Massage and lotions, hydrate, exfoliate, exercise and strength training, laser therapy, breastfeeding, skin tightening creams and protein intake are some of the effective ways that help belly skin tightening after pregnancy.

Greetings to all the new mothers out there on delivering a lovely baby. Now that this part is done, the very first change you will notice in your body after pregnancy is its shape. You might notice that you have gotten a bulging belly even after the delivery. This is called Pregnancy pouch. You might also observe some obvious changes like spider veins and stretch marks. It is not so easy to get back in your previous shape but it’s not impossible.

Pregnancy pouch

When you’re pregnant, the stomach skin stretches and expands itself to accommodate the growing baby inside during the nine months of pregnancy. Hence, the post-pregnancy pouch has a hanging and baggy structure because of the abdominal muscles that are loose with fat and also extra skin.

Read More: 11 Tips To Get Rid Of Belly Fat Post Delivery

Here are some amazing tips to help all the new moms tighten their belly skin that occurs post-pregnancy:

7 Amazing Tips to Help Belly Skin Tightening After Pregnancy

Massage and lotions

Vitamins such as vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin k, vitamin e and collagen aid in making the loose skin to tighten and become firm. So, try applying creams that have these components and then ensure that you massage the area well. This will improve the blood flow which will, in turn, make the skin look firm. This method will be most effective if done at least twice a day. [1]

Olive oil can be used as it contains vitamin a, d and e. Vitamins can also be extracted from the respective vitamin capsules and mixed with oils like castor oil, coconut oil, almond oil, avocado oil or mixed with moisturizers. Although this is a time-taking process, it is very effective and one of the best ways to get the desired result.

Hydrate

The first and the most crucial step towards achieving back your usual belly is to increase the water intake. Water hydrates the skin, consequently making the skin more elastic. Thus, it is an easy method to keep your skin healthy and also tight. The best part of this method is that it also helps you efficiently to burn your calories which make this process even more effective.

Exfoliate

Scrubbing increases the blood flow in the area, thus increasing the blood circulation. This helps in creating the new skin that will be elastic and fit. So consider using an exfoliating scrub on the belly when taking a shower as it is a good method for stomach skin tightening after pregnancy.

Read More: Tips to Choose the Best Postpartum Corset

Exercise and strength training

This is one of the most effective methods there is. Starting off directly with strength training is not advisable. Once you get used to the usual regular training and exercising, then go ahead with the strength training. Strength training is very effective because it makes the muscles contract during training. This will help to build up the strength and also enhance the body composition which all in all helps in reducing fat.

Recommended exercises for post-pregnancy skin tightening are:

• Plank: 15-30 seconds
• Cardiovascular exercises every week for 3-5 days: 20 minutes

Laser therapy

This is a very common treatment proven to remove the stretch marks after pregnancy. The laser therapy skin tightening process involves removing and vaporizing the skin, followed by breaking down the affected skin tissues. This enhances the production of new cells. In general words, laser therapy includes a beam of light which removes the thin layers of skin that are present around the stretch marks.

This method is 100 percent effective for permanent removal of stretch marks. But on the other side, it is a very expensive method. If you still choose to go for this, then excimer laser is the best laser option. As said, laser involves burning and cutting the affected skin, but in excimer laser therapy, a high-energy uv laser light is used which results in a process called ablation. Ablation is a process where the laser light disrupts the molecular bonds in the skin tissue causing it to disintegrate. This also promotes a quick healing comparatively.

Breastfeeding

Doctors recommend breastfeeding up to an age of 6 months.  During breastfeeding, the calories present in the body are utilized for the production of milk. Hence, it aids in losing the weight. A breastfeeding mom loses weight quicker than a non-breastfeeding mom.

In a recent study, 25000 women participated in the danish national birth cohort, which measured how intensely and how long these women breastfeed. All the women who participated got a breastfeeding score. Results then showed that women with higher breastfeeding score are more likely to lose their pregnancy weight just after 6 months of their post-pregnancy. [2]

Read More: 11 Effective Ways to Relieve Belly Button Pain During Pregnancy

Skin tightening creams and protein intake

Apart from the Vitamin rejuvenation of skin, there are a lot of other skin tightening creams that are available for mothers after pregnancy. For effective results, apply the cream, serum or firming gel on the belly twice a day and massage it thoroughly for at least 5-10 minutes.

According to a study conducted, Topical tretinoin (retinoic acid) is proven to improve early stretch marks. It was observed that the stretch marks had decreased by 14% length and 8% width after 2 months of usage. [3]

Another method to consider including is the protein consumption as they help in the muscle growth. They also help in the building of collagen which is the skin’s essential part. The protein intake differs from person to person based on the exercise and the physical activity that you do and also the body weight. For a healthy woman, at least 50 grams of protein intake is required per day.

To conclude, you can always get back in shape after pregnancy. There’s no need to panic since there are many techniques and ways as mentioned above, which effectively help in skin tightening post-pregnancy. Although, one thing to avoid is crash dieting. It might help in a quick weight loss. But once you finish your crash course, you also gain weight faster again. So, it’s always better to go for slow and healthy methods. Happy Parenting!