HOW TO SNAP BACK INTO SHAPE AFTER PREGNANCY.

Motherhood is a blessing. And it’s true, after welcoming a baby into the world, as a woman you really do unearth this new-found respect for your body. However, loving the way that your body looks after giving birth isn’t always easy. In fact, in spite of their new beautiful bundle of joy, many mothers long for nothing more than their pre-baby body - and that yearning for how they once looked can lead to really low self-esteem. 

Social media platforms like Instagram can almost make us feel guilty for missing the way our bodies looked before our little ones - and I think this is so unfair. Ultimately, some women are more body-conscious than others - and some find it easier to accept their new physique than others do. But neither should be judged. If you’re one of those women that embraces your stretch marks and celebrates that new mum tum, then all the power to you. But equally, if you’re keen to spring back into shape and reacquaint with your size 8 skinny jeans pronto, then that’s fine too.

As you’ve probably already guessed by this point, I’m one of those new mums that wants to get back to looking and feeling like my old self as soon as possible. And I’m absolutely not ashamed to admit it. My body created and carried a perfect little human for nine whole months, and I’m in complete awe of it. This is something that will never change. That being said, I like to look and feel great about myself, and feeling body confident is important to me.

So right now, whilst juggling everything else that’s going on (and there really is a lot going on, as I’m sure you can imagine!) I am doing everything I can to snap back into shape - without doing anything strenuous.

The number of women that genuinely do snap back into shape following their pregnancy is actually very slim. However, as I stayed very active throughout my pregnancy and I ate extremely healthily, I’ve found that my body has recovered pretty well already (my pre-pregnancy weight was 8 stone 1 pound, I was 9 stone 11 at full term and just over one week postpartum, I am now 8 stone 4 - just three pounds away from my starting point!)

Maintaining a healthy weight and swerving excess weight gain during my pregnancy has definitely helped me out - but still, a little bit of toning up here and there is needed right now, so I thought I’d share with you some of my top tips for getting back your pre-pregnancy body. 

As a quick disclaimer, before I jump into these top tips, I’d just like to clarify that for many women, body changes as a result of pregnancy are in fact permanent. So, if for example your hips have widened considerably, it’s probably unrealistic to think that this is something that you can reverse. The good news is that curves are sexy, feminine and fabulous, and there’s absolutely no need to be ashamed of the extra ones you’ve gained during pregnancy! I’m sure they look wonderful on you, so please don’t torture yourself over every little change. It’s really not necessary. 

Okay, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get into the nitty gritty of this post - how to snap back into shape after pregnancy. Everyone’s recovery from birth is different and everybody’s physique is affectled differently by pregnancy, but hopefully with my help, you can fall back in love with your body sooner rather than later. Let’s get to it. 

Marc & I went for a picnic with Eric and Elvis the other day which was really nice. We took lots of healthy nibbles and did a lovely walk. Walking is a great way to stay active both during and after pregnancy.

How To Snap Back Into Shape After Birth & Pregnancy

1. Drink lots of water

It’s no secret that drinking lots of water is great for staying in shape. Water is a natural fat burner, and so it only makes sense that drinking plenty of H20 following childbirth will encourage the comeback of your pre-baby bod. 

It’s likely that you’ll be drinking plenty of water anyway as, like me, you’ll be on the go constantly. With that said, it can be easy to focus solely on baby and neglect your own wellbeing, particularly during the early days of motherhood.

My advice? Always keep a bottle of water with you and continue to refill it throughout the day as soon as you finish up. Simples.

2. Enjoy a little exercise 

I’m no avid gym bunny, but having a dog means that I get plenty of exercise each and every day.

On average, I walk between 10,000 and 14,000 steps every day normally - as well as doing squats (I aim for about 200 a day.) 

This was before my c-section, though, and obviously whilst recovering from that major surgery, I haven’t been able to engage in the same level of exercise as I would normally.

Instead of throwing myself in at the deep end and pressuring myself too much, I’ve just began introducing shorter walks and I’ve cut the squats out for now.

I have to say, I am missing my usual exercise, but I feel that building up my stamina and working my way back to where I was sensibly is a wiser approach to working out right now. 

Some women recover from child birth more quickly than others, so don’t punish yourself if you’re not up to much immediately after having your little one - it’s fine! Try to just do a little bit each and every day, and you’ll soon start noticing a difference in your body. 

