The reason your baby bump doesn’t go away immediately after birth… and how long it all takes

AFTER nine months of pregnancy, many new mums are hoping their pre-baby bodies will snap back into place after giving birth.

But, sadly, this is unlikely to be the case.

Aside from unsightly stretch marks and those couple of extra pounds you gained by ‘eating for two’ – there’s that ever-present baby bump, which seems to be sticking around even AFTER you’ve given birth.

So what exactly causes it? And how long will it stick around?

Why does it happen?

• Your uterus has taken nine months to grow to accommodate a baby, so a little patience is required in waiting for it to go away.
• The bump develops when the uterus enlarges enough to rise above the pubic bone, where it can push out your abdomen.
• Because of the uterus, some ladies still look six months pregnant even after giving birth.

• If you think of your belly as an expanding balloon – childbirth doesn’t pop the balloon, it just starts a shrinking process.

How long before my belly goes back to ‘normal’?

• This depends on your age, the size of the baby, method of delivery, your weight before getting pregnant, and the strength of your abdominal muscles.
• Women who gained less than two stone, exercised regularly during pregnancy, breastfed, and have only had one child should slim down quicker.
• Most women have to wait six to eight weeks to stop looking like they have a ‘pregnant’ baby bump.

• The cells in your body which swelled during pregnancy slowly begin to release any extra fluid through urine, vaginal secretions, and sweat.
• The extra fat you put on to nourish the baby should also start burning off. This process can be speeded up through breastfeeding and exercising.
• Stretch marks take longer to fade, but should become considerably less noticeable between six and 12 months after giving birth.

But try not to panic if you still feel pregnant when leaving hospital – it will all go back to normal eventually, and you’ve got a beautiful baby to be thankful for.