EXCLUSIVE: Mother's diary: Know what is post baby belly and how to deal with it

Have you lost those 6 kg of your pre-pregnancy weight, but not that round belly? Do you find yourself extremely unappealing because of it? Are you worried about whether it is because of bloating, fat accumulation, or because you have just delivered a baby? Fret not, this is post-baby belly and is completely normal.

Dr. Ritu Sethi, Senior Consultant, Gynecologist, Cloud Nine Hospital, Gurugram and Apex Clinic, Gurugram, tells you that postpartum belly is due to the size of the uterus and the fat gained by a patient during her pregnancy.

“Immediately after delivery, the uterus is up to the belly button and the patient appears to be almost 5 months pregnant. Added to this, the weight that the patient has gained adds on the belly which appears somewhat loosely hanging,” says Sethi.

The uterus, however, starts shrinking at the rate of approximately 1 inch a day and by 2 weeks it is at the pelvis and 6 weeks after the delivery it has shrunk to its normal pre-pregnancy size. “Thus, the belly which appears to be present after this is due to fat accumulated during pregnancy. A woman of normal body mass index is advised to gain 10 to 12 kg during her pregnancy. Immediately after delivery, she loses 5 to 6 kg but the rest of the weight loss occurs slowly. Water retention during pregnancy leads to weight loss of approximately 5 kg per week,” explains Sethi.

Diet, adequate rest and sleeping well goes a long way in helping a patient lose weight faster. “Also, the more the patient breastfeeds, the quicker weight loss occurs,” opines Sethi.

Exercising after delivery also makes a patient lose weight faster but only after proper medical advice has been taken. Post-delivery exercises are recommended to lose weight and belly regains its tone and texture if done regularly. Eating a well-balanced, and healthy diet helps the mother to regain her energy levels and lose fat faster, and achieve that pre-pregnancy belly that she admires the most,” says Sethi.

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