Sure, bringing life to earth through your own body is an amazing
experience and you will probably be enamored with your child. These are
the reasons women always state that the changes your body goes through
during and after pregnancy are worth it.
I agree, but as a person who suffered Tokophobia (the fear of pregnancy) before I got pregnant, it's knowing the science behind the physical changes and the body's ability to bounce back that brings much more peace to me.
Women before me made it all seem so horrid, that after this experience I'd be changed forever, mentally in a positive way, but physically in a negative way.
This has not been my experience and I want to share as much accurate, down to earth, body and birth positive information I can so here are some of the truths that contradict the misinformation I was given and many others are continued to be given.
Linea Nigra and stretch marks fade over time.
Linea Nigra is the darkening of an invisible line we've all had even pre-pregnancy. Your hormonal changes have caused it to darken with higher levels of pigmentation.
It runs vertically across the belly, through the belly button. This line will remain after birth for a few months up to a year and for some, very few women, it won't completely go away, but will majorly fade.
The same is true for stretch marks. While skin is stretching they may appear pink, red, or purplish and post birth they may fade to white/silvery. They will fade significantly between 6 and 12 months postpartum.
Breastfeeding does not ruin your breasts.
It's been a long-held misconception that your breasts will suffer from breastfeeding, but new studies suggest otherwise. In a study interviewing women who complained of Ptosis (sagging breasts), there was no difference in the amount of complaint from women who had breastfed versus women who did not. Sagging breasts are caused by more important affecting factors such as aging and smoking cigarettes which breaks down the breast's elastin.
It is more scientifically accurate to blame any Ptosis you may have suffered from the experience of pregnancy itself and not the breastfeeding afterward.
Now to address the condition of your breasts, both postpartum and post breastfeeding, no matter the cause of your Ptosis (which will also vary in degree based on other factors such as genetics or weight). The deflation that occurs when you wean or decrease in milk supply is more abundant just after the fact, but you can expect more fat tissue to return to the breast over the course of the next 6 months so don't assume the appearance you currently have is the one you will be left with.
Breastfeeding doesn't necessarily mean more weight loss.
While breastfeeding may increase weight loss due to the burning of an extra 500 or more calories per day, your appetite also increases and without being checked could cause weight gain or a stand-still. Even if you've lost most of the weight you gained during pregnancy, your body's natural response to breastfeeding is to hold onto a percentage of fat (usually 5-10 pounds) to insure your milk supply is safe because your body would use the fat to make milk in case of an emergency.
Most women's vaginas return to a state pretty close to pre-pregnancy.
Whatever the reason you are afraid of your vagina not returning to "normal", you should be comforted by this. Although your insides may have "re-arranged" a bit due to delivery and being stitched up, you will not notice any significant visual changes from the outside of your vagina.
Depending on the birth you had, how you were "re-arranged", the amount of time you allow to lapse before having sex the first time, and how often you exercise your pelvic floor post delivery, sex may feel different for both parties.
There is no need to worry about this however because I think the most significant factor here is the amount of time you take to heal before engaging in sex.
I may have healed my 8 lb 9 oz birth wounds, but my body had not completely moved my body parts and organs back to where they were originally, including my hips, uterus, and vaginal walls. For the sake of honesty and saving someone some fear and insecurity, I felt like my vagina was larger for months after my body was "healed".
Your vaginal walls will return mostly, if not all the way back to where they once were and sex will feel similarly as it did before for both parties.
You will not find men complaining about this factor much on the internet, if at all.
It seems they hardly notice or love you so much they do not care and just want to be intimate with you even if it is different.
So there you have 4 truths you can embrace about your postpartum body and its changes.
There is even more information regarding assisting the processes and improving many of the things what you might be uncomfortable or insecure about postpartum.
Some things even improve naturally because of having been pregnant and breastfeeding! Your body will definitely be different, but it doesn't have to be worse and it definitely has the potential to be even better than your pre-pregnancy body.
Share this article with someone you know having a hard time in their 4th trimester. There is accurate body positive information out there and it can't be shared enough.
I agree, but as a person who suffered Tokophobia (the fear of pregnancy) before I got pregnant, it's knowing the science behind the physical changes and the body's ability to bounce back that brings much more peace to me.
