Shift your post-birth weight

Fed up with your mummy tummy (and bottom, and boobs…)? Then read on for our guide to shifting that stubborn flab

Giving birth is great. Not only do you have your wonderful baby to show for it, but you also lose the bump that’s been taking over your body for the past few months. Kind of. Pregnancy does funny things to your figure, and we all have some ‘it-didn’t-look-like-that-before’ body parts. But with a little effort, you’ll soon be looking in the mirror with confidence again.

‘The difficult part is finding time to exercise,’ says fitness expert and nutritionist Nicki Waterman. ‘Ideally, find someone to look after your baby for 30 to 60 minutes, a few times a week. If this isn’t realistic, you can do strength training and stretching at home, and get cardiovascular exercise when you’re out pushing the buggy.’

When it comes to diet, concentrate on low-fat, high-fibre, vitamin-packed food – fresh fruit and veg, lean meat, fish, soya or tofu, and wholegrain pasta, bread and rice. Nicki suggests waiting two months before beginning any diet, to let your body recover and to establish a good milk supply if you’re breastfeeding. ‘If you consume no less than 1,800 calories per day and lose no more than 4lb per month, it won’t affect your milk or your baby’s growth,’ she says.

Before you start, ask your GP if it’s safe to begin exercising – the usual guidelines are four to six weeks after a vaginal delivery, maybe longer after a caesarean. Avoid sudden or jarring movements – the hormone relaxin, produced during pregnancy to loosen your muscles and joints in preparation for labour, hangs around for up to six months, and can cause strains.

Finally, enjoy it! ‘Exercise will help you boost your energy, sleep better and lose weight,’ says Nicki. What new mum wouldn’t want that?

Wobbly bit: tummy

‘Your waistline can increase by up to 60cm during pregnancy,’ says antenatal and postnatal personal trainer Samantha Fuery. The trick here is not to do countless crunches (hooray!) but to work on stomach pull-ins. Here are Samantha’s tips.

Abdominal compressions: do these sitting or standing for the first few sessions, then move on to all fours. Pull in your tummy towards your spine, hold for five seconds, then release. Repeat 10 times. Increase the hold to 10 seconds when you feel ready.

Pelvic tilts: do these standing straight or on your back. Pull in abdominal muscles and curl pelvis forward until it’s in line with your spine. Hold for five to 10 seconds, then release. Repeat 10 times.

Cat stretch: on all fours, slowly arch your spine to the ceiling, hold for five seconds, then lower. Repeat 10 times.

Pamper yourself: Try Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Cream from Mama Mio (£21.99, beautybay.com), with shea butter, borage oil and wheatgerm oil.

Wobbly bit: boobs

Pregnancy and breastfeeding may make your boobs change shape and feel softer. But sagging and stretching is caused by lack of support both before and after the birth, so make sure you buy a good sports bra for working out. Exercise will build up the pectoral muscles beneath your boobs, giving you extra va-va-voom.

Wall press-ups: Stand facing a wall, with the palms of your hands pressed against it at shoulder height. Move your feet back slightly, then bend your arms so that your torso comes close to the wall. Your heels should come off the floor so that your arms support all your weight. Push back to starting position and repeat 10 to 12 times.

Arm row: ‘This exercise will stretch out the chest and strengthen your back, lifting your boobs in the process,’ says personal trainer Kathryn Freeland. Raise your arms so that your elbows are bent to the side at shoulder height and your hands are in front of your chest. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and down, holding for a few seconds. Repeat 10 to 12 times.

Pamper yourself: Clarins Bust Beauty Gel (£33, uk.clarins.com) is recommended after pregnancy to tighten slack skin. And it smells lovely!

Wobbly bit: back

After nine months supporting your bump, not to mention carrying your little one around afterwards, your back needs some TLC. Start with your posture – stand tall, with your tummy in, whether you’re pushing the buggy or winding your baby. Follow up with Kathryn Freeland’s back-to-basics tips:

Superman: Lie on your tummy with your arms straight out in front of you. Lift your right arm and left leg a couple of centimetres off the floor, hold for a couple of seconds, then repeat on the opposite side. Do two sets of 10 to 12 on each side.

Tabletop: Position yourself on all fours. Lift your right arm to shoulder height and your left leg to bum height, keeping your tummy in and hips square. Hold for a couple of seconds, then repeat on the opposite side. Do two sets of 10 to 12 on each side.

Pamper yourself: Champneys Muscle Soothing Mineral Bath Soak (£6/300ml) from selected Sainsbury’s stores contains vitamin-rich seaweed extract to revive tired muscles.

Wobbly bit: bum

‘Pregnancy causes your hip flexors (the muscles at the front of the hips) to tighten, which in turn weakens your bottom muscles,’ says Kathryn Freeland. The answer is to stretch out those flexors with gentle squeezes for your bum, before moving on to exercises that tighten your gluteus maximus (your butt), quadriceps (front of the thighs) and hamstrings (back of the thighs).

Hip flexor stretch: Lie on your tummy and bend your right knee so that you can catch your ankle. Pull it into your bottom while pushing your right hip into the floor – you should feel a stretch along the short tendon that runs vertically along the front of your hip area. Hold for 20 seconds, then release and repeat on left side.

Bum squeezes: Simply tighten and release your bottom muscles throughout the day – when you’re feeding your baby, on the phone, out walking…

Lunges: Put your right leg straight in front of you and bend your knee; your left knee should drop towards the floor. Straighten legs and repeat 12 times. Repeat on the left side.

Pamper yourself: Try Elle MacPherson Firm & Flawless Body Lotion (£6.95, Boots) for a bum like a supermodel.

Wobbly bit: thighs

In pregnancy, you need to gain weight around the abdomen to protect your baby, but any excess will go wherever you have a tendency to store fat – so if you’re pear-shaped, that means your thighs. Try Samantha Fuery’s workouts to tone those saddlebags:

Inner thigh raise: Lie on your right side, resting on your right elbow and with your left hand in front of your body to support you. Bring your left knee forward and place it on the floor. Tighten your tummy muscles. Lift your right leg, keeping the knee soft, hold and return to start. Repeat 10 times, then roll over and repeat with left leg.

Outer thigh raise: Lie on your right side, as above, but bend your left leg and straighten your right leg. Gently lift your right leg about 30cm to 45cm from the floor and lower. Repeat 10 times, then roll over and repeat with left leg.

Pamper yourself: Balance Me Super Oil (£15, balanceme.co.uk) targets cellulite and boosts your mood. Perfect.

The perfect pelvic floor exercise

Everyone says we have to do them, but why? ‘The pelvic floor muscles form a hammock that supports the pelvic organs and provides sphincter control of the vagina, urethra and anus,’ says Nicki Waterman.

In other words, if they’re weak, you’re at risk of leaking wee and wind. ‘It’s essential that you strengthen this muscle before attempting any other exercise,’ says Nicki. Here’s how…

• Release your vaginal muscles as if you’re about to have a wee.

• Contract the muscles up and in, as if you’re stopping yourself weeing. Hold for five counts and breathe normally.

• Release, then repeat as often as you can until your muscles begin to tire. As you get stronger, hold the position longer.

M&B help for you

Nicki Waterman nickwaterman.com
Samantha Fuery 07973 815271
Kathryn Freeland absolutefitness.co.uk