Your baby’s been delivered via C-section and is growing healthily. You’ve lost most of your pregnancy weight, and most parts of your body have returned to normal. Now, however, you are struggling to lose the extra belly fat you gained during your pregnancy. It takes time for your stomach to go back to its usual size after pregnancy, so patience is key. According to BabyCenter, your uterus will shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size about a month after the baby is born. Breast feeding will also help you shed the extra fat, as will cutting back on calories and exercising.
Basic Diet and Exercise
Step 1
Re-examine your diet. Some women eat a lot more food when they are pregnant, and you may find yourself keeping those eating habits after the baby is born. If you find that you are consuming more than 1,800 to 2,000 calories daily, try to cut about 500 calories from your daily diet. According to BabyCenter, you will lose 1 lb. a week if you do so.
Step 2
Eat good foods. Skip the snacks, such as sweets and chips. Try to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, such as fish or chicken, and whole grains.
Step 3
Schedule regular meals. You may find that eating several small meals throughout the day helps you control your hunger and prevents you from overeating. Make an effort not to skip meals, as doing so may make you overindulge later on.
Step 4
Take your baby for a walk after feeding him. When you feel up to it, you can add more intense cardiovascular exercise to your routine, such as riding a bike with baby in tow or running with a jogging stroller.
Step 5
Sign up for a postpartum exercise class, such as aerobics or yoga. Postpartum classes are designed to be low-impact. Plus, you will have the added benefit of meeting other new mothers.
Abdominal Exercises
Step 1
Check your abdominal muscles to make sure they are ready. According to BabyCenter, a gap forms in the muscles of the abdomen during pregnancy. If you begin to do crunches or other abdominal exercises too soon, you can injure yourself. Lie on your back and bend your knees. Place your hand, palm down, on your stomach. Tighten your stomach muscles as you inhale. If you feel a gap that is smaller than three fingers wide, you can start doing abdominal workouts.
Step 2
Lie on your back and bend your knees. Keep your feet flat on the floor. Inhale, then exhale and slowly lift your tail bone and hips off the floor. When you have gone as high as you can, squeeze your thighs and buttocks together, then slowly lower your hips to the floor. Repeat five times.
Step 3
Lie on your back, with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. Place your hands behind your head. Slowly, lift your head and shoulder off the floor, using your stomach muscles. As you get stronger, you can begin to sit up even further.
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