Brown belly after childbirth. When will the mark on my stomach go away? Protective function of melanin

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In this article:

• A few words about physiology
• How to remove belly fat after childbirth
• Procedures
• When you need a doctor's help

When the first wave of joy and excitement after childbirth goes away, mothers begin to look at themselves in the mirror more and more meticulously and make plans to get their figure back. Most often, dissatisfaction is caused by the stomach, which is in no hurry to become flat after childbirth.

Let's figure out how to solve this problem at home.

A few words about physiology

Immediately after the birth of a toddler, every mother not only reaches out to him to get to know him better, but also feels her tummy. And no matter how much the midwife says that you don’t need to touch your stomach, no one listens to her anymore. Everyone wants to return to their previous forms as soon as possible.

So it will be, only a little later. In addition, efforts must be made to restore the figure. Such is female physiology that not all women after childbirth return to their previous shape as if by magic. There are only 10–15% of such lucky people. And for them, everything happens not in a week, but over a fairly long period of time.

You need to understand that recovery time is directly dependent on several factors:

• on the course of pregnancy and how many kilograms have been gained;
• on how the birth proceeded, that is, whether it was natural or a caesarean section;
• on a woman’s heredity and her constitution;
• on how much the muscles were trained before pregnancy;
• on the weight and height of the baby and on whether the woman was carrying one child or more.

When can you start getting back into shape? When to start exercising after childbirth?

Even if you led an active lifestyle before pregnancy, you should not start physical exercise immediately after returning from the hospital. You need to wait out the postpartum recovery period, which lasts 4-6 weeks. Some obstetricians and gynecologists advise not to start physical activity at all during the first two months if the birth was natural, and for six months if there was a cesarean section.

What to do at this time?

• Take care of the baby, getting used to his new position. • Breastfeed and eat healthy. • You can wear a special postpartum bandage that helps support and strengthen the muscles. • Walk more with your child in the fresh air. • Take a contrast shower every day and, using hard washcloths, massage your stomach in a circular motion.

How to remove belly fat after childbirth

The most effective and fastest way to make your stomach flat again after childbirth is to approach it comprehensively.

Nutrition

It is important in the “fight against the tummy” to choose not only the right regime, but also the diet. Many expectant mothers eat “for two” throughout their pregnancy. After childbirth, this habit remains with them. But if you care about your figure and, more importantly, your health, you will have to get rid of it.

Even if mommy is breastfeeding, you should not overeat. It is necessary to eat small meals (we eat often, but little by little), and balance the diet. Do not eat fatty foods and a lot of sweets. It is better to take vegetables and cereals, dietary varieties of fish and meat, and dairy products.

Sadness from the lack of cakes and sweets in your diet can be diluted with dried fruits, fresh fruits, natural marshmallows and marmalade in moderate quantities.

It is useful to flavor hot dishes with turmeric, which is added to food as an excellent fat burner. Every day you can drink ginger tea, which also “drives away” extra pounds.

Exercises

There is no need to immediately run from the maternity hospital to the gym. It is forbidden to subject the body to stress until the uterus returns to its previous shape, that is, until it contracts. For the first 60 days after the baby is born, you just need to rest, and nature will do its best.

The first measure that will help make your stomach flat after birth is a postpartum bandage. It will support stretched muscles and help them return to their previous position.

While recovery is going on inside the body, mommy can fight stretch marks on the skin. Elasticity returns if the skin is nourished and moisturized.

But when the doctor gives the go-ahead, you can start doing exercises. Just don’t think that your tummy will become flat just a week after giving birth. In classes, it is important that they are regular, and the load should be increased gradually. It is more correct to do exercises every day, for ten minutes, than for a whole hour, but once a week.

Pay close attention to your sensations. At the beginning of training, discomfort may occur. Therefore, the increase in load should be measured and careful.

Most often, it is difficult to find time for physical education if the child is only with his mother, without the help of relatives or a nanny. But you shouldn’t give up on achieving a slim figure: your baby can help with this, temporarily becoming the best weighting agent. If the baby is not eager to help in training, just place him nearby.

Vacuum

Some of the exercises can be performed without equipment. For example, pulling in your tummy is an exercise called vacuum. To do this, you need to exhale all the air, pull in your tummy as if it were glued to the spine. Then hold your breath and count to five, exhale and relax. You can supplement this by: straining and tightening the muscles of the perineum and anus.

Before using a vacuum, be sure to consult a gynecologist. If you have contraindications, it can only make the situation worse.

Plank

An excellent exercise that strengthens muscles is the plank. It is important to stand for at least 10 seconds, leaning only on your forearms and toes. It seems simple, but thanks to this exercise all muscles work. At first, it will be enough to stand for only five seconds, then 10 and so on up to 30. There is no point in standing any longer - it is better to perform several approaches of 10-30 seconds each with a short break.

