Admit it, mums! Every mum dreams of getting back a flat tummy after delivery. Some work hard for it, some give up altogether, and others swear by Spanx to mask the extra rolls. Well, the good news is that those fats aren’t impossible to eliminate, as stubborn as they seem. Here are some simple home remedies and tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy that will help you.
11 Tips For A Flat Tummy After Pregnancy
1. Abdominal binding
Should you start wrapping your stomach after giving birth? One of the most effective tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy is to bind your tummy for as many hours as you can in a day. Living in Singapore means that you are familiar with postnatal massage and many mums find the traditional Malay bengkung wrap extremely effective.
Of course, this is not an option for mums who have just had a c-section. Professional massage therapists and doctors do not recommend such abdominal binding until at least four to six weeks have passed.
How to Tie Stomach After Delivery
First things first: your doctor should be the one to tell you when it’s time to start wearing an abdominal binder or a corset. If she says “yes, ” you’re ready to tie your stomach after delivery!
The best time to tie your stomach after delivery is when you’re at home, relaxing and recuperating. You can wear it under any loose clothing, and no one will be able to tell that you’re wearing it.
Wearing a corset after delivery will help with your posture, as well as help reduce swelling in your abdomen. It’ll also help tighten up your stomach muscles, so they don’t sag over time (if you don’t exercise them).
C-section mums are strongly recommended to use abdominal binders. Your doctor will likely get you to put one on as soon as a day after your surgery. Trust us when we say that it helps! The trick is to make sure that the binder is tight and secure.
If you’re worried about your incision, you can cushion it with an unused sanitary pad and use the binder over it.
If you feel pain or discomfort at any point during this process, STOP! If you experience discomfort while tying up your stomach after delivery, then stop immediately and let someone know what happened so they can help guide you through this process safely and comfortably!
How Long Should I Tie My Stomach After Normal Delivery
The length of time you should tie your stomach after normal delivery depends on the type of surgery you had and how quickly you heal.
If your doctor didn’t tie your stomach, it’s best to wait at least 6 weeks before tying it yourself. After 6 weeks, your stitches will dissolve and you’ll be able to tie your stomach without worry. However, if you have an open wound in your abdomen, wait until your doctor says it’s okay to tie it.
If you had a cesarean section or any other kind of surgery that required sutures or staples, wait until your doctor says it’s okay to tie your stomach. You may have internal stitches or staples that can cause serious damage if tied too early, so make sure you ask for guidance from your doctor before tying yourself up!
2. Lotions
Many topical lotions on the market promise to help you as part of the many tips for achieving a flat tummy after pregnancy. Especially if you’re breastfeeding, check the ingredients carefully and ensure that the cream is safe for nursing mums.
Look out for creams containing Collagen, Vitamins A, C and E. Massaging such creams over your tummy will improve blood flow and tighten your tummy.
If time permits, you can also use homemade lotions. One such lotion that has been proven effective is a handmade lotion that is a blend of 250ml of fresh grapes extracts in 750ml of extra virgin oil.
Sieve the pulp before adding the grape extract to the oil. Place the blend in a bottle and let it stay in the sun for a week. Shake the bottle at least twice a day. Applying this homemade lotion is one of the many helpful tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy.
Ginger creams and wraps are a popular choice for postnatal tummy toning.
Ginger wraps are another favourite among mums in Singapore!
3, Honey Lemon
This is one of the easiest and yummiest tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy. All you have to do is mix a glass of lukewarm water with some fresh lemon juice and half a teaspoon of honey. Drink this on an empty stomach or before meals.
If possible, drink it when you just wake up and don’t drink anything else for a good half an hour before or after this. You can add some mint leaves and cucumber and brew the water overnight. Cayenne pepper is not for everyone but a pinch of it goes a long way to boost your metabolism and burn that tummy fat.
Take mint leaves in moderation, though, because too much of it can reduce your milk supply.
4. Green Tea
A cup of green tea a day keeps tummy fat away. And it’s no secret that green tea is rich in antioxidants, so that’s a bonus! This makes it one of the most convenient tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy.
