Post-Pregnancy Recovery: Hormones, Fitness & Body Changes

The post-pregnancy body undergoes significant hormonal shifts alongside physical changes such as bloating and weight retention. Safely returning to the gym and managing postpartum back pain are essential for a full recovery.

woman measuring her chest

How to Maintain Breast Size After Pregnancy

A woman's breasts can easily grow one to two cup sizes over the course of her pregnancy. But after birth, many women lose this added volume in their breasts, and some women's breasts become even smaller than they were before giving birth.

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Woman with green apple breastfeeding her baby

Which Vitamins Should You Take After Having a Baby?

For the 40 weeks you carry a child, you're constantly concerned about whether the nutrients you're putting into your body are giving your baby what he needs. After you deliver your baby, you shouldn't stop thinking about it -- your body needs the right vitamins to help heal itself.

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elevated close-up view of a doctor handing a new born baby to the mother

The Onset of Allergies After Giving Birth

It's one of the best days of your life. You've given birth to a beautiful baby, but perhaps your bundle of joy is not the only new arrival. You might notice you have developed new allergies after pregnancy. If so, you are not alone. "The New York Times"

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Young mother looking out from the window with her baby 2

Pregnancy Hormones After a Baby

Every woman goes through an immense number of hormonal changes during and after pregnancy. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, hormones have a direct effect on the brain chemistry that controls mood and emotions.

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Parents with double stroller

Your Post-Pregnancy Body After a Second Baby

Pregnancy is generally less mysterious and nerve wracking the second time around. You've been through the cravings, contractions and labor and delivery, so you know what to expect. What may come as a surprise is the way your body has changed after your second pregnancy.

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portrait fitness training athletic sporty woman doing plank exercise in

Exercises to Strengthen Muscles After C-Section

Having a baby is traumatic and stressful on your body. If you underwent a c-section, you have even more to recover from. A c-section consists of major abdominal surgery, which results in pain and tenderness in your abdomen and leaves you with noticeable fatigue.

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Repercussions of Exercising Too Soon After a C-Section

A Cesarean or C-section procedure involves making a surgical incision to remove your baby. C-sections are recommended if you have a complicated pregnancy, such as your baby being in a breach position, that does not enable you to deliver in a traditional manner.

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Athlete woman doing abdominal crunches exercise Side view concept fitness

Good Exercises for a Person Who Had a C-Section

After having a baby, it's normal to want to start exercising and get back into shape as soon as you can. If you gave birth via C-section, though, you may have to hold off until your body has healed, BabyCenter says.

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How Soon After C-Section Can You Start Exercising?

A C-section, or cesarean section, is necessary when a vaginal birth is not possible. Recovery time takes longer after a C-section than after a vaginal birth. Although you can be released from the hospital two to four days after the surgery, you will still need to spend several weeks recovering at home.

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Pregnant female choosing between broccoli in glass bowl and vitamins

Pregnancy & Bloating After Eating

Your body changes in many ways during pregnancy. One of the changes that might be quite apparent from the very beginning of pregnancy is that your digestive tract slows down significantly to help you extract nutrients from your food. Unfortunately, this can lead to uncomfortable bloating and gas after eating.

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Woman looking down at baby sleeping

Weight-Loss Supplements for Post-Baby Body

After 40 weeks of watching your body change and grow, it's tempting to jump right into losing weight after delivery. However, slow down a bit -- your body has been through a massive ordeal. If you're breast-feeding, dieting can destroy your milk supply.

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How to Prevent Breast Sagging After Pregnancy

Sagging breasts are a common concern for a pregnant woman. Unfortunately, sagging breasts are in a large part genetic. It is also normal for breast tissue to sag with age, regardless of whether a woman ever gives birth. This doesn't mean that preventing or slowing down the process of breast sagging is impossible.

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newborn baby in the arms of mother

Your First Period After Having a Baby

After you give birth, you’ll enter the postpartum time, which lasts approximately six weeks, according to the Cigna website. During postpartum, your body gradually returns to its prepregnancy state. Eventually, your periods will resume, too.

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Pregnancy After Taking the Plan B Pill

Plan B, also called emergency contraception, prevents unwanted pregnancies after unprotected sex or if the first form of birth control, like a condom, fails. The hormone in Plan B, levonorgestrel, keeps the ovaries from releasing an egg. Drugs.

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Precious Family Moments

How to Lose Water Weight After Pregnancy

Once you deliver a baby and settle into a routine, your mind might wander to shedding the weight you gained during pregnancy. Although you'll leave the hospital slightly lighter, having birthed your baby, you'll still have some extra pounds lingering on your frame. Part of this weight gain is retained water.

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