Let’s start this blog off with what I believe would be its theme song… In the famous lyrics of Guy Sebastian:
“These battle scars don't look like they're fading. Don't look like they're ever going away. They ain't never gonna change. These battle scars.”
But mama, it’s going to be okay.
Show of hands mamas who had weight and body image on their mind their entire pregnancy, even pre-pregnancy? It’s somehow embarrassing right? We are the creators of beautiful little (soul-sucking) humans but we are so conscious of our appearance that it stresses us out! We’re here to tell you that pregnancy doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to the body confidence you once had. It’s just being open to falling in love with yourself again, regardless of the battle scars.
Now if you’re one of those women who have bounced back to your pre-baby weight days after birth, Congratu-freakin-lations. You’re one out of around five hundred women who isn’t struggling with their health and body image postpartum. But if you’re in the larger percentile, I’m here to tell you that it’s okay that your body has changed. And it doesn’t necessarily mean these changes are permanent.
So without further jibba jabba… here’s our:
TIPS TO GET YOUR BODY BACK POSTPARTUM
Rest & Recover
Mama, doctors compare birth to running a marathon. Personally I think it’s more like 3 consecutive days of marathons followed by a few months of all night rave parties you didn’t want to attend. But I don’t have a PHD so what do I actually know? Anyway… Your body has just gone through something tremendous, so give yourself a break. You don’t have to jump into working out the day you leave the hospital. Give your body time to heal internally before putting even more pressure on it.
We 100% recommend the forty days of rest after birth… If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can read more about it here. But to give you the jist… you spend the forty days post-birth (or the fourth trimester) resting and in bed while others wait on you and your baby for EVERYTHING. Seriously mama, if you’re in the position to take advantage of this, DO IT. When will you get another chance to spend 40 days in bed?! I’ll give you a hint. Starts with N and ends in EVER.
Start Slow
Okay so your resting period has expired, but where do you start?
6 weeks postpartum you will have a follow up appointment with your doctor. Start there. Talk through any concerns you may have and seek advice on how to proceed considering your own personal journey and any limitations.
If you couldn’t wait until the 6-week appointment to get the all clear for more intense exercise, there’s a few things you could be doing from home if you felt up to it:
- Kegels – This simple exercise with strengthen your pelvic floor muscles that may or may not have been compromised during birth. You’ve heard of incontinence right? Do your kegels and you’ll never have to about peeing yourself when you sneeze, laugh to hard or attempt your first body pump class postpartum (this happened to a friend of mine, definitely not me. (Okay it was me)). If you have no idea how to do these, the simplest way I can explain it is that next time you go to the toilet, try to stop midstream. The muscles you use to do this are your pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening these muscles is an important first step in getting your body back postpartum. As I said, the healing needs to start internally.
- Slow walks with bub – Let me re-iterate… SLOW. Don’t push yourself mama. I know you’re eager to lose that baby weight but you’re not going to do yourself any favours by injuring yourself.
- Gentle yoga – Again… Gentle. I’m talking childs pose, a bit of cat & cow action and my personal favourite savasana. Definitely no headstands, splits or arm balances. Take your time mama, you’ll get there.
Nutrition
We all know that weight loss is 20% exercise and 80% the foods we fuel our bodies with, right? Easier said than done! Motherhood is chaotic, so let’s be honest… who else is guilty of shovelling whatever food they can get their hands on in their mouths between nappy changes, breastfeeding and keeping on top of housework? Chocolate, lollies, pop tarts… anything readily available in the fridge or pantry that didn’t require preparation or cooking ends up straight down the pie hole. Am I right? … not ideal when you’re trying to get your body back postpartum.
I know you’re going to roll your eyes when I tell you this (you’re already doing it aren’t you?) but the key is to be organised. I know you’re tired mama but your future, drained af, self is going to thank you for it. Know what kind of foods to nourish your postpartum body with and be prepared. Write a meal plan for the week, save time by ordering your groceries
online and meal prep mama! Try to cook in bulk and maximise any space you have in your freezer. Better yet, tell anyone who visits you to bring a frozen meal.
