Pregnancy largely impacts the core muscles to accommodate the growing baby. Photo / 123RF
Pregnancy largely impacts the core muscles to accommodate the growing baby. Photo / 123RF
By Danielle Zoellner
Serena Williams and Lara Trump welcomed their newborns this month after both being open about how they stayed physically fit during their pregnancies.
Two weeks ago, Williams gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. but has admitted over Instagram that the birth wasn't easy.
President Donald Trump became a grandfather for the ninth time after daughter-in-law Lara Trump had her son Eric 'Luke' Trump on Tuesday morning, reports Daily Mail.
Both women were open about staying physically fit during pregnancy, but it isn't always easy for the body to bounce back.
Pregnancy can weaken a woman's core and pelvic floor muscles and make it hard for them to return to the physical shape they had before having a baby.
Daily Mail Online spoke with Brittany Citron, founder of PROnatal Fitness in NYC, about the challenges women face both physically and mentally after having a baby and how they can overcome them.
How pregnancy impacts the core muscles
A woman's body goes through extreme changes during the nine months of pregnancy in order to accommodate the growing baby.
Serena Williams with her baby Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.
The abdominal muscles and pelvic floor are altered during pregnancy to accommodate the growing baby.
Citron explained that the abdominal muscles can separate, which is called diastasis recti or the post-baby pooch.
The job of these muscles is to help support the back and organs, and by having those spread apart it can cause physical problems for the woman.
Citron recommends when a woman is getting back into exercises that she should work her abdominals from the inside out in order to get them back to where they used to be.
One exercise that women can start right after they have their baby is belly breathing.
"It's a critical foundation for building your core muscles back," Citron said.
Belly breathing works the transverse abdominal and diaphragm, both are located in the inner part of the core.
"Both (exercises) can be started immediately after delivery," Citron said.
Getting back into the gym: Experts say to take your time
One challenge after pregnancy is deciding when it is the right time to get back into the gym in order to get the body back to what it used to be.
"Moms do have to be patient with themselves," Citron said. "It took nine months to get their body to where it was, so it will take just as long if not longer to get back."
The body needs time to bounce back from the transformation it made, so stress can be added if the woman is too focused on getting her old body back.
Citron warns against women putting too much pressure on themselves right after giving birth because it could result in an injury.
"You can't start exercising until you are cleared by your doctor," Citron said.
Changes in a woman's body that can occur after pregnancy
A woman's body can go through a variety of changes after nine months of accommodating a baby.
Women might experience:
Perineum soreness
This is the area between the vagina and rectum that is stretched during labor. Kegel exercises, a warm bath or a cold compress can help relieve the pain while it heals.
Breast enlargement
The breasts will grow as the body prepares milk to feed the baby. It should go away once breastfeeding starts.
The nipples are not used to producing milk or being latched onto all the time by a baby. This can cause pain, discomfort and even cracking in the area during the first few days after birth. There is special cream doctors can give to help.
Exhaustion
This is common because your body just went through a marathon to have the child. And now there is a baby that is up every couple of hours.
It is recommended to always sleep when the baby sleeps and to avoid sweets that can keep you up.
The skin will get stretched during pregnancy. Stretch marks can occur on the stomach, breasts, thighs and butt. There are creams to help remedy the marks.
Also, some women report hair loss or hair thinning after pregnancy. This can occur because of the dramatic hormone change that happens once a woman has given birth.
Source: March of Dimes
Core strengthening exercises are important. Photo / 123RF
How to do belly breathing and kegel exercises to improve the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles
Belly breathing and kegel exercises are critical after a woman gives birth to help rebuild her muscles.
And these exercises can be started right after the labor is over.
