Before you have a child, you think your body will just return to normal within a couple of weeks.
Sure, you might have to wear loose clothing and avoid the chocolate for a bit, but then you’ll be back to your fabulous self in no time!
Sadly, that’s not the case. Here are some of the things you probably wouldn’t have expected post-baby…
You don’t suddenly stop looking pregnant just because you’ve given birth
Sure, you’ve lost nine pounds around the stomach area, but that doesn’t mean you get your taut tummy back. You have to remember that your stomach has stretched over the past nine months or so, so you’ll need to be patient with the unsightly bulge that remains.
You start to notice the effects of gravity so much more!
Whether you breastfeed or not, your breasts will fluctuate in size during pregnancy, and the increase in size can stretch out the skin. Naturally, gravity isn’t kind to stretchy skin so you might get an unpleasant surprise when you first look in the mirror post-pregnancy.
You’ll be bigger down there (and a bit a bit gassier too!)
Surprise, surprise, your vagina changes a bit after you’ve pushed something the size of a watermelon out of it! It’ll probably never fully return to its original shape, but vaginal widening tends to be minor enough. Plus, after a few weeks, you should notice that it regains some muscle tone.
You’ll have to be extra careful when you feel a sneeze coming on
When you’re carrying a baby in your womb, your bladder suffers a bit. After all, that’s a lot of pressure to put on a tiny little organ full of liquid! For this reason, it’s best to cross your legs when you feel a sneeze coming on. Some pantyliners might come in handy too…
You’ll have some seepage issues for a while
It’s not just accidental peeing that you’ll have to get used to. You’re going to bleed for a while after your baby’s arrival, but that’s nothing to worry about. It’s also common to leak breast milk, especially if you’re breastfeeding. If it’s making you self-conscious, invest in some nursing pads, or just wear loose layers.
You’ll have stretchmarks (sorry, you just will)
Nobody avoids stretch marks during pregnancy, no matter what they might say. While they will fade somewhat over time, they often don’t disappear completely. To improve their appearance, try spreading cocoa butter or Bio-Oil over the affected skin a few times a day.
Your skin will look a bit different
Your body has been expanding non-stop for nine months. Remember that when you see the excess flab on your body post-pregnancy. There’s not much you can do about it, other than wait, but you’ll feel better if you get back into a healthy eating and exercise regime.
You’ll feel like you’ve just ran a marathon some days
When you’re expecting, your body products and retains more fluid, and once the baby is born, that fluids has to go somewhere. So it seeps out of your pores, just as it does when you hit the gym! You might also experience night-sweats, but don’t worry, it’ll die down after a while.
You may lose some of your hair
A few weeks after your child has arrived, you might start losing large amounts of hair. During pregnancy, you don’t lose as many hairs are you normally do, due to your raging hormones. Now that pregnancy is over, your body has to compensate. And it sure does!