Now let’s talk food’s that you’ll want to be eating:
Soups
Now hear me out because this one is important. Postpartum you’re gonna be thirsty… you could drink 2 litres of water at once and still feel parched. During birth you lose a lot of water from your body, so any opportunity to add more will benefit you! Pack as many vegies as you can in that soup and freeze them!
Green Vegetables
Of course all vegetables are going to aid your body in recovery, but consciously try to add more green vegetables into your meals. They’re a great source of vitamin C, antioxidants & iron. (A tip I use to insert more greens into my kids (& husbands) diet is to blend all of the
vegetables into a sauce or soup before adding anything you want to keep chunky. They won’t even notice #mumhack).
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are high in nutrients, including Vitamin A. Vitamin A is an essential for re building a strong immune system and setting your body up for a great recovery postpartum. Breastfeeding mamas will also pass this through their breastmilk, giving bub an extra boost too!
Oats
You need your fibre ladies! If not for any other reason than to keep your toilet trips as painless as possible! Add some banana for that extra fibre kick! The protein won’t hurt either, which brings me to one of the most important things to know about getting your body back postpartum…
Protein!
Protein is SO IMPORTANT postpartum! It’s protein that will allow your body to recover fully, repair all of those damaged cells and make way for growth of new ones! So let’s talk protein rich foods that’ll give you your pre-baby glow back:
- Nuts
- Eggs
- Chicken breast
- Tuna
- Hummus
- Beans…
If none of these foods have left your mouth watering, we’ve got some good news for you…
We’ve designed a special product that will not only fill your body with all of the protein and nutrients it needs post-birth but that also tastes de-fricken-licious! Introducing the:
Yas Queen Vegan Protein Smoothie
This product was designed specifically with mamas in mind. We want to help you regain your pre-baby confidence as well as your ‘Queen’ status. Because mama you grew and nurtured a tiny human and b*tch if that doesn’t classify you as royalty we’re not sure what does.
We want to give you the confidence you deserve to nourish your new body and the achievements it has given you. The Yas Queen Protein Smoothie will give your body the protein kick it needs to recover post-birth, post workouts and post tantrums. It’s also jam packed full of nutrient rich superfoods as well as coconut mct oil, probiotics and digestive enzymes.
You can feel confident in knowing that you are boosting your health while also curing that 3pm sugar craving! It’s also vegan friendly, gluten free, dairy free and gut friendly.
But I’ve saved the best for last… All you have to do is add 2 scoops into either milk or water, shake that puppy up and off you go! Delicious, easy to make and full of ingredients your body will thank you for!
Breastfeed
If weight loss wasn’t a great excuse to keep breastfeeding, I’m not sure what is! Breastfeeding mamas are said to burn up to an additional 500 calories per day! That’s the equivalent to 60 minutes of high intensity training!
P.S. If you’re worried about supply issues, we’ve also have a specialised lactation support protein powder that will send your milk-makers into overdrive. Check it out here.
Manifestation & Mantras
Okay, if you’re a skeptic maybe skip this one, but mama, this sh*t works! Give yourself a daily mantra that will give you that gentle reminder of what your body has accomplished. Chanting a simple “thank you, I love you” to your body when looking at your new precious baby will give your subconscious permission to not only accept these changes but to embrace them.
What’s that saying… Acting confident will lead to confidence? Fake it until you make it? Something along those lines. Embracing yourself and all of its changes will keep you in a positive mindset that will empower the Queen we know is inside of you.
Okay Queens, let’s recap:
- Rest is the first and most important step in getting your body back postpartum - Nutrition. Fuel your body with nutrient rich foods.
- Breastfeed if you can &
- Gentle exercise to begin with. You need to be able to walk before you can run!
If for any reason you are struggling with negative thoughts around your postpartum weight, we encourage you to speak with your doctor. It’s a slippery slope when it comes to body negativity post-birth and accepting all of the postpartum changes. Keep in mind there is nothing to be ashamed of AT ALL and a stressed out Mama is no good for anyone.
You’re doing amazing.
Peace out mama ✌️