Women before me made it all seem so horrid, that after this experience I'd be changed forever, mentally in a positive way, but physically in a negative way.
This has not been my experience and I want to share as much accurate, down to earth, body and birth positive information I can so here are some of the truths that contradict the misinformation I was given and many others are continued to be given.
Linea Nigra and stretch marks fade over time.
Linea Nigra is the darkening of an invisible line we've all had even pre-pregnancy. Your hormonal changes have caused it to darken with higher levels of pigmentation.
It runs vertically across the belly, through the belly button. This line will remain after birth for a few months up to a year and for some, very few women, it won't completely go away, but will majorly fade.
The same is true for stretch marks. While skin is stretching they may appear pink, red, or purplish and post birth they may fade to white/silvery. They will fade significantly between 6 and 12 months postpartum.
Breastfeeding does not ruin your breasts.
It's been a long-held misconception that your breasts will suffer from breastfeeding, but new studies suggest otherwise. In a study interviewing women who complained of Ptosis (sagging breasts), there was no difference in the amount of complaint from women who had breastfed versus women who did not. Sagging breasts are caused by more important affecting factors such as aging and smoking cigarettes which breaks down the breast's elastin.
It is more scientifically accurate to blame any Ptosis you may have suffered from the experience of pregnancy itself and not the breastfeeding afterward.
Now to address the condition of your breasts, both postpartum and post breastfeeding, no matter the cause of your Ptosis (which will also vary in degree based on other factors such as genetics or weight). The deflation that occurs when you wean or decrease in milk supply is more abundant just after the fact, but you can expect more fat tissue to return to the breast over the course of the next 6 months so don't assume the appearance you currently have is the one you will be left with.
Breastfeeding doesn't necessarily mean more weight loss.
While breastfeeding may increase weight loss due to the burning of an extra 500 or more calories per day, your appetite also increases and without being checked could cause weight gain or a stand-still. Even if you've lost most of the weight you gained during pregnancy, your body's natural response to breastfeeding is to hold onto a percentage of fat (usually 5-10 pounds) to insure your milk supply is safe because your body would use the fat to make milk in case of an emergency.
Most women's vaginas return to a state pretty close to pre-pregnancy.
Whatever the reason you are afraid of your vagina not returning to "normal", you should be comforted by this. Although your insides may have "re-arranged" a bit due to delivery and being stitched up, you will not notice any significant visual changes from the outside of your vagina.
Depending on the birth you had, how you were "re-arranged", the amount of time you allow to lapse before having sex the first time, and how often you exercise your pelvic floor post delivery, sex may feel different for both parties.
There is no need to worry about this however because I think the most significant factor here is the amount of time you take to heal before engaging in sex.
I may have healed my 8 lb 9 oz birth wounds, but my body had not completely moved my body parts and organs back to where they were originally, including my hips, uterus, and vaginal walls. For the sake of honesty and saving someone some fear and insecurity, I felt like my vagina was larger for months after my body was "healed".
Your vaginal walls will return mostly, if not all the way back to where they once were and sex will feel similarly as it did before for both parties.
You will not find men complaining about this factor much on the internet, if at all.
It seems they hardly notice or love you so much they do not care and just want to be intimate with you even if it is different.
So there you have 4 truths you can embrace about your postpartum body and its changes.
There is even more information regarding assisting the processes and improving many of the things what you might be uncomfortable or insecure about postpartum.
Some things even improve naturally because of having been pregnant and breastfeeding! Your body will definitely be different, but it doesn't have to be worse and it definitely has the potential to be even better than your pre-pregnancy body.
Share this article with someone you know having a hard time in their 4th trimester. There is accurate body positive information out there and it can't be shared enough.
Ivy Brooks works as a copywriter, author and small business
consultant from her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. She enjoys expanding her
knowledge and writing portfolio to best accommodate her clients in
reaching their business and personal goals. Her topics of interest span
motherhood, relationships, spirituality, homemaking, food and bushcraft
among many other things. She welcomes you to contact her for a free
consultation about your current project or business. Her email is thecopywritertoknow@gmail.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ivy_Brooks/2305072
No comments:
Post a Comment