Pregnancy is a massive milestone for any woman. It changes your very body, both during and after birth. The changes don’t always revert back to your pre-pregnancy days, either. In fact, it is so rare that tabloids are still gushing when an actress manages to get her pre-baby body back – and those actresses have access to the best trainers, doctors, and the ability to invest in high-end reconstruction surgery.
Learning to love your body again after pregnancy is a must, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot change it. With this guide you’ll get more of your body back and learn to love how you look now:
Exercise and Connect With Your Body
Don’t exercise to punish your body. Exercise to connect with your body. Yoga, for example, is as spiritual as it is great for your fitness. It can help you feel connected to your body in ways you may have missed since giving birth. It is also far easier on your body while you are still recovering from birth.
There are several types of exercises that work to help improve your relationship with your body. As you heal and recover, you can slowly move on from this and instead start exercising normally again, but first you need to feel like one within your own skin.
Consider Reconstructive Surgery
Pregnancy and birth are very difficult on the body. The entire body shifts, and things occasionally tear or get stretched out in ways that cannot return naturally. Though some may argue that you should learn to love your new body, that is far from the reality for many women. Many women experience body dysmorphic disorder, which is a mental illness that causes women to develop unrealistic and unhealthy body image that can greatly affect their self-worth and self-esteem.
While working to love your new form is important, there are instances where it is far more effective to simply get your old body back. Reconstructive surgery is a great option to help you feel more like yourself again and can help you be confident in your body. Examples of reconstructive surgery range from labiaplasty to abdominoplasty. You will need to wait a few months for the body to return as much as possible to its old self naturally. For example, you will need to wait around six months before getting started with an expert in labiaplasty, like David Ghozland.
Consider Therapy
While working to improve how you look can help, it is not a catch-all for your problems. Therapy can help you talk through your fears, your concerns, and your problems. Therapy is not like psychiatric care. Therapy is there for you in any way that you need it, and today it can even be enjoyed remotely from the comfort of your own home.
You should also consider finding a group to join. Group therapy, particularly if it is led (which stops it from becoming accidentally toxic) can help you find others who are also experiencing dysmorphia after birth and feel connected to those also on their journey of recovery.