How to keep your figure during pregnancy
My dear pregnant comrades! I am writing to you. Having a history of three pregnancies and the same number of daughters, I consider it my duty to share information on how to maintain your figure throughout the entire period of pregnancy and, especially, after. It's very simple. We remember Vodianova, Valeria, Gisele Bundchen and many others who, a couple of weeks after giving birth, appeared in all their splendor in tight dresses. Again, it's VERY simple.
It means like this:
1. Nutrition and weight.
Gaining weight during pregnancy is not necessary. And you can even lose weight during pregnancy. The whole point is that the child will receive all the substances he needs from you in any case. No one will divide the contents of your stomach equally between you and the baby, believe me:) Women with severe toxicosis (this is when only water and lemon for 9 months) give birth to strong babies, the same as those who have not denied themselves anything. This means that overeating and even “just eating more” is not at all necessary.
* of course, I don’t mean that you can just take it and intentionally lose weight during pregnancy)) no! but if this process takes place and you are feeling well, there is no reason to worry
2. Belly.
Forget the scary tales about “the belly that disappeared somewhere only after half a year.” If you behave well, your belly will go away at the same moment when the baby is in the hands of the obstetrician receiving it :) This is a normal situation. In my case, this happened all three times. I observed the same thing in many other new mothers. To do this, you just need to “pull it in” a little throughout your pregnancy. Just don’t overestimate the expression “pulling in a little”, it means exactly that, and not that you need to pump up your abs or overexert yourself. No, just keep your abdominal muscles slightly toned, as you do without being pregnant. As you may already guess, this has nothing to do with the tone of the uterus. But what you don’t need to do is, accordingly, “stick out” your stomach in a relaxed manner, as if there is dynamite there, which you need to wear for all 9 months and, “God forbid, even one muscle trembles, otherwise everyone will be screwed.”
* you don’t need to pump up your abs after giving birth - this is the best way to get hemorrhoids :) you don’t need to sleep on your stomach after giving birth either - this is the best way to get mastitis.
Regarding uterine contractions after childbirth
, everything is very simple: the best way is love with your husband in as much quantity (and quality, of course:)) before childbirth, and, if you have enough imagination and strength, as soon as possible after it (“love” is not necessarily exactly that.. that... well, you understand, and a simple kiss on the lips can make the whole body tremble :):) and also, a cold sensation on the stomach. It’s better to sleep on your back, put a cold pillow or a pillow on your stomach (as if to “press” it a little), but don’t sleep on your side.
"Little Belly"
– in fact, your stomach is what it needs to be. If you initially had a flat stomach, then accordingly everything that is “yours” - i.e. the stomach and intestines will intelligently move, providing space for the baby. If, with a small belly for your age, ultrasound and tests show that everything is in order, rejoice - you are just a slim woman :) Accordingly, if you “build up” your belly on top of your gastrointestinal tract, it will be larger. This is the whole secret.
3. Stretch marks.
How do stretch marks appear? Usually, at one moment. A woman gets up in the morning and sees herself with stretch marks, which, as we know, nothing can be done about. Therefore, we make it a rule to smear any stretch mark cream on the stomach, sides, butt, thighs and chest EVERY day. Anointing all this at least once a day is much easier than then spending your whole life admiring stretch marks and reproaching yourself for laziness. It is especially important to apply cream for stretch marks in the maternity hospital, immediately after childbirth, including the breasts (at a safe distance from the nipples, due to breastfeeding).
I will definitely add that this text in no way promotes anorexia or any measures to lose weight during pregnancy. I recommend following my advice only to those for whom it comes naturally from the beginning! I believe that female beauty is a magical power and it’s not about whether a woman has stretch marks or how flat her stomach is
. Well, it goes without saying that a pregnant woman can eat delicious food if she wants.
However, I’m sure there will be top models in my friend feed who will find this useful! :)
Comprehensive body care during pregnancy against stretch marks and cellulite
Striae (stretch marks) during pregnancy
Due to the constantly increasing size of the abdomen, a divergence or rupture of connective tissues often occurs, and since hormonal changes disrupt metabolic processes in the skin, in particular in its germ cells, from which all layers of the skin originate, they are restored more slowly.
Because of this, so-called pregnancy stripes, or stretch marks, or stretch marks appear in the places of ruptures. These stripes, up to 15 cm long, are first bluish-red in color and then turn white, becoming silvery. They can appear as early as the third month, but most often they can be observed during the last third of pregnancy. Stretch marks are, in fact, scars that are practically impossible to completely eliminate. The most serious problem is that the mechanism of formation of stretch marks is similar to the mechanism of aging, but it acts faster. Most often, stretch marks appear during early first pregnancy, when hormonal levels have not yet fully established and the skin is not capable of overstretching. In addition to the abdomen, due to weight gain, stretch marks may appear on the thighs. In addition, if there is a hereditary predisposition (i.e. the mother has stretch marks after pregnancy), then you will have to work hard from the very beginning of pregnancy.
