7 Changes That Will Happen Once You Give Birth

For many women, giving birth is one of the most meaningful events in their lives. This is when you experience unconditional love and wonderful feelings of being a mother. However, it’s also very painful and can leave many changes in your body. So if you’re preparing for the arrival of your baby, here are some changes you can expect to see as a result:

Loose skin

Did you know that your stomach will not deflate immediately after giving birth? Some women lose their pregnancy belly right away, while others stay with a bump for some time after childbirth. In some cases, the uterus needs time to return to its pre-pregnancy state, leaving women looking at about 6 months pregnant!

This is nothing to worry about. Just be patient, and your stomach will deflate slowly. Unfortunately, loose skin and stretch marks are often here to stay for much longer. Loose skin can often be solved with exercise and lotions, but if it doesn’t go back, it’s okay—there’s no use comparing your motherhood body with your pre-baby body.

Separated stomach muscles

Diastasis recti is a separation between two muscles in the abdomen caused by your growing womb. Your womb pushes your muscles apart, causing them to get longer and weaker.

Usually, this separation goes back to normal after 8 weeks from giving birth, but if it doesn’t, it’s smart to contact your doctor because diastasis recti can result in long-term back problems. In addition, watching your posture and doing some pelvic floor exercises can benefit your abdominal muscles.

Vaginal changes

In order to give birth naturally through the vaginal canal, the entrance to your vagina needs to stretch and let the child out. After a vaginal birth, expect your vagina to feel swollen and bruised—it’s completely normal and the pain should reduce in the upcoming days.

It’s also possible for your vagina to never go back to its previous condition. If the tightness doesn’t improve with time and pelvic floor exercises, it’s possible to have a vaginal tightening procedure that will gently affect the vaginal mucosa, stimulate the production of collagen and improve the functionality of the vaginal area. With laser therapy, it’s possible to restore the proper balance to the vagina and ensure a much more pleasant everyday life for mothers.

Back pain

During pregnancy, many women suffer from serious back pain caused by the loosening of ligaments and muscles along the spine and abdomen. After you’ve had your baby, this pain can continue until your muscles and ligaments go back to their previous state—it usually takes about six months postpartum for back pain to disappear.

Women with a history of back pain, intense back pain in pregnancy and weight issues might risk long-term back issues. To relieve back pain, make sure to maintain good posture while feeding your child, squat when picking up toys, change diapers on a raised surface and sleep with a back and neck support pillow.

Skin pigmentation

Due to all the changes and fluctuations in the hormone levels in your body during pregnancy and after childbirth, it’s possible to develop various skin pigmentation changes on the skin.

Within a year, most women lose any pigmentation marks, but it helps to use sunscreen and avoid overly harsh sun exposure. If you have any concerns about pigmentation, you can talk to your dermatologist and check your hormone levels.

Postpartum depression

Very rarely discussed, postpartum depression is a serious issue that affects many new mothers. The “baby blues” include mood swings, anxiety, insomnia and depression, usually starting within the first two to three days after delivery. Having postpartum depression is not a sign of weakness or bad parenting—it’s a normal side-effect of childbirth. It mostly goes away on its own, but there are also great therapists and support groups you can turn to for comfort and help.

Attachment issues

The dream is to create an instant bond with your baby as soon as its born, but that doesn’t happen for all mothers. If you don’t experience an instant connection, it’s possible to develop feelings of guilt, disappointment and stress. With proper support and relaxation, the attachment will come naturally within a few days or weeks after childbirth; if it doesn’t, therapy is the best choice that helps tremendously.

No matter the body changes after the baby comes, motherhood is still the best thing in the world. With some patience and effort, it’s possible to get your old body back, but even if you don’t, you have the best gift to show off for your sacrifice.