Having a baby can
really put a strain on your body. Things get pushed and pulled, sag, and pretty
soon you feel like a different person. But, never fear, there are always
options to get back into shape. Here’s how to fix saggy skin and uneven breasts post pregnancy.
Hormonal Changes
Your body goes
through a lot of different changes after you have a baby. One of those changes
involves hormones. It’s normal to feel “down” or “blue” after you give birth.
Usually, these feelings begin a few days after giving birth and may last a few
weeks.
If the feeling
doesn’t go away on its own and persists, or you find yourself feeling worse as
time goes on, there may be a more serious problem and you should talk to your
doctor or caregiver.
You may suffer
postpartum depression, which is a more serious problem that requires medical
treatment.
Sagging Skin
Sagging skin is a major reason why women become
disillusioned after pregnancy. They don’t see themselves in the same
way after pregnancy. It’s because there are real physical changes that have
occurred. Your breasts may have swelled and become fuller.
The ligaments which
are responsible for supporting them will usually stretch after pregnancy as
they become larger. Because of this stretching, your breasts will sag regardless
of whether you breastfeed or not.
Exercise
Exercise is a
proven method of getting back into shape after a pregnancy. Sometimes, the
problem can be helped by just strength training. If you think that you’ve put
on a few extra pounds, this is where strength training and cardio would be
beneficial.
Changing up your
diet to include more fruits and vegetables may also help. But, for the most
part, you should focus on getting more activity. Moving around more during the
day, focusing more on running, swimming, and biking, or some other form of
cardio, as well as lifting weights, will help you burn fat and build muscle.
Since muscle
consumes more calories than fat for maintenance, you should notice a long-term
slimming effect just by building more muscle. You don’t have to be bulky,
either. If you’re not interested in lifting weights, your only other option is
to jump on the treadmill or focus on increasing calorie expenditure through
strict cardio.
Surgery
Some of the best
options involve surgery: see here. Breast lifting, augmentation, and
evening will fix uneven breasts so that you look like you did pre-baby. If this
is really important to you, then you owe it to yourself.
Like all surgery,
there’s a risk. It may take several weeks to recover from the surgery, and you
may notice a few side-effects like numbness or needling in your breast area.
You may also notice some pain. This is normal.
Surgery involves working
in and around nerves and muscles. If you are getting implants, the side-effects
can be more pronounced. If you’re just getting a lift, then you may not
experience severe side-effects at all.
Dr. Kevin
Ruhge is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and is a
member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. When he’s not running his
busy practice in southern California, he’s writing about the latest health and
wellness news. Look for his articles on health and wellness blogs.