Procedures aimed at improving the elasticity of the skin help well as a successfully proven preventive remedy. This:
- Contrast shower - alternating warm and cool water (later, when you get used to it, you can alternate hot water with cold) - improves blood circulation and, accordingly, blood supply to tissues, including the skin (contrast shower is also useful if you are prone to varicose veins), for Due to improved blood circulation of collagen and elastin fibers, skin elasticity increases. When taking a contrast shower, a person gets into the bath and pours water at a pleasant temperature. It is then made as hot as possible (without scalding, of course). After 30-60-90 seconds, turn off the hot water and let in one cold one. After pouring over the whole body (20 - 30 or more seconds), turn on the hottest water again, pour over the whole body and, without basking for too long, turn on the cold water. This time it is better to stand under a cold shower longer (up to a minute or more). Then again follows a not very long hot shower and a final cold one. During pregnancy, it is recommended to use a contrast shower only in the hips and buttocks area - and only if there are no pregnancy complications. A general contrast shower can cause a miscarriage.
- Body massage with a mitten made of natural plant fibers , such as sisal, or a brush made of natural bristles. You need to start the massage from your feet, gradually rising higher, and under no circumstances put pressure on your stomach, just massage it in a circular motion. Massage also improves blood circulation to the skin.
- Pinch massage: use your fingertips to easily pinch all problem areas, also to activate blood circulation and improve skin elasticity.
After these procedures, a cream, gel or lotion should be applied to the skin to prevent stretch marks - thanks to the content of vitamins A and E, special plant extracts and fruit acids, they normalize the activity of skin germ cells: the cream gently removes dead skin cells and helps new cells appear faster, preventing This causes the skin to become more elastic. Vitamin E also prevents the damaging effects of free radicals on cells. Rub the creams in with gentle massaging movements, which raise the overall tone of the skin and muscles, improve blood circulation, stimulate tissue elasticity, and improve oxygen access. A light massage should be carried out daily for 5-10 minutes, carefully massaging the areas of skin stretch marks. You need to use these cosmetics throughout the entire 9 months, and especially in the last 3-4 weeks before giving birth.
It should be mentioned once again that stretch marks are places where collagen and elastin fibers have ruptured, and scar tissue has formed at the site of the rupture, that is, stretch marks that have already appeared cannot be eliminated with a cream - they can only be gotten rid of through surgery.
Lingerie and clothing during pregnancy
This issue also needs to be given due attention. During pregnancy, it is very advisable to wear clothes and underwear made of cotton fabric, as the body must breathe. Synthetic products promote increased sweating and increase swelling of the anterior abdominal wall, which is a symptom of impaired blood circulation in the vessels.
If there are indications (back pain, threat of miscarriage, varicose veins, placenta previa), a bandage should be worn. Now there are many models: solid; in the form of panties; detachable, like a belt; fastened in front under the belly with Velcro. Don't forget that during pregnancy you should wear comfortable clothes. Now in specialized stores you can find many things that meet all the necessary requirements - for example, trousers with an elastic cotton insert on the stomach. Avoid tight-fitting clothing, which can interfere with blood flow. Remember that any pressure on the abdomen increases the load on the uterus, and therefore on the baby. Prolonged vascular spasm leads to a slowdown in blood circulation, oxygen access to the fetus is reduced, which can cause insufficient weight gain and developmental delays. Observations have shown that women who hid their pregnancy and tightened their bellies gave birth to low-birth-weight children.
Try not to wear clothes with a belt, choose trousers and skirts with straps or suspenders; sundresses and overalls are also good. During pregnancy, give preference to special tights with an allowance on the belly, refuse corsets and graces with underwires.
To find out how well your underwear and clothes fit you when you undress before going to bed, take a close look at your belly in the mirror. If deep relief marks remain on the body, this means that swelling of the anterior abdominal wall has appeared. In this case, consult a doctor immediately, since swelling during pregnancy is a very dangerous phenomenon. Remember that this condition may be caused by poor kidney function or high blood pressure (hypertension).
Hair growth on belly
Do not be upset about excess hair growth on the anterior abdominal wall. The fact is that this is a sign of your baby growing up: the adrenal cortex begins to secrete androgens - male sex hormones. There is no need to remove hair: it is painful and dangerous, and can also cause abdominal pain and worsen your condition. It is better to carefully cut them with small scissors or bleach them with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. More radical hair removal using wax or electricity is best postponed until after the baby is born.
Enhanced pigmentation
During pregnancy, the synthesis of the melanin pigment in a woman’s body increases, due to which pigment spots can appear on the face, and a brown stripe appears on the stomach of some pregnant women from the navel to the womb. During pregnancy, there is no point in “fighting” this stripe, since after childbirth it disappears.
Cellulite during pregnancy
According to modern concepts, cellulite is a condition of a woman’s body in which “locking” of fat deposits filled with toxins occurs. The structure of the cell is disrupted, leading to disruption of water metabolism and normal outflow of blood and lymph. Over time, due to accumulated toxins and fluid pressure, the cells are completely destroyed. The subcutaneous layer becomes dense and lumpy.
