Pregnancy and Body Changes
Planning on being pregnant or are already pregnant? There may be some body changes that you never expected. Your sex drive may take a dive. The reason for this is due to estrogen levels that drop down to levels they were before childbirth. This change means that a woman’s sex drive is most likely fairly low. However, it will rebound with time. For some women it may take up to a year for this to return to normal.
Some women expect their belly to return to its normal size right after birth. However, it will take about 6-8 weeks before the uterus is back to its original size. While recovering, performing core exercises that focus on the belly can help tone the belly.
Women may also notice their shoe size change. Increased weight and a release of a hormone called relaxin can contribute to an increased shoe size. The increased weight causes the body to flatten out the arches of the foot and relaxin loosens the ligaments in the feet.
Cup size and sagging breasts can also be a concern for some women. The breasts tend to get bigger before and after birth, however after breastfeeding they drop in size but become saggy. The more children you have the saggier they become.
In addition to all of these hair loss is also a concern after pregnancy. During pregnancy the elevated estrogen levels keeps the hair from falling out at its normal rate. After pregnancy, the hair has to “catch up” by falling out. However, this effect is only temporary and returns to normal 6 -12 months after pregnancy.
Women cannot expect their bodies to completely bounce back after pregnancy. Even with the proper diet and exercise the body will be significantly different after pregnancy. The good news is that plastic surgery has become more socially acceptable. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has reported that breast augmentations have increased by 35% in the past decade, breast lifts by 69% and tummy tucks by 70%.
However, some people don’t think about the recovery time after surgery and it may take weeks before you can pick up your children or of the scarring that some procedures may have. It is important to first consult your doctor before considering any procedures to make sure it is the right procedure for you.