Here I am pushing Eric in his pram on our walk the other day. I love pushing the pram!

3. Avoid processed foods and sugary foods 

Pregnancy is exhausting, but nothing can truly prepare you for the exhaustion of actually providing round-the-clock care for baby when he or she arrives. Which is one of the many reasons why mums and dads get into bad habits when it comes to diet and nutrition.

Reaching for ready meals and running down your emergency chocolate stash may feel like easy options at the time, but if you really want to look and feel great, it’s time to rethink your food choices. Meal preparation takes time, but that extra little bit of time spent in the kitchen will seriously pay off. 

I think it’s important to remember that healthy meals can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be. Some evenings, I’ll just cook a full roast chicken and serve with a huge, delicious salad. The chicken takes about an hour and a half in the oven (and I don’t need to do anything with it besides take the bones out at the end) and the salad will take me a maximum of 10 minutes to prepare. It’s all about planning ahead and making wise choices. You can do it! Routine is key. 

Okay, so sometimes you just have to let yourself off and give into the sugar! I love chocolate but I enjoy it as a treat  - it's not something I eat every day. I think it's important not to completely deny yourself of the naughty things you love. That's just unrealistic.

4. Have a green tea

A lot of people think that green tea is really bitter and unpleasant to drink, but if you’re getting that bitter flavouring rather than a soft one, it’s likely that you’ve brewed your tea bag for too long. 

I’m a huge fan of green tea - I’ve been drinking it for years - and it’s just so good for you. As well as providing tons of immune-boosting antioxidants and detoxing properties, green tea is also an effective fat burner, making it a great supplement for getting back that pre-baby body. 

A top tip of mine would be to look at some of the flavoured green teas that are available (Twinings do some delicious ones!) and to have one first thing in the morning to kick off your metabolism, as well as one just before bed. We naturally burn calories and fat whilst we sleep, and a hot cup of green tea before hitting the hay will further encourage that fat burning.

Want to know more about the great properties green tea possesses? Check out my blog post 'The Benefits of Drinking Green Tea', now.

5. Listen to your body - don’t be afraid to take it easy 

This might sound counter-intuitive, but it’s so important that you listen to your body. If something feels like too much, don’t force yourself to do it. It’s okay to let your body recover in its own time - you have spent the last nine months growing a perfect little human, after all! 

This is something that I really need to practice myself, as I am the absolute worst for pushing myself too hard. Whether it’s cleaning the house or getting my steps in for the day, nobody pressures me to be productive more than myself. The trouble is, for a lot of people, this added pressure can lead to failure in the short term. If you’re really hard on yourself & you’re too strict with things, it’s likely that you’ll tire of your new routine very quickly, and you’ll find yourself feeling snappy and agitated. Ultimately, it’s important to remember what your body has achieved and to be kind to it during the recovery process. Focusing on your health is great, and striving to get that pre-baby body back is normal, but don’t rush things or deny yourself of everything you once enjoyed - where’s the fun in that? 

Growing the perfect little human takes a lot of hard work - our bodies are amazing! 

6. Try Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding isn’t for everyone. In fact, I wasn’t compelled to breastfeed at all prior to giving birth. However, having since learned a lot more about the health benefits breastfeeding poses, I’ve had a complete change of heart. 

Breastfeeding is a great way of bonding with your baby, fuelling your baby’s body with antioxidants and antibodies, and as an added bonus, it’s great for burning calories, too. 

Your body can burn anywhere between 200 - 500 additional calories whilst breastfeeding, making it a great contributor when losing any extra weight gained during the course of your pregnancy. 

Ultimately, there are lots of different ways in which you can help your body to snap back into shape after pregnancy & birth, but I think if you can try to stay active & eat as healthily as possible whilst pregnant, you will save yourself a lot of hard work once your little one arrives. That being said, you’ll be that busy when baba does arrive that you’ll be burning serious calories without even realising it.

Whether getting back in shape is a priority for you or not, the most important thing at this time, and at all times, is that you respect your body & treat it well. Nourish your body by enjoying a healthy, well balanced diet (with the odd treat here and there!) and get plenty of exercise (gentle of course!) 

I really hope that you all enjoyed reading his blog post & I can’t wait to share more with you soon. 

Lots of love,

Grace x