*may contain affiliate links*
So I just had a baby recently and I’ve gotten a LOT of comments!
Mostly from well-meaning men and women who had no idea I was pregnant and were surprised at how I managed to look good pregnant and postpartum.
I was also so shocked at the jealousy I've gotten from older women about how l look postpartum (yes, they have told me they were envious and have made passive-aggressive comments towards me)
At the end of the day, everything boils down to decisions.
You can decide to have a glowful pregnancy and snap back quickly pp.
First decide, then research, then apply. There's no secret.
Nothing is guaranteed but just making a decision and being intentional can increase your probability of what you want in life.
Here are the best pregnancy and postpartum advice I can give to young women
1. Only gain the recommended weight for your BMI.
If you start pregnancy at a healthy BMI, you only need to gain 25-35 pounds the entire pregnancy. You lose around 15 pounds just by birth alone and then most of the remainder is gone 6 weeks pp.
I gained 30, baby was 7 lbs 12 oz, and I've already lost 25 pounds in total.
This is the best advice I can give to snap back quickly. Stop listening to women who let themselves go tell you that you're eating for 2. You don't have to double your caloric intake and gain 100 pounds to have a healthy pregnancy.
2. Keep up your feminine maintenance
If you were getting your nails done, pre-pregnancy, keep getting them done.
If you had a skincare routine, keep doing it.
If you were getting waxed, keep doing it.
If you were getting your hair done, keep doing it.
If you were dressing nicely, keep doing it.
Do not let pregnancy be your excuse for letting yourself go and feeling terrible about bringing a beautiful life into this world. Decide to glow up!
3. Stay active
This was something I personally could've done better and more consistently.
But it's best to be fit and active BEFORE pregnancy so it'll set you up DURING pregnancy.
Build your muscle mass before pregnancy so that you have a lower fat percentage to deal with pp.
Again, you're not eating for 2 adult humans. Once you have that baby, all the extra weight you gain is on you.
During pregnancy, your mobility and energy will be limited so do what you can pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy.
4. Bind that belly!
I truly believe wearing a belly binder pp is what helped my midsection snap back the MOST!
I lost INCHES in just a matter of a couple of weeks around my abdomen pp just by wearing a binder for most of the day.
Not only that, but I do believe it helped heal my mild diastasis recti (every woman has some degree of it pp) and supported my abdominal muscles.
Highly recommend! Here’s the link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGV8RTMR/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_25YJDGBBHZP7EP3VSGJN?linkCode=ml2&tag=charleswynn-20
5. Perineal massages
So like most women, I was nervous about tearing during childbirth. I did some research and discovered the best way to prevent this was perineal massages.
I bought this one from Amazon and used it for 15 minutes a day for the two weeks before I gave birth.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV4WW9HR/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_HQB10228W1M06TCYRGA4?linkCode=ml2&tag=charleswynn-20
Since I have nothing to compare it to, I’m gonna say that it helped a lot! 😂 I didn’t tear internally or need an episiotomy.
This combined with combined with drinking raspberry leaf tea and eating a few dates a day I believe contributed to having a smooth delivery and not having a C-section.
I was up, active, and back to myself sooner than expected!
For what it’s worth, nothing on this list GUARANTEES a glowful pregnancy and postpartum snapback, but I believe it can increase the odds.
Let me know what you think of this article in the comments below! 👇🏾
1 comment
Thank you for sharing this, Jùmòké! Tips 4 and 5 were new on my radar. I am glad it seems you had a healthy and elegant pregnancy!