Do remember that you should drink green tea in moderation. Too much isn’t good, and you should limit your caffeine intake if breastfeeding.
And the last thing you should do is drink green tea with sugar or sweeteners, which would be counter-productive!
5. Apples
So apples don’t just keep doctors away. They work well to get rid of tummy fat as well. Apples contain pectin, which is helpful in burning excess tummy fat. Like green tea, apples are rich in antioxidants, preventing the accumulation of excess fats.
Apples can help you to get a flat tummy after delivery.
Aside from being one of the best tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy, don’t forget the many other health benefits of eating apples!
6. Having a Balanced Diet
Remember the healthy plate model? Well, you should aim to include two portions of vegetables, a portion of fruits, whole grains, and healthy protein. One of the most helpful tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy is to reduce your salt intake and cut sugar out as much as possible. Avoid sodas and other carbonated drinks.
Cruciferous fruits and vegetables like papaya, mangoes, grapefruit, broccoli, and kale are great for losing abdominal fat.
As much as you want that flat tummy after pregnancy, do not compromise on the nutritional value of your food. This is essential for your recovery and even more so if you are breastfeeding.
7. Eat Less but More Frequently
Dieting is not practical especially if you’re breastfeeding, and it will make you weak. Your metabolism is pretty high, so aim for two heavy meals a day and three to four small meals at regular intervals. Go heavy on breakfast.
Remember that when you eat well, you also end up burning more calories.
8. Sweat it Out!
You are what you eat largely, but you are also how much you move (or don’t move). Don’t jump into HIIT training or high-impact workouts shortly after giving birth. You don’t want to end up with a prolapsed uterus!
Strenuous workouts are not for new mums!
Start by gradually building your endurance through walking, swimming, and cycling. Focus on cardio; when you have lost overall fat, focus on tummy toning exercises such as crunches and planks.
Mums, do remember that it’s impossible to ‘spot reduce’ fats. You could do all the tummy exercises you want, but you need cardio to eliminate overall fat.
Importantly, make sure you do not have a diastasis recti; if you do, tummy exercises like crunches will exacerbate the problem. You need specific exercises to correct a diastasis recti.
ALSO READ:
Your Body After Giving Birth: The First Hour, Day, Week, Month, And Year
9. Breastfeeding
As far as tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy go, this is, of course, a given. In case you didn’t already know, breastfeeding burns approximately 500 calories daily and helps your uterus contract to its pre-pregnancy size. So this goes a long way in achieving a flat tummy after delivery. And we don’t even need to start on the benefits it offers your baby.
10. Drinking water
Another one of the many given tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy. This is cheap, extremely important and also effective. Water rids your body of toxins and helps to reduce belly fat. It also helps to replenish the fluids you lose, so if you’re breastfeeding and insanely thirsty, you need to drink a lot more water.
Added bonus – drinking more water gives you great skin!
If your confinement nanny or mother-in-law tells you that drinking water during confinement gives you a tummy you will never get rid of, please dismiss this misinformation. You need water. A lot of it!
11. Curry leaves and garlic
Did you know that curry leaves are great for detox? And yes, they also help you get rid of belly fats!
As for garlic, chewing on a couple of raw garlic cloves and then drinking lemon water can help you get your flat tummy after pregnancy.
This might be a bit much for some, though!
There you go, mums, 11 easy and effective methods to get rid of that stubborn mummy tummy. But please be kind to yourselves and your bodies and don’t rush or stress over losing weight. Don’t starve yourself or deprive your baby of important nutrients by drastically cutting calories.
Don’t get too caught up in losing weight that you lose out on the most precious moments!
Take it easy, follow these tips for a flat tummy after pregnancy and lose weight naturally. Remember that losing weight too rapidly is a terrible idea for you to end up with loose and saggy skin. You have all the time in the world to lose weight, so for the time being, focus on the most important moments with your babies before they are gone too soon!
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.