Loose belly skin with unsightly stretch marks is one of the common body issues that many women face after pregnancy. While some of the weight gained during pregnancy is lost during childbirth, it typically takes time and effort to lose the remaining weight and address issues like saggy skin and muscles. Even if you had the flattest stomach of all before pregnancy, there are very low chances that it will automatically return to normal. After giving birth you will have to work a little hard to tighten loose skin and muscles.
There are numerous clinical procedures available to help you tone up your tummy muscles after pregnancy but you can achieve similar results even without medical intervention. Here are some tips on how to recover from this problem without undergoing expensive surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures:
Give your tummy muscles some time:
If you believe that your abdominal skin and muscles are not overly saggy, give it time. Your body needs at least six to eight weeks to recover from all the pressure that it experiences during the last few months of pregnancy. Give it due time to see any improvement.
Consume a belly fat-busting diet:
Even after giving birth, you will still be left with some fat on your tummy that will keep your belly loose and saggy. To regain a flat, firm tummy start eating belly fat-busting foods. While foods high in monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, olive oil, and avocados, are part of a healthy diet, no food specifically targets abdominal fat. Regular exercise and a balanced diet overall are the key to fat loss. Also avoid high-calorie foods, such as fast foods, deep-fried foods, red meat, and sweets.
Work on ab muscles:
Indulge yourself into activities and workouts that involve abdominal muscles. Exercise is the best way to tone skin and muscles in any part of the body. Crunches and reverse crunches can help to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Perform three sets of 20 to 30 repetitions of these two exercises daily to see significant improvement in the sagginess of abdominal muscles. However, a variety of exercises and overall weight loss are often required to see changes in abdominal skin tightness.
See some plastic surgeons:
If you fail to tighten loose skin and muscles despite trying the above tips and tricks, better make an appointment with a renowned plastic surgeon. Laser skin tightening is the latest non-invasive technique used for tightening loose skin. Excessive sagging may require surgical intervention, such as an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), but this should be discussed with a healthcare provider.