers.  Better!
• Tying looser tops at the waist is one way that many of our moms feel really works for them-it creates a waistline where ...there might not be the old waistline yet.   There's a reason that our Kate Cascade Cardi is always available in a variety of colors-there are moms out there who literally wear it over a nursing cami every day for weeks. 

• Jeans-yes, wear your maternity jeans.  Women come in all the time for a new pair of maternity jeans after delivery. You don't have to do it, but no, it's not weird.  The proportions warrant it, and, if that's what makes you feel good? Who cares! 
• Make sure that you are wearing a good, well fitting bra-getting the girls up, slims you down.
• Cardigans or button downs left open create a visual vertical line. Not a bad thing.

You gave your body over to make this perfect creature.  You can get it back. Some of us have it easy, some it's harder for.  The first few months after delivery are NOT the time to be stressing or worried.

You take care of you.  You're body by baby may not be so much fun after delivery, but like the pregnancy, the trip back down will pass.  And then, you might even do it again!!