What a new mum needs to know about a ‘snapback’

Exercise after pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

It not only promotes weight loss, especially when combined with reduced calorie intake but improves your cardiovascular fitness, strengthens and tones your abdominal muscles, and may even reduce risks of postpartum depression.

For standard vaginal delivery, you can begin a mild workout as soon as you feel up to it. This could be within six weeks after delivery and eight weeks if you had a C-section.

Avoid activities that put significant stress on your joints, such as jogging or jumping.

During pregnancy, you produce a hormone called relaxin, which makes joints loose and consequently more injury-prone. The hormone remains in your blood for at least several weeks after childbirth.

Begin your postpartum exercise routine by walking. Then slowly begin to add in the exercises you did in your third trimester of pregnancy, and then work backward until you are back to doing what you did before pregnancy. This process should take between four and six months.

Also, check with your doctor before starting, especially if you had a complicated pregnancy or delivery.

Can a woman's body bounce back 100 per cent after childbirth?

Yes, through regular exercise and good nutrition. Your age, delivery method, and weight before getting pregnant can affect how long it takes to get back to your pre-baby body.

Naturally, the uterus goes back to its original size six weeks after birth. This means your postpartum belly will look flatter and smaller. Breastfeeding also helps you burn calories.

 A breastfeeding mom needs at least 1,800-2,000 calories to produce quality milk. So when trying to get that post-pregnancy body back in shape, it is essential to avoid crash dieting or stringent exercise programs.

Source: Dr Natalia Viarenich, an o stretrician-gynaecologist