Pregnancy makes so many changes to a woman's body. One of the most pronounced changes can result from stretched skin as the body shapes itself to hold your baby for nine months. Proper care of the skin begins in the very earliest months of pregnancy. The skin of the breast and tummy is most often affected by hormonal changes and increased size during pregnancy. Heredity plays a large role in dictating how well your skin returns to its original shape after pregnancy. However, you can control your diet and the amount of weight you gain, and you can improve the elasticity of your skin with lotions.
Instructions
Prevent Sagging Skin After Pregnancy
1. Eat a healthy diet throughout your pregnancy to control weight gain and provide your body adequate nutrients for both you and your baby. Most doctors recommend that women gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. This limits the amount of weight you must lose after the baby is born but it also restricts the stress placed on your skin while carrying the baby. A healthy diet filled with antioxidants helps cleanse your body of impurities as well as promote healthy skin cell growth.
2. Drink plenty of water. Water naturally flushes the system, removing toxins from the body. Adequate water intake also helps keep skin healthy by cleansing the pores. Hydrating yourself properly throughout your pregnancy aids your whole body and your baby, too.
3. Exercise regularly to promote healthy skin as well as improved circulation and to control weight gain. Pregnancy puts a tremendous strain on a woman's body. Blood volume increases to allow your body to nourish both you and your baby. Keeping your body as toned as possible allows for a quicker "recovery time" after delivery. Remember to exercise in moderation and after consulting your doctor on appropriate exercises based on your particular needs as a pregnant woman.
4. Rub vitamin E oil, cocoa butter, and lotion into your tummy, breasts and hips regularly to promote good circulation and improve the moisture levels in your skin. While there's no way to prevent stretch marks, you can keep your skin as healthy as possible.
5. Get back into shape as fast as possible. Allow yourself time to recover from your baby's birth and then begin a sensible regimen of diet and exercise. Use the year after your baby's birth wisely to incorporate gradual but continued weight loss after your baby's birth.
6. Recognize that your skin's elasticity has a lot to do with family history. Your skin produces two proteins called elastin and collagen, which help with skin flexibility. When your body has abundant proteins for skin repair, skin returns to its original shape much more quickly after pregnancy.
Tags: your baby, your body, baby birth, weight gain, your baby birth