There are several stages of cellulite, which is often compared to an orange peel. The initial stage is invisible externally, especially during pregnancy, when overall body weight increases, but you can determine whether there is cellulite or not very simply: on problem areas (hips, buttocks, popliteal hollows) with two fingers - thumb and index - you need to make a thumb pinch, holding a part of the body between your fingers. If the skin in this place is covered with uneven tubercles, which smooth out after you let go of your fingers, this is the initial stage of cellitis, it will get worse - the tubercles and depressions will completely cover the problem area.
Now there is a fairly large arsenal of means to combat cellulite - these are primarily hardware cosmetology and mesotherapy1, but during pregnancy these means are not used, except for the LPG machine. What can help a pregnant woman keep her body smooth and healthy from available home remedies? There are several very effective techniques, but their effectiveness is visible under one important condition - regularity. It is useless to fight cellulite from case to case - only daily preventive procedures will help you maintain good shape.
- Before the shower, rub your body with a mitten made of natural fibers or a brush made of natural bristles, following the law of massage - rising from the feet to the heart. During this procedure, blood circulation is activated, which is important for fluid stagnation due to cellulite.
- While standing in the shower, apply a special body scrub to problem areas and massage the skin in a circular motion for 5-7 minutes. This massage improves microcirculation and relieves puffiness, also exfoliating dead skin cells and thus improving access to nutrients.
- Do a vacuum massage - you will need one or more plastic jars (they are sold at the pharmacy). The procedure can be carried out both during the shower and independently of it. To do this, apply massage oil, cream or shower gel to problem areas (this will help the jar slide easily), then squeeze the jar so that the air comes out of it, apply it tightly to the body so that it pinches part of it, and begin with circular movements or move the jar in a zigzag motion over problem areas - again rising from bottom to top, without affecting the inner thighs: in this area such a procedure is extremely painful. This procedure takes 5-10 minutes, and the main thing in it is not to stop the jar in one place, otherwise a bruise may appear. If there are several cans, you can massage one or two, holding them in different hands, and attach the rest for a short time, for example, in the “breeches” area. Under the influence of such a massage, peripheral circulation of blood, lymph, interstitial fluid improves and, as a result, congestion is eliminated and metabolism in the massaged area is enhanced. It should be noted that cups should not be placed on the stomach, as this can provoke an increase in the tone of the uterus and the threat of miscarriage.
- The same contrast shower will also help you - it’s very good to use a flexible hose to direct water jets under pressure to problem areas, alternating the water temperature from hot to cold. You need to finish the water procedures with cold water.
- After a shower, pat your body dry with a towel and apply anti-cellulite cream or gel to it - such products used during pregnancy may contain vitamin E (its content in the cream increases skin elasticity), as well as products that improve blood flow in the smallest vessels, increase vascular tone and reducing swelling of the legs (horse chestnut, calendula, green tea, seaweed, etc.). Be sure to read the composition of the cream, as some creams may contain phytoestrogens, the action of which is similar to the action of the female hormone estrogen. A large amount of estrogen can adversely affect pregnancy, causing the risk of miscarriage. These are red clover, alfalfa, flax, licorice, red grapes, and hops. And although there is an opinion that phytohormones are not absorbed through the skin, it is not worth the risk.
Instead of cosmetic anti-cellulite products, you can use homeopathic ones - orange oil, fucus oil and others have the same anti-cellulite effect.
By using special tights for pregnant women, which also regulate blood circulation by specially distributed pressure on the legs, you can also combat impaired blood circulation - the cause of cellulite, as well as swelling.
The main thing in caring for your own body is the desire to keep it beautiful and small regular efforts that cannot be called unpleasant - on the contrary, they relax and tone, bringing pleasure to the woman “cleaning her feathers.”
Acceptable norms for weight gain during pregnancy
The components of the gained weight, as a rule, gradually disappear after childbirth. A normal increase already includes: the weight of the fetus (3-4 kg), placenta (about 500 g), amniotic fluid (about 1 kg), enlarged mammary glands (500 g) and uterus (1 kg), and so on.
But if the weight gain was increased, then a lot of effort will need to be made to release it. This includes strict control in nutrition and physical training.
In the first 8 weeks, weight gain is almost unnoticeable, but by the end of the trimester the expectant mother will have to gain 1 - 2 kg. Somewhere from the 30th week, weight gain will be more active, and you will begin to add 300 grams. every week.
The norm can be considered a total increase of no more than 10 - 15 kilograms. But at the same time, as we said above, it is necessary to take into account the individual factors of each person. For example, those who were already overweight should gain no more than 7–10 kg; if they are obese, no more than 6 kg; if twins are expected, then about 16–21 kg.
During the 1st trimester, a pregnant woman’s body only needs to consume 100 kcal more than before (for example, one glass of milk), in the 2nd trimester - this figure is no more than 300 kcal.
Weight gain during pregnancy is a highly individual process. And if someone lost it due to toxicosis in the early stages, then in the following months the body will certainly make up for its deficiency. Some women begin to gain weight from the first days of pregnancy, and then it subsides a little, while others do the opposite.
Remember! If the weight gained does not go beyond the norm, then any of the above situations is completely acceptable.
