Date 27 Dec 2023
Table of Contents
One of life's most lovable events is the joyful feeling of getting pregnant and giving birth to one's own child. Having a child is an amazing experience for a woman but it also comes with some grief. When a woman finds she is carrying a child, she knows her life will change in many ways and so will her physique.
Pregnancy can be tremendously stressful on a woman’s body. The body changes throughout pregnancy and it may alter again in the first year after childbirth. Having said that, read this article to know some body changes to look out for in the first few months or a year after giving birth, as well as procedures that can help you regain your former, aesthetically appealing body curves. In this blog the female plastic surgeon in Hyderabad at Eternelle Aesthetics, will discuss the common body changes women face after childbirth and explore surgeries that can help them regain their pre-pregnancy body shape.
During pregnancy, the breasts enlarge due to milk production. The increase in breast size followed by a decrease, as the milk is digested or absorbed by the body, can be rather amazing. The breast skin behaves just as the midsection skin in that it stretches out and is unable to snap back. Even though a woman's breasts normally recover to their pre-pregnancy size after she weans her baby, the stretched-out skin makes them appear saggier. The breasts flatten and point downward rather than forward.
Stretchmarks, also known as striae, develop as the skin heals from the rupture of collagen and elastin fibres present just beneath the skin's surface. They appear as permanent scars when the body undergoes rapid weight gain and loss at the time of pregnancy makes the skin quickly stretch or shrink. Striae affects over 90% of pregnant women who have been pregnant for at least seven months.
Stretchmarks, like sagging skin, are irreversible. Fortunately, depending on where they are, some of them can be surgically addressed with a tummy tuck or breast lift.
A woman has just dedicated months to carrying another human being in her womb. As the skin covering the mother’s abdomen became thicker and larger, it had to stretch to accommodate the expanding size of the baby. After delivery, the abdomen skin has stretched beyond its limit making it impossible to snap back.
The skin may heal significantly after a year or two, but the effects of aging and gravity will be working against it. Saggy abdominal skin is a persistent problem that cannot be corrected with exercise or diet. As a result, even if a woman sheds the weight she gained during pregnancy, the sagging skin remains. In fact, reducing weight may lead to more sagging skin in women. That is why tummy tucks are so popular among postpartum women.
The vaginal opening expands to allow the baby to exit when a woman gives birth vaginally. This may result in bruising and swelling of the vagina. This is natural and will pass in a few days. The vagina, on the other hand, is unlikely to return to its pre-birth shape. Pelvic floor exercises may help strengthen the vaginal muscles.
Women may also experience vaginal dryness because of lower levels of estro-gen (the female s-ex hormone). This may be worse for breastfeeding mothers. Again, this should improve with time or when mothers stop breastfeeding.
The size of the nipples and areola normally increases, as does the overall size of the breasts. Their altered shape also facilitates latching on to breastfeeding easier for the baby. Hormones trigger the pigmentation change. They activate melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the skin, causing the nipples and areolas to darken.
Darker pigmentation can fade gradually over time, but the size of the nipples or areolae may remain unaffected until the breasts have returned to normal size.
Fatigue or a lack of time for a regular exercise routine, as well as an underlying health problem requiring attention, such as postpartum thyroiditis, diabetes, or PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), can all contribute to postpartum weight gain. If a woman believes she is making an effort but still isn't losing weight after delivering a baby, she should see a doctor who can evaluate her postpartum weight gain and help her plan a treatment.
Some women may choose not to bother, while others may feel embarrassed with their post-pregnancy appearance. Some women may feel pressure to appear as if they have never given birth, yet the reality is that most women's bodies change after giving birth.
Gentle exercise may help them feel better and gain confidence. If they had a normal birth, they could resume light activities as soon as they felt comfortable. This could include walking, stretching, pelvic floor exercises, or swimming. Besides, mommy makeover procedures can be opted by a new mother to regain their pre-pregnancy figure.
To get more details about reversing the body changes after pregnancy, book a consultation with a plastic surgeon in Hyderabad at Eternelle Aesthetics. The surgeon has helped many females struggling with body changes after pregnancy. To get back your confidence consult the experts now!