Cat

An exercise that is beneficial for both the tummy and the spine. Mommy gets on all fours, leaning on her hands and knees. After exhaling, you need to arch your back like a frightened cat. Place your chin on your chest. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then inhale, arching your back and lifting your head up. You need to repeat the exercise three times at the beginning, then, if possible, increase to ten repetitions.

Exercises with your baby

You can do it with your baby too. Place the baby on your tummy. For example, bend your knees, keep your feet on the floor, and raise your pelvis.

Or so - mommy takes a breath, inflates her tummy, tenses it, and holds her breath. Counts to five, exhales, and sucks in your tummy as much as possible. This is a huge benefit for the mother’s tummy, and it’s nice for the baby, he seems to be rocking on the waves.

Why does a brown stripe appear on the stomach during pregnancy and after childbirth?

The human body is symmetrical along the vertical axis. Each half has one upper and lower limb and is identical in size, skin color and other characteristics.

Thus, each person consists of two halves, connecting exactly in the center. Usually this connection line, consisting of a thin layer of connective tissue between the muscles, is not visible.

However, during the period of bearing a baby, changes begin to occur in a woman’s body, which after some time become noticeable to others.

Among them, first of all, an increase in the abdomen as the fetus grows inside. Under the influence of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, the uterus begins to enlarge, and thanks to the hormone somatotropin, the abdominal muscles stretch.

Along with them, the strip of connective tissue on the abdomen stretches a little and increases in size, which will remain there for some time after childbirth.

A dark stripe on the abdomen, noticeable during pregnancy and after childbirth, appears in almost every woman.

Ladies who are naturally dark-haired, dark-eyed, and dark-skinned are more likely to get noticeable marks because they have more melanin in their bodies. It is he who is responsible for changes in skin color during tanning, the appearance of age spots, and freckles.

During pregnancy, the level of the hormone melanotropin, which stimulates melanin synthesis, also increases, but in blondes it may not reach a significant level.

Advice: if you wish, you can check whether folk beliefs apply. They say that if the stripe is faintly noticeable, then you are having a girl. Well, a pronounced and long stripe indicates the male gender of the child.

Procedures

Massage procedures and wraps will help make your stomach flatter after childbirth faster. You can do a tummy massage yourself - spending ten minutes every day, you need to gently knead the stomach, using only the fat layer, for two weeks.

If you use honey or anti-cellulite oil, the effect will be much stronger. Thanks to the massage, drainage is ensured, fibrosis will be “broken”, and the skin will gradually tone up.

Cosmetic products such as body lotions and oils are also suitable. They can be applied to the skin during the months of pregnancy. This way the skin becomes more elastic, and after childbirth it is able to contract faster. In addition, these products will prevent stretch marks. You just need to use skincare products regularly.

Diet for a flat stomach

If you dream of a beautiful belly, you will have to adjust your eating behavior. You cannot starve yourself or follow low-carb diets . They allow you to quickly lose weight, but you have to pay for it with folds of excess skin, dark circles under the eyes, a sallow complexion and poor health.

The main principles of a diet for a flat stomach are healthy and nutritious nutrition plus a feeling of fullness. When choosing a diet, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Fractional meals. You need to eat in small portions at intervals of 3-4 hours.
2. Refusal of harmful drinks. Sweet carbonated water and alcohol are prohibited.
3. Avoiding sweets. Sugar-containing products can be replaced with dried fruits.
4. Light dinner. In the evening, limit yourself to natural yogurt or a fresh apple.
5. Drinking regime. The daily dose of water is from 1.5 liters.

By following this diet, the body will not experience stress, but will receive the necessary nutrition. Your metabolism will speed up and fats will be broken down faster. As a result, you will achieve a lasting effect: after returning to your usual diet, the kilograms will not return.

Read also: 8 simple rules for losing weight after childbirth without harming the baby

Relationships with family and friends in the next month after childbirth

After childbirth, a woman really needs a gentle regime, a regime of deep rest to restore all the resources wasted during childbirth: physical, nutritional, emotional, mental. Our relatives and friends who want to visit a newly-made family in the coming days after giving birth usually act with the kindest and most heartfelt intentions, but do not realize that such visits, unfortunately, take too much energy from the woman who gave birth. After all, every guest needs to be talked to and entertained.

Try to limit visits from friends to a minimum in the first month after giving birth. If your closest relatives still insist on meeting the baby and you, do not hesitate to ask them for help and support.

On the eve of childbirth, you can make a list of things that your loved ones could do to make your life easier in the first weeks after the baby arrives in your family:

• walk the dog, take out the trash;
• take older children to the park, to the cinema, or take them to your place for an overnight stay;
• clean the apartment/house, wash the bath;
• prepare lunch/dinner or bring something already prepared;
• buy products.