Pregnancy can be claimed as a new beginning to a woman’s life. One of the biggest turning points in a woman’s life is becoming a mother. While most of us give a lot of care and attention to a pregnant woman, we fail to do the same to a new mother. A woman who just gave birth a baby needs same attention and care she was given while she was pregnant. It is normal for a woman to gain weight after the delivery. But it needs to be prevented.
One of the main reason why a woman starts to gather more weight after a normal delivery is their food intake. They continue to follow the similar diet which they had while they were pregnant which are rich in fat and carbohydrates. Many women wrongly assume it is the way to regain their lost energy during delivery. Many women spend most of their time at rest after childbirth. They need a little work and mild exercise after the delivery. Caretaker of the woman needs to be watchful about these. In some families in India, new mothers are hardly allowed to do any work. Relatives, father, and mother take astonishing levels of care on the new mothers. We cannot deny it is the expression of their love, but they are unconscious about the harm it can bring forth to the new mother.
Women who had undergone cesarian surgery for childbirth will take a little time to recover and continue with their normal activities. They won’t be able to indulge in any physical exercise. Due to this reason, their uterus will take little longer to contract and return to its normal form. This leads to bloating in their stomach. Additionally, they are given foods rich in fat, carbohydrates, and sweet. This leads to excessive weight gain. Some women undergo stress and tension during pregnancy. This affects their mental health. This leads to emotional instability. They experience constant mood swings, get angry for no apparent reason, start a verbal war with their family members and much more. This is also a part of difficulties attached to pregnancy. These women start to eat more due to mental imbalance.
Some tips to prevent weight gain after pregnancy
- A balanced diet helps with reducing weight after delivery, but restricting diet is not the way to go about it.
- Most essential part of being a new mother is breastfeeding. It is very vital for the baby’s growth and health. You need to consume nutrients rich food during this period. So do not be in a hurry to start the dieting process.
- Your food needs to be rich in nutrients, but at the same time do not consume way too many calories.
- Drink a lot of water along with your food. When you drink more water, you cannot eat more food.
- Consume foods rich in fiber content. This will retard the absorption of sugar in the blood. Additionally, fiber-rich foods will make you feel full more easily. Fruits, vegetables, beans, black rice, whole grains, barley, and oats are some common foods that are rich in fiber.
- Avoid sugar and sweets as much as possible. Sugar literally contains zero nutrients. You can replace sugar with honey if needed.
- Avoid fat-rich foods.
- Take more time to chew the food you put in the mouth before swallowing it.
- Foods you consume must be freshly prepared. It should have a little water content. Consume the foods while it is warm. Do not reheat the foods and consume. Avoid consuming leftovers.
- Ensure your food contains fennel seeds, ginger, mustard, turmeric, fenugreek, cinnamon, garlic (needs to be roasted before consumption).
- It is enough if you consume meat once in two weeks. Avoid coffee, tea, white sugar, raw vegetables, and dry fruits.
- Take a little oil massage before going for a bath.
- There are special belts available that grips tightly onto the abdomen. Use these belts continuously for 42 days to make the stomach to reach its normalcy.
- Haritaki has many medicinal properties. It cleanses the stomach. Reduces levels of bad fats in the body. Take a teaspoon of Haritaki skin powder and mix it with a glass of warm water. Drink this before going to sleep.
- Finally, practice mild exercise regularly. This will greatly help with your weight loss plans. But do it with Doctor’s advice and directions.
Further Reading:
