Becoming a mother for the first time is chock full of new experiences. It’s a wonderful time in a woman’s life to bond with her baby and grow as a mother. Unfortunately for some, the physical changes brought on by pregnancy can affect a woman’s body image and self-confidence leaving her feeling unlike herself.
Given that societal body standards have long made breasts a focal point of a woman’s body, changes to this area often become front of mind for new mothers. Thanks to the milk production process that occurs during pregnancy, many new mums experience unwanted changes in size and stretch marks.
Even though there’s plenty going on when there’s a newborn on the scene, many women go through a period of heightened awareness surrounding the changes and perceived “imperfections” of their bodies, and their breasts in particular. Unfortunately, this can lead to the possibility of developing a negative body image.
Luckily, there are many natural and safe options for women wanting to make a change and regain self-confidence, even if they may be planning a second child in the future.
The following list provides 4 safe ways to get your body confidence back if you’re a new mum!
#1 – Reducing the Appearance of Stretch Marks
Aside from the changes in shape and size, many women have issues with stretch marks that appear during pregnancy. There are many natural oils and stretch mark creams can help improve the colour and depth.
There are a wide variety of different creams and oils that are marketed to reduce stretch marks but it’s important to do your research as some are much more effective than others. If you’re looking for a convenient pharmacy product, Bio Oil is highly reputed as an affordable and effective brand. If you’re an all-natural mum then pure oils such as almond oil, castor oil and rosehip oil all have stretch mark reducing capabilities.
If you’re looking for a more permanent method you may want to try micro-needling or clinical laser treatments for stretch mark removal.
Micro-needling is relatively non-invasive treatment that is growing in popularity due to its ability to reduce scarring, but sounds pretty terrible! If you’re looking to try it out, there are at-home kits can provide you with an idea of how it works on your body. For dramatic improvements, clinical micro-needling, although more expensive may be the best route.
#2 – Wait it out and exercise
Directly after pregnancy, and once your start weaning your baby from breastfeeding, is the time when you may become the least happy with the size and shape of your breasts. The depletion of milk supply can cause them to feel empty compared to the full perky feeling during pregnancy. For many this time is brief as your body readjusts and fatty tissue will fill out your breasts.
How quickly and to what extent they will be able to bounce back is determined by a lot of different factors such as genetics and lifestyle choices. For example, smoking and sun exposure can have harmful effects on the elasticity of the skin. In general, it takes about 6 months for the breasts to return back to pre-pregnancy shape.
To speed up the process and improve the results that nature provides, consider the benefits of exercise. Proper diet and exercise cannot only help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight, it can also strengthen the chest muscles. Push Ups, dumbell flys and chest dips are great exercises to help achieve this lift.
#3 – Non-Surgical Breast Lifts
Recently, Botox injections as well as laser treatments have been gaining popularity as options to provide a slight lift to sagging, post-pregnancy breasts. Depending on your budget, these methods can become very pricey as they are not permanent and require repeated treatments to maintain results.
#4 – Surgical Breast Lifts and Augmentations
If you’ve exhausted all other options and have allowed your body at least 6 months to readjust naturally but still feel as though your breasts will not return to their natural shape, a surgical breast lift or augmentation may be worth considering.
There are always risks when considering surgical procedures especially for women wanting to breastfeed again in the future. However, proper research, a good doctor and the right procedure are all ways to ensure safe results.
Fat Transfer breast augmentations are becoming very popular, as there are no implants involved. With liposuction, the surgeon will take fat from other parts of the body such as the tummy and buttocks and then inject it into the breasts. This is a great option for women worried about complications because there is no possibility of their body rejecting their own fat. As this is a relatively new surgery, the only concern surrounding this surgery is the question of long-term results as they have yet to be proven.
There are many options when it comes to traditional breast implants. For women planning to breastfeed again there is concern around the fluid from silicone implants leaking into breast milk. If you want to steer clear from silicone, gummy bear implants or saline are said to be the safer option.
While many women are able to breastfeed without any complications after a breast augmentations there is no way of determining the effects it will have on your breast milk production until your baby is born. In some cases, the milk ducts in the breasts can become damaged during the procedure, which can make it difficult breastfeed even if the implants are removed. In other cases, the implants can cause extra pressure that will not allow for the flow of breast milk.
If you are planning on having another child within the next few years, it’s advisable to idea to hold off having the procedure until you see how the pregnancy affects your body. This can help to avoid having an additional maintenance procedure. In addition, it’s important to make sure that you’re completely healed before you become pregnant as the changes in your body and breasts can cause complications with healing that will be difficult to treat while pregnant if surgical intervention is required.
In the end, how you chose to rejuvenate your body after having a baby is a personal choice. Your safety and comfort, as well as the safety and health of your children, are the main priorities. It’s important to consult with a professional in order to consider all the risks and benefits involved with any method that you choose.
This story was supplied by Zwivel – an online resource dedicated to health, plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